Angered by Piracy

[ChristmasBaby]

We've been out cruising on our 45" Omega, Kelaerin, for 8 years now. We realize that we are mostly responsible for ourselves once we leave the dock and like most cruisers, we prepare ourselves accordingly. I am very concerned about the piracy situation in the Gulf of Aden and now off the Seychelles. I find it difficult to believe that the world's greatest navies, equipped with satellite equipment, imaging, etc, have done next to nothing to stop the Somalian pirates. With the recent kidnapping of the Chandlers off their yacht, the pirates are inexplicably targetting hapless cruisers who don't have the means to defend themselves against these attacks and don't have the funds to anywhere near meet the ransom demands. The Somalian base is well known territory to the media and the navies. Somalia is a lawless country without a valid government so my question is why do they claim an international limit and why should the navies even begin to observe this limit?
I wonder if, as a cruiser group, there is anyone we can direct our concern to and demand that the coalition forces or whoever is actually out there really take preemptive action against these pirates.

[GMac]

Welcome aboard ChristmasBaby.

Good to see you have a good cruising mind set, that being be prepared to look after yourself.

I think the big question in your post is what or who decides what is or isn't a valid Government. But as we prefer to keep things to things nautical here that really isn't open for discussion on CF. Threads on politics just go very bad too fast and before you know it, and the Mods can keep up, it just gets too ugly and people too grumpy.

Have a search for pirate and see what's here already, that may answer some of your questions. You maybe pleasantly surprised at what you find.

[anathema]

The biggest problem against the navies just swooping in and arresting all the pirates is there is actually very little established modern law against piracy.

Even the pirates that are arrested are almost always let go since there is no real law to charge them under.

From: Piracy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are legal barriers to prosecuting individuals captured in international waters. Countries are struggling to apply existing maritime law, international law, and their own laws, which limits them to having jurisdiction over their own citizens. According to piracy experts, the goal is to "deter and disrupt" pirate activity, and pirates are often detained, interrogated, disarmed, and released. With millions of dollars at stake, pirates have little incentive to stop.
Prosecutions are rare for several reasons. Modern laws against piracy are almost non-existent. For example, the Dutch are using a 17th-century law against "sea robbery" to prosecute. Warships that capture pirates have no jurisdiction to try them, and NATO does not have a detention policy in place. Prosecutors have a hard time assembling witnesses and finding translators, and countries are reluctant to imprison pirates because they would be saddled with them upon their release

[sailorcrat]

I'm a fan of the LWRC M6A2 anti-piracy tool. Preferably in 6.8 SPC caliber.

I've never sailed in that part of the world, but I understand that cruising with arms is possible provided port calls are only made in countries that allow cruisers to declare and secure their arms.

[Hud3]

Hello, ChristmasBaby, and welcome to Cruisers Forum. Hope you enjoy it here.

[BubbleHeadMd]

ChristmasBaby,

Piracy is on the rise, because many uneducated men in that territory have seen the so-called "pros" take on large ships and win huge ransoms. These successful pirates have become local celebrities back in their home territories, spurring many copy cats. These copy-cats or wannabes are now running out there and snatching less lucrative targets, not knowing or caring that their ransom demands cannot be met.

As a nearly 20-year Navy man, I am disgusted by our Navy's (and our government's) lack of commitment to this problem. This is and always has been one of the fundamental purposes of the US Navy, dating back to the days of the Barbary pirates. As you stated, we have the means, we simply lack the will, for fear of offending the international community by beating up on a bunch of 3rd world scumbags.

The latest is that the Maersk Alabama has armed itself with private security contractors, and managed to fend off yet another attack.

My take on it is this: Piracy is simply a lower form of terrorism. There should be no mercy, no negotiations and no communications with these people. When the location is known, we should destroy their prizes and let them keep their prisoners. The first few will die, but they'll stop taking them soon after when it ceases to be profitable to take and hold them.

[jdoe71]

Certainly the navies could stop this but given the focus of most western governments now, there is no real will to do much about this. Didn't that become abundantly clear with the Chandlers situation?

Governments nowadays are focused on ensuring business is healthy and making bucks. If there was something in the Somalia area that affected that to any great extent, it might be a concern. But the truth is that other than the shipping lanes, there's not much there of interest, so they will not dedicate more than token resources to this area. The number of hijackings is a very small percentage of overall traffic, so it's not really a huge issue.

No government in the western world at this point in time cares a whit for their citizens, they are concerned only with the health of business. Everything else is peripheral to that focus. But it seems most people are blissfully ignorant of this and become surprised when citizens are not looked after by their governments.

[keyspc]

Yarghhh

[creakyboy]

Originally Posted by jdoe71

No government in the western world at this point in time cares a whit for their citizens, they are concerned only with the health of business. Everything else is peripheral to that focus. But it seems most people are blissfully ignorant of this and become surprised when citizens are not looked after by their governments.

I'm from the gov'ment an i'm here to help

[Fishman_Tx]

Originally Posted by sailorcrat

I'm a fan of the LWRC M6A2 anti-piracy tool. Preferably in 6.8 SPC caliber.

Ditto! Tho I prefer a large version of that tool. "If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer!"

Originally Posted by creakyboy

I'm from the gov'ment an i'm here to help

Why don't I feel better.......

[Talbot]

So many posts - most showing a total ignorance of International law, marime law, piracy legislation , and even more important - UN Security Council Resolutions.

If you want to rant on this subject, and there is scope, make sure you understand what you are ranting about before showing your ignorance.

[cantxsailor]

Screw the UN. The biggest waste of money ever. They have yet to stop any war, anywhere. They do however get themselves between warring parties and then professional soldiers are needed to go get them out regularly at high cost in blood to the rescuers. There are times when all that is needed is a bigger hammer. We have it but it appears the handle is broken. As has been said here already most of the real powers in the world don't see any profit in doing what is required to stop this nonsense so they don't bother. Although I don't support many of the things the Israeli military does I can't see them putting up with this kind of thing being perpetrated against an Israeli ship. I guess you just have to have the will to tell the rest of the world to piss off. Killing them all and just starting over wouldn't be politically correct however...............m

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Talbot

So many posts - most showing a total ignorance of International law, marime law, piracy legislation , and even more important - UN Security Council Resolutions.

If you want to rant on this subject, and there is scope, make sure you understand what you are ranting about before showing your ignorance.

Indeed.
Often, simple sollutions appeal to simple minds.

[Pblais]

Often, simple sollutions appeal to simple minds.

I don't see the need to raise brain power expectations. They are already doing the the least that they can.

As Gmac states we really are not about political discussions. We don't take kindly to hiijacking Cruisers Forum for politcal discussions at all.

We can try the stern warnings or we can just go right to the execusions. Execusions are really a lot easier. Takes about 10 seconds per pirate and they are removed. This kind of Internet Piracy we are well prepared for.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Pblais

... 1. We can try the stern warnings or we can just go right to the execusions. Execusions are really a lot easier. Takes about 10 seconds per pirate and they are removed.
2. This kind of Internet Piracy we are well prepared for.

1. Easier is seldom better. If anything was easy, we'd all have done it long ago.
2. Respectfully; Huh?