Piracy does pay; Join the pirates, find your way to the global lists

[Odenat]

A Somali pirate leader, Garaad Mohammed is named number four on the Lloyd’s List Top 100 of most influential shipping industry leaders !

The people of Somali has only an income of 600$ per year, but if you start a piracy industry (yes, it's an industry), you can get almost 80.000$ a year. At 2012, the pirates got 200 M $. At 2015, this value will increase to a whooping 500M $ a year.

For almost 10 years, why the global community is unable to prevent those pirates becoming such a powerful force ? Why the world's most powerful navies are unable to prevent them to hijack billion dollar's of shipments and almost 90% of the cases, a ransom is needed to be paid?

And, a last comment from Garaad Mohammed that made my day ;

"The navies, they can’t stop us. How could they stop us? We have more than 200 crews and we are increasing all the time”

Now that pirate has got some b0lls

http://www.afronline.org/?p=11337

[Bobz]

For almost 10 years, why the global community is unable to prevent those pirates becoming such a powerful force ? Why the world's most powerful navies are unable to prevent them to hijack billion dollar's of shipments and almost 90% of the cases, a ransom is needed to be paid?

Have you seen the size of Somalia's coast, even just the Puntland region where most of the pirates operate from? It's extremely difficult to secure such a large area of sea, especially when it's one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. I believe that the multi-national naval force has actually helped to reduce the number of successful hijackings in recent years, so yes they are trying to stop it.

The only real cure of course is for a functioning government in the areas of Somalia currently lacking it. Then they'll be able to stop the pirates on land, and much more importantly fix the situation that means Somalis are forced to pirate to live.

[Condottiere 40K]

Pax Britannica - absolute commitment to freedom of navigation.

Except if you're French.

[Pielstick]

For almost 10 years, why the global community is unable to prevent those pirates becoming such a powerful force ?

Because for most of the countries who are contributing forces to policing the area it is politically unacceptable to be blowing away rickety boats full of impoverished black dudes with AKs and RPGs.

[Poach]

Because for most of the countries who are contributing forces to policing the area it is politically unacceptable to be blowing away rickety boats full of impoverished black dudes with AKs and RPGs.

This pretty much sums it up. If the governments of the world took off the gloves they could solve the problem this year, but none of them want to be known to their electorate as the guy that first authorised blowing up any Somali boat that carried weapons.

[Timoleon of Korinthos]

This pretty much sums it up. If the governments of the world took off the gloves they could solve the problem this year, but none of them want to be known to their electorate as the guy that first authorised blowing up any Somali boat that carried weapons.

I wish that Greek frigates had done just that when it was their time in rotation and I wholeheartedly hope they will when they are up again.

[motiv-8]

This pretty much sums it up. If the governments of the world took off the gloves they could solve the problem this year, but none of them want to be known to their electorate as the guy that first authorised blowing up any Somali boat that carried weapons.

It also doesn't really solve the problem, like... at all. Not in the long term. Somalis turned to piracy for reasons, and it's not just because they watched Johnny Depp for too long.

[Captain Jin]

It also doesn't really solve the problem, like... at all. Not in the long term. Somalis turned to piracy for reasons, and it's not just because they watched Johnny Depp for too long.

Sitting on our hands doesn't solve it either. Better a short term solution than no solution at all. It would certainly discourage piracy to some degree. Even if it was a little bit. You might think twice about becoming a pirate if many people you knew that had done it got blown to smithereens. I mean these guys are recklessly stupid-- I remember one instance of them firing an RPG at a cruiser or destroyer. Ridiculous.

There's been a rise in PMCs that specialize in maritime security over the last couple of years specifically for the Gulf of Aden and the straits of Malacca. Me and some others almost considered starting our own business in it, because business is booming and it's quite lucrative. With just four to six men that can provide accurate fire on an approaching skiff is probably enough to turn them away. Of course now you have a lot of the less than lethal stuff being added to ships, but sometimes those require distance to be closed. I can't imagine many Somalis wanting to chance a boarding party if they're taking fire from marksman armed with G3s or something along those lines.

[Treize]

This pretty much sums it up. If the governments of the world took off the gloves they could solve the problem this year, but none of them want to be known to their electorate as the guy that first authorised blowing up any Somali boat that carried weapons.

I'd vote for them.

[Kanaric]

I find it amusing that people defend pirate sites when they are making MILLIONS in ad money as if they are some kind of champion of anarchists.

So naive.

Meanwhile fatass Megaupload founder sits in his room covering himself in butter and lard doing his whale mating calls to 5 russian hookers because of a start he built using start up money from stealing identities and credit card information.

[Markas]

I find it amusing that people defend pirate sites when they are making MILLIONS in ad money as if they are some kind of champion of anarchists.

So naive.

Meanwhile fatass Megaupload founder sits in his room covering himself in butter and lard doing his whale mating calls to 5 russian hookers because of a start he built using start up money from stealing identities and credit card information.

Not sure we can accuse Somali Pirates of aggressive advertising. Not unless they leave a poster on every ship they raid saying 'This raid was sponsored by EA. It's in the game!'.

[Pielstick]

Not sure we can accuse Somali Pirates of aggressive advertising. Not unless they leave a poster on every ship they raid saying 'This raid was sponsored by EA. It's in the game!'.

I think Kanaric didn't read the OP properly

[grouchy13]

The situation in Somalia has grown more and more complex, it's gone past simply sending Naval patrols into the area to dissuade attacks and has taken on a more Geo Political edge following the removal of Al Shabaab from swathes of territory in the central and southern regions.

The tentative growth of the Somali state is to fragile to risk removing Al Shabaab from these area then steamrolling in with Naval Squadrons to remove Pirates whilst Al Shabaab remain active on the periphery, Foreign states launching attacks on Pirate Strongholds in the country may cause a backlash against foreign intervention in Somali affairs, something that could be used as a PR for the Islamist's and Al Shabaab against the new government and therefore reverse the advances made by the transitional government and the AU.

The reality is in the grand scheme of things the highjacking of MV's and tankers is seen as a lesser evil than allowing the Islamist's back into control of the country, The pirates are in tune with this and are taking advantage of the situation, if the situation in Somalia stabilizes and the government is able to reassert itself once more the days of the pirates will be numbered. Once the threat of Al Shabaab is contained there will be nothing to stop the removal of the pirate industry, the pirates who do not recognize the gravy train is over will no doubt learn the hard way but I believe many will be canny enough when to cut their losses and take what money they have made up to that point.

I think the time for action against the Pirates in terms of military action would have been when Al Shabaab were at their height of power, and to a certain extent limited measures were took such Operation Atlanta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Atalanta

As the operation developed the mission became hot with a number of punitive raids were made against Pirate positions but by the time of the bulk of the force mobilization had arrived and become settled in the operational area events in and around Mogadishu and the push by the transitional government and AU forces began to bear fruit it was time to choose between the lesser of evils, combat Al Shabaab or put an end to piracy.

Unfortunately for MV operators and oil companies who transit the Gulf of Aden the larger geo politcal importance of Somalia was considered greater than the loss of revenue caused by Somali Pirates and International forces already contained by what can only be termed as unrealistic ROE's simply down scaled their involvement, pleasing the bean counters at home and ending costly foreign deployments.

Perhaps the strangest situation has been the recent rise in private security firms and the recent formation of what are tentatively being deemed as Private Navies who will patrol the lanes in international waters to combat acts of piracy, manned by primarily ex Royal Navy & Royal Marine personnel it seems this what is jokingly reffered to as Dad's Navy is actually having an effect on the number of Pirate Attacks in the GOA & Red Sea.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18209357

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/42...n-glencore.htm

Seems the real problem was sending state of the art warships to patrol against tiny fast craft, probably akin to smashing a walnut with a sledehammer, totally ineffective. I guess it boils down to private industries problem and private firms like typhon have stepped in and created a new defense market off the back of it. Will be interesting to see if any legal issues arrive from the deployment of what are little more than mercenary forces to combat the problem.

[Mangalore]

...

The people of Somali has only an income of 600$ per year, but if you start a piracy industry (yes, it's an industry), you can get almost 80.000$ a year. At 2012, the pirates got 200 M $. At 2015, this value will increase to a whooping 500M $ a year.
...

How is that supposed to work?

Somali pirates hijacking fewer merchant ships - Robust action by international navies and hiring of armed security guards drive piracy to three-year low

[The Black Mark]

Lloyds of London is responsible for assessing risk and determining the proper rate of insurance premiums. For them to consider a pirate Lord, actively seizing huge ships, crews and cargoes to be "influential" surely cannot be surprising?

[Col. Tartleton]

I think it's nice to know you can still find areas on land and sea which are totally lawless but for the presence of overwhelming western military supremacy.

Makes it feel like we're doing something right as a society.

[motiv-8]

I mean yeah, that's fine I suppose. Kill some people, maybe make some money off it, but in the meantime conditions in Somalia are the same and as soon as the focus leaves the same happens again. The whole Horn of Africa needs a comprehensive package of aid and monitoring. There's parts in place but it's not enough. We've hashed this out in other threads before -- really I'm just waiting to be called an apologist for piracy again because I won't advocate a master strategy of "kill them all" -- but tighter maritime security does have a role to play, it's simply nowhere near sufficient enough to solve the problem(s).

[Captain Jin]

I mean yeah, that's fine I suppose. Kill some people, maybe make some money off it, but in the meantime conditions in Somalia are the same and as soon as the focus leaves the same happens again. The whole Horn of Africa needs a comprehensive package of aid and monitoring. There's parts in place but it's not enough. We've hashed this out in other threads before -- really I'm just waiting to be called an apologist for piracy again because I won't advocate a master strategy of "kill them all" -- but tighter maritime security does have a role to play, it's simply nowhere near sufficient enough to solve the problem(s).

Not our responsibility to solve the world's problems. It's sort of getting ridiculous. What's more cost effective? And in the long run that's what these countries should care about. We don't need to launch a multi-million dollar effort, or perhaps hundred of million dollars, just to fix Somalia's problems. PS, it was tried before without much success and therefore I could care less about the problems of the Somali people. The international community already reached out with a helping hand and they bit it. So if armed merchant ships shoot pirates or blow them out of the water I say it's much more cost effective and certainly deserving of someone that chooses a life of piracy. Such policies certainly solved the piracy issue in the Caribbean.

[motiv-8]

If you don't care, then I don't think we have anything to talk about. It is what it is.

[Captain Jin]

If you don't care, then I don't think we have anything to talk about. It is what it is.

It's not necessarily about caring-- it's about what is realistic or practical. All well and good to help people who want to help themselves, but I'm rather weary of such things after time spent in Afghanistan. Some of these problems these people face would be remarkably easy to solve if they had the guts to step forward and do what is right. But far easier to cower in the muck and allow yourself to be bullied by others, even when international aid is available. The country and its people are responsible for their own fate and when the violence and mismanagement spills into the sea and affects others those responsible should be willing to pay the price, which would rightfully be put to the sword. In reality we always hear about the excuse the foreigners dumping off the coast have contaminated the waters off Somalia and that this is the reason so many people have been forced into piracy. Never mind the fact that fishing never made up a very significant amount of Somalia's industry or economy and that their own mismanagement of land and economy is what landed them in such dire straits.

Ah, but much easier to point the finger at others in order to rationalize one's actions. I don't contend that these men are evil, but to turn to violence as a means to support oneself certainly warrants reciprocation from the affected parties. Instead we allow ourselves to be victimized time and again thus encouraging future would-be pirates to an easy answer for economic hardship.

What would you suggest the international community do Motiv-8? As it has been tried before and as stated, with little success. Should we spend more foreign gold and spill more foreign blood on a domestic tribal issue that extends for decades? And what then? Maintain the oversight for decades more to come at the cost of governments in the west who are already struggling in their own economic hardships? Because that is what it takes. You come in and fix the problem in any of these places (especially where tribalism is strong) and it takes years upon years of oversight. If you leave before a new generation has been educated to not be so foolish they will simply start their conflicts again, as tribal types always do. There is no sense of nationalism, there is no sense of pride in being Somalian, there is no sense of responsibility for one's own actions, there is no sense of determination to see one's country on a stronger footing. There is only the family and the tribe and how do advance the interests of said tribe. I'm afraid this is what we dealt with in Iraq and to a much greater extent in Afghanistan. And I for one am sick and tired of nation building and flushing millions or billions down the drain just to watch ignorant morons continue to bash each other's skulls in over stupid, inane, barbaric tribal codes and old feuds. They are petty fools mired in conflict of their own doing. I dare not shed a tear for such things, having long been jaded by my own experience of tribal societies.