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Piracy on the rise

Flintlock

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http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/29/pirates/index.html




By Saeed AhmedCNN

(CNN)[/b] -- A French yacht. A Japanese tanker. A Spanish fishing boat. After several years of decline, pirates are striking with increasing frequency on the high seas.



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Philippine and Japanese Coast Guard members practice fending off a pirate attack during a 2006 drill.


Attacks in the first three months of this year were up 20 percent compared with the same period in 2007, analysts say. Last year saw more pirate attacks than the year before.
And while the motive is still money, today's pirates are a far cry from the eye-patched, peg-legged swashbucklers of Hollywood.

"The only thing today's pirates have in common with the romantic vision people have of pirates is that they are ruthless criminals who exploit very vulnerable people at sea," said Pottengal Mukundan of the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crime.

Today's maritime muggers don night-vision goggles, carry rocket launchers and navigate with global positioning devices.

With the ransoms they collect, pirates can sometimes earn up to $40,000 a year, analysts say. That's a fortune for someone from an impoverished country.

A spate of well-publicized attacks this month has cast the problem in sharp relief.

On April 4, suspected Somali pirates seized a French luxury yacht and held its crew of 30 for a week. Then -- in a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie -- French troops chased the hijackers into the desert before the hijackers could make off with the reported $2 million ransom money.
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Watch the pirates being chased down »

Last week, suspected pirates shot at a Japanese tanker in the waters off the Horn of Africa.

And over the weekend, pirates released a Spanish fishing boat off the coast of Somalia -- but only after they received a reported $1.2 million in ransom money.

Assailants have also attacked ships carrying food and relief supplies to war-torn regions.

The International Maritime Bureau says 49 attacks were reported in the first three months of 2008, compared with 41 for the same period last year. It recorded 263 pirate attacks last year, up from 239 the year before and the first increase in three years.

Worse still, analysts estimate that the numbers are underreported by as much as 30 percent.

A piracy case raises insurance rates for ship owners, said Ioannis Michaletos, security analyst for Greece-based Research Institute for European and American Studies.

So, "unless there's a death, many ship owners won't report it," he said.

Why the rise in piracy[/b]

Since the days of Blackbeard -- who sailed the seas in the early 18th century in a period known as the Golden Age of Piracy -- countries with coastlines beefed up their navies and generally routed the robbers.

Yet analysts say two recent trends have led to a rise in piracy: access and opportunity.

As global commerce picks up, more and more of the world's fuels, minerals and other crucial commodities travel by ship. Ninety-five percent of America's foreign trade, for instance, moves by water, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration.

That cargo is an easy target for robbers in countries that lack the resources to secure their shorelines. Analysts say the waters off Nigeria and off Somalia -- where no central government has existed since the early '90s -- rank at the top of the global hotspots of pirate activity.

Terrifying few minutes[/b]

Bruce Meadows, an American cruise-ship singer, found this out firsthand.

The captain's voice over the loudspeaker woke Meadows up before dawn one Saturday three years ago. Their 400-foot luxury liner was under attack.

Meadows, who lives near Atlanta, Georgia, said he looked out the window and saw two white boats trailing along either side of the Seabourn Spirit as it sailed in the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast.

The men, clad in dark clothes, waved machine guns and fired toward the deck and staterooms. One man lifted a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to his right shoulder and pulled the trigger.

"'This is not happening.' Literally, that is what I said," Meadows told CNN shortly after the ordeal. "I was kind of fearful for what I was going to see potentially. Maybe friends of mine were going to be injured or hurt and how I was going to deal with this and what I was supposed to do in that capacity."

In many respects, it was a typical pirate attack.

Many pirates are trained fighters; others are young thugs enlisted for the job. Experts say they often sail out to sea in a mother ship and wait for a target.

When they find one, the pirates board smaller boats and move in, typically with five to seven armed hijackers per boat.

"We're talking about people in small, fast boats; people wearing combat fatigues; people armed with guns -- machine guns," said Lee Adamson of the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency responsible for improving ship safety.

Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based Seafarers Assistance Program said the pirates work with conspirators who bankroll the operations.

"These contacts give them details about the movement of the ships. These contacts help them buy arms," he said. "And when they negotiate, the negotiations are not carried out in Somalia. These contacts do them."

Meadows was fortunate: The cruise ship changed course and outran the pirates. No one was hurt.

But about 75 percent of the time, pirates succeed in boarding their targets, analysts say. Then they often sail back into their host country's waters -- away from the clutches of foreign police, whose jurisdiction is limited to international waters.

That may soon change.

U.N. resolution drafted[/b]

The United States and France introduced a draft resolution Monday at the U.N. Security Council that would allow foreign governments to pursue pirate vessels into Somalia's territorial waters and make arrests.

It noted that Somalia's transitional government welcomes international assistance.

Maritime groups say they hope the resolution is adopted and expanded to other waters.

Many see piracy cases going up as the global economy goes down.



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[align=center]"There's a humanitarian crisis. There's a food crisis," said Michaletos, the security analyst. "You have people who are desperate, and this is an easy way to supplement their income.[/align]
"I am not optimistic for the future."

CNN's Ashley Broughton contributed
 

Rey

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Dammit. And Peaches and I were just talking about taking a cruise.

Of course...we weren't thinking about Somalia.
 

imperialism2024

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See, disarming ship passangers prevents piracy just like disarming airline passangers prevents hijackings. There are 246 people who could tell you that... if they weren't dead because of the negligence of their government.
 

Doug Huffman

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BUBB4H wrote:
Dammit. And Peaches and I were just talking about taking a cruise.

Of course...we weren't thinking about Somalia.

http://www.cruisingworld.com/destin...erica/precautions-in-paradise-1000057358.html

Dated 13 March 2008 [Excerpt]

Crimes of Opportunity
Canadian journalist Daniel Sekulich has given the issue of crime in the Caribbean a lot of thought. He's currently working on a new book called Sea Terror, an examination of piracy, maritime crime, and terrorism on the high seas today. Sekulich describes piracy—which, for our purposes, we'll define as any armed conflict on the ocean—as a "low-tech crime of opportunity that's prevalent anywhere there's a lack of security or stability. It's also related to poverty, which is something that tends to get overlooked." That doesn't at all suggest that seafarers cruising such lower-middle-income countries as St. Vincent and the Grenadines shouldn't take it very seriously.
"Some security analysts and naval officials tend to downplay piracy," he says. "They see it as thugs and petty criminals. But that can lessen people's awareness and understanding of it because it sort of derides it. By some figures, worldwide, piracy and maritime crime costs the global economy over $60 billion. So the people who engage in it shouldn't be immortalized or turned into objects of Hollywood fantasy, but their impact shouldn't be overlooked by anyone, recreational sailors or professional mariners."

Sekulich says that sailors planning a Caribbean cruise need to pay close attention to their itineraries and tailor them accordingly. "I think it's important to take a macro view when you're planning a trip, to look at the whole region," he says. "Think of the Caribbean as a large city. Like any city, there are certain places you don't want to be in the middle of the night."

Generally speaking, Sekulich says, "If I were heading to the Caribbean right now, I'd be sticking to the northern islands, the Windwards and Leewards, because of the nature of European control up there: the Dutch, French, Americans, and British. There's a little bit more security and safety."

In the course of his research, which is ongoing, Sekulich invites sailors with firsthand accounts of Caribbean crime to contact him directly via e-mail (piracy@sympatico.ca). And though it's somewhat beyond the scope of this article, Sekulich also mentioned one item that warrants attention in any discussion of crime against sailors: namely, how people should defend themselves.

"A heated discussion going on throughout the seafaring community is about the use of weapons," he says. "Virtually no commercial ship has a weapon aboard. They are adamantly against arming these kinds of vessels. You're far more likely to find a shotgun or sidearm aboard smaller, recreational boats, especially American ones.
"It's a very delicate situation," he says. "Depending on the jurisdiction you're in, if you were to pull a gun on somebody who'd climbed aboard your boat, at night, armed with a machete, and you killed or injured that intruder, you could be liable to the extent of the law in that particular country."

Author and cruising sailor Steve Pavlidis—whose Cape Horn 40, IV Play, is currently based on Guatemala's Río Dulce in the northwest Caribbean, an area that he admits is "a little wilder" than the eastern islands—views the weapons issue in straightforward, no-nonsense terms. "A lot of people think a gun is the answer," he says. "But a lot of people who say that have no idea how to use a gun. They've never pulled one on someone and pointed it at him, or shot somebody. If you're not prepared to pull out that gun and shoot a person without a moment's hesitation, you have no business with one."

How to defend a slow small high value vessel is a common theme among small boat sailors.
 

sv_libertarian

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Some countries will allow you to secure your weapon upon entering their waters. In international waters, anything goes. As a general rule of thumb treat it like a home invasion. What do you do when you are surrounded by a bunch of people who already have the drop on you? And probably have machine guns and explosives? I don't own anything that I think can put me back on an even footing when pirates have the drop on me.
 

Michigander

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If you can afford a yacht, you can afford a semi auto M2HB or 3. If you chose to travel without a means to defend yourself, you deserve what you get.
 

ODA 226

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Michigander wrote:
If you can afford a yacht, you can afford a semi auto M2HB or 3. If you chose to travel without a means to defend yourself, you deserve what you get.
Agreed. A Phalanx or Goalkeeper is even better!
 

expvideo

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Michigander wrote:
If you can afford a yacht, you can afford a semi auto M2HB or 3. If you chose to travel without a means to defend yourself, you deserve what you get.
I once saw a very cool simulated full auto device. It mounted two AK47s, pointed in the same direction, and operated on a hand crank. Perfectly legal, and much more effective. Mount a couple of .308 saigas on that and go to town.
 

BillMCyrus

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Drug runners and boatjackers have been doing it in the Gulf and the east coast for years. We've always had a rifle or two and at least one sidearm on the boat at all times.
 

deepdiver

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"It's a very delicate situation," he says. "Depending on the jurisdiction you're in, if you were to pull a gun on somebody who'd climbed aboard your boat, at night, armed with a machete, and you killed or injured that intruder, you could be liable to the extent of the law in that particular country."

Well, that may be true if the authorities were called. I think the machete wielding dead guy would accidently get twisted up in some ropes tied to something weighty and quietly slip overboard. It would be mere coincidence that I chose that moment to go for a moonlight cruise.

I'm thinking there is an easy solution to this involving about 6 .50 cal machine guns on the perimeter of the decks. I doubt if basic armament on these vessels is going to cost as much as the $60,000,000,000.00 cost of piracy. PLUS it will eliminate a lot of pirates.

"From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli ... " We already beat African pirates once in our history when all other western nations were paying them homage. But that was a different age when men were men, women were women and pussies lived in France instead of being the majority in our Congress.
 

Bill Starks

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deepdiver wrote:
From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli ... " We already beat African pirates once in our history when all other western nations were paying them homage. But that was a different age when men were men, women were women and pussies lived in France instead of being the majority in our Congress.
+10
 

sv_libertarian

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Michigander wrote:
If you can afford a yacht, you can afford a semi auto M2HB or 3. If you chose to travel without a means to defend yourself, you deserve what you get.
That's great to know! Thanks for letting me know what my budget is! WooHoo! I'm going toy shopping with my imaginary money!!! Hey lookee Mr. Gun Shop Owner! I own a small yacht, I can afford anything! YeeHaa!!!

I never said I travel without a means to defend myself. I said I was not aware of a way to adequately deal with several armed people who have the drop on you. Especially if you are solo sailing...

My boat is my home. Every gun I own is onboard. But if you want to contribute to the arsenal, go right ahead. Otherwise spare me your generalizations.
 

sv_libertarian

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I'm guessing there are very few cruising sailors present in this discussion. In my humble cruising sailor opinion, the ridiculous notions of hand cranked guns, or deck mount semi autos are not practical, or even legal in many places. You just can't sail up to Trinidad with a deck mount gun, or even a gun. You have to consider the legal issues of the host country you are in. Also, you have to consider reaction time. Who here, irregardless of the number of guns onboard their boat can successfully fend off an armed group that is swarming on you. Many yacht invasions happen while the owner is sleeping. It's 3 am and pirates are on your boat pointing a gun down your companionway. What do you do? I don't think any of us here are Dirk Pitt, able to fight off a dozen well armed bad guys, get the girl, save the world, etc....

I'm open for real world anti piracy solutions for the cruising sailor, or better still cruising solo sailor. I haven't heard anything though. If anyone cares to contribute to the S/V Libertarian deck mounted semi auto M2 fund though, I'll listen. :p
 

Flintlock

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sv_libertarian wrote:
I'm guessing there are very few cruising sailors present in this discussion. In my humble cruising sailor opinion, the ridiculous notions of hand cranked guns, or deck mount semi autos are practical, or even legal in many places. You just can't sail up to Trinidad with a deck mount gun, or even a gun. You have to consider the legal issues of the host country you are in. Also, you have to consider reaction time. Who here, irregardless of the number of guns onboard their boat can successfully fend off an armed group that is swarming on you. Many yacht invasions happen while the owner is sleeping. It's 3 am and pirates are on your boat pointing a gun down your companionway. What do you do? I don't think any of us here are Dirk Pitt, able to fight off a dozen well armed bad guys, get the girl, save the world, etc....

I'm open for real world anti piracy solutions for the cruising sailor, or better still cruising solo sailor. I haven't heard anything though. If anyone cares to contribute to the S/V Libertarian deck mounted semi auto M2 fund though, I'll listen. :p

I don't think anyone was reallyserious about deck guns... Your right, it would be difficult to fend off pirates trying to invade your "home." Maybe try a more covert approach.. :cool:

http://www.navysite.de/weapons/mk-48.htm

In all seriousness though.. As a last resort, this would be my choice..

http://www.fnhusa.com/le/products/firearms/model.asp?fid=FNF005&gid=FNG002&mid=FNM0131

All you can do is what you can do...

By the way, do you have any problems with rust and corrosionbecause of having firearms on your boat in a wet, salty environment?
 

sv_libertarian

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Not too much trouble with rust. Keep the guns well oiled. I keep mine in silicon impregnated sacks inside of hard cases, and take them out once a week or so to check on them. Alternately, wipe them down and keep them exposed to the air. I've had guns wrapped up rust on me, where ones sitting on the table never rusted. Go figure.
 

deepdiver

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I think the solution is the same as it was 200+ years ago. The nations of the victimized ships put appropriately armed and trained military personnel on random high risk ships, the same way we put air marshalls on airplanes, with shoot to kill ROEs. Simultaneously we use our combined resources to track the pirates to their port of origin, give the gov't of that port a reasonable time frame in which to deal with the problem and if they don't, won't or can't, eliminate the pirates with extreme prejudice. This is one of the few situations in which the UN would be something other than useless. These are modern Barbary Pirates looting and kidnapping for personal gain. The only difference is the technology of their weapons and vessels.

While none of that helps the non-commercial private vessel sailor immediately, eradicatinig the cockroaches, er pirates, eventually solves the problem for everyone.
 

expvideo

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sv_libertarian wrote:
I'm guessing there are very few cruising sailors present in this discussion. In my humble cruising sailor opinion, the ridiculous notions of hand cranked guns, or deck mount semi autos are not practical, or even legal in many places. You just can't sail up to Trinidad with a deck mount gun, or even a gun. You have to consider the legal issues of the host country you are in. Also, you have to consider reaction time. Who here, irregardless of the number of guns onboard their boat can successfully fend off an armed group that is swarming on you. Many yacht invasions happen while the owner is sleeping. It's 3 am and pirates are on your boat pointing a gun down your companionway. What do you do? I don't think any of us here are Dirk Pitt, able to fight off a dozen well armed bad guys, get the girl, save the world, etc....

I'm open for real world anti piracy solutions for the cruising sailor, or better still cruising solo sailor. I haven't heard anything though. If anyone cares to contribute to the S/V Libertarian deck mounted semi auto M2 fund though, I'll listen. :p

Obviously, I was kidding about the crank operated machine gun, but I think you knew that anyway :p

As for a real world solution, the government needs to take piracy seriously and dedicateda military response to it. Otherwise, the only real solution is vigilante-ism. I don't know how realistic of an idea that is either, but I'm sure that if a sudden surge of civilian pirate hunting were to make the news, the government would start taking piracy more seriously. The government hates it when civilians do their job for them.
 
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