Archive for category Maritime Security

Maritime Security: Germany Authorizes Their Ships To Use Private Armed Security

Jul 21

Posted by Matt in Germany, Maritime Security | 4 Comments

This is good news for German private security companies and German shipping. With the blessing of their government, now they have a means of securing PSC’s to legally protect their country’s ships. The German shipping market is big as well, so this should lead to an increase of contracts for PSC’s in this market.

I also like the quote about the monopoly of the use of force. All I can say is Max Weber is rolling in his grave right now! lol

The government had until now always rejected such a solution, unwilling to give up the state’s monopoly on the use of legitimate force.

But seriously, this was the right move. If the state cannot provide that protection because of other commitments or a lack of government funding, then of course allowing private industry to contract with PSC’s is the next best thing.  The shipping companies can also choose the best company that meets their needs.

The other interesting quote was the study that was done on how many shipping companies had already contracted armed security:

Shipping firms have started taking matters into their own hands, with a study published last week by the consultancy firm PwC showing 27 German ships already carry armed security men on board, with a further six employing unarmed security operatives. Just 17 percent of the 100 firms questioned said they thought the ‘Atalanta’ mission added to safety in the pirate regions.
The Association of German Ship Owners (VDR) confirmed the move towards employing armed guards, but said it was only a second-best solution.

If just 27 ships out of this survey group of 100 have armed security, and that only 17 % thought the Atalanta task force mission of protection was successful, then do the math?  Not to mention an increase of attacks on German boats. The German PSC market should see pretty drastic growth now that the government is blessing this, and those companies positioned to be first movers on this market will do well. Did I mention that German ship owners control 3,500 ships, the world’s third largest fleet? Interesting stuff. -Matt

Ships turn to private security to fight pirates
July 21, 2011
German ships braving the waters off Somalia will now be able to officially employ private security firms to fight off attacks by pirates, after the government admitted it could not provide the protection itself.
State secretary in the economics ministry responsible for maritime affairs, Hans-Joachim Otto, said on Thursday that he could not answer the repeated calls from shipping companies for soldiers or armed police officers to accompany their boats.
“We don’t want desperadoes, so we are looking into a certification,” said Otto. He said security firms offering protection would have to meet certain standards. The government had until now always rejected such a solution, unwilling to give up the state’s monopoly on the use of legitimate force.
He said the number of pirate attacks on German ships had risen from 100 to 163 during the first half of 2011. The number of successful hijackings had dropped though, from 27 in the first half of 2010 to 21 in the first six months of this year.

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Company Spotlight: The Security Association For The Maritime Industry

Jul 19

Posted by Matt in Company Spotlight, Industry Talk, Maritime Security | 4 Comments

I wanted to bring attention to this specific trade group, just because groups like this are great resources for guys looking for companies to work for. If you go to SAMI’s membership directory, you will see a number of companies that have signed on. Which is great, because at least if you get a job with that particular company who is a member, you can use the association as a means of keeping that company in check.

But like with the ISOA, if SAMI does nothing about complaints or does not have the courage to punish members, then what good is the association? It’s value in my opinion, is it’s ability to keep it’s members in check and keep them on the path of ‘doing the right thing’. Companies who treat their contractors poorly, or rip off clients, and who are members of these associations, in turn tarnish the reputation of those associations and the members that have signed on to such a group. So to me, it is ridiculous that an association ‘would not’ punish a member or expel them from the group, if they violated the codes that they and everyone signed onto.

The other problem with associations is that when a member pays good money to be a member of the group, and the officers and operations of that trade group depend upon those membership dues, then it becomes very difficult for these guys to punish members who do bad things. It’s like biting the hand that feeds you, and it is this financial component that works against the strength of an association–if they claim to abide by some standard or code of conduct. Of course an association needs operating funds to keep working on behalf of the association, but you can see the potential conflict of interest here?

Overall, I appreciate the efforts of these associations, because it gives the various clients out there another tool for their research. It also gives companies that believe in a certain standard, to gather and show their support for such a standard. These associations are also key to organizing industry, so that it can effectively communicate consensus. You can have a thousand chaotic and disjointed voices screaming for attention, or you can have one clear and concise voice backed by a thousand people.

But, I should also remind these associations that if you fail to listen and act on the concerns or complaints of clients, the public or the contractors that work for these member companies, then what good is your association? -Matt

Link to association here. (the website is under construction, and it is listed in my associations category for future reference)

 

Sami logo 300x51Company Spotlight: The Security Association For The Maritime Industry
The Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) provides an independent regulatory trade association for maritime security companies.
Providing credibility, trust and respect, SAMI introduces a level of regulatory discipline and scrutiny to ensure that the maritime industry can easily identify reputable maritime security companies. SAMI provides reassurance and guidance, where none has existed before and establishes the benchmark for standards within the industry.
SAMI as a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), represents the industry at an international level in a balanced and cogent manner with transparency, honesty and integrity.
The membership encompasses maritime security providers, consultants, trainers, individual operatives and the maritime security equipment, technology and hardware manufacturers – to provide direct links to the commercial shipping industry, offshore oil & gas industry and ports too.

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Maritime Security: Anti-piracy Consultants In Search Of Asian Clients

Jul 18

Posted by Matt in Hong Kong, Letter Of Marque, Maritime Security | No Comments

The move reflected growing interest by Hong Kong and mainland shipping companies to use armed guards to protect their ships and crews while sailing through pirate-infested waters in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Gibbins said the firm had seen business grow 140 per cent so far this year compared with last year as the global shipping industry increasingly used armed personnel. “We’ve been working for two years and clocked up 1,000 transits. We’ve deterred 23 attacks, all of which avoided any lethal force,” he said.

Every once in awhile, an article comes up that is just full of interesting data. This article is short, but filled with some key points that have helped to identify a trend here. That the armed maritime security business is on the rise, and expanding.

The article mentioned a familiar company called PVI or Protection Vessels International. This company was identified as one of the top Maritime Security companies that guys wanted to work for in my last survey, and it is great to see a good company expanding and doing well.

What was also interesting is that the author identified a trade industry called the Security Association for the Maritime Industry or SAMI. This trade group is doing some good work, and namely trying to organize and hold it’s members to some standard. Which is great, because at this time, there is no one regulating the maritime security industry. A group like this can also help shipping companies to determine who the good companies are..kind of.

On the other hand, SAMI will run into the same problem that ISOA has when it comes to dealing with a member company that screwed up. Or how they deal with member companies when one of us contractors files a legitimate claim of abuse and violation of the code that the company signed on to follow. Will they truly punish one of their members when they do bad, or even take away their membership?  What kind of teeth does SAMI have to actually police their own is the question, and that will be the indicator of it’s true strength as a group.  Or is this just another club for companies to join, and say ‘look, we are members, so we must be good’.

Which this brings us to the road that I keep ending up on when we talk about this stuff. We can have associations and trade groups and clubs all day long, but unless we have legal authority or license to do what we are doing, then all of these self imposed regulations and policies are just kind of weak. A Letter of Marque is a license that comes directly from the highest authority of any country, and it is a license that is backed up by hundreds of years of use. If a country is willing to put it’s flag on a vessel, then why are they so afraid to put that same flag on an armed security team in the form of a comprehensive LoM that is backed by a bond?

I mean if I have to get the SSO, STCW 95, ENG1, TWIC, Yellow Fever and  Seaman’s Kit Book for a job, I guess I will do it. But the ultimate would be an LoM. And even with an LoM, you would probably run into issues when dealing with other countries out there, but at least you would have a license of true significance.

On another note, if you look at that list of member companies at SAMI, you will have quite the list of maritime security companies to submit resumes and CV’s too. You can do the same over at the ISOA, and that is a great way of identifying those companies who are players out there.

Finally, another point to make here is the market of armed maritime security work is expanding quickly. Lots of countries are getting on the band wagon of armed security, which is great. But what I would like to see, are more of the larger companies getting into the game.  Of course all of the government related contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan are the cash cows of these companies, but as the war winds down and there becomes less and less demand for armed security in the war zones, then it would make sense that some of these companies would look at maritime security as a potential market. I think there is room for a lot more entry into this market, and especially if companies like PVI have seen a ’140 percent increase’ in business just in this year alone.

As more vessels get armed security, the vessels that do not have security will get an increase in attention by the pirates as well. So the market will be expanding quickly as the ratio of unprotected vessels decreases–less boats, yet the same amount of pirates, and probably an increase in attacks against unarmed vessels. Remember, the pirates are using scouts and hacking emails and doing whatever they can to find out who has security, and who does not. It is this environment that security companies should examine, and understand that now is the time to enter the market if you are looking for other business.-Matt

Anti-piracy consultants in search of Asian clients
By Keith Wallis
Jul 17, 2011
One of the largest companies providing armed guards for shipowners is to open an office in Hong Kong next month to help develop closer business links with Asian shipowners.
Commenting on the move, Paul Gibbins, director of communications for Protection Vessels International, said: “We are looking for further opportunities in that part of the world.”
Shipping industry insiders said on Friday that the company’s executives would visit Hong Kong this week to meet shipowners before opening an office in the city early next month.
Gibbins said most of the firm’s clients are owners and managers in northern Europe and the company was keen to broaden its customer base. Ian May, who will head the Hong Kong office, would look for opportunities throughout Asia and allow the company to have a closer physical presence in Asia’s shipping community.

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Al Qaeda: Closer Ties Between Somali And Yemeni Jihadists Threatens Oil Through Gulf Of Aden

Jul 18

Posted by Matt in Al Qaeda, Letter Of Marque, Maritime Security, Somalia, Yemen | No Comments

Well this was a no brainer, but at least folks are talking about it now. So if Yemeni and Somali jihadists are working together, and Al Shabab is taking a 20 percent cut in piracy ransoms, then I wonder what the Yemeni cuts are? I mean that is a lot of shoreline now that a pirate could call home, if they were backed by the jihadists. If they did not have the support of the jihadists, then I would imagine they would come up against some problems.

The other way to look at this deal is the drug trade in Latin America. If you are a drug dealer in Central or South America, do you think you can set up your own shop and not get hassled by any of the large cartels? Of course not. If you did not cut them in, they would kill you. Or they would kill your family, and then tell you to sell more drugs for them! lol

So if Al Qaeda moves to control this corridor called the Gulf of Aden, then why wouldn’t they want to control these pirates? They could make money off of operations and they would disrupt western and middle eastern interest (oil flow, commerce). Jihadist privateering is a logical conclusion.

Now on to solutions, besides just putting armed guards on boats or squaring away those countries on land. I personally like the Q-ship idea. It is the ultimate zheng and qi strategy, and it would be one that pirates would have a very difficult time countering. The basic scheme is that you use a tanker or whatever boat as bait, and make it look like an unarmed vessel. You could even make it look like it is in distress. Then if it attracts a pirate crew and they go into attack mode and show their guns, an anti-piracy force outflanks that pirate crew and takes them down. You would have a force on the ship open up with the big guns, and a force on water that could attack. Whatever a team wants to use to get the job done. The cool thing is that there is no terrain for a pirate to hide behind, and you actually want the pirates to attack.

This idea though, would need a license by whatever country the vessel is flagged under, and there must be rules identified for killing and capturing pirates. There must be incentive as well, because if you want everyone to get involved with destroying piracy, you need to make it a venture or offense industry that ships would want to get involved with. Ideally, you would also want to capture the pirates and collect information from those detainees so networks can be studied and dismantled. So there must be a mechanism that supports the legal capture of pirates, if possible. Especially if an anti-piracy team wounds some pirates and those poor fools are in a sinking vessel. Do we let them die, or do we have a responsibility to capture them and care for them until those individuals are delivered to a detention center.

I believe all of these details could be hashed out in a Letter of Marque, much like they were in the past. As it stands now, we have armed security teams on boats that are great at repelling the assault, but they have no authorization from anyone to capture/detain or even care for wounded pirates?  What sense does it make to have shoot out’s with these guys, but have no means of legally detaining them and taking that pirate crew out of the system?

Now of course this tactic would have multiple legal issues to overcome before it would ever be considered. But honestly, something has to be done because the problem is only getting bigger and it is morphing into an animal that is certainly a threat to the global economies and innocent people. I also fear the day that pirates decide to capture a vessel and outright hand it over to Al Qaeda. Something like ramming a natural gas tanker into a heavily populated port or sinking the thing in gut of the Straits of Hormuz is a frightening thought. Believe me, if you can think it up, the other side has probably thought of it too.-Matt

pirate attacks.jpg.scaled500Al Qaeda: Closer Ties Between Somali And Yemeni Jihadists Threatens Oil Through Gulf Of Aden

Closer ties between Somali and Yemeni jihadists threatens oil through Aden Gulf
Monday, 18 July 2011
By JAMES M. DORSEY
Affiliates of Al Qaeda operating on opposite shores of key oil-export routes through the Gulf of Aden have forged closer ties in what could emerge as a substantial threat by a group that has been dealt severe body blows by the Arab revolt sweeping the Middle East and North Africa and the killing in May of Osama Bin Laden by US Navy Seals. ?The closer ties between Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Al Shabaab in war-shattered Somalia is sparking concern among intelligence and counter-terrorism officials who suggest that AQAP may be the driving force behind closer cooperation between the two groups.

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Maritime Security: China Shipping Giant To Spend 12 Million On Armed Guards And Security Measures

Jul 14

Posted by Matt in China, Maritime Security | No Comments

He said the measure was necessary for its ships when they were unable to avoid high-risk areas off Somalia, adding that the firm was keen on hiring British security companies which use former Special Air Service troops or Royal Marines.

Good on Cosco and hopefully other shipping companies will start looking hard at increasing their security investments. No idea what security companies they will use, but it does look like they are more interested in British companies at this time. Congrats to whatever company that is, and good job to the British maritime security sector for gaining such a reputation.

Which also coincides with my recent survey.  Most of the companies that guys wanted to work for, were British companies. So perhaps EOS Risk, MAST, or PVI could be in that pool of companies that Cosco is looking at?  If anyone has any inside scoop, let me know with an email or in the comments below. Although it also begs the question–what would be your status as a citizen, if you worked for a Chinese company? Can you work for them as an armed security guard, and do guys really want to work for them? I mean it is not unheard of to work on a boat that is owned and operated by multiple nationalities. But would guys have an issue working for a Chinese company like this? -Matt

China shipping giant to hire armed guards: report
Jul 14, 2011
Chinese shipping giant Cosco Shipping will spend $12 million on armed guards and other measures to protect its ships, a report said Thursday, after the UN warned of a growing threat from pirates.
The firm, China’s largest shipping company, said it would spend the money this year on bullet-proof vests and on-board equipment to deter attacks and protect its ships and crews in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
“We don’t want to injure people… but we have to protect ourselves,” Cosco Shipping’s chief operating officer Guo Jin told the South China Morning Post, describing the use of armed guards as a “difficult issue”.

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Maritime Security: Pirate Attacks At Sea Getting Bigger And Bolder, Says IMB Report

Jul 14

Posted by Matt in History, Letter Of Marque, Maritime Security | No Comments

I have to say it. Today’s naval strategies to counter piracy is a failure. We also have the moral high ground in this fight, and yet the piracy industry flourishes. Amazing. It also points to the amazing power of a naturally occurring offense industry. Not one country has given these pirates Letters of Marque or licenses to do what they are doing, and it is an industry that has naturally evolved and expanded. Kind of like a naturally occurring virus, versus a lab manufactured virus.

To take that thought a step further, if a government wanted to manufacture an artificial offense industry, then they could probably learn a lot from this naturally occurring virus called modern piracy.  Of course you could also study the history of piracy and privateering, and find consensus from that.

Probably a good starting point would be to study Sir Henry Morgan, a very effective and intelligent privateer that did very well in the Spanish Main. Another privateer I liked was Christopher Newport, just because the guy was an amazing privateer that dominated in the Caribbean. He was also the go to guy for the Virginia Company of London, for transporting colonists to the Virgina Colonies in the new world. Christopher was a stud, and of course there are other famous privateers I am missing. The common theme here is that they were ‘authorized and given license’ to do what they did, and this public/private partnership was mutually beneficial.

Another point to bring up about these older privateers, is that these folks acted more like Marines, than seamen. That they boarded vessels, but they also conducted raids on land.  So the captains of vessels or PMC’s  had to be proficient in naval operations, and land warfare, to maintain their position of power.  Because on these boats, they were extremely democratic and followed codes/rules. If a captain sucked, no one would follow him and they would vote for someone else on the boat to lead them to the prize.  I would compare it to today’s modern fishermen in Alaska, and that if they are not able to find the crab, the crew goes home penniless and investors soon go shopping for another captain that ‘can’ find the crab. Everyone likes a winner in the world of offense industries. So privateer captains all had to know their stuff, if they wanted to keep their job. -Matt

Pirate attacks at sea getting bigger and bolder, says IMB report
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Pirate attacks on the world’s seas totalled 266 in the first six months of 2011, up from 196 incidents in the same period last year, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) revealed today.
More than 60% of the attacks were by Somali pirates, a majority of which were in the Arabian Sea area said the report, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships. As of 30 June, Somali pirates were holding 20 vessels and 420 crew, and demanding ransoms of millions of dollars for their release.
“In the last six months, Somali pirates attacked more vessels than ever before and they’re taking higher risks,” said IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan. . “This June, for the first time, pirates fired on ships in rough seas in the Indian Ocean during the monsoon season. In the past, they would have stayed away in such difficult conditions. Masters should remain vigilant.”

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Maritime Security: Pirates Are Using NVG’s And Hacking Shipping Company Email Accounts

Jul 12

Posted by Matt in Maritime Security, Strategy | 1 Comment

I had to put this one out there, because this is just one more indication as to what kind of game the pirates are playing. With the amount of money they are making from ransoms, a fantastic investment for them would be to determine what boats ‘do not have’ armed security, just so they can focus on those boats. From hacking accounts, to stealing or purchasing information, to watching the departing vessels and identifying if they have security–they are doing it all.

They are probably scouring the internet in other places as well, trying to obtain any information that would be helpful. That means online forums, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, open source news articles–all of the things that everyone in the world has access too.

What is troubling as well, is there are no laws or regulations on OPSEC for maritime security.  So if a guy wants to post photos or talk about their latest contract out on the high seas, they could do it without any pressure against the practice. It is on that individual, that company that hires them, and that shipping company that uses that guard force to keep this in check. I guess the thing that guys have to remember is that you have to assume that anything you post on your Facebook or forum, will be read by the public to include criminals. Criminal entities will find a way to read your stuff, despite your privacy settings, if they have determined that your information has value.

Likewise, if you are the owner of a security company or shipping company, I would suggest taking as many precautions as possible to protect your email accounts from hackers.  Perhaps look at using more secure email services like Hushmail or similar encrypted mail systems. Anything to make it more difficult for these guys to find out what you are up to. An IT security specialist could be a good investment for getting you started on a secure system of communications and protocols.

The other thing I wanted to bring up, that this article kind of delved into, is the latest pirate tactical developments. It is my understanding that not only are pirates using cutting torches so they can break into safe rooms, but are also using night vision goggles or NVG’s to attack at night.(thanks to a reader for the tip) With that said, I would highly suggest to companies that have teams on boats to equip your folks with NVG’s and ensure your ‘night time strategy and tactics’ are sound. Pirates are attacking at night because it is a tactical advantage. You must also assume that they have thought about the other tools of night time boarding, and this should give the naval warfare experts out there plenty to chew on as to how best to defeat such a thing.

So what else could the pirates do to gain advantage?  How about using UAV’s?  A store bought RC plane with a camera or night vision camera, could easily be deployed by a pirate crew to probe your vessel’s defenses. They could also use UAV’s to look for potential targets out there.  Or an investor might come along that has access to the bigger more capable UAV’s, and provide that for the operation. Anything the pirates think they need to be successful will be looked at in terms of cost benefit analysis.

Another thing they could do is actually go into the water with a re-breather, and at night, much like a commando unit would do, all to close the distance and gain surprise. They could also contract the services of criminal groups that might specialize in this kind of diving. Anything for them to gain relative superiority in their assault.

I would also think that pirates have been studying military tactics and strategy for operations on the high seas. Anything that a modern naval force would do in terms of boarding ships, a pirate crew will try to copy.(mimicry strategy) Pirates will watch youtube videos, or watch in real time as naval forces do their thing out there. They are watching and learning, and driven by the thrill of the hunt and the massive reward for their efforts.

Another development is upgrades to current weaponry. This article from Maritime Security Review discussed the possibility that pirates are now using RPG 29′s. Here is the quote:

One maritime security sources said that this may point to the acquisition of the RPG 29 model, rather than the standard RPG 7.
RPG 29s were developed in Russia in the 1980s, and pack a punch sufficient to penetrate the frontal armour of most modern tanks. Secondhand models are now in circulation in the Middle East. Security professionals have feared for some time that the Somalis would sooner or later get their hands on them.
According to experts, when the more powerful RPGs are deployed, “A vessel’s hull might be easily breached, with further damage, injury or even death incurred to the crew within.”

The other thing to look at is the money and support mechanism for today’s piracy. Investors know a good deal when they see it, and especially jihadist investors. If groups like Al Shabab are demanding a 20 percent cut in the profits, then now piracy becomes a cash cow for them and their operations. In some parts of the world, piracy might be the only real criminal/fund raising game in town, and the rise in piracy attacks only confirms the popularity and profitability of this type of offense industry.

Piracy also has a lot of cross over benefits as well. You can use these guys to smuggle drugs, weapons, terrorists,  human traffic, and all for profit. You can use these guys to capture large boats to use as weapons against ports, blocking waterways, or attacking other vessels, or as bases for attacks. So piracy is an excellent game for terrorists and criminals to get into, and they are mutually beneficial to each other. In order to stay ahead of these guys in terms of strategy and tactics, all of us must continue to study and ‘know our enemy’.  Never underestimate them and always assume that if you can think it up, they have probably came up with the same idea. -Matt

Pirate Games
July 12, 2011

The Somali pirate gangs have adapted to the growing fleet of warships and maritime patrol aircraft arrayed against them. One of the new tricks is getting into the databases of shipping companies and their Internet based communications. This information is bought from criminal operatives in London and the Persian Gulf, and provides precise information where the most lucrative and vulnerable ships will be.
Much of the money obtained from ransoms is used to buy goods and services from Persian Gulf merchants and other “specialists.” This includes assistance in negotiating with the shipping and insurance companies, as well as other services. This includes intelligence. The Persian Gulf is rife with corruption, and this makes it easier to buy needed information. That’s harder to do in London (the center of the maritime insurance industry, and where much information on where the most valuable ships are). British police have detected some efforts to obtain information for pirates, and believe these efforts are becoming more intense.

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Maritime Security: Feral Jundi Survey–The Best Company To Work At For Maritime Security In 2011

Jul 11

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Maritime Security, Surveys | 2 Comments

This is cool. On the internet there has been a list floating around that detailed all of the maritime security related companies out there to apply with. I thought I would make a survey based on this list and offer it up for the readership to participate in. You get one vote per computer and one company of choice. Once you vote, you get to see the results, so it is pretty simple and quick. I also apologize if any companies are missing that are relevant, and I think I can make some edits to this thing. If not, this is just a test to see how this goes, and I might do more of this type of thing in the future. Let me know what you think in the comments section, and this should be fun to see what company gets the title of Best Company To Work At For Maritime Security In 2011. (also, feel free to pass around the link to get more folks taking the survey)-Matt

Edit: 07/12/2011- I have closed down the survey and these are the results. I had to shut it down because someone decided to cheat on the thing. I won’t name names, but they know who they are. It is the weakness of such surveys like this, just because they work great all the way up until someone decides they want to cheat the system. A better survey is one that can minimize cheating, and automatically keep people honest. That is the reality of the internet I guess, and it is too bad. Here are the results for the top three companies, and take it for what it’s worth.

MAST 8 votes
PVI 7 votes
EOS Risk Management 5 votes

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Maritime Security: UN Reports That Piracy Ransoms Are Being Funnelled To Islamist Militants

Jul 6

Posted by Matt in Al Qaeda, Kidnap And Ransom, Maritime Security, Somalia | No Comments

C-level Maritime’s Frodl said the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) carried out reviews of all potential ransom payments to determine if the pirate group in question had ever handed over part of a ransom to al Shabaab.
“Most times OFAC has authorized payment because it has found no link,” Frodl said. “But if there is indeed a 20% ’tax’ being applied by Shabaab against pirate ransoms in Haradhere, a major pirate hub it now controls, then things could change.”

Boy, this is very interesting if true. The consequences could mean that the payment of ransoms would be illegal, because that money would be funding terrorism. Although I have already talked about the jihadist privateer concept awhile back, so it does not surprise me that there would be a connection between Al Shabab and pirates.

It is just one way to fund their jihad, and it also helps the pirates be effective by supplying weapons and safe haven. 20 % is also a pretty sizable chunk.  Eventually I would imagine that the pirates would port somewhere else to avoid this jihad tax, or that Al Shabab would get into the business to cut out the non-affiliated pirate middle men. Interesting stuff. -Matt

Piracy ransoms funnelled to Islamist militants: U.N.

Jul 6, 2011
By Richard Lough funnelled
Ransoms paid to Somali pirates to free merchant vessels are ending up in the hands of Islamist militants, laying shipping groups open to accusations of breaching international sanctions, U.N. officials told Reuters.
John Steed, the principal military adviser to the U.N. special envoy to Somalia and head of the envoy’s counter-piracy unit, said links between armed pirate gangs and Somalia’s al Qaeda-affiliated rebels were gradually firming.
“The payment of ransoms just like any other funding activity, illegal or otherwise, is technically in breach of the Somalia sanctions regime if it makes the security situation in Somalia worse,” said Steed.
“Especially if it is ending up in the hands of terrorists or militia leaders — and we believe it is, some directly, some more indirectly,” said Steed, a retired military officer.

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Weapons: MICOR Leader 50 Lightweight Bullpup .50 BMG

Jun 23

Posted by Matt in Maritime Security, Weapons | No Comments

This is cool. The MICOR Leader 50 weighs 17 lbs. and is a semiautomatic, magazine fed bullpup .50 BMG! In the video, the manufacturer says it is accurate out to 2000 yards as well, and I think that would make this weapon an outstanding choice for ship security.
It answers several needs for this industry. It is compact, lightweight, and portable. A weapon like this gives the shooter quick follow up shots and the ability to quickly reload with a ten round magazine. This is important, because if you want to take out the engine of a boat at distance, a weapon like this will help you to get on target and adjust quickly.
A semiautomatic weapon can also help a team to engage multiple boats, and at distance. This is important, because you do not want these boats maneuvering close enough to the vessel so they can use their weapons at an effective range. A pirate that can lob shots at a boat, without any fear of the return fire, is a dangerous pirate and certainly a threat to your vessel.
Think PKM’s, RPG’s, Dragunov SVD’s, AK-47′s, and what kind of weapons your security team can carry to not only compete with these weapons, but actually give you an advantage over them. A weapon like the MICOR Leader 50, along with good supportive weapons, a sound strategy, a well led and trained team, all could give you the edge out there.
Now I cannot fully endorse this weapon quite yet, just because I have yet to hear any serious tests or real world usage of the thing. Once the gun community puts this weapon through the paces, then we will get a good idea about how it stacks up. But I do support the concept of giving the armed security team out there, every advantage they can get.
Here is another reason why I support this kind of weaponry. Today’s pirate forces are evolving and seeking advantage too. The amount of money each ransom brings in (4 to 5 million), is only increasing, and only fueling today’s piracy operations. They will do everything they can to protect their money making machine, much like the cartels in Mexico protect their cash machines called drug sales. With more revenue, comes more options for these pirates, and each pirate company out there will take the path that will help them to secure a capture.
At this time, if only 10 percent of the boats that transit through pirate infested waters have armed security, then the other 90 percent will be the group these pirates will focus in on. But what happens when that 10 percent becomes 80 or 90 percent with armed security? These pirates will have a choice–go back to fishing at home and being poor, or attempt to take down the armed vessels to maintain their business. Yet again, the cartels of Mexico are a good example of how powerful this profit motive is, and what men are willing to do to keep the money coming in.
To underestimate the lethal effects of that kind of entrepreneurial death machine, or offense industry, is a lesson that the entire world is learning and experiencing as we speak. Doom on those security companies and shipping companies who think they can compete against such offense industries, by poorly paying, equipping and ‘arming’ their security teams. -Matt


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