American Morning
Somali women flocking to port in hope of marrying pirates
Pirates are holding a U.S. captain hostage at sea. The Navy is watching everything that happens. So what is supposed to happen next? And what is driving this problem? We talked to someone who knows a thing or two about the pirates and has experience covering them in Somalia. Kaj Larsen, former U.S. Navy SEAL, spoke to T.J. Holmes on CNN’s American Morning Thursday.
Larsen says the root conditions of poverty, lawlessness and civil war on the ground in Somalia are to blame. The large sums of ransom money being paid out to pirates, he says, is even leading some Somali women to venture to the port town of Bosaso in hopes of marrying these newly-rich men.
T.J. Holmes: We know that piracy pays. What is it that's going to break this cycle if every time they take a ship, they get paid. Why stop it?
Kaj Larsen: That's the 50 or $100 million question, which is about the money that the pirates took in last year in ransom. The solution unfortunately is not going to be a military-centric one. Ultimately, you to have to find some way to govern this ungoverned space, this lawless sanctuary that the pirates have in Somalia. That's really the only long-term solution you’re going to see to this problem.
Holmes: Let's start with the military solution. Why not send a message?
Larsen: Certainly there would be some deterrent effect. I think in this case, the incentives are so large. The money that they’re making is so extraordinary, especially by Somalia standards, that it would be difficult. However, in this particular situation, the goal is to solve it as quickly and as safely as possible without putting the hostage in jeopardy.
Holmes: There are hopeless, deplorable conditions in Somalia. A life of piracy looks pretty good for some of these young men compared to the conditions in Somalia.
Larsen: You couldn't have said it better, T.J. I’ve been on the ground in Somalia. One of the interesting demographic things that’s happening right now is that single Somali women are flocking to the port town Bosaso where these pirates come out of in the hopes of marrying a pirate. So you can see that it really is - the root conditions of poverty, lawlessness and civil war on the ground in Somalia are really what are breeding this problem.
Holmes: Is it worth the risk for these companies to continue to go through the Gulf of Aden? Does it cost much to take another route? Is it worth it to take the chance, pay the ransom, and keep moving?
Larsen: So far, that's been the model. As these attacks increase, we've seen six in the last week alone, the cost of doing business in that area is just going to be too high. The insurance companies are going to jack up the rates of insurance. And at some point, they're not going to be able to continue without taking much more serious security measures or without finding an alternative route.
Holmes: Do you think this situation will begin to draw more attention to what's happening there off the Horn of Africa and maybe more action will begin to be taken by countries all over the world?
Larsen: I think this is a clarion call to the international community that Somalia is and continues to be a failed state. And that if we don't continue to pay attention to it, if we don't start changing the conditions on the ground there, if we don't start governing that ungoverned space that it’s going to be a breeding ground for piracy and possibly international terrorism. So yes, I would hope that this situation, that the silver lining in the cloud is that people would start paying attention to this horrific situation in the country there.
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Well put James. So I say if they don't care why should anyone else? Kill the s-heads and we can move on to the next issue .
I wish the Pittsburgh Pirates could win as much as the Somolian Pirates...
Put out some mines and restrict all boats out of Somalia. (Since they are not fishing these days) This has to be stopped before it spreads out and becomes a world wide issue.
Hey Mdr. YES ARM EVERY LAW ABIDING AMERICAN. WATCH THE CRIME RATE DROP. IT WILL ALSO TAKE CARE OF THE ILLEAGLE BREACHING OF AMERICAN BORDERS. WIN! WIN! GREAT IDEA.
Here's the choice: sit down with the pirates and work a deal, or spend millions on patrols, convoys, escorts, etc.... Of course we will go for the option 2 because it makes money for the arms manufacturers. Smart bombs and drones and high tech toys that our military-industrial-neurotic complexs love to play with. And imagine all the new jihadists we will create as we kill more and more people. Hey, the gift that keeps on giving.
Hey JJ. Your point is valid. Yes if there were no other way, yes I might sign up and hope for the best, but in doing so, I would also be aknowledging that it is at my own risk. KILL the BASTARDS!!!
A simple and cost effective solution. Buy up all the cigar boats at the next DEA auction. Once a ship leaves port they haul one on board the same way they do the lifeboats. Along with the fast mover you have 4 highly trained security personnel who ride with you to your destination.
When a suspicious blip comes up on radar you put the boat and guards in the water. This should allow the larger ship time to create some distance for when/if a firefight occurs so that stray rounds are not endangering the ship or crew. When the pirates see that you are waiting for them with a heavily armed speedboat chances are pretty good that they will break off. If not then you can get some target practice in. The escorts are loaded and unloaded outside of the port so as not to cause any legal issues.
Americans are violent psychopaths and most of the meatheads with their comments saying we should take these guys out, blow them to hell, bomb their villages, prove it beyond a doubt. No wonder we are hated around the world.
These "pirates" are gutsy and we need, very desparately, allies in this part of the world. I say we negotiate a deal where we supply assistance, keep the foreign fishing fleets out and the hazardous waste ships out, and they maintain a secular government that respects human rights (unlike those governments now running Iraq and Afghanistan). Maybe this strategy will work, because the bomb them to hell sure hasn't worked in Iraq or Afghanistan.
I think we all have the right idea. Treat these cargo ships like very large Brinks trucks and are them well.
I need to ask Martha one question. What has compasionn done for our country with all the other situations we have found ourselves faceing dow??? Answere: Nowhere. They will just push the envelope until Force is brought into play and then they piss and moan about how we are the aggressors. We've tried that tired out method.
When do we get the movie?
Armed escort is the answer. When the Nazis were sinking every ship they could, American merchant ships on their way to England were given escorts. One warning from an armed escort ship, followed by force on a magnitude these thugs cannot image would do a great deal to end this foolishness. Don't forget, AL Qaeda
This is an interesting article, but all of these comments after it are even better.
I gag at the liberal-sounding comments shifting blame and turning the perpetrators into victims. Poor things have such hard lives you really can't blame them for turning to a life of crime. *GAG* Can you hear me gagging? Who can I hijack when my life is rough? Too bad I have morals and feel responsible for myself and my own actions regardless of my circumstances.
If those were my boats they would be armed to the teeth. Every pirate would be given the choice between a bullet or a bologna sandwich before we dropped them over the side.
If ransoms must be paid to save lives pay it then follow them to their mother ships and/or shore and kill them all before they get off their boats! I'm sure that we have the capabilities to do this and must be done to deter the growth of piracy from Somalia but as far as helping the Somalia's they must show the world that they are going to take on those who have no care for rule of law before the world begins to help to bring Somalia into a governable state! This should be done through UN resolutions that the security council agrees upon to take actions both against the pirates and to the Somalia's who wish to repair it's state into a governable state which could be helped by some of the monies that were assigned for developing states agreed at the g20 summit!
think about this, each time you provide the pirates with, let's say, a million dollars for each of these events, would it not be more effective use that million dollars and employ ex-military and ex-police personnel on your boat that are properly trained and equipped with the necessary monitoring devices and equipment [weapons] to assist in holding off these pirates and their attempts to hijack your freight????
Kill them all? Nuke them? Are you people crazy?
Sure it's bad what they are resorting to, but let's face it – severely impoverished people WILL resort to doing all manner of bad things just to stay alive. Right now they're not seeking to kill anyone, they're only after the money – but once you start killing them just for being nearby, they will have a reason to kill. Murdering them on their boats or in their villages isn't going to make anyone safer...instead, here's what will happen if the military or civilian ships started to arbitrarily blow suspected pirate boats out of the water –
-The pirates will target American vessels more, and be more willing to kill hostages that they take, especially if they are American.
-They will acquire even more powerful weapons and use larger numbers to conduct their raids, thus making it impossible for any ship to stop a boarding party, whether the sailors are armed or not. The weaponry that failed to protect the sailors then falls into the hands of the pirates and will ultimately be used to kill other sailors on other ships who fight back.
-Innocent Somalian fishing vessels will be targeted by armed civilian vessels.
-Pirates will resort to strictly using hijack vessels (with hostages on board) to target other vessels, using the hostages as human shields against attack from armed civilian vessels.
-The family members of dead fishermen who were victims of unprovoked attacks by armed civilian vessels will be approached for recruitment by International terrorists groups and by pirates and will join them to take revenge for their slaying.
Instead of wasting time trying to come up with ways to kill these guys, why don't you people figure out how to stop your own guns from getting into their hands in the first place. These pirates were once fishermen – if you want them to put down the guns, you will have to create incentives that will make fishing an option once more. Firing bullets at them will only make them fire back even more at you. Drop bombs on them and you will only manage to create yet another source of terrorists. Nuke them, as some of you have suggested, and Iran and North Korea would be totally justified in pursuing the ability to rain nukes on the US. Help them solve their problems, because quite frankly, you helped create some of them by selling them your weaponry.
Hey woundn't you agree this would make a sweet video game, throw in some of the mexican border conflict and we have a game of the year award.
Hire mercs.
OK, granted, the Somali piracy is born out of poverty and desperation. If the pirates are hijack crazy, load up an old ship with humanitarian supplies, drag it to a convenient hijack location and let them have it. If it's food and basics they want (and need), give it to them. When the basics of human survival are met, humans will generally resort to a social structure that will benefit the cummunity as a whole. Perhaps it's a simplistic answer, but I prefer the KISS method in all I do.
If the poor and hungry see all the food and supplies, but don't get any, the greedy and foolish will lose by natural selction. At least, one would hope.
I think the only way to stop this is to stop paying. Sure you can threaten them, attack them, even kill them but these people have been theoretically pushed into a corner and are now willing to do anything in order to survive. If we simply stop negotiating with these terrorists they will eventually realize that piracy is not lucrative anymore. Besides, the money that we are giving them is only encouraging them to continue to break the law without any consequences.
There's 3 sides to a story: our side, their side, and the truth. Why isn't any articles about why the Somalis are really pirating? Well I've talked some Africans who have talked to their family members and they claim that they are pirating because European countries have been dumping chemical in their water(which is not far fetched at all) and have been contaminating the fish they eat. If you contaminate the very little food i have to eat in the first place what do you expect? We dont know who is right but every party has a story.
Landon – You haven't clue what you're talking about and probably have little understanding of the military. Technology can be a deterrent in some cases, again....LRAD for instance. We've used it in the military with great success. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LRAD
Let's not forget how successful we were with military operations in Somalia in the past. With the deplorable conditions people who are otherwise decent people do whatever they can to feed themselves and/or family. Now I'm not saying its right but I can understand the situation. A military option is not a solution. Are you honestly going to kill innocent civilians, and children just to get a few bad guys only to have more step right up and fill the void? Arming civilians sounds stupid to you Landon? Civilians ARE armed and let's face it, you'd be the first to scream bloody murder if the government came to your home and said give me all of your guns civilians shouldn't be armed. An armed society to a degree is a polite society, that coupled with proper laws and enforcement seems to be a fair balance. The questions we should be asking is how do we defend these vessels and at the same time help to make this region more stable i.e. less dependent upon piracy as a means just to get by. Arming a vessel with LRAD, possibly a few .50 cals would certainly help as a deterrent. Sometimes appearance is everything! Hell in New Orleans, my own home town for instance, our Medical UH-60 Helicopters were shot at during Katrina. We mounted .50 cals (empty) mind you on our Black Hawks and suddenly people stopped shooting at them. Let's look at how we can retrofit vessels so people can board them at sea and perhaps as I mentioned a security company escorting these vessels would work well. Whatever the effort we would have to work collectively and politically with nations around the globe to address the conditions in Somalia. The bottom line is there is no ONE solution to this issue. Patrick
@ Stanley, respect? who cares, we want to be feared.
NOT AN intellegent response Jai-Jaii.......These are spineless crooks.
Their PIRATES and color has nothing to do with it and is not part of the issue.
I applaud Ian R, Simple and cheap!
John said it all April 9, 12:48pm. Couldn't stop laughing! SO TRUE!!!
By the way.......WHERE IS THE UNITED NATIONS !!!!!!!!
Why doesn’t the Cpt. use parlay and then make a deal. It worked for me that’s how I got my ship back.
As far as helping everyone else make their country better. I have an opinion too. Why don’t we just close the boarders to the U.S bring all the troops home. Stop the out sourcing. We can create lots of jobs and live on the resources that the US has. Heck we can even invite South America to unite with us and have it be the Americas.
We need to get our country fixed before we can worry about anyone else.
Hire a somalian escort instead of US escort. It would be cheaper.
How sad that the majority of people here say that we should kill a bunch of people, when they don't know everything to do with this story. The Somali pirates are hijacking ships and whatnot and yes that is wrong, but that isn't the issue. The issue is what is happening in Somalia. Many people there are sick, I believe the UN said that almost 10 000 Somalis have died since the end of 2007 and the number is still growing. Somalia is dying and the pirates are trying to survive. It doesn't help that nuclear waste is being dumped into the waters and European countries are over fishing in Somali waters. Why not help Somalia and not do it for oil?
I agree with the military solution. Arm the crew with .50 BMGs and let them target the speedboats. Even if you miss the drivers/climbers, a couple of .50 caliber holes in the deck of a fiberglass speedboat will send the whole crew to a watery grave. Maybe seeing their friends and family turned to shark chum wil make them change professions. Anyone else proud of the fact that the only pirate attack on Americans in the past 300 years ended with the pirates cowering in a dinghy waiting to be blown up by a destroyer?
I wonder if the pirates are hiring?!
Send in the SEALs and blow up the mother ships. That should put an end to it pretty quickly. It's not like we're going to reach a "political solution" with a den of pirates, for chrissakes!
Recruit US Somalis from areas like MN and send them back to Somalia, equipped them with bugged GPS which can be tagged to Pirate floater/boats. Blow any bugged boat or floater which goes beyond their legal waters
Equip the cargo boats with radar to detect the pirates and deck mounted 50cal machine guns kill any pirates that get close.
Then, take the fight to the pirates.
Land troops on thier base and wipe them out.
May be these pirates have seen the old Hollywood pirate movies and are now imitating piracy. And sure they are hitting gold. The immediate solution is make this more difficult for the pirates to win. US government stationed guards in the planes to deter plane hijacking after 9/11. US can now offer, at cost to the shipping companies, fully armed trained seals who can kill these pirates. The attacks will stop when the piracy does not result in any gains but only in a loss of pirates loss. I wonder if the pirates will take the risk knowing that they WILL be killed. And ofcourse, our navy personnel get training and the navy will earn some income. A win-win situation for all except for the pirates.
Military solution, period. The US Navy can take these bastards down. Just give the Navy "permission" to intercept and destroy pirates and get out of the way. The Navy's mission is control of shipping lanes, and that's unconditional. As a former submariner, I can assure you that we've got the men and ships to beat these little league boats. If the government (or lack of government) in Somalia is the root problem, then that's for the Somali's to fix. Our sailors (merchant or otherwise) should not be at risk because the pirates choose to hijack American flagged vessels. We need to teach these bastards a few things about consequences.
Some of you understand deterrence. Many of the posts here do not. Each ship should carry one negotiator; BARRATT MODEL 82A1 .50BMG w 12×40 Leupold.
Lets see what to do what do do, since we cant decide, since were ineffectual and gutless lets see what other countries do. Israel simply does not negotiate with kidnappers and every citizen knows they may have to die to maintain the tradition but it works. Russia, they mass attack an enemy destroying entire 1km grid squares at a time until each square is completely devoid of life. China, mass attacks, human waives again sacrifice the individual for the common good. Or have the gutless UN put a force on each ship made up of soldiers of member nations...to defend the ships....
Darryl: If you keep rewarding them expect the piracy to continue. The US is too soft so we’ll just give them some stimulus money in exchange for the hostage...
Part of that made me chuckle, but it's very true. We've done nothing but reward the dangerous behavior of these individuals and they need to be stopped and a message needs to be sent out loud and clear. Pretty soon, all they'll have to do is step on board and we'll just give them the money, or they start doing whatever is necessary to hurt individuals for the heck of it. We need to grow a pair and step up, people!
thanks for the interesting comments..made my last date of work go by so quick..me and my co-workers really got a kick outta what you guys had to say...everyone seems to be in with Ian's idea..lol..way to be mr popular!! 🙂
For starters, I am at a loss as to how the operators of these little-bitty boats are able to overpower and dominate these huge steel things. Surely any boat that can mount a guard watch throughout the day and night could fail to notice these people apporaching in their dinghies.
Secondly, I once chartered a sail boat (45-foot). The first time I went up from the cabin, I noticed a sawed-off shotgun just above the doorway. I asked the captain what it was for. He said, "Pirates."
This was thirty years ago. Why is the existence of pirates such a surprise NOW?
Why are ships that are obliged to sail these water totally unarmed? Why do they not have a few RPGs, launchers, light submachine guns, conventional grenades?
Finally, even if suddenly Somalia was able to grow a legitimate government after so many years, why would lawless, prosperous people forgo the vast potential income from piracy to return to a miserable, subsistance life? And even if Somalia managed to have a government, how much longer would it take to establish a navy to protect ships in the waters off the coast?
I was reading some of the more recent posts and I was surprised that so many people were agreeing to attack the pirates in a such a violent way like shooting them and having their bodies wash up on shore or setting their ship on fire. I would like to point out, like others have already, that the conditions Somalians face are nothing like we, Americans, have ever seen. Violence will solve nothing but helping to better their life conditions will. Helping the government maintain civil peace and enforece laws and creating jobs will help piracy finally become a thing of the past. If this sort of life continues for the Somalians then yes, it could very well become a breeding ground for terrorism. But just know that hate derives from turning your cheek when someone needs help and peace derives from a helping hand. An investment in Somalia is an investment in civil peace not only in Somalia but surrounding areas and the world.
Killing all the pirates won't work because more pirates will follow in a sufficiently desperate environment such as Somalia. Hijackings will trail off for a few months because of all the deaths, but then they will pick up again. Arm the vessels, but not to the teeth, which will keep the appeasers relatively quiet and be violent, but only to the extent that matches the level of violence the hijackers use. Other countries don't want weapons in their ports? they use the same shipping lanes, so agree to let them have the same weapons. That keeps our country from having to listen to the big bully lecture from Europe.
Nuking Somalia isn't going to happen, you'd be giving leverage to other countries developing nuclear weapon capabilities, not to mention doing damage to plenty of Somali civilians who are not flocking to the coast to get married but minding their own business. I am not in favor of nation building, but we do need to go in there and support the people. Notice I did not say support the government leaders, they are corrupt and need to be replaced. A puppet government created by us you complain about? better than a breeding ground for more than pirates, but terrorists too.
No solution is perfect, and I won't bet the farm that my idea will work, but mass murder, even of people who have earned it, is below us. We are better than that, and not just those hippies, good Democrats, Republicans, and Independents too.
Until somebody explains this to me, I'll never understand it. I find it extremely hard to fathom that cargo ships of this size could not protect themselves from relatively tiny boats if they were armed. One ransom paid would foot the bill for a large number of armed guards that are properly trained and equipped with heavy machine guns. Instead however, the owners of the ships continue to pay money that will only be used to purchase larger quantities of more advanced weapons; and the problem continues to escalate.
Make it known that if a boat approaches a cargo ship in open waters, it will be cut in half. I mean really, who's the fool here??
As several folks have alluded, this is a real easy problem to solve and i believe has been going on way too long, there needs to be less talk and more action – unfortunately i don't think real action will come until an innocent dies. These 'pirates' live in an ungoverned country, no laws, no rules and have elected to conduct themselves accordingly in international waters – it's therefore reasonable to respond in a manner that these folks will understand. A couple of other gentlemen (posted below) have it exactly right – my version of a detterent, goes like this however:
Utilize a dozen or so shipping/cruise like vessels that have been moth balled (due to economy) and outfit them with long and close range artillery along with experienced personnel (reservists/ex-military?), these vessels, now acting as decoys, cruise shipping lanes between the coast and commonly used shipping lanes for the purpose of intercepting and destroying our pirate friends – I'm confident that after a few pirate vessels and crew go missing, the message will be clear – if it's not, then so be it, at least there will be closure in a reasonable amount of time versus time it will take to get international involvement.
I think the ship owners should advertise for a crew in the "Soldier of Fortune" magazine. If the crew is made up of the right mix of people then the pirates will learn quickly. Somolia is better than being chum.
Obviously, the pirates are not manufacturing the weapons they use to take over the vessels so they're buying them from someone who could care less how they're being used. First, we reduce the access to these weapons by going after these arms dealers. My guess is it’s the same suppliers we're seeing in other armed conflicts around the world (can anyone spell Iran or Syria?). Secondly, the shipping companies should be placing 4-6 trained defensive mercenaries on each ship to ward off the pirate attackers. If 4 pirates can take over a ship with 20 sailors, it couldn’t be that difficult for 4-6 onboard defenders to keep the pirates off the sides of the ship to foil their attempts to hijack the cargo. After a few pirates are wasted, then we should see a decrease in their brazen attempts to hijack the ships. Where is Jack Bauer when we need him?
There are plenty of Policy Options available
1. International tribunals: I've heard reports that the Navy is detaining Pirates and then letting them go because NO COUNTRY is willing to put them on trial. How rediculous is that? What incentive is there to NOT be a pirate if you live in Somalia.
2. UN Peacekeeping Mission to Somalia: Been there done that, Remember Black Hawk Down? Probably the best solution but also the most costly. Translation, not going to happen.
3. Make it illegal to pay these pirates ransom. If these pirates want money, make them go through Governments. Maybe the Pirates will think twice about attacking U.S. ships if they know they can't just black mail the shipping companies.
Yeah!!!Blow them out of the water,that is a simple solution to a problem that has been created by neglect and isolation of the Somali people.Most Westerners commenting here are very ignorant of what happens in Somalia,the whole of Africa to be precise and who can blame them.The Western media always feeds you the "B.S" about how Africans can't rule themselves.The course of these conflicts are Westerners meddling in tribal conflicts and selling weapons to factions to fuel this anarchy.After Somalia became a lawless state,Somali waters weren't patrolled and opportunistic fishing companies raided these waters for fish.Others dumped chemical and nuclear waste in the water by the the Somalian coast with impunity.Yes the Somalians are the course of their own problems,and radical Islam sees opportunity to recruit in these lands where the is little hope for survival.Most Somali's would like to make a decent living than take arms.Tribal wars in Somalia has for centuries been triggered by fight over grazing land for their animals during long drought season.The absence of a central government makes these tribal Warlords even more ruthless in their actions against their people.These people fight to protect their livelihood and family most of the time since there is no system of government to protect them.A lot of Western gun dealers see this as an opportunity, like in any other chaotic place in the world to run their illegal arm trade. Some of these tribes are just not into fighting among themselves,they see a lucrative business in going to confront foreign vessels who drop of toxic waste or pillage their unguarded coast for fish,denying the already poor
Somali's of their right to fish in their on waters.When you think of these pirates wanting to make a living under such harsh conditions in their land the risk of death is not a hindrance.After all their lives is not worth anything in their land or to the world.There is going to be always armed factions in Somalia so far is the World ignores it plight.A government that can control all the warring factions is what is needed.The UN is too ineffective to turn things around.The African Union lacks a common army and the financial resources to intervene.Western military actions won't do much, these people are to skilled in arms as guerrilla warfare is their expertise and Westerns occupiers will be slaughtered on Somali land.I believe there is no oil to compensate for the loss of precious western lives to intervene in this mess altruistically. To me a country like Ethiopia and Kenya can intervene under a U.N mandate and funds,they know the terrain and can fight these wars viciously.Ethiopia withdrew it's forces from Somalia because it was not getting funded as promised to keep the partial government running.Till the Somalia people see improvements in their lives through the establishment of a legitimate government not a western puppet.Piracy on the Gulf of Arden is here to stay.............
*********One shot, One Kill. ********
Every ship should have a armed ex service personal on board.
What paying 75-100000.00 per year per ship.??
They are paying millions now.
Can think of quite a few ex service people that are out of work .
walter – you maroon! this has been going on for years, it didn't start just this year! you might want to watch another news channel
Hiring a few armed guards for each boat can't possibly cost more then the millions they pay out each time a boat is taken. It wouldn't take very many, look how big the ship is! They have the high ground.
Some of these comments are just ridiculous. Arm civilian ships? Fire at approaching vessels? You can't just attack someone until they've proved to be a threat, which is when they're on the side of your vessel throwing grappling hooks. That's unprovoked assault and murder and I'm sure they don't have radio communications to try to warn them. They also spray automatic weapons at the ships as they approach to prevent retaliation. Giving the crew guns won't be the solution you think it will and will just add violence and death to the whole situation. The Somalis are desperately poor and they probably don't care if they die trying to get rich.
Blow up Somalia? Are you people insane? Start a war with a country with no real government because it happens to have a few criminals in it? Seriously, think about it and stop reacting with your trigger finger.
Point 1: Appeasment never works. Never has, never will. Check your history books. The aggressors always come back wanting more.
Point 2: Most foreign ports have stringent rules about armed ships. They don't like them in their waters. Warships can often get away with it because they are obviously what they are and treatys have been made allowing them passage. Merchant ships carrying heavy weapons are another thing entirely.
Point 3: "Light" weapons, such as assault rifles, if properly stored in an arms locker/armory room, are *usually* permitted aboard merchant ships in small quantities. RPGs do not qualify here.
Point 4: The cost of a small, trained defence force aboard ships traveling through Somali waters would be far less than the cost of one ransom payment. Such a clash would not end the problem, however. The pirates would simply increase the level of violence and the level of weaponry they bring to bear.
Summary: In an ideal world we would solve the soul-crushing poverty problem these people suffer from and they would turn away from piracy to become productive citizens. That's not going to happen, though. WE cannot solve THEIR problems. Not even by throwing money at them. OUR problem is their turning to piracy against our shipping and, unfortunately, the only solution to that will be long, slow, and bloody. Appeasment is easier, but in the end, we will still have to fight them. One boatload at a time.
I just cant understand. If they have crew on deck 24/7 how these pirates can get on board? Bright lights and a good spear gun should handle the problem. After a bunch of pirates are killed maybe they will think twice.
I agree that there needs to be some stabilizing action taken in Somalia with regards to governance. But in the short term wouldn't hiring defense contractors to ride along on these ships cost the same or maybe less than paying ransom all the time. These pirates are not trained soldiers. They could be easily out gunned by men who knew what they were doing. After they start coming back from these raids dead you will see a drop in the number of incidents.
The Phonenicians invented crusifiction to deal with piracy.
Take the women that are flocking to marry the pirates and throw them in jail. They can then see the kind of life they are asking for. As for the pirates, blow their buts out of the water. This will set a good example for the others.
Captain Ron, ye crack me up...I laughted all the way to the toilet while ago after reading u above...u right on the button, MON!!!
Arm UAV's with Missiles and continue to patrol this area shooting down every non-registered boat that comes in sight. If not missiles, then fly AC130 gunship patrols around and gun them down. Kill pirates from above, they are simple targets floating out at sea and can be detected from space based satellites or radars. Eventually, these seas will be too dangerous because of the missile threat from above for these pirates to even think about sailing out. Post videos of pirates being killed from above on Al-Jazerra and maybe they'll get the message.
The FBI is now in negotiations with the pirates. This should be our negotiation stance: "Harm an American and you will never be dead enough". Sink the mother boats that harbor the pirates and bomb the ports. Until you destroy the infrastructure and make pirating unprofitable, they will continue.
meant to say "These are not blood thirsty criminals.." No one has been hurt by the Somali pirates.
Personally I think they should bann all non-commercial traffic immediately in the area and any boat they find that isn't commercial blow it out of the water.
This is so stupid. It would be a no brainer to put a platoon of Marines aboard every freighter while in the treacherous waters. Give them the authority to shoot to kill anyone pursuing a merchant ship or attempting to board without permission.
I would also think that an armed helicopter could reach nearly any ship being threatened long before the pirates attempted to board it. Have the chopper blow the pirates out of the water before they have a chance to take anyone or anything hostage.
Have immediate trials of any captured pirates. Hang them at the nearest port and leave them hanging until the birds pick their bones clean. Do it the old fashioned way. What are we, a nation of wimps or what?
The key word is 'breeding'. We need to go back to offering international aid to countries like Somalia in exchange for sterilizing a population which cannot feed itself without preying on other people. Smaller families = less desperation.
these boats need mounted heavy duty macine guns, or mini cannons, problem solved, let's see how far a somali swiss cheese boat can go
I say we do one of two things...we either hang them in public, no trial, or we keel haul them and then put them ashore so as their piers who may want to make this kind of a living, can see what happens to creatures of their ilk! Like one of the other fellow bloggers wrote, Show them absolutely no mercy! They are getting away with this because we are allowing it, bottom line....Terry G.
just tell them to apply for some tarp money instead... it's free, limitless, and you don't have to ride around 300 miles from land in a dingy with 6 smelly dudes... TARP forever!!!... aaarrrrggggghhhh!!!
Has anyone ever thought of our super heroes? how about
Johnny Depp, sinbad and popeye? They know how to take care all these bad pirates. Send them over to stop this piracy.
After foreign fishing fleets illegally depleted the fishing grounds off Somalia, and European countries dumped their hazardous waste (radioactive waste included) in the ocean off Somalia, these people have been reduced to starvation. Where were the ihternational patrols when the Somalis were complaining about the foreign fishing fleets and the dumping? Nobody cared then. These are bloody thirsty criminals, these are people trying to survive.
"Pirates". The mere fact they are being referred to as pirates, instead of criminals, terrorists, or just plain agitators, glamorizes the whole sitiuation, as someone said, to a "Jack Sparrow" type of mentality.
Well, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The US is tired of being the worlds watchdog. Solving the problem diplomatically is likely not going to work. Not long term. Invade, divide and conquer. Just let the Nigerians do it, or maybe ANYONE on that continent. (The nigerians don't have such a great track record either.) Is there no honour amoung men anymore?
YAR!!!
Private companies should just hire PRIVATE security...duh My tax dollars shouldn't go to a company so dense that they run naked through acid rain!
If it's a military solution that is in mind, I'd personally suggest Q-Ships. Naval vessels disguised as merchant ships would work quite well in this sort of situation. Essentially, it doesn't take more than a trained, armed crew to fight in one of these situations, as the pirates attempt to board and are arrested, fought off, etc. It's a low-cost alternative to plans that would use constant patrolling, Radar scans, and the like, and also can be used with some of the older ships currently in naval service. Alternatively, the federal government could issue letters of marque, enabling counter-piracy, but that solution is a) too ludicrous and b) too ineffective. Either solution is cheaper than having F-15s dropping laser guided ordnance on shacks and fishing boats.
Stanley and Brad, you both need to take a Midol and have a nappy
In the early part of the 20th century, and before, there would have been no question about what to do here. Freighters would have had armories and men – MEN – aboard who knew how to use the weapons in them. 20 sailors popping away at a speed boat or raft at 500 yards with even the most innocuous of scope-sighted sporting rifles available from Wal-Mart – much less a heavy machine gun or two – would make short work of these swine.
All you girly-men and Brits who are feeling nauseous over my suggestion go join Brad and Stanley's slumber party.
i just wanna know what is that ship doing down there taking food or whatever to other country while here there's a lot of PPL hungry and homeless, just can't understand, there's lot of help to others but for the PPL that really need it nothing..
Why don't we just arm the merchant ships? Giving a ship a water cannon to repel pirates is like carrying a supersoaker to avoid a carjacking.
Let Obama bail them out...I think about a billion in ransom should do. If that's not enough, try 2 billion. Anything to help these downtrodden people in Somalia. It really doesn't matter if the captain lives or dies anyway.
Security Teams with all the latest technology to defend a ship at sea should be hired by all nations sailing through these waters where piracy is possible. It would be cost effective considering the high ransoms costs and liability insurance premiums. Those Security teams should be ordered to make shark bait out of anyone attempting to treaten a ship at sea.
I think its very unfortunate that CNN has chosen to accept the main catalyst for this whole piracy problem as greed and lawlessness in somalia. Why dont you look at the issue as complex as it is and do your research. For instance why are you not talking about the crimes being commited agains Somalia by the dumping of illegal toxic waiste and illegal over fishing by European and Chinese fishermen which has been going on for the last 15 years. I encourage to take a deeper look at the issue and give the American people a detailed and honest portrayal of the issue. Thank you!!
How much did the pirate pay for his earrings?
A buc-ann-eer!
Who owns these waters where they are operating? If they are international waters, then the pirates are within their rights to "pick a fight". Yes, they are stealing and being aggressive. However, look at the countries whose ships are being highjacked and ask yourselves if, within the last 50 years, any of these countries have "justifiably" entered another country and done a lot worse than hold someone for ransom.
If they are Somali or Yemeni waters, then it's up to the governments' (interim or no) to come up with a plan and a tax for use of their waters.
It seems odd to me that we established the limits of our US coasts, and that our Coast Guard can arrest, detain and seize goods of anyone who enters our waters. Yet, we have a problem when others do the same.
Sounds like a job for the A-Team!
Anytime people are disarmed and denied the right to defend themselves sufficiently, you might as well paint a big red target sign on them. The mariners are not permitted to be armed despite numerous attempts by the industry to reclaim the right to bear arms. This is not only happening by Somalian pirates. This is actually a rampant problem in all waters.
Are you kidding me. We, the U.S., have millions of people out of work, yet some are saying we should help eliminate poverty on the ground in Somalia. Really, how is that our resoponsibility again? I think that the UN coud finally do something useful here by paying to put a squad of marines on every ship and that'll be the end of it.
Why would they really want to stop it, it drives supplies down and prices up resulting in higher profits. If also helps to render the depopulation of the planet which these fascists (bankers) want. This isn't a right or left issue, since they are controlled by the bankers as is Obama and his admin as was Bush and his admin.
Blows my mind that men on a huge boat can allow a few men from a small so-called speedboat (tricycle is faster) that they are unable to keep them off the boat. Sure they have weapons but have you ever been on a small boat in an ocean, you can't aim for you know what. Bring pellet guns on the ship if real guns arent allowed. Guys are transports can just take target practice at them without killing anyone on a much more stable vessel. Guarantee getting popped with a few pellets each and those morons called pirates will be going on to another vessel. How about some flame electronic controlled flame throwers that can be run from a room safely. How do you not see a bunch of pirates coming at you having to scale a 30-60 ft vessel wall with rope. It's not difficult guys, oh how about a crossbow?
Arrrrrrrrrr!!!
Shiver me timbers.
Are any of these women hot? And if so, where is this port?
The answer is Broad Area Maritime Surveillance from your friends at Northrop Grumman can provide surveillance, target acquisition, intelligence gathering, reconaissance.
It's not so simple to stop them all. First of all, there will be non-pirate boats that will not respond or look suspicious. Are we going to open fire on innocent civilians to save innocent civilians? Second, this is such a huge amount of space that there just aren't enough ships to patrol it and stop every suspicious boat. It's just not possible.
line the boats with razor wire and attack dogs, works in most cities. RD
It's tragic that these people have to live in a state of mind that they have to do this to survive. I agree with the navy seal. Military force will do nothing but create more suffering. If we helped these people to build economies and teach them how to survive in a civilized environment this would not be a problem. It's a giant challenge, but everyone deserves to have proper living conditions in this world. Just because we are blessed to live in a society that wastes more than they will ever see. Should not create thoughts of slaughtering them, but it should instead create thoughts of how can we help them. What a sad world we live in, when this is what our ideas = , more suffering.
aarrrrrrrrr!!! shiver me timbers! I'd make em all walk the plank!! Gimee some more Rum matey!
How much is this exercise in futility costing us? I agree, blow them out of the water. So tired of poverty being a lame excuse for terrorism and legalized murder/kidnapping. Don't see anyone in Appalachia high jacking cars and holding tourists for ransom. I guess they’re not poor enough.
"But why is the rum gone?!"
RRRRRRRRRRR.........actually....hire ex soldiers....load them up with ammo...and tell them to work on their target practice.
RRRRRRRRRRRRR........*tat tat tat tat" flatline..................................
Why are "WE" (USA) needed to fix this? Why is it that everyone (the whole world plus Africa) involved is not fixing it. Every pirate that is captured, by whomever/wherever, should be hanged on the spot, and their body left to rot in the wind. Somalia made it's own bed of poverty and anarchy, and I don't see why "WE" are responsible for fixing it. Crime is crime, and I don't care what part of the world from which it comes.
How about stopping the terrorists at source. There aren't very many ports in Somalia from where the pirates enter the waters. Help the government of somalia (whatever is left of it) to secure these ports.
Plain and simple... This is what happens when we have to appease the masses. You have the pacifists that complain about humane justice. The extremists screaming for their heads... And the Government sits in the middle. If they stick their nose in, then some countries whine that America needs to quit playing World Cop. Other countries complain that because America has the power and resources that they should take care of it. Who's feelings do we hurt this week?
Maybe we should protect only our own vessels and let everyone else stick up for themselves. I for one am tired of America "trying" to help other countries. We SHOULD start ignoring other people's problems and work on our own like the rest of the selfish countries of the world does.