Escalation of Maritime Warfare
Somalia exists in name only as a country capable of controlling its destiny as a nation. Its nationhood is in a state of defunct sovereignty, incapable of exerting the measures and societal features that ensure its population can live in dignity and self-sufficiency. The country has collapsed into an immeasurable state of dysfunction, and there is no central authority to begin to turn things around, to re-establish order, security and good government.Anarchy rules supreme. On land as it does on the seas. And although the international community is concerned at the plight of Somalians, it is far more exercised over the rising tide of ocean piracy on the high seas, leaving shipping commerce in a state of vulnerability to the predations of Somalian youth armed and poised to bring shipping companies to surrender huge cash settlements for the release of crew and vessels, along with cargo.
The war lords who have re-asserted time-honoured traditions of carving out territorial advantage for themselves have also embraced the old-new frontier of piracy to persuade shipping companies that it's still cheaper to pay ransom than to try to evade piracy by taking longer shipping routes, with their attendant higher costs. Their profits, thanks to the enrolment into piracy of unemployed young Somalis, are soaring.
Commensurate with the soaring rage of the international shipping community, not themselves enamoured of these new business transaction fees. Which is what the Somali pirates consider them to be. Perfectly legitimate fees for safe passage. Although the Somali pirates make use of high-powered assault rifles, grappling hooks and ladders, rocket-propelled grenades and motorboats, they have refrained from higher violence.
No one has yet been murdered by them. They hold hundreds of ships' crews in custody awaiting repatriation to their countries of origin through the simple expedient of ransom paid. They mean no 'harm' to the kidnapped crews; business is business. The ships they hold to ransom, and their freight have the freedom to depart - just as soon as the ransom demands are met.
And then they hijacked an American vessel. Uh oh, some mistake that was. Those ugly Americans don't submit that readily to intimidation and threats of violence. They're just as adept at delivering as receiving. And it's a capital offence to kidnap someone, in most Western countries. The upshot was that the ship's captain who bravely offered himself as sole hostage, was rescued by U.S. Navy Seals.
Ever hear that clarion call: "Here come the Marines!". Well, now you have. And the Somalis are furious; not fair they shout. They hadn't 'harmed' anyone, and there they go, those Americans, sharp-shooting three kids. So the game has convulsed from fun to fury. Succeeding attempts and successes have proceeded. The French and Americans may now anticipate that should their nationals be taken, they risk death.
The pirates, those enterprising disciples of fair trade, press on; another ship successfully taken, the MV Irene E.M. in the Gulf of Aden; Greek-owned. The MV Sea Horse seized off the coast of Somalia. Attempts at the Safmarine Asia, the U.S.-flagged Liberty Sun, not so successful. That ship busy taking U.S. food aid to Kenya.
As the international community plies its world-wide trade and shipping, and as the international community, mindful of the stark needs of impoverished African countries, ship humanitarian food aid there, another stricken African state, incapable of providing for its own, sits helplessly back as its own loots and pillages its shoreline sea lanes.
Labels: Societal Failures, World Crises
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, April 15, 2009
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