Piracy muddies international waters
President Obama’s first few months in office have been anything but uneventful. He started his tenure as leader of our nation engulfed in a war on terror and an economic downturn. His pace has been extraordinary. Within days of his inauguration, Obama issued an executive order requiring Guantanamo Bay to be closed within 12 months. A few weeks later, he removed many restraints established by the Bush administration to prevent stem cell research.
This month, our new President tried his hand at another type of challenge — dealing with the first pirate attack on a U.S.-flagged vessel in over 200 years. His leadership was impressive, and his results successful. The captain and crew survived to tell their stories. The 17,000-ton freight carrier was carrying food aid to the Kenyan port of Mombasa when it was hijacked. Captain Richard Phillips offered his own life to save the lives of his crew and was held hostage for five days. His bold rescue came after Navy SEAL sharpshooters were given permission to fire and killed three pirates with three shots.
While the pirates were surprised by the fight put up by those aboard the relatively small Maersk Alabama, that resistance has not decreased the violence. As one pirate claimed, ”[e]very country will be treated the way it treats us. In the future, America will be the one mourning and crying…We will retaliate (for) the killings of our men.”
This confrontation was the first with an American ship in a very long time, but piracy has been far from dormant, and attacks in the Gulf of Aden, off the Horn of Africa, and in the Somali Basin, have been numerous in recent years. In fact, the assault on the Maersk Alabama was the sixth in that week alone. What do we make of the increase in pirate attacks of late? And what do these continual attacks mean for foreign relations, global awareness and humanitarianism?
At one time, thousands of Somalis relied on fishing for their livelihood. But in the 1980s, foreigners began fishing in the area, which greatly reduced the once-abundant supply of fish. The problem became even more pronounced in the early ‘90s when the Somali government fell, leaving no one to protect the country’s coastline.
Pirates sprang up in response, trying to stop the illegal overfishing and dumping of toxic waste that still exists today. At first, the pirates asked the foreigners to pay taxes on the fish they were taking, but when those efforts failed, more organized piracy began. At the same time, pirates took over fishing ships, demanding the companies pay ransoms that have quickly climbed into the millions. With piracy ransom last year totaling more than $50 million, the pirate business now serves as one of the country’s main sources of income.
The recent surge of pillages in Somali waters has widespread ramifications. Not only are shipping companies’ insurance premiums getting higher, but shipping companies are reluctant to travel at all through areas with such rampant pirate activity. This raises costs and adds travel time for aid agencies, delaying the arrival of much-needed nourishment to women and children in poor countries.
In addition, those in poorer countries view Captain Phillips’ rescue as a threat to their own nations’ hostages who are still being held captive because their companies cannot afford to make big payouts. The potential for strained relations with those countries is yet another risk with which we must contend.
While it is still more economical for shipping companies to pay ransoms than rebuild entire ships, the risks of being forced to negotiate with pirates seem rather high. Just days after the Navy’s rescue of Captain Phillips, another American ship carrying aid was attacked.
It is evident that the pirates remain a stronghold on Somali seas. As we attempt to preserve our national security and continue our global good will, we must keep in mind that these are muddy waters – filled not only with pirates, but with economic, social, and political crises that play as much a part in the raids as in their resolutions.
Category: World
