In the last few weeks, Somali pirates have hijacked fourteen vessels, including the Maersk Alabama, which was carrying donated relief food for starving Africans, on April 8.
The USS Bainbridge made contact with the pirate vessel to negotiate. On Monday, a team of Navy SEALs parachuted into open waters under the cover of darkness. The team crawled onto the Bainbridge and took out three pirates with only three bullets to rescue captain Richard Phillips, who had convinced the pirates to let his crew go and hold him as the sole hostage.
To curb piracy, Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) suggests using Letters of Marque and Reprisal. Letters of Marque and Reprisal were used heavily in the War of 1812 and would offer citizens large rewards for hunting down pirates while abiding by the rules of war.’
This power was written into the Constitution to allow the United States to hire private citizens to keep international waters safe.
‘ ‘This is not an isolated incident,’ said Paul in a YouTube video posted earlier this week. ‘I think if every potential pirate knew this would be the case, they would have second thoughts because they could probably be blown out of the water rather easily if those were the conditions.’
Experts say the pirates are not desperate robbers, but rather able opportunists in the most lawless corner of the planet. With nothing to lose, they have everything to gain.’
Pirates have not been the only ones exploiting the vulnerabilities of the failed state of Somalia. In fact, piracy is arguably a product of the rest of the world’s neglect.’
Somalia’s last functional government was brought down by the civil war in 1991. Since then, foreign vessels have pillaged the country’s 2,000 miles of coastline.
A report released by the United Nations in 2006 said Somali waters have become the site of an international ‘free for all’ in the absence of the a serviceable coast guard.’
Fishing fleets from around the world illegally plunder Somali stocks and are freezing out the country’s own rudimentarily-equipped fishermen. Former fishermen who have become pirates argue that foreign ships are threatening their livelihood by illegally fishing in Somali waters.
Somalia’s current government is still far from being able to stand on its own. In the wake of the 2006 Ethiopian invasion, which was supported by the U.S., monitoring and combating misdeeds done in Somali waters is near impossible.
Somali piracy has metastasized into the country’s only booming industry. Observers say most of the pirates are not former fishermen as they once were, but just poor Somalis seeking their fortune.
Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, the only pirate to survive the incident on the Maersk Alabama, arrived in New York City on Tuesday to stand trial for his role in the kidnapping. Muse, whose parents claim to be 16 but authorities say is 18, turned himself in before his cohorts were shot and killed.’
His parents are begging the American government to go easy on him, claiming that the pirates lied to Muse, telling him they were going to get money.’
The family is penniless and this was Muse’s first misadventure with them, his father told the Associated Press.
Muse will no doubt become a discouraging example for aspiring pirates. Assuming leniency is given and he spends the rest of his days in an upscale prison, he’ll give interviews and sign book deals.’
Piracy under U.S. law is punishable by death, but this young man just won the Cape of Africa lottery. He’ll be in jail for the rest of his life, but it will be on our dime.
