Archive for category Somalia

Maritime Security: Somalia News–Firms Bid For Contracts To Fight Pirates, UNSC Passes Resolution, And The PMC Halliday Finch

Apr 22

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Maritime Security, Somalia | 24461 Comment2011-04-22+22%3A33%3A30Matt

Now this is interesting for several reasons. The big problem everyone had with Saracen International was that they thought there was no transparency with that contract, and that they could be in violation of the UN Arms Embargo placed on Somalia. With this current resolution passed by the UN Security Counsel, this is basically giving legal authority for anti-piracy operations in Somalia, by making these operations fit in with this UN Arms Embargo.

Meaning, regions like Puntland can go forth and contract with private industry to set up UNSC approved legal apparatus to fight piracy with. Companies could be used to train police forces or navies for anti-piracy, and not have to worry about any conflict with the UN–just as long as it fits in with the SC resolution. That is why this conference was so interesting, and got little mention in the news. I guess a comparison here, is how private industry is used to prop up the police or military forces in Iraq or Afghanistan and have legal approval by authorities to do so.

Probably the most significant part that jumped out at me was this gem:

Halliday Finch, a Nairobi-based firm that is seeking funds to build a 1,500-strong maritime police force on behalf of the government in Mogadishu, said it follows such steps.
The company has already trained 500 non-maritime police, said CEO Sam Mattock, and has kept the UN and other organisations abreast of its activities.
“We’ve said, let’s do this properly, let’s make it transparent,” he said. “No secrets.”
The firm has drafted a law for the government to submit to parliament that would regulate maritime police.
To ensure the force is sustainable, the firm aims to spend $52 million in the first year and train up an officer corps within two years. With a Kuwaiti partner, Mr Mattock said, he plans to solicit the funds from the Kuwaiti government.

I have never heard of these folks before, but supposedly they have $52 million of Kuwaiti money to play around with, and they are helping their client in ‘drafting laws’? Not to mention that they have already trained 500 police? Wow, how come this wasn’t reported and I am sure the folks at Saracen are scratching their head as to why they were singled out? Here are some of the jobs they are offering, to give you an idea about the company:

Are You interested in joining the Halliday Finch team in Africa?
We respect your privacy: Any details you submit will be sent directly and in strict confidence to the CEO. Your details will not be shared or passed on to any other party. If we have a vacancy matching your skill set (now or in the future), we will contact you to arrange an interview or to request further details.
Current Vacancies
OPERATIONS MANAGER: Position filled.
CLOSE PROTECTION OPERATIVES: Close protection operatives needed for tasks in Africa for VVIP and VIP principals. African Experience essential.
ESCORT DUTIES FOR GULF OF ADEN: Required for ongoing tasks, must have relevant maritime experience.
AVIATION SECURITY INSTRUCTOR: The successful applicant will be a certified / licensed Aviation Security Instructor who has successfully attended a UK DfT-approved Level 5 Training Course.
POLICE MENTORING SERVICE: Potential Police Service mentoring task in Somalia. Must have relevant Police Experience, Royal Military Police, UK Police, South African Police Service or East African Police Officers would be ideal.

So there you have it. This is some news that you will not hear anywhere else, and certainly significant. I also posted the UNSC Resolution that coincides with this article, just so you can see what I am talking about. -Matt

Firms bid for contracts to fight pirates
Carol Huang
Apr 20, 2011
Eager to capitalise on the rising threat of Somali piracy, private security firms are lining up to win contracts to train maritime forces in Somalia.
And while the international community backs the idea of building up Somali forces to fight piracy, it is raising eyebrows about the prospect of unregulated training and arming programmes that could later backfire.
Still, over 100 security firms have made pitches for contracts, said Saeed Mohamed Rage, the government minister overseeing counter-piracy for the Somali region of Puntland, where most pirates come from. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: anti-piracy, contractors, Halliday Finch, PMC, puntland, Somalia, Training, UNSC

Maritime Security: Somali Pirates Keep Indian Hostages After Paid Ransom

Apr 18

Posted by Matt in India, Maritime Security, Somalia | 2427No Comments2011-04-18+19%3A45%3A21Matt

Thanks to Matt for sending me this story. You know, acts like this and the killings of four Americans only reinforce the idea that these pirates are ‘not rational’. Meaning, pirates have no code of conduct or laws governing how they operate. All they care about is protecting their business and making money. So to them, keeping Indian hostages is a message to the Indian government and people to not threaten that business model with anti-piracy operations or having armed security on boats.

This also changes the game now. For those companies thinking that ransoms are a surefire way of getting their people back, think again. Pirates are irrational business partners, and as they continue to get pressure from anti-piracy forces, they will continue to get more irrational. The point being, spend the money on security, and do not give a larger sum of money to a pirate industry. Fuel the Defense Industry, while starving the pirate’s Offense Industry. -Matt

Somali Pirates Keep Indian Hostages After Paid Ransom
April 15, 2011
A Somali pirate says pirates are holding on to Indian hostages even after a ransom was paid in retaliation for recent arrests by the Indian Navy.
The pirate, Hassan Farah, said the pirates in the stronghold of Haradhere have taken that collective decision.
A ransom was dropped Friday for the release of the ship Asphalt Venture and its crew. The non-Indian crew members were released. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: armed security, Indian Navy, Maritime Security, piracy, Somalia

Somalia: Puntland Suspends Contract With Saracen International Due To UN And US Pressure

Mar 17

Posted by Matt in Africa, Industry Talk, Somalia | 20581 Comment2011-03-17+18%3A25%3A39Matt

This was to be expected. What I would be interested in is what kind of sweet deal or alternative did the US or UN offer, to get Puntland to suspend this contract? Also this was ‘suspend’ and not canceled, which is equally significant. Perhaps some kind of military mission through AFRICOM is the alternative? -Matt

Somalia’s Puntland suspends security contractors

March 17, 2011

By ABDI GULED

Somalia’s northern region of Puntland has suspended a controversial deal with a private security firm contracted to train an anti-piracy force, two government officials said Thursday.

Saracen International was hired to train 1,050 men in Puntland to battle the pirates that menace shipping off Somalia’s coast.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: anti-piracy, Industry Talk, private military company, private security company, puntland, Saracen International, Somalia

Maritime Security: The Maersk Alabama Drawing Pirates Like Flies, And Armed Security Saves The Day

Mar 10

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Maritime Security, Somalia | 2048No Comments2011-03-10+20%3A34%3A47Matt

Actually, this story is factually incorrect. (check out the comments at gCaptain’s post) Boy, The Maersk Alabama has been attacked and/or approached by pirates multiple times since the first attack that put it on the news. I don’t know if the pirates are all gunning for the ship to get some pay back or there are just more pirates now? I do know that armed security along with good strategy is doing an excellent job of defeating these thugs.

From what I can gather, Nexus Consulting is the security company that the Maersk Alabama uses for protective services. Although I could be wrong here, because the Maersk line uses all sorts of different security companies. -Matt

Pirates Fail in Third Attempt to Seize Maersk Alabama

Peter T. Leach

Mar 9, 2011

Security team fires warning shots, discouraging suspicious skiff

Suspected Somali pirates tried to seize the Maersk Alabama again on Tuesday in the third attempt to hijack it in three years.

Four people suspected of being pirates approached the ship in a skiff in which a hook ladder could be seen. When the skiff came within half a nautical mile, the ship’s captain authorized the firing of warning shots.

“Maersk Alabama was approached by a suspicious skiff with four people and a ladder onboard,” said Kevin Speers a spokesman for Maersk Line Limited, the U.S.-flag subsidiary of Denmark’s Maersk Line.

“The captain followed the appropriate protocol and authorized an embarked security team to fire warning shots in order for the pirates to turn away. Shortly after, the small boat departed the area astern of the vessel,” Speers said in a statement.

Tuesday’s attempted hijacking was the third time pirates have tried to seize the U.S.-flag container ship. The first two attempts occurred in 2009.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Gulf of Aden, Maersk-Alabama, Maritime Security, Nexus Consulting, piracy, Somalia

Maritime Security: Four Americans Killed By Pirates On Hijacked Yacht

Feb 22

Posted by Matt in Kidnap And Ransom, Maritime Security, Military News, Somalia | 20283 Comments2011-02-22+20%3A52%3A14Matt

After the grenade was fired at the Sterett, several pirates came on deck with their hands raised, as if trying to surrender, Fox said. The gunfire erupted on board almost immediately. But U.S. officers said it was not known whether the hostages had made an escape attempt or whether disagreements among the pirates prompted the firing.

“I can presume inside the vessel there was a lot of small-arms fire,” Fox said, but he noted that the Special Forces team did not have to fight its way onto the yacht.

As the Special Forces team cleared the vessel, it discovered two pirates who already were dead. Another two were killed by U.S. personnel, one by gunfire and one by a knife, Fox said.

Not good, and rest in peace to these fallen hostages. It seems to me that these pirates are taking on a more violent approach. I will not speculate as to what happened out there that led to the pirates killing their hostages, and we will see from future reports as to the details. Until then, CENTCOM has made their statement on the matter.

The other thing that grabbed my attention was the mention of a SEAL (I am assuming that US Personnel would be a SEAL) who killed a pirate with a knife? Wow, that is some close quarters combat if you have to use a knife. Although sometimes a knife would be the best tool for the job on a small vessel that has cramped and hidden quarters. If someone pops out quickly, getting your gun on them might take too much time. Instead, there might have been a fight and once some minor distance was gained in the battle and the SEAL could have pulled out a pig sticker to take care of the problem. Who knows and I am sure more will follow in future reports on this? -Matt

DOD News Briefing with Vice Adm. Fox via Telephone from Bahrain on Somali Piracy Aboard the S/V Quest

Official: Four Americans killed by pirates on hijacked yacht

Knife quote from the LA Times

U.S. forces respond to gunfire aboard the S/V Quest

CENTCOM Public Affairs

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2011) — At approximately 1 a.m. EST today, while negotiations were ongoing to secure the release of four American hostages, U.S. forces responded to gunfire aboard the pirated vessel (S/V) Quest. As they responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors. Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds.

“We express our deepest condolences for the innocent lives callously lost aboard the Quest,” said Gen James N. Mattis, U.S. Central Command Commander.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Hissatsu, Kidnap And Ransom, knife, Maritime Security, Military News, Naval Special Warfare, navy, Navy SEALs, pirates, rescue, Somalia

Maritime Security: ICS Changes Policy, Backs Private Armed Guards To Beat Pirates

Feb 16

Posted by Matt in Maritime Security, Somalia | 20201 Comment2011-02-16+09%3A03%3A36Matt

Polemis said the decision had been made during a meeting in London last week because “many shipping companies have concluded that arming ships is a necessary alternative to avoiding the Indian Ocean completely, which would have a hugely damaging impact on the movement of world trade.”

This is big folks. News like this can invigorate the demand for armed private security on boats and really fire up this aspect of the industry. Which is good, because there are a ton of capable veterans/security specialists out there ready to jump on this stuff.

Hell, with most of these maritime contracts being very short in duration, I could see guys actually planning to do a contract here or there just for a change of pace from Iraq or Afghanistan. But on the down side, these short term contracts are what turns off some folks. Meaning sometimes guys like stability within their contract, and they like to hang their hat on a good gig for awhile.

And for the guys that are truly experienced and qualified to do this stuff, they will require a price to match or exceed what they would be earning for their efforts in Iraq or Afghanistan. The quotes I am hearing for pay for these types of gigs is kind of low if you ask me. Like I said, if the industry expands and there is a high demand for qualified individuals, the companies/clients will have to pay the price. Because in this industry, you get what you pay for.

What will really be exciting is to see what companies rise to the top as the best private naval companies? It will really be interesting to see how this private navy backed by JLT turns out? Perhaps these talks are connected to the efforts of this insurance company and we will get some more scoop on their operations in the near future?

Either way, I am glad to hear that the ICS (which represents around 80 percent of the world’s merchant fleet) has changed their minds and listened to reason in regards to armed guards on boats. It is the right thing to do and this industry will certainly do what it can to meet their needs. Plus, the economics of continuing to pay ransoms and fueling a piracy industry or the amount of time and money lost by re-routing ships in order to avoid this piracy scourge is also a huge factor in making this decision. -Matt

The Voice of International Shipping

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Shipping Federation (ISF) are the principal international trade association and employers’ organisation for merchant ship operators, representing all sectors and trades and about 80% of the world merchant fleet.

15 February 2011 – Shipping Industry Changes Stance on Armed Guards

ICS – whose Executive Committee comprising representatives of national shipowners’ associations from over 30 countries met in London last week – has decided to clarify its stance on the use of private armed security guards to defend merchant ships against attacks by Somali pirates. ICS members have also identified a vital need for the military to disable the hijacked ‘motherships’…

Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Coast of Somalia

Website for ICS/ISF here.

——————————————————————

Shippers back private armed guards to beat pirates

Feb 15, 2011

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has changed its policy on private armed guards, and now accepts operators must be able to defend their ships against rising pirate attacks, the chamber said on Tuesday.

The ICS, which represents around 80 percent of the world’s merchant fleet, has so far discouraged its members from the use of private armed guards on its vessels.

“ICS has had to acknowledge that the decision to engage armed guards, whether military or private, is a decision to be made by the ship operator after due consideration of all of the risks, and subject to the approval of the vessel’s flag state and insurers,” the Chairman of the London-based ICS, Spyros M Polemis said in a statement.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Guards, ICS, Insurance, JLT, Maritime Security, private military companies, private naval companies, private security, security, Somalia

Maritime Security: Firearms An Odd Casualty Of Piracy

Feb 6

Posted by Matt in Maritime Security, Somalia, Weapons Stuff | 20072 Comments2011-02-06+21%3A47%3A39Matt

Interesting little article. It kind of reminds me of how some German shipping companies are registering under flags of convenience in order to accomplish the goal of getting armed security on a boat. Desperate times require desperate measures.

Still, I had no idea that guards on some of these boats were being instructed to throw their weapons overboard before coming into port. It makes sense to a degree, but it still makes me wince that a weapon is being treated like a disposable razor. Perhaps a new market might emerge for renting guns out in international waters? That way these weapons could continue to be of good use to those that need them. (although maybe that is illegal–who knows?)

Also, a few companies were listed in this article worth mentioning. They are the OrchidGroup, WhisperingBell, and ControlRisks. -Matt

Firearms an odd casualty of piracy

Bradley Hope

Feb 6, 2011

Thousands of guns are being dumped in the ocean by private security companies hired to protect ships against pirate attacks, top security executives say.

As Somali pirates grow bolder and launch attacks further into the Indian Ocean, shipping companies and yacht owners are increasingly using armed security to protect their vessels.

But there are varying laws and regulations about taking weapons into ports across the region, leading some security companies to cut costs and save time by getting rid of their guns before arriving in various countries’ territorial waters.

“This is happening on a daily basis,” said Richard Skinner, the Dubai director at the security company the Orchid Group. “I suspect there are literally thousands of semi-automatic and automatic weapons down there at the bottom of the Red Sea for fish to swim around.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: armed security, control risks, Maritime Security, Orchid Group, private naval companies, security contractors, Somalia, Weapons Stuff, Whispering Bell

Industry Talk: Somalia TFG Cancels Contract With Saracen International

Jan 27

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Somalia | 19973 Comments2011-01-28+02%3A46%3A28Matt

Yarow said his government, which controls only part of Mogadishu in a country that has seen mostly anarchy for two decades, wanted assistance, but only from companies with distinguished records.

“The Cabinet has today overwhelmingly voted against Saracen International,” Yarrow said.

Yes, but the Puntland contract is still in place. But as far as this contract, who knows who they will choose to replace Saracen? Whomever the donor country is, they are they ones forking over the money and will find a company the TFG can deal with.

As for dropping Saracen purely because of Erik Prince’s supposed involvement, is pretty stupid if you ask me. More than likely he was just advising the main planners. I am sure his connections were useful as well. But really, you use guys like this because they can see the whole picture and have experience with really dangerous projects. And because someone else was paying for his services, why would the TFG care? Hell, that government needs all the help they can get, and here they are ditching a security training contract.

Of course the media loved fueling whatever negativity they could. Blackwater does not exist anymore, Xe has nothing to do with Saracen, and Erik Prince is doing his own thing in another country. And yet as soon as Prince was mentioned in some report (that I have yet to see), all of a sudden Saracen International becomes the new Blackwater. Pffft. Meanwhile, islamists and pirates win another one. -Matt

Edit: 01/28/2011 – Check out the story I posted in the comments. The reporters at the Associated Press are really going off on this deal. All I can say is bravo to the Puntland government for not being influenced by a biased media.

Somalia cancels military training project linked to Blackwater founder

By Mohamed Sheikh Nor

January 27, 2011

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government decided on Thursday to cancel an agreement with a private security company linked to the founder of Blackwater Worldwide to train Somali forces to go after pirates and insurgents, a senior official said.

Deputy Security Minister Ibrahim Mohamed Yarow told The Associated Press that the Cabinet, meeting behind closed doors, ended the agreement with Saracen International in a decision he said is “irrevocable.”

The AP reported last week that Erik Prince, whose former company Blackwater Worldwide became synonymous with the use of private U.S. security forces running amok in Iraq and Afghanistan, had quietly taken on a new role in the project to train troops in lawless Somalia. Blackwater guards were charged with killing 14 civilians in 2007 in the Iraqi capital.

Yarow said his government, which controls only part of Mogadishu in a country that has seen mostly anarchy for two decades, wanted assistance, but only from companies with distinguished records.

“The Cabinet has today overwhelmingly voted against Saracen International,” Yarrow said.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Africa, Blackwater, Erik Prince, Lafras Luitingh, private military companies, private security companies, Saracen International, Somalia

Logistics: SKA Air & Logistics And Somalia

Jan 21

Posted by Matt in Africa, Aviation, Industry Talk, Logistics, Somalia | 1994No Comments2011-01-21+23%3A29%3A27Matt

“The line between disorder and order lies in logistics…”- Sun Tzu

I have had the opportunity to see SKA Air and Logistics in action in Iraq as have many contractors, and these guys have been busy. They provide a very unique capability that involves setting up logistics and air services in war zones. They are doing it in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, and they are also trying to do this in Somalia.

So why am I bringing these folks up now? Well with all of the news of Saracen International in Somalia, or Erik Prince’s supposed involvement, to me the other interesting story that everyone is missing is the logistics side of this operation. That SKA was listed along with Saracen International for contracts in Somalia. Talk about a tough contract?

Below I have listed as many stories as I could find about SKA and their recent dealings in Somalia. From what I can gather, they had a contract to modernize the airport in Mogadishu and to modernize and manage the seaport. (a boat with all of their stuff and tools is in an Oman port as we speak) These two key logistics hubs are absolutely vital for any kind of future development in that country. They are also vital to any stability operations or anti-piracy operations.

What is also interesting about this contract, as with the Saracen contract, is that there is some heart ache within the ever changing government of the TFG in Somalia as to the particulars of the contracts. If the contracts were signed under different political leadership, then all sorts of issues pop up. Of course the corrupt aspects of this ever evolving government want to ensure they get paid or get a cut of the action. Then there are the warlords that currently manage or have control over the airport or seaports. Then there is Al Shabab and the Islamists and their influence on the situation. All of these forces add extreme complexity to establishing a contract and the services that go with. But that is what SKA gets when dealing with a failed state and an active war zone. Like I said, this will be a very challenging contract to fulfill.

As for jobs, if you check out their career section they have one position available for work at the seaport in Mogadishu. No word about guard contracts. From the website, SKA used Fijians as guards in Iraq. Who knows, maybe Saracen is involved with that aspect of the contract? I would speculate though that whatever company is used for guard services, the force would be a mix of local guard forces and the standard expat management. Hopefully someone from the company can pop up and fill in the blanks.

On a side note, oil exploration is ramping up in Puntland. One of my readers pointed this out to me and I thought this was an interesting tie in with the anti-piracy initiatives Saracen International has signed onto in that region. Are they connected, who knows, but these oil companies do benefit from a stable and secure Somalia. -Matt

Somalia: Nation Hands Over Mogadishu Airport to Foreign Company

SKA Air & Logistics to manage Aden-Adde International airport

Somalia: SKA Air And Logistics Denies It Takes Over Mogadishu Airport

Mogadishu port dispute

dfirmLogistics: SKA Air & Logistics And Somalia

Welcome to SKA Air & Logistics

SKA Air & Logistics is a world-class provider of aviation services and logistics. The teams that currently make up SKA have been operating in Iraq since 2003 and are now expanding the operations in Kuwait, the UAE, Afghanistan and the African Continent. Our diverse capabilities include a wide range of Aviation Services, Ground Logistics, Life Support, Fuel Supply Chain Management, Camp Construction, and Security Services. We specialize in moving people and equipment smoothly and safely in challenging environments. We pride ourselves on combining unique solutions with unrivaled service helping you achieve your goals in the most difficult environments and our motto, “Doing Difficult Jobs in Difficult Places.” is not just a marketing slogan it is a matter of proven historical record.

Security

SKA Air & Logistics operates its own Security Force to ensure the security of all our installations, aircraft, staff and cargo. Chosen for their robustness, loyalty and unblemished record of service, the SKA Security Force is managed by former British and US military personnel and we currently operate security teams comprising of former Fijian Military staff. At the higher level we have members of senior management with extensive experience of military operations and the international security industry. Our security services include:

• Asset Protection

• Emergency & Contingency planning

• Full Logistical & Administrative Security

• Cash in Transit Services

• Aviation flight Security

• Static Guard Force

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Aviation, contractors, Erik Prince, Industry Talk, Logistics, Saracen International, SKA Air and Logistics, Somalia, sun tzu

Maritime Security: Hostage Taking At Record Levels In 2010 As Pirates Use Q-ship Strategies

Jan 20

Posted by Matt in India, Kidnap And Ransom, Maritime Security, Somalia, Strategy | 1989No Comments2011-01-20+13%3A28%3A30Matt

IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan commented: “Whilst the use of hijacked vessels as mother ships is not a new phenomenon, the abduction of crew members could signal a significant new development.”

At least five large hijacked cargo ships and three fishing vessels have acted as mother ships in the last couple of months, posing a new and significant threat to the safety of shipping. The five cargo vessels range in size from MT 5,000 to 72,000 in deadweight – or cargo carrying capacity – and include four tankers and a general cargo vessel. More than 100 crew members from these hijacked cargo vessels, are being forced to facilitate the attacks and in effect provide a human shield to any potential naval intervention.

This is infuriating to read, because the world is just standing by as a crime wave takes place. It is frustrating from my point of view because here we have this vibrant and experienced wartime security contracting industry willing and able to protect every boat out there, and yet the response to this fast paced piracy scourge has been to throw money at them. Keep paying ransoms and keep fueling the very industry that benefits from these criminal acts–insanity…..

The other story here is the piracy strategies out there are evolving and these folks are able to scale up their operations because of these new strategies. What they are doing is using one vessel to attack another larger vessel, and then using those larger vessels to prey on similar larger vessels. Then they use the hostages from the prior vessels taken as a kind of mobile human shield/hostage currency.

This strategy is also great for false flag or Q-ship style attacks. If vessels are unable to tell if another captured vessel is under pirate control, then these captured ships can do all sorts of interesting things. They can maneuver closer to other ships, they can increase their speed to match that of other ships, they can pretend to be a ship in distress, and they can force all of their captured hostages to pretend to be active crew members on the top decks. Today’s pirates certainly understand the value of Q-ships to their industry.

Finally, today’s current anti-piracy strategy sucks. We have billions of dollars of naval hardware from around the world, that cost millions of dollars to operate every day, and their strategies have not stopped today’s piracy. We have more hostages taken, more boats taken, and an expansion of piracy territories. In other words, we have yet to offer an effective challenge to this innovative and vibrant piracy industry.

And now other entrepreneurs are watching and learning from today’s pirates. So yes, it would be nice to square away Somalia on the mainland and that might put a little bit of a dent in the industry itself. But I think what today’s strategists forget is that what we are looking at are the beginnings of an ‘open source piracy’ era. Pirates are emerging from all over the world, and they are learning from what the Somali’s are doing. It is a very basic concept, and because there is no effective anti-piracy strategy to stop them this open source piracy will just spread and flourish.

Of course putting armed security on the boats is a no-brainer, but that alone will not stop this open source piracy scourge. You need to create an industry out of destroying these folks, and not just an industry that deals with the effects of piracy. We could also learn a thing or two from those that actually wiped out piracy. Guys like Pompey or Woodes Rogers did an excellent job of eradicating this scum, and yet here we are in modern times with the same problems they faced and we have yet to get organized and do what is necessary. -Matt

Hostage-taking at sea rises to record levels, says IMB

Latest attack changes dynamic of Somali piracy

Somali pirates closer to India; premiums up

Hostage-taking at sea rises to record levels, says IMB

Monday, 17 January 2011

More people were taken hostage at sea in 2010 than in any year on record, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) global piracy report disclosed today. Pirates captured 1,181 seafarers and killed eight. A total of 53 ships were hijacked.

The number of pirate attacks against ships has risen every year for the last four years, IMB revealed. Ships reported 445 attacks in 2010, up 10% from 2009. While 188 crew members were taken hostage in 2006, 1,050 were taken in 2009 and 1,181 in 2010.

“These figures for the number of hostages and vessels taken are the highest we have ever seen,” said Captain Pottengal Mukundan, Director of the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre, which has monitored piracy worldwide since 1991. “The continued increase in these numbers is alarming.”

“As a percentage of global incidents, piracy on the high seas has increased dramatically over armed robbery in territorial waters,” said Captain Mukundan. “On the high seas off Somalia, heavily armed pirates are overpowering ocean-going fishing or merchant vessels to use as a base for further attacks. They capture the crew and force them to sail to within attacking distance of other unsuspecting vessels.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: IMB, India, Kidnap And Ransom, Maritime Security, piracy, private military companies, private naval companies, private security, Q ships, security contractors, Somalia, Strategy