Winged Wheeler

The lead editorial in the WSJ yesterday discussed the issues associated with the piracy issue--the specifics involving the Maersk Alabama as well as the more general problems and policies. This subject is entirely outside my education and experience and I wondered if any of the seagoing posters here might have some comments. No state secrets please.

The concept of hostis humani generis (enemies of the human race) has been dispensed with? When did that happen and why?

What would a US warship do if they captured pirates? Does this differ from other navies? Does it differ from the Coast Guard?

It amazes me that these cargo ships can get any insurance without having armed defenders on board. Why aren't the crews armed or why don't they hire ex-servicemen? Seems like that would be a lot cheaper than ransoms.

WW

rickair7777

Not really. There are international laws regarding piracy which any nation can enforce on the high seas. Also any nation can enforce it's OWN laws regarding piracy against one of it's flagged vessels on the high sea. US Navy warships are just about guaranteed to intervene in a case involving a US flagged vessel. Other vessels, based on asset availability.

Nations have always had the right to enforce laws in their own territorial waters, and other nations were excluded from doing so unless in "hot pursuit" or with permission. This actually became a problem in the 1980s, when territorial seas (for piracy purposes) were extended from 12 out to 200 NM...there are many nations who do not have the desire or resources to enforce the law (or might even actually host pirates), whose seas now cover major shipping lanes.

All have the same legal standing in international waters (the high seas) with respect to international piracy laws. For purposes of other domestic laws (ie narcotics) the US Navy is excluded by US policy from enforcing laws, but the USCG can do so. Navy ships operating down south get around this by carrying a very junior USCG officer. If they need to intercept a drug runner, the USCG Officer (an O-2/3) is designated "Officer In Tactical Command" of a warship commanded by an O-5/6. That way the Navy ship is under control of the USCG.

There are a LOT of ships out there, sailors are mostly from the third world these days, with low labor costs. Hiring skilled mercenaries whom you could actually trust not to sell out to the pirates (ie western special forces) would cost more than ship's crew! Also there are legal limitations on possession of firearms in many nations, so you would be constrained by what ports you go to. The odds of getting harassed on any given voyage are low, and the usual cost is a small ransom, nothing compared to the cost of the ship and cargo. Although pirates have recently been siezing entire vessels, taking them to some backwater with lax laws, repainting, re-flagging, and then selling the ship. This does not happen to large, modern ships...to hard to hide.

jungle

"As a sign to other pirates, Blackbeard's head was cut off and hung from the bow of a ship. Meanwhile, his corpse was simply thrown overboard. Then the head was transferred to a point on the James River, merely hanging by a pole, also known as Blackbeard's Point.

Today, Ocracoke still maintains a history of piracy and maritime warfare. Now a quiet island famous for vacationing tourists, the citizens of Ocracoke still continue to speak in the old English dialect, known as brogue. Teach's Hole, the inlet where Blackbeard repaired his ships, remains. Even more intriguing is the legend of the pirate's skull, which was said to have been taken off the pole many years before and sculpted into either a punch bowl or drinking cup. According to legend, Blackbeard's skull cup still exists around the island, even spurring accounts such as locals and visitors sipping from the head of the South's deadliest pirate."

The old ways of justice seem like a more civilized route. A belt fed, crew served response would be ideal. Skulls and thigh bones could be given to the crew and the old art of scrimshaw revived to make decorative and useful items like cups and pencil boxes.
International law limiting self defense of persons and property is an insult to civilization.

rickair7777

You can still shoot pirates on sight (caught in the act). The trick is in not damaging the prize vessel or it's crew, you need a good SOF outfit for that.

jungle

Doing so prior to boarding after warning them off could be handled by any 15 year old girl with an FN MAG. Like fish in a barrel and sammy can't shoot worth a darn, even more so from a rocking motorboat.

rickair7777

That's perfectly legal too, but you have to have good lookouts and carry weapons onboard, which can create problems in many ports. The latest thing is actually non-lethal weapons, such as fire-hoses or more advanced stuff. But you still have to detect them before they board. I think large, modern, expensive ships will all end up with a variety of sensors to that end.

jungle

A prior solution to "piracy":

Operation Prime Chance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I had the pleasure of visiting this one.

Winged Wheeler

Really interesting info so far. I still think it would be cheaper to hire the western special operators than to pay a ransom, but it is not my money.

I found this info on a libertarian blog--no references given so I can't vouch for the accuracy, but here it is:

1. During 2008 significantly increased pirate attacks on merchant ships occurred throughout the GoA [aka Gulf of Aden] and off the coast of Somalia. The majority were clustered around the northern side of the GoA
but some attacks have occurred further off the east coast of Somalia.
2. Analysis of successful attacks indicates that the following common vulnerabilities are exploited by the pirates:
a. Low speed
b. Low freeboard
c. Inadequate planning and procedures
d. Visibly low state of alert and/or evident self protective measures
e. Where a slow response by the ship is evident
3. Commonly two or more small high speed (up to 25 knots) open boats/ “skiffs” are used in attacks often approaching from the port quarter and/or stern.
4. The use of a pirate “mother ship”, which is a larger ship carrying personnel, equipment and smaller assault craft, has enabled the attacks to be successfully undertaken at a greater range from the shore.
5. Vigilance should be highest at first light and last light, as the majority of the attacks have taken place during these periods.
6. To date no successful attacks have occurred on ships at 15 knots or more.
7. The majority of attempted hijacks have been repelled by ship’s crew who have planned and trained in advance of the passage and employed passive counter measures to good effect.

WW

rickair7777

Those guys are in high demand elsewhere also. A team of four guys would likely cost you $200K each for $800K total. They would not want to spend their entire lives at sea, so a typical modern merchant (which spends very little time in port) would need two teams. $1.6M plus weapons, ammo, food underway, and airplane tickets to and from work. Pay them any less, and they would go find other, non-monotonous, work where they could be home each night.

The big, fast, modern ships which might be able to afford that are at less risk simply because they are harder to catch and board (high freeboard). Smaller, older ships couldn't possibly afford it...their whole crew put together probably makes $100K/year.

jungle

Pirated from the web, our PC way of dealing with the current crop of pirates:

Since the pirates are still holding the captain, I have sent FBI negotiators to facilitate his safe and speedy release. I assure his friends and family that I will not stop until this man-made disaster is resolved in a peaceful, tolerant and ecologically-sound manner.

Obviously, this incident has raised many concerns among Americans. There have been calls for justice and even violence against the misguided perpetrators. But such an emotional reaction has led to the disparagement of entire groups with which we are unfamiliar. We have seen this throughout history.

For too long, America has been too dismissive of the proud culture and invaluable contributions of the Pirate Community. Whether it is their pioneering work with prosthetics, husbandry of tropical birds or fanciful fashion sense, America owes a deep debt to Pirates.

The past eight years have shown a failure to appreciate the historic role of these noble seafarers. Instead of celebrating their entreprenuerial spirit and seeking to partner with them to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive.

Some of us wonder if our current Overseas Contingency Operation would even be needed had the last administration not been so quick to label Pirates as "thieves," "terrorists" and worse. Such swashbucklaphobia can lead to tragic results, as we have seen this week.