Pirates: Part Two

Carry the weapons I always say...

Death to all who attempt to take me at sea...

Since NATO and the world's Navies have once again been outsmarted by a bunch of uneducated children in 50 dollar skiffs, hopefully this "new plan" will have more success...
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Filipino seafarers to undergo anti-piracy training

By TERESA CEROJANO, Associated Press
– Mon Jan 4, 7:51 am ET
MANILA, Philippines –
The Philippines has ordered its seafarers, who constitute about a third of the world's commercial sailors, to go through anti-piracy training before they will be allowed to board ships, the labor secretary said Monday.
The training, which lasts about eight hours, will be mandatory starting Jan. 15.
The measure is a response to a wave of ship hijackings, which remain a serious problem a year after an international naval armada began operating off Somalia to protect shipping lanes.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said sailors will be taught how to use fire hoses and maneuver their vessels to prevent pirates from boarding them.

They will also learn how to manage hostage crises if they are taken captive.
"Everyone who will be deployed on board a ship will go through the training," Roque told The Associated Press.
Recruiting agencies will conduct the training and issue a certificate required by the government prior to a seafarer's departure, Roque said.
The program is based on one used by the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, which operates about 80 percent of the world's tankers.

Sailors will not be armed and training classes will not include the handling of firearms, said Capt. Rex Recomite, a manager at the Norwegian Training Center in the Philippine capital, Manila.

The course will teach sailors how to detect approaching pirates and who to communicate with in case of an attack, he said. The guidelines include telling sailors to go full speed ahead in case the crew detects small vessels nearby, and to avoid sailing near coastlines, Recomite said.

The Philippines supplies about a third of the 1.5 million commercial seafarers worldwide.
Somali pirates have kidnapped 470 Filipinos since 2006, and are still holding at least 74 aboard six ships, said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos.
Pirates operating off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest sea lanes, have hijacked more than 80 ships in the past two years, with many of the seizures earning them multimillion-dollar ransoms.
Attackers now hold 14 vessels and close to 300 crew members. Four vessels were seized

As long as the ship owners consider it nothing more than a cost of doing business maybe the world should just consider it a bad joke and crewmembers should just plan on vacation time in Somalia. Eventually Somali pirates can do the shipping with the ships they confiscate and become legitimate businessmen. Or the ship owners could take it seriously, kill all suspected pirates on sight (no surrender or free pass after dumping weapons), blockade and level all Somali ports. Till then crew that doesn't want to vacation in Somalia should refuse to work on ships that transit piracy prone areas. The Maersk Alabama set a good tone. Too bad the ball has been dropped since then.

Do you think that a competent crew can still feel safe *refusing to work on certain lines* in these slightly less then prosperous times? No pun intended, might be just that, but I have doubts.

Many years ago employees in this country were subjected to lousy pay and unsafe working conditions. The employers had no incentive to change because change would cost a lot of money, and the employees couldn't afford not to work so they had them. Eventually though the employees realized that, unless they bit the bullet, conditions would never change. They banded together for mutual support and protection calling themselves the A.F. of L. and the CIO. A lot were hurt and more than a few killled, but eventually they won. If crews don't want their children ending up in the same situation 20 years from now something has to change. I'd suggest coming from the other direction and encouraging the insurance companies to refuse payment but it's easier for them to just spread the loss to you and me so they really have no incentive. Truthfully, I don't have a clue what the cure is, but the pirates don't seem to want to die so maybe somebody needs to raise the ante. Any suggestions on how to get that done besides from the bottom up?

If the US is at all interested in fighting the terrorist threats from Yemen and surrounding Countries, it has to realize that this piracy is probably funding terrorist training centres, but, of, course, piracy is really just another word for social welfare in the eyes of our great security experts...(politicans)

Hi,

It looks like the Pirates are getting even more sea time

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8583027.stm

More sea time means more risk and smaller profits. Sounds like the tide may finally be turning.

Aside from the risks inherent in sailing small wretched boats across the Indian Ocean, there appears to be little risk of prosecution or interference from those nations too civilized to protect themselves.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8371139.stm

It should be fatal for a Somalian boat to approach a merchant vessel outside Somalian waters. Refuse to send aid to Somalia. When it hurts Somalians more than it enrichens them maybe the locals will deal with the problem themselves.

Big Ditto.

The problem is that you're talking about two completely different groups. If you refuse aid to Somalia it hurts the general population. These are likely different from the pirates. I could be wrong but I can't imagine the pirates, after having received millions of dollars in ransom money, would be affected much by reduced aid to Somalia.

If the pirates are the only ones with food in a starving nation they may well find it less safe being home than dealing with a U.S. ship of war on the ocean. Humanitarian groups will always try to get food and medicine to starving people though thankfully.

Doesn't work quite that way in the Third World.

www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/africa/un+probe+after+aid+stolen+from+somalia+refugees/3208557

Unfortunate but true. That's why I said 'will...try'

No, but when they are slaughtered in their seaside villas by hordes of starving peasants who blame them for their children dying like flies, piracy will lose some of its glamor.

Our "generosity" just means it will take longer for the internal corruption and banditry to drag the rest of the population down to the point they will stand up for themselves. In the meantime more children and innocent people will starve to death than if we actually took measures to eliminate the problem.

If they want to fish, give them nets but tell them they will die if they sail beyond their own waters. Make sure they know that approaching a merchant vessel beyond their territorial waters is fatal. It really is that simple.

Mogadishu. Milita/"businessmen" taking food aid. Huh.
I certainly list "Black Hawk Down" as one of my favorite movies, and it has those... back over 20 years ago. Guess not much changed since then.

Hi,

Looks like one Pirate will not be doing any more raiding.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8584604.stm

Birngs a smile to the face. However, I was struck by this comment: "Several organisations, including the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), have expressed concern that the use of armed security contractors could encourage pirates to be more violent when taking a ship." What side are they on? Death is the only thing these jokers understand.

"A helicopter from the Navarra sighted the suspected pirates' boats and ordered them to stop, firing warning shots when they refused to do so."

"When a team from the Navarra boarded the vessels ..."

Those should have been ranging shots and there shouldn't have been anything left to board. Why are naval forces wasting fuel oil cruising around just to give terrorists a European holiday?

Sounds like they are saying it's OK , as long as they're not too violent about it.

Pirate: Hey Mate......mind if I board your vessel and take possession of your cargo and crew???

Captain: You don't have any weapon on you do you?

Pirate: Why of course I don't!!!! You insult me! That would be against the doctrines of the IMB!!

Captain: In that case..........welcome aboard.......I was worried for a moment that you meant us some harm.

Pirate: Quite the opposite! You and your crew will be enjoying an all expense paid holiday to our fine country of Somalia.........it's quite the tourist destination don't you know.

Captain: Sounds quite lovely. I'm sure the crew will appreciate your generosity!