How the US fights pirates
Source; SBS
In the dark, the large ship must have seemed an ideal target for these Somali pirates searching the Indian Ocean for potential rich pickings.
A tanker? Freighter? Actually, a very bad choice.
Last week, Somali pirates attacked a ship that turned out to be the USS Nicholas, a United States navy frigate carrying guided missiles.
There would only be one winner. Soon, five pirates were in US custody; one pirate skiff was sunk; a mother ship under tow.
Fighting back against piracy, or at least demonstrating that surrender is not an option, is now part of US anti-pirate policy.
“The US Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration have required US-flagged ships to take certain preventive security measures and in high-risk areas this is to include carrying of weapons in order to deter pirate attacks,” explained Thomas Countryman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, during a recent government briefing.
“In our view, it works. There has not been in the last few years a case of a successful pirate hijacking of a ship in this region when the ship was carrying weapons and the means to defend itself.”
But while there’s drama on the high seas, the US government believes the real battle against piracy will be won on land. Somalia is an ungoverned mess with no laws and an arms trade as one of its more lucrative industries. Disorder can be a lucrative export.
“There are not the same economic opportunities that there should be in a peaceful society,” Countryman explained.
“As a result there is an incentive, and we understand that, for young men to risk their lives… for the potential of a big payoff. That is what motivates criminals in a number of countries around the world. There needs to be created alternatives for economic advancement within Somalia.
“We don’t believe that the majority of Somali people believe that piracy is an honorable thing to do. We think it contradicts the values that they hold in their culture and their religion.”
To further complicate a complex situation, most piracy is structured similar to traditional manifestations of organised crime. The individuals captured by USS Nicholas are pawns in a bigger business.
“The most important thing is to distinguish between the young men who go to sea and the crime bosses who make the money,” says Countryman.
“It’s not hard in a place like Somalia with the unemployment that is present there and the lack of economic opportunity to find young men who are willing to risk their lives in an unfamiliar environment.
“That young Somali man is just as disposable as the cheap little fishing boat that he’s sailing in. The primary profits go back to the individual who has financed the venture.
“Some of it trickles into the Somali economy. We believe that much more of it floods out to enrich those who were able to finance the initial operation and to put the money into another safe location.
“You can do a psychological profile of a pirate. I think it would have very little in common with what you might see in a movie about 18th century pirates.”
They came after midnight, skimming fast across the sea toward their prey.
Last week, Somali pirates attacked a ship that turned out to be the USS Nicholas, a United States navy frigate carrying guided missiles. (File: Getty Images)
In the dark, the large ship must have seemed an ideal target for these Somali pirates searching the Indian Ocean for potential rich pickings.
A tanker? Freighter? Actually, a very bad choice.
Last week, Somali pirates attacked a ship that turned out to be the USS Nicholas, a United States navy frigate carrying guided missiles.
There would only be one winner. Soon, five pirates were in US custody; one pirate skiff was sunk; a mother ship under tow.
Fighting back against piracy, or at least demonstrating that surrender is not an option, is now part of US anti-pirate policy.
“The US Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration have required US-flagged ships to take certain preventive security measures and in high-risk areas this is to include carrying of weapons in order to deter pirate attacks,” explained Thomas Countryman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, during a recent government briefing.
“In our view, it works. There has not been in the last few years a case of a successful pirate hijacking of a ship in this region when the ship was carrying weapons and the means to defend itself.”
But while there’s drama on the high seas, the US government believes the real battle against piracy will be won on land. Somalia is an ungoverned mess with no laws and an arms trade as one of its more lucrative industries. Disorder can be a lucrative export.
“There are not the same economic opportunities that there should be in a peaceful society,” Countryman explained.
“As a result there is an incentive, and we understand that, for young men to risk their lives… for the potential of a big payoff. That is what motivates criminals in a number of countries around the world. There needs to be created alternatives for economic advancement within Somalia.
“We don’t believe that the majority of Somali people believe that piracy is an honorable thing to do. We think it contradicts the values that they hold in their culture and their religion.”
To further complicate a complex situation, most piracy is structured similar to traditional manifestations of organised crime. The individuals captured by USS Nicholas are pawns in a bigger business.
“The most important thing is to distinguish between the young men who go to sea and the crime bosses who make the money,” says Countryman.
“It’s not hard in a place like Somalia with the unemployment that is present there and the lack of economic opportunity to find young men who are willing to risk their lives in an unfamiliar environment.
“That young Somali man is just as disposable as the cheap little fishing boat that he’s sailing in. The primary profits go back to the individual who has financed the venture.
“Some of it trickles into the Somali economy. We believe that much more of it floods out to enrich those who were able to finance the initial operation and to put the money into another safe location.
“You can do a psychological profile of a pirate. I think it would have very little in common with what you might see in a movie about 18th century pirates.”
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