The Christian Science asks this question and I think it's a good one to examine in that it leads to further important questions?
What are our gaps in intel and information regarding the structure and organization of the Somali pirate network (gangs)?
How much communication goes on between the gangs/warlords benefitting from the piracy?
Was the murder of the 4 yachters a purposeful departure from their modus operandi (i.e. their established business model)? It is my opinion that it wasn't. The business model is simply too lucrative. And the idea of a 'revenge' campaign presupposes that those financing (the warlord, businessmen and gang leaders) care about the welfare of the pirates. They don't. They care about the money. In all likelihood, these murders were an isolated incident by nervous hothead pirates, not a concerted effort by warring gangs to band together (suddenly) to poke America in the eyes.
I have posted links to a few articles below and included key quotes from those articles on which I have commented.
"I, as do most pirates, consider myself as having been performing the duties of a coastguard. We usually work in groups of seven to 10 people. Often, our missions are financed by individuals and businessmen who collect half of the ransoms paid." These pirates are victims in this sense. They have no other prospects and are taken advantage of by the gang leaders and in some cases, businessmen.
"Omar*, another of the jailed pirates, added: "Piracy has become booming business in Puntland territories; we receive the fuel and logistics from local business people. For example, when a kidnapped vessel pays ransom, 50 percent of it is taken by the people who invested their money; the pirates only get 50 percent." These speaks to a need to go after the source!
"The ransom they pay is somehow a punishment for their illegal activity in the Somali water, especially in the era without government," one of the pirates said. This illegal activity is not fictional. It's a big deal. Africa loses $1 BILLION every year due to illegal fishing! I have written about it here on numerous occassions:
Why Fish if the New Cocaine
CNO Dishes on Fish
One Video Show Why Illegal Fishing is Killing Africa
Deputy AU Chairperson on Maritime Threats to Africa
Somali pirates tell their side TRN News
"they tell the same story, which is they were all fishermen in the beginning, in the '90s, when foreign fishing ships that took advantage of the lack of a government in Somalia to come and illegally fish off of their waters. And so their little Somali skiffs, fishing skiffs, would bump into huge fishing nets that these foreign trawlers would be using to fish. And there was reports of overfishing—and some of this is quite well documented—overfishing, and even some allegations of illegal dumping of waste. So the pirates basically believe that they are ad hoc coast guard in some ways." This quotes highlights illegal dumping, a hugely underreported issue and one whose importance to those living in Africa cannot be overstated. Illegal dumping is a HUGE deal!
"you talked about money awash in Kenya, ransom money, and a lot of this is the pirates' money...So you have a very large Somali diaspora in Kenya, and they excel at this sort of Islamic interest-free money transfer." The mechanics of the money transfer is one of the 'sources' at which we must attack to stop piracy.
"Battling pirates at sea will not put an end to their attacks, Hopkins said. “Although the most visible face of piracy is on the seas, piracy needs to be combated and will only be defeated on land,” Donna Hopkins (U.S. State Department’s counter- piracy coordinator) said." Amen, and I would add, not just in Somalia.
"Somalia’s pirate network, by contrast, is “a business operation that does not appear to have any political motivation,” Hopkins said." I still belive it is a business and the recent murders were a departure from this business model.
“Reportedly, Kenya’s financial system may be laundering over 100 million dollars each, including an undetermined amount of narcotics proceeds and Somali piracy related funds,” it said." Again, it's all about the benjamins.
"
“As long as piracy is so lucrative, with ransom payments adding up to tens of millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars, and other economic incentives so bleak, the incentives are obvious,” he said." I would add that its worth investigating the insurance companies role in all of this. They are obviously complicit and making money off of this.
What are our gaps in intel and information regarding the structure and organization of the Somali pirate network (gangs)?
How much communication goes on between the gangs/warlords benefitting from the piracy?
Was the murder of the 4 yachters a purposeful departure from their modus operandi (i.e. their established business model)? It is my opinion that it wasn't. The business model is simply too lucrative. And the idea of a 'revenge' campaign presupposes that those financing (the warlord, businessmen and gang leaders) care about the welfare of the pirates. They don't. They care about the money. In all likelihood, these murders were an isolated incident by nervous hothead pirates, not a concerted effort by warring gangs to band together (suddenly) to poke America in the eyes.
I have posted links to a few articles below and included key quotes from those articles on which I have commented.
SOMALIA: Inside a pirate network IRIN News
"I agreed to engage in piracy because we wanted to get back at the illegal foreign vessels that were fishing in our waters, denying us a livelihood. We targeted foreign cargo vessels for that reason." This may seem like rhetoric to many in the western community, but a vast majority of the pirates sincerely believe (or believed) this. And in startk contrast to most Americans, the vast majority of those within the continent of Africa are apathetic (if not sympathetic) toward these Somali pirates."I, as do most pirates, consider myself as having been performing the duties of a coastguard. We usually work in groups of seven to 10 people. Often, our missions are financed by individuals and businessmen who collect half of the ransoms paid." These pirates are victims in this sense. They have no other prospects and are taken advantage of by the gang leaders and in some cases, businessmen.
"Omar*, another of the jailed pirates, added: "Piracy has become booming business in Puntland territories; we receive the fuel and logistics from local business people. For example, when a kidnapped vessel pays ransom, 50 percent of it is taken by the people who invested their money; the pirates only get 50 percent." These speaks to a need to go after the source!
"The ransom they pay is somehow a punishment for their illegal activity in the Somali water, especially in the era without government," one of the pirates said. This illegal activity is not fictional. It's a big deal. Africa loses $1 BILLION every year due to illegal fishing! I have written about it here on numerous occassions:
Why Fish if the New Cocaine
CNO Dishes on Fish
One Video Show Why Illegal Fishing is Killing Africa
Deputy AU Chairperson on Maritime Threats to Africa
Somali pirates tell their side TRN News
"they tell the same story, which is they were all fishermen in the beginning, in the '90s, when foreign fishing ships that took advantage of the lack of a government in Somalia to come and illegally fish off of their waters. And so their little Somali skiffs, fishing skiffs, would bump into huge fishing nets that these foreign trawlers would be using to fish. And there was reports of overfishing—and some of this is quite well documented—overfishing, and even some allegations of illegal dumping of waste. So the pirates basically believe that they are ad hoc coast guard in some ways." This quotes highlights illegal dumping, a hugely underreported issue and one whose importance to those living in Africa cannot be overstated. Illegal dumping is a HUGE deal!
"you talked about money awash in Kenya, ransom money, and a lot of this is the pirates' money...So you have a very large Somali diaspora in Kenya, and they excel at this sort of Islamic interest-free money transfer." The mechanics of the money transfer is one of the 'sources' at which we must attack to stop piracy.
U.S. Says Somali Pirates Are Dodging Navies, Operating Near India Coast Bloomberg News
"The U.S. said Somali pirates, who have taken at least $100 million in ransom from hijacked ships over the past two years, are operating as far away as India as they dodge more than 20 naval vessels deployed to hunt them. " 73% of Somali population lives on $2 a day. 2008 per capita income is $600."Battling pirates at sea will not put an end to their attacks, Hopkins said. “Although the most visible face of piracy is on the seas, piracy needs to be combated and will only be defeated on land,” Donna Hopkins (U.S. State Department’s counter- piracy coordinator) said." Amen, and I would add, not just in Somalia.
"Somalia’s pirate network, by contrast, is “a business operation that does not appear to have any political motivation,” Hopkins said." I still belive it is a business and the recent murders were a departure from this business model.
Money Laundering for Somali Pirates is Good Business
"The sea pirates use the financial hub of Dubai and Somalia’s southern neighbour Kenya as key transit points to launder the millions of dollars in ransom money by organised and wealthy gangs." Kenya and Dubai, two great places to start if you want to stop piracy.“Reportedly, Kenya’s financial system may be laundering over 100 million dollars each, including an undetermined amount of narcotics proceeds and Somali piracy related funds,” it said." Again, it's all about the benjamins.
"
“As long as piracy is so lucrative, with ransom payments adding up to tens of millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars, and other economic incentives so bleak, the incentives are obvious,” he said." I would add that its worth investigating the insurance companies role in all of this. They are obviously complicit and making money off of this.
Who are Somalia's pirates?
"Today's pirates are mainly fighters for Somalia's many warlord factions, who have fought each other for control of the country since the collapse of the Siad Barre government in 1991."
"Whom do they work for? The pirates mainly work for themselves." To be more clear, they do have a loose hierarchy but more likely work as part of decentralized (in comparison to our military) networks.
"The money seems to be distributed by warlords to their families and friends, and then further outward toward their fellow clan-members, says Jhazbhay." We need better intel and investigation into these links.
"While the CIA's chief, Gen. Michael Hayden, suggested recently that Al Qaeda was beginning to expand its reach in the Horn of Africa, and possibly reaching out to radical local Islamist parties such as Al Shabab in Somalia, there appears to be little evidence of a connection between international Islamist groups such as Al Qaeda and piracy." Invoking Al Qaeda is a popular way to get funding.
"Regionally, I think the major problem is that piracy has given some groups the chance to lay their hands on money," says Jhazbhay. "There may be $30 million in ransom money received in recent years. Once they [the various armed groups] get that kind of money, they can buy a ground-to-air missile. Getting [a hold of] arms can affect the struggle for freedom in Somalia, and that affects the whole region." Yes, it is a vicious cycle. The more money and experience they gather, the harder they will be to defeat.
"While individual ships can protect themselves with everything from barbed wire around the ship itself to high-pressure hoses, coalition forces can also do more to track and neutralize suspected pirate mother ships. "I can't see why more work isn't being done with satellites to find the mother ships," says Cornwell." Good luck with that Cornwell. These protective measures have proven effective, but a large majority of ships still don't use them.
"While the CIA's chief, Gen. Michael Hayden, suggested recently that Al Qaeda was beginning to expand its reach in the Horn of Africa, and possibly reaching out to radical local Islamist parties such as Al Shabab in Somalia, there appears to be little evidence of a connection between international Islamist groups such as Al Qaeda and piracy." Invoking Al Qaeda is a popular way to get funding.
"Regionally, I think the major problem is that piracy has given some groups the chance to lay their hands on money," says Jhazbhay. "There may be $30 million in ransom money received in recent years. Once they [the various armed groups] get that kind of money, they can buy a ground-to-air missile. Getting [a hold of] arms can affect the struggle for freedom in Somalia, and that affects the whole region." Yes, it is a vicious cycle. The more money and experience they gather, the harder they will be to defeat.
"While individual ships can protect themselves with everything from barbed wire around the ship itself to high-pressure hoses, coalition forces can also do more to track and neutralize suspected pirate mother ships. "I can't see why more work isn't being done with satellites to find the mother ships," says Cornwell." Good luck with that Cornwell. These protective measures have proven effective, but a large majority of ships still don't use them.
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