by DAVID AXE
Summer is monsoon time off the East African coast. For months, the weather has been too severe, and the waters too choppy, for Somali pirates to effectively chase down and capture merchant ships. Pirate attacks peaked in March and April, at a rate double last year’s rate, then dropped off in May. In June, the International Maritime Bureau reported no successful attacks by Somali pirates.
Brace yourself. The monsoon is ending, and pirates might soon be back at work.
The international naval coalition that began assembling in late 2008, awaits the pirates’ return. Today, there are around 20 warships patrolling East African waters. The U.S.-led Combined Task Force 151, formed last year, was one of the first big international counter-piracy flotillas. The E.U. deployed several vessels in December. NATO joined them a few months later, and just two weeks ago captured seven pirates. Russia wants to send ships to work alongside NATO. The Chinese are on their fourth rotating deployment of destroyers and logistics ships, running convoys for Chinese cargo vessels, pictured.
“Piracy is not a problem that can’t be managed by a disorganized hodgepodge of international naval forces, as long as the Somali pirates operate as a hodgepodge of unorganized greed-centric criminals,” Galrahn said. But he’s worried that pirates might adopt bigger, better boats, or find better ways to spot potential victims.
The legal framework for trying pirates is slowly coming together. One pirate has been charged in U.S. federal court. Kenya, Yemen, Puntland, Somaliland and France also have pirates on trial or in prison. The rickety, U.S.-backed Somali government has hired a long-retired naval officer to rebuild Somalia’s navy, starting with 500 new recruits and some textbooks. “Worst job in the world,” the BBC called it.
(Photo: Chinese military)
Related:
Dilbert Does Somali Pirates
Coast Guard: Secret Weapon in the War on Piracy
Nigerian Crew Outwits Somali Pirates
Sam Jackson to Portray Mysterious Kenyan Piracy Expert
Somali Pirates Trained in the Soviet Union? You Betcha
Pirates Have Stingers? Probably Not …
NATO Frigate’s Pirate Catch-and-Release
Video: Navy, Coast Guard Grab Pirates
NATO Back in the Pirate-Fighting Business
Somali Insurgent’s Tips for Fighting Pirates
Related posts:
- VoA News: Officials Say Somali Piracy is Declining
- World Politics Review: Shippers Mull Private Security against Somali Pirates
- Building the Somali Navy, 500 Guys at a Time
- Skull & Bones: Behind the Piracy Decline
- French Propose “Stupidity Tax” for Pirate Victims
- Better Maritime Coordination Suppresses Pirate Attacks
- The Washington Times: Piracy Decline “a Fact” (Updated)
[...] After Rain Break, Somali Piracy Set to Return. [...]
[...] War is Boring has “After Rain Break, Somali Piracy Set to Return“. [...]
[...] Related: After Rain Break, Somali Piracy Set to Return Dilbert Does Somali Pirates Coast Guard: Secret Weapon in the War on Piracy Nigerian Crew Outwits Somali Pirates Sam Jackson to Portray Mysterious Kenyan Piracy Expert Somali Pirates Trained in the Soviet Union? You Betcha Pirates Have Stingers? Probably Not … NATO Frigate’s Pirate Catch-and-Release Video: Navy, Coast Guard Grab Pirates NATO Back in the Pirate-Fighting Business Somali Insurgent’s Tips for Fighting Pirates No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> [...]
[...] Related: French Propose “Stupidity Tax” for Pirate Victims After Rain Break, Somali Piracy Set to Return Dilbert Does Somali Pirates Coast Guard: Secret Weapon in the War on Piracy Nigerian Crew Outwits Somali Pirates Sam Jackson to Portray Mysterious Kenyan Piracy Expert Somali Pirates Trained in the Soviet Union? You Betcha Pirates Have Stingers? Probably Not … NATO Frigate’s Pirate Catch-and-Release Video: Navy, Coast Guard Grab Pirates NATO Back in the Pirate-Fighting Business Somali Insurgent’s Tips for Fighting Pirates No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> [...]