Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia - Essay Example

Order 676163 26 April Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia History, Cost, United s Policy, Other Alternatives Introduction: “The country of Somalia became independent and unified in 1960.” (Ould-Abdallah, 2008). Nine years later the Somali President was assassinated and the army Major General Siad Barre took control. In December of 1990 the capital city Mogadishu was under turmoil and fighting. In 1991 the Somali State collapsed under Siad Barre and he was forced out of the city of Mogadishu. (Ould-Abdallah, 2008). Since that time the country has been in further turmoil and disruption without any national solution. The Northwestern region of Somalia declared themselves independent in 1991 and in 1998 the Northeastern region established the Puntland State of Somalia. (Ould-Abdallah, 2008). In 2002 local leaders in Baidoa also established a Southwestern State of Somalia. Background shows that before 1990 piracy was not a serious problem on the coast of Somalia. There were a few small incidents with fishing boats, leisure craft and ships, but nothing serious. However, in the 1990s a more organized form of piracy was seen in armed groups attacking vessels claiming to be Coast Guards protecting territorial waters of Somalia. This form of piracy expanded in 2000 to any seafaring vessels that came within or even close to Somalia’s territorial waters. The pirates boarded the vessels and held both ship and sailors hostage for ransom. (Ould-Abdallah, 2008). Interestingly, the pirates are not concerned with cargo or reuse of the ship; they are only concerned with obtaining the ransom. The ships are sailed to one of the bases where the pirates can obtain supplies while demands are being communicated. Since the pirates are armed, it is very difficult to attempt a rescue. The process is very open and they feel very secure that the ransom will be paid to bring the hostage situation to a safe conclusion. (Ould-Abdullah, 2008). The following research information deals with what is going on now, why we are involved, the costs, United States policies, and possible alternatives. Why Piracy in Somalia: Somalia is ravaged with social upheavals, human hardship and environmental challenges. Piracy has become a way to make quick money that is more appealing than any other means of income. There is some risk involved, but the benefits have shown to outweigh the risks. There have been few arrests and fewer injuries suffered by the pirates. (Ould-Abdullah, 2008). The country suffers from poverty, unemployment, environmental drawbacks, and low incomes. There have been lost resources due to drought and illegal fishing as well as security and political issues that allow piracy to continue in Somalia. Until someone comes up with a better solution for income generation and the pirates are dealt with more severely, it will continue. It is important to note that the pirates firmly believe they have every right to attack illegal vessels that are in their territorial waters. They feel that their fishing resources are being stolen daily by vessels from Europe and Asia. This has been going on for years; however, nothing has been done about it internationally. Therefore, the Somalia pirates believe their actions are warranted to control the injustice. (Ould-Abdullah, 2008). “Some pirates have claimed they act as a de facto coast guard, protecting Somalia from illegal fishing and dumping of toxic wastes.” (Minter; Volman, 2009). However, most will admit that they do it for the financial gain, even though some used to be fishermen. In the article by William Minter and Daniel Volman in June 2009 they contend that piracy alone will not likely provoke U.S. intervention even if U.S. citizens are captured. Most of the captured hostages have been from the Philippines and other developing countries. The shipping companies see the ransom as minor expenses compared to the economic situation worldwide. (Minter; Volman, 2009). In an article by Mark Doyle in 2006 he states that the problem is generally off the long eastern coastline of Somalia and does not affect the northern coast as much as it is more stable. (Doyle, 2006). International headlines reported an attempted attack on a luxury cruise ship in 2005 but that the attack was stopped by a loud crowd control device. (Doyle, 2006). Captain Jayand Abhyankar of the Maritime Bureau conveyed to BBC news that “Somalia the most dangerous place these days. The Malacca Straights used to be one of the worst, and the waters off Nigeria and Iraq are currently bad. But Somalia’s the worst.” (Doyle, 2006). The article further states that the Maritime Bureau has warned sailors to stay at least 200 nautical miles away from the Somali coast. Authorities in Somalia signed a contract in 2005 with a private company based in the United States for coastal patrols. Supposedly “foreign friends” financed the deal to appear as though Somalia was dealing with the problem. Doyle also noted that in the past when western navies patrolled the area, the pirates stayed away. The United States operates ships in the region but claim to be monitoring al-Qaeda groups. So far there has been no apparent resolution to the problem. Doyle notes that there will be no long term resolution until the country of Somalia is more stable and the pirates can find a better way to earn income. (Doyle, 2006). The Crisis Since 2009: As of this article by the African Security Research Project on June 29, 2009, Somalia is still unstable. The United Nations Security Council has supported the African Union efforts to keep peace. The military efforts on the ground are unstable and 67,000 more Somali people in Mogadishu were displaced in May due to fighting. (Minter; Volman, 2009). It has been projected that international government support could completely collapse or become weakened. The United States has approached the situation with caution and patience so those costly mistakes are avoided. As of April 2009, Obama takes a diplomatic view of the situation; however, the military is pushing for air strikes against insurgent training camps. (Minter; Volman, 2009). In the same article, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates states, “there is no purely military solution,” to the Somalia piracy problem. (Minter; Volman, 2009). In an article in February 2009 by Francis Njubl Nesbitt he contends that both the Bush administration and the Obama administration has been skeptical to push for talks with the most powerful insurgent groups in Somalia due to their connection with terrorism. (Nesbitt, 2009). There have been accounts of high speed ocean chases, shootouts, helicopter rescues and drops of ransom onto hijacked ships. In response, the United National Security Council has sent dozens of warships from the U. S. Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and others to the area to fight pirates. So far, not much has been accomplished since it isn’t clear who has jurisdiction over piracy in Somali waters. (Nesbitt, 2009). Even when some pirates have been captured they have not remained in captivity since no one knows who has jurisdiction and sometimes they are dropped on isolated beaches on the Somali shoreline. On February 3, 2011 an article in the Economist states that so far, “this year there have been 35 attacks, seven successful.” (economist.com, 2011). The article reports 1,181 people taken hostage off the Somali coast in 2010, half were released for ransom payments, a few died of abuse or neglect and 760 are still held hostage. (economist.com, 2011). The situation has become more grave since February 24, 2011 when National Public Radio announced that on Monday the 21st of February Somali pirates shot and killed four Americans who were held captive on a yacht while U. S. navy was close by. This is the first incident of this type; and has changed the approach to how piracy is handled by the United States in Somalia. (Gvosdev, 2011). The Costs of Piracy: Fifteen Somali pirates were detained after the killings and could face trial in the United States. (Gvosdev, 2011). Pirates continue to harbor dozens of ships and many sailors. It is still a thriving business and if it continues, ransoms could run into the millions. The pirates are now operating under a wider area even with 30 warships present. As mentioned before, Somalia is not a functioning state, therefore, the pirates can operate without restraint from the North. (economist.com, 2011). Maritime laws give warships the powers of arrest, however, bringing pirates to justice is costly, is political and the rules are restrictive. So most of the pirates who are captured are released without reprisal. Outlawing ransoms is not seen as feasible nor is putting armed guards on vessels to use firearms. It is felt this would lead to more dead hostages. (economist.com, 2011). So far the situation has been dealt with offshore, however, this article contends that dealing with onshore problems is the solution. A Somali policy would benefit from putting money and effort into training Coast Guards, building prisons and courts in the Somali Region. The local governments could also go after the people who back the pirates. However, the joint effort to rebuild the villages, infrastructure and fisheries that have been destroyed by foreign fishermen and toxic wastes is a start to putting an end to the piracy. The European Union has voiced its support to bringing pirates to justice and helping them find other means of income. (economist.com, 2011). U. S. Policy: According to Deanna Pan of the Columbus Dispatch in January 2012, “The Obama administration has pursued a dual-track policy toward Somalia since 2010.” (Pan, 2012). According to Pan the U. S. supports the weak government of Somalia and also encourages the leaders to strive for peace and stability in their country. (Pan, 2012). In March 2010 the U. S. has taken, 1. A military approach with 20 other nations to offer an international naval force in the Gulf of Aden protecting 30,000 cargo ships that seafare that waterway. (Countryman, 2010). 2. The U. S. has encouraged ship owners to take the lowest cost and most effective ways to deter and defeat piracy through security to discourage attacks on their ships. (Countryman, 2010). 3. Piracy is recognized as a universal crime with legal prosecutions. The U. S. encourages all states (countries) to move forward with capture and prosecution of pirates. It is also noted that Kenya has agreed to be the site for prosecution of suspected pirates. Prosecution in the region will lend an example to the people of the area that the legal system is working. ( Countryman, 2010). 4. The U. S. hopes to impress upon the Somali people that piracy is not the answer to their political and economic situation. (Countryman, 2010). Alternative Policies: Since the piracy situation has escalated with the four American deaths in 2011 a more serious approach may be needed as in 9/11. The U. S. has aimed to stay away from this type of situation and not be dragged into a third war front. If such measures were taken it would involve sinking every pirate boat in the Somali coast but would also destroy the fishing fleet currently feeding Somali people. (informationdissemination, 2009). Another alternative could commission the 30 naval ships off the coast of Somalia to blockade the pirate centers and make it more difficult for ships to leave. This situation would not be inescapable since the Somali coastline is so long, but it would raise costs for the pirates and hurt them economically. (informationdissemination, 2009). A final alternative would be to commission the pirates as nonviolent “Coast Guard Auxiliaries” and they would be paid for the services. However, there would be an understanding that payment would continue if the number of attacks dropped. The pirates would see an income but the idea of piracy for income would diminish. This would require cooperation from the Somali local and regional leaders to promote economic stability once again. (informationdissemination, 2009). The final alternative is the most productive as it would give a sense of economic wellness as well as a step in the right direction for the Somali people. Showing the Somali people that there are other ways to gain economic support other than piracy. However, can the U. S. along with the international community and Somalia provide the money to support a regional Coast Guard? This would require a long term commitment as well as training and equipment. This idea has been introduced by Nikolas K. Gvosdev who is a professor of national-security studies at the U. S. Naval War College. Conclusion: We have addressed the situation in Somalia with a background in history since 1960 and looked at why the Somali people have resorted to piracy for income generation. It seems the situation has gone on for years and nothing substantial has been done to deter its presence so it has now escalated resulting in deaths of Americans. While the people of Somalia feel that piracy is warranted, it’s not legal under international law. The U. S. has taken a distant involvement by lending support but also trying to support the government of Somalia and help the Somali people help themselves. “There’s no policy of securing the people; it’s the Somali people who suffer the most. It’s the Somali people who are the victims. Somali people are dying in droves from famine and violence.” (Pan, 2012). There has been talk since the four Americans were killed of bringing the pirates to the United States for prosecution. This has pros and cons; so far the Obama administration prefers legal matters be handled within the Somalia region. The Somalis are concerned with violence so they keep pressuring the U. S. to do something. “There needs to be a comprehensive policy that takes into account the Somali people’s needs.” (Pan, 2012). The costs have been astronomical in maritime insurance rates and for an already struggling industry this can translate into higher consumer prices, ship building costs, and other maritime expenses. (informationdissemination, 2009). The U. S. Navy is awaiting politics to change the present policies. It is apparent that there is a serious need to improve the pirate fighting tactics in Somalia. Currently shipping companies can be escorted through the Gulf of Aden, however, there is no way around the East or Southeast of Somalia. Perhaps this is another important area that needs to be addressed to fight piracy in Somalia. (informationdissemination, 2009). References At sea. Piracy off the coast of Somalia is getting worse. Time to act. 03 February 2011. Web. 25 April 2012. http://economist.com/. Countryman, Thomas M. 29 March 2010. “Combating Piracy and U. S. Policy in Somalia.” U. S. Department of State. Web. 25 April 2012. http://fpc.state.gov/. Doyle, Mark. 05 January 2006. “Somali piracy is worst in world.” Web. 25 April 2012. http://news.bbc.co.uk/. Gvosdev, Nikolas. 24 February 2011. “No Easy Solutions to Somali Piracy Threat.” National Public Radio Interview. Web. 26 April 2012. http://npr.org/. Minter, William; Volman, Daniel. 29 June 2009. “The Somalia Crossroads: Piracy and an Insurgency tempt Washington to get it wrong-again.” Web. 23 April 2012. http://concernedafricascholars.org/. Nesbitt, Francis Njubl. 22 February 2009. “Somalia: U. S. Policy Aided Rise in Piracy.” Web. 25 April 2012. http://alternet.org/. Observing the Obama Administration Somali Piracy Policy. 10 April 2009. Web. 25 April 2012. http://informationdissemination.net/. Ould-Abdallah, Ambassador Ahmedou. 21 November 2008. “Piracy Off the Somali Coast.” Web. 25 April 2012. http://asil.org/. Pan, Deanna. 28 January 2012. “U. S. policy on Somalia gets mixed reviews.” Web. 26 April 2012. http://dispatch.com/. Russell, Tony; Brizee, Allen; Angeli, Elizabeth; Keck, Russell. 31 January 2012. “MLA Formatting and Style Guide.” Web. 26 April 2012. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/. Read More