The recent seizure of the Saudi super-tanker Sirius Star by Somali pirates signifies how skilled these buccaneers are getting.
As the BBC reports, they are becoming much more sophisticated. "There is evidence they have staged "dummy" attacks to lure in warships while another gang hits the real target, further away. They have called in false distress signals to confuse shipping, and so co-ordinated are the clans that run these franchises, they rotate regularly the ports from which they operate. With the technology in the bridge, the pirates are surprisingly easy to spot – it is not normal to see a small skiff travelling at 20 knots, hundreds of miles out to sea. They appear as small dots on the radar, usually in groups of three. The mother ships – which they use to refuel – masquerade as fishing dhows but often there is no radio contact with the crew on board."
The Kenyans claim the pirates have made more than $150 million over the last year. And the trouble is this is a problem that is not easy to beat.The Financial Times points out that there are three problems fighting them.
First, Somalia is now a lawless state, particularly since the Islamists were ousted two years by an invading Ethiopian force that was backed by the Bush administration. The new government has no authority. Another mess left by W.
Secondly, the waters in which they operate are too vast for international forces to patrol effectively. And finally, there are serious questions about international law. How do you arrest or prosecute them?
The bottom line is that until you fix the problems in Somalia, piracy will continue to thrive along one of the world's main trade arteries in the Gulf of Aden. And that will play continue to play havoc with economies.
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