Somali Entrepreneurs
Well, first they said the coastal waters off Somalia had been fished out by foreign fishers illegally entering territorial waters, leaving them little opportunity to continue their traditional livelihoods, as fisherfolk. And then they said that they were so pissed off with that loss of livelihood that they would use those same waters to extract 'duty' through implementing a charge for passage through traditionally recognized Somalia territorial waters.And then, because business was thriving, the more intrepid among them, well fitted out with modern speed boats and state-of-the-art armaments decided to go a little further asea. Much further, in fact, well beyond Somalia's coastline. Where they saw further success in persuading ships to surrender to their new masters. And when those ships were docked, their hands languishing as hostages, shipping companies, anxious to redeem what they felt was theirs, paid handsomely.
Which raised the ire of the international community whose vessels were being rather inconvenienced. And who did not take kindly to having to pony up ransom in huuuge amounts to these modern-day piratical entrepreneurs. And did the Somali businessmen give a damn? Darn right they didn't. Finally able to live in the manner to which they wished to become accustomed they weren't quite prepared to surrender their ambitions to boring same-old, same-old penurious existence.
They apprehended ships registered everywhere in the world, carrying cargo that simply had to be ransomed. And then, they somehow misidentified the flag of the United States on a tempting ship. One might suppose that to have been a careless error. On the other hand, it might have simply been representative of a special kind of hubris larded with contempt. Oh well.
Now they've done it. They weren't too impressed with the international naval task force patrolling the waters off Somalia. International shipping and the countries they served were adamant they would return shipping normalcy to the vital shipping area. After all, raiding in excess of 130 vessels in the Gulf of Aden is simply not to be countenanced.
Those fifty successful hi-jackings resulted in a windfall for the pirates to be sure, but also a collective determination from the international community to put a halt to the predations. Trouble is, for the deployment of the international vessels the vast ocean is like the proverbial haystack. "This area is more than 1.1 million square miles. We cannot be everywhere at once." Right.
And the 17,000-ton American ship Maersk Alabama was boarded by four well-armed sea-going rascals, because those on the lookout for sea-going banditi simply couldn't be everywhere at once. The twenty crewmen of the ship failed to be impressed, and managed to overpower one of the pirates, holding him hostage. The contretemps became a trifle complex when the captain was taken and a prisoner exchange arranged.
Who said there was honour in dealing with thieves? Oh, right, it's among thieves. So the hapless ship's captain ended up floating aimlessly about, the hostage of the four armed pirates who found passage in the ship's lifeboat, which handily ran out of fuel. Can't see them, but there's radio contact. But no vestige of accommodation.
The Alabama is now on its way, conveying its thousands of tons of food aid for Africa, including a drought-stricken population in Somalia, wouldn't you know it. The rescue of the ship's captain is left to the American warship steaming toward the errant seafarers. The cruise-missile-carrying USS Bainbridge has also been dispatched to the Horn of Africa.
The lesson of this little story for Somalian pirates is not to mess with the American navy, chumps.
Labels: Troublespots, United States
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, April 09, 2009
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