[neilkaz]

One wonders why the world continues to tolerate this 21st century piracy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100119/wl_af...ngunrest2ndlead

[Gerben42]

Please explain who should stop them? It costs a lot of money, and the politicians are not going to convince the taxpayers that it's important. On the other hand, the companies involved probably still think the risk can be insured, and well, the insurance companies will gladly insure the risk.

[hotShot]

There is a lot of water in the ocean to cover with surveillance. The pirates operate from small fisher boats. There is almost no way to tell which are normal fishermen and which are pirates, before they start to attack.
Somalia is an independent country, navies from other nations have no right to operate there. This is especially true for ground forces that "invade" the country.
So you can spend a lot of money, cause a lot of negative propaganda just to save the investment of some greedy shipowners who try to save money by traveling a shorter, but more risky route.

[jdonn]

This is kind of like asking why the world's armies don't stop all bank robbers.

[jjbrr]

ARRR

[Al_U_Card]

jdonn, on Jan 19 2010, 02:33 PM, said:

This is kind of like asking why the world's armies don't stop all bank robbers.

Isn't that Superman's job?

[Winstonm]

At the least we should tax them 50% and get them better healthcare - low morals and high seas is an unhealthy combination.

[pdmunro]

The BBC has a lot of relevant information.

"According to residents in the Somali region of Puntland where most of the pirates come from, they live a lavish life.

"They have money; they have power and they are getting stronger by the day," says Abdi Farah Juha who lives in the regional capital, Garowe.

.... "They wed the most beautiful girls; they are building big houses; they have new cars; new guns," he says.

... BBC Somalia analyst Mohamed Mohamed says such pirate gangs are usually made up of three different types:

•Ex-fishermen, who are considered the brains of the operation because they know the sea
•Ex-militiamen, who are considered the muscle - having fought for various Somali clan warlords
•The technical experts, who are the computer geeks and know how to operate the hi-tech equipment needed to operate as a pirate - satellite phones, GPS and military hardware.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.u...ica/7650415.stm

The pirates know the law. When they see a naval frigate coming, they dump their weapons, boarding ladder, and even satellite telephones over the side. This is what has happened with the pirates being tracked in the operations room. ...

The sailors here like to say that the problem is as much on land as at sea. In other words, there will be pirates as long as there is chaos and instability in Somalia itself.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.u...ica/8371139.stm


If I recall correctly, the pirates in the Straits of Malacca were only stopped with cooperation between the countries bordering the Straits. Following that precedent, stopping the Somali pirates requires appropriate strategies involving the countries in the horn of Africa (and Yemen?).

I ask: Is there a direct correlation around the world between the number of unemployed men in their 20's and the degree of instabilty and fighting that that region is experiencing? Haiti, Gaza Strip, Afghanistan, Somalia, ... all have unemployment rates of 70+ %. Imagine if one's own country was like that. Drug running, smuggling, piracy, mercenary work must grow in attraction the longer you are out of work.

[barmar]

"they live a lavish life" -- wouldn't you say the same thing about drug kingpins in Latin America? Or Mafiosos in New Jersey?

Crime certainly does pay if you do it well.