As a Somali hailing from the regions where the pirates are from, I express dismay and yet sympathy for these pirates. There is deep poverty in the central Somali regions especially the Hobyo region has been politically blacklisted from receiving any significant international aid resulting in people turning to piracy and any other enterprise to survive. The coastal waters were illegal fished and became dumping grounds for foreign vessels before the rise of the pirates who began off as a volunteer force of frustrated Somali fishermen fighting these foreign vessels.

My dismay lies in the environment it creates: criminality, excessive inflation, the deaths of foreign sailors, and negative attention.

But a $5 million dollar ransom exceeds all international funding given to the entire region. So what other livelihood can a poverty stricken Somali turn to ?

Tom:

Although many people are unaware of the very real scourge of piracy, the threat is as old as maritime commerce itself. We live in a global economy where the availability of food and other consumer products, at reasonable prices, are dependent upon our ability to security the international supply chain, including the maritime trade lanes.

The Maritime Security Council (MSC) is the oldest, US based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to security in the international maritime environment. The MSC provides guidance and assistance to governments and industry in addressing issues affecting international trade and maritime commerce, including piracy.

The annual MSC Chairman’s Leadership Forum is being conducted in Washington, DC on Tuesday, October 7, 2009; where pressing maritime security issues, such as the Commercial Impact & Industry Response to the Rise in Piracy, will be discussed.

For more information on the Maritime Security Council and the MSC Chairman’s Leadership Forum please visit: http://www.maritimesecurity.org.

Hussein, I would suggest that the appropriate strategy for dealing with pirates would be to outfit cargo ships and freighters with concealed heavy weapons not unlike the German raiders of WWII to blow the pirates out of the water when they approach, thus feeding the fish and spurring a resurgence of the local marine fauna. Better yet, government entities should purchase and outfit shabby-looking vessels with such weapons and cruise around as lethal bait. More than likely the local pirate activity would reduce significantly, either by the word getting out or by simple attrition.

Hussein, I would suggest that the appropriate strategy for dealing with pirates would be to outfit cargo ships and freighters with concealed heavy weapons not unlike the German raiders of WWII to blow the pirates out of the water when they approach

I agree. In the “golden age” of pirates merchant ships were often armed.

It wouldn’t take much with the Somali pirates – most of them are armed with little more than light automatic weapons and maybe an RPG or two. And their boats, while fast, are flimsy.

It seems to me that a few 20mm cannon (whatever the modern equivalent of an Oerlikon would be) and maybe a couple of man-portable anti-tank weapons such as the MILAN 3 or MILAN ER, to take out the boats, would be sufficient. The 20′s could each be operated by a single sailor and the anti-tank weapons would need a 2 man crew. So you only need a few sailors trained to provide shipboard defense.

The important thing is to detect the pirates before they’re alongside – they like to attack at night. But radar and nightime thermal imaging should make that easy, so I don’t know what the problem would be.

I think the best way to deal with these pirates is to help the Puntland state government(Northeastern Somalia)to establish a strong well trained, well equibed and well armed navy with boats and survailance devices to counter these ruthless, senseless gangs. Puntland state is well positioned geographically and a lot more stable then the south, however corrpted they might be. Most of these piracy takes place off the coast of Puntland region. These ransom money flooding into the hands of these pirates is like to fall into the hands of terorists.

What a tragedy for my beloved country, in my lifetime it went from a great African country to a new low for the difinition of failed state. Prayers.

I oppose those who suggest that Somalia failed becasue the world ignored, Somalia failed becasue Somalis act like animal toward each other. I am Somali so I know this from personal experiance.

You got to be kidding, shooting them is too good, burn them from a distance.