Idea to Reduce Somali Piracy ?

[Sam Plan B]

Have you ever noticed how many harbor entrances are flanked by places like, Gallows Hill or Gallows Point? There is a reason for that. Pirates would be hanged and their bodies tarred and suspended until they fell to bits. It provided an object lesson for those tempted to a life of crime at sea. And at sea there are enough hazards to deal with; gales, a lee shore, shoals, fatigue and the sheer fear of it all.

So here is a reality check. No one cares about Somalia or its inhabitants. They can go feed on each other for all it matters to the rest of the world. But when they, or some of them bring their "culture" to those seeking innocent passage (that would be you and me), they seek out their own demise. Now here is a modest proposal for solving the piracy problem: empower the naval authority apprehending the pirates to try them on the spot and meet out punishment before the sun goes down. That would wonderfully concentrate the Somali mind and greatly encourage the others to take up a different line of work...perhaps the fabrication of hour glasses. They do have enough sand.

[Sam Plan B]

Pity the Pirates

I plan to be a pirate and take myself to sea,
For nothing pays near half as much as blatant piracy,
Now here I sit in my own cockpit with nearly naught to drink,
It's just past dawn and the gin is gone so I'll change my ways, I think,
The Somali coast where the sun can roast you brown as brown can be,
Is where the money comes and goes from small boat piracy,
No more will I try to just squeak by on but a pound or two,
When ransoms in the millions can be had for me and you,
Yes, it's ransoms in the millions and we never work again,
No more these nasty fishing nets for we the pirate men,
Oh, you may call us thieving, and you may call us vile,
But just be sure your bank can pay when we've had you for a while.
Yes, in that nasty little room where you're kept all neatly stowed,
It's hummus morning, noon and night, it's hummus over load.
So pity us the pirates, for we know not what we do,
The mullahs never told us not to be a thieving crew.

[delmarrey]

And here's the latest from CBS. Goto the right side "Recommended" and click on "Somali pirates kill 4 Americans". Apparently the Somali's were fighting among themselves aboard the yacht, then all hell broke lose.

Somali pirates hijack yacht, four U.S. hostages - CBS News Video

[Sam Plan B]

CBS news clip makes no statement on "the Somali's were fighting among themselves aboard the yacht". Delmarrey should provide attribution for that claim.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

To be hones hellosailor, I am pretty ignorant about the whole legal aspect.

I do remember Bush after 9-11 stating that….. any country that harbors terrorists (read in this case pirates) ……are committing an act of war and it seemed justification enough for a coalition to act upon Afghanistan.

Perhaps the key to this piracy issue begins with a unanimous legal interpretation of the Somali situation, since one country acting alone will always be criticized for having ulterior motives.

Thanks Ozskipper for the education and related articles.

Sadly, as we now know, there was little that Bush said that was fact or reason for going to war. He tended to make up his own terms as he went along (or perhaps his spin doctors did). We have to remember that the only wars the west enjoys are the ones that provide significant future $$.

Other wise we would all be fighting in the Congo, Sierra Leone, Libya, Isreal/Palistine and just about anywhere else there is civil unrest. As is the case of Somalia.

As I eluded to previously, we need to feed, educate, employ and house these people and help them before they learn to be pirates. It will be a lot cheaper in the long term. If they are gainfully employed and living well, the need for piracy will diminish.

Just invading and shooting builds more enemies and more people wanting to kill you at later time. eg roadside bombs in Iraq and Af.

Somalia as a nation needs humanitarian help. Not more battles

Cheers
Oz

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Sam Plan B

CBS news clip makes no statement on "the Somali's were fighting among themselves aboard the yacht". Delmarrey should provide attribution for that claim.

Goto the other clip.... "Somali pirates kill 4 Americans" The first 4 seconds and 2:00 minutes into the clip.


.

[Sam Plan B]

No we don't! We do not need to feed, cloth, nurse or wipe the bottoms of the rest of the world. And to say that we do bespeaks a deep seated Western racism. It goes directly to the 19th Century vision of the White Man's Burden.

As for war for profit, the very places just spoken of are rich in natural resources. That is exactly why they were colonized by European powers in the first place. If the post-colonial peoples got their business together they would be rolling in wealth. Instead, the thieves at the top are rolling in wealth while everyone else eats dirt. Well, who are we to inflict our western morality on those cultures. They can stay that way for ever. Just don't bring the thieving mind set out past the 12 mile limit.

[s/vfootloose]

The idea of giving food,clothes, etc. is a nice thought but it is bs if piracy will go away because of that. Let me give you a bag of rice, a chicken,a t-shirt and shoes and you go on home and be a good boy. That should be done but the genie is out of the bottle. Give up those thoughts of cars,nice clothes,cell phones,booze and women. Take this bag of rice and go home and be happy. It's not going to happen. All around the world when an animal becomes a maneater they are destroyed because once they learn about easy pickings they won't stop. This country is run by warlords. A generation has been raised understanding that strength and brutality rule. I'm more powerful than you and if you don't do as I say your dead. The rest of the world has to play by their rules. If you attack a ship you will not profit you will die. Brutal yes distasteful yes but it is the rules that they understand and live by.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by s/vfootloose

The idea of giving food,clothes, etc. is a nice thought but it is bs if piracy will go away because of that. Let me give you a bag of rice, a chicken,a t-shirt and shoes and you go on home and be a good boy. That should be done but the genie is out of the bottle. Give up those thoughts of cars,nice clothes,cell phones,booze and women. Take this bag of rice and go home and be happy. It's not going to happen. All around the world when an animal becomes a maneater they are destroyed because once they learn about easy pickings they won't stop. This country is run by warlords. A generation has been raised understanding that strength and brutality rule. I'm more powerful than you and if you don't do as I say your dead. The rest of the world has to play by their rules. If you attack a ship you will not profit you will die. Brutal yes distasteful yes but it is the rules that they understand and live by.

What I am talking about is what the US and Allies are now doing in afganistan- with success. Why? Because shooting doesnt always work as it generates hatred.

Certainly, defend the hell out of the ships, and as I said, put rocket launchers on the transoms. But if the poeple arent won over the status quo will remain.

Cheers
Oz

[s/vfootloose]

I wish it were that simple. If we were to come in today it would still take a generation at least to start to change the values that they have had to adapt to survive. The world needs to help these people but are you willing to accept piracy in the area for 20/30 years. To succeed either way it has to be by their rules until they understand ours.

[svBeBe]

The short answer is we (you and me) need to do everything we can to change the political will of the International Community who has allowed a bunch of thugs to take over an ocean, capturing and killing innocent people, stealing ships and cargo and ransoming people and ships.

You and I know that this situation is solvable.

Today I had an interview with the Wall Street Journal...the folks on the boat next to us in Cochin, India had two interviews with radio stations in Salt Lake and Denver. Today I spoke with our congressman.

What have you done? If nothing but hit keys on a keyboard, get off your ass and do something!

We (you and me) can contribute to solving this problem. Call you local media, call your congressman...do something.

Best,

Bill
s/v BeBe
Currently Cochin, India

[muskoka]

Jean & Scott Adams spent about 3 months at our yacht club (Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Hong Kong) in early 2010. They were very nice people who have sadly met a very unfortunate fate. I think they knew the risks they were running, but like all of us, they were optimistic about how those risks would unfold.

I'm very sad to have heard of this most tragic end to their story.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

The short answer is we (you and me) need to do everything we can to change the political will of the International Community who has allowed a bunch of thugs to take over an ocean, capturing and killing innocent people, stealing ships and cargo and ransoming people and ships.

You and I know that this situation is solvable.

Today I had an interview with the Wall Street Journal...the folks on the boat next to us in Cochin, India had two interviews with radio stations in Salt Lake and Denver. Today I spoke with our congressman.

What have you done? If nothing but hit keys on a keyboard, get off your ass and do something!

We (you and me) can contribute to solving this problem. Call you local media, call your congressman...do something.

Best,

Bill
s/v BeBe
Currently Cochin, India

wise words bill
unfortunately yachtsmen are seen as doing something the vast majority of the population can never afford to do
,we know this isn't true in one sense,but in reality it is a dream to many and frivoulus luxury to others.

untill cargo ships and tankers are forced to go around the cape and the general public bear the brunt of the cost,
the lobby from"wealthy yachtsmen" will probably only attract scorn from most tax payers.

[Borealis]

Here in the Port of Jebel Ali, UAE (Dubai) you see alot of freighters come in with concertina wire stretched around their entire gunnel line. Its a real threat for these guys. One ship even had a scarecrow standing watch. I am currently just ending an anti terror duty in the port.

[downunder]

The concept of a dummy target proposed could clean up the pirates.
Not unlike the Oregon file series by author Clive Cussler.
“The exploits of the Oregon, a covert ship completely delapilated on the outside, but on the inside packed with soficated weaponary and intelligence gathering equiptment”
A good read.