Of Pirates and Mercenaries Posted by The Editors

This is a post by NSN Intern Amanda Hillman

Wired’s Danger Room blog team has been posting the past few weeks on the nearly too-sensational-to-be-real Somali pirating story. Starting last month, Somali pirates gained worldwide attention when they hijacked the Ukrainian cargo ship, the Faina, laden with “$30 million worth of grenade launchers, piles of ammunition, even battle tanks” in the Gulf of Aden. The Somali pirates have demanded millions in ransom, reportedly between $8m and $35m; additionally, the hijackers have threatened to kill the crew of the Faina within days if their demands are not fully met. A coalition of countries with maritime interests in the area, including the governments of the United States and Russia, along with NATO, “are cooperating to try to recover the ship.” The single confirmed death related to the hijacking was that of the vessel’s captain, who suffered a stroke several days after the pirates boarded. Negotiations for the release of the remaining crew are still underway.

The waters off the coast of Somalia have seen “a surge in piracy” this year, Noah Shachtman writes; over 100 ships have been hijacked, with their crews and cargo held hostage. The situation has spurred discussions ranging from the prospect of Al Qaeda piracy to the perpetuation of instability and violence in Africa made possible by a lucrative global arms trade. Somalia-based piracy has threatened international shipping, including food aid, since the beginning of the civil war in that country in the early 1990’s. Adding military escorts to ships bearing cargo from the likes of the World Food Programme have resulted in a steady rise in shipping costs, hindering vital deliveries to some of the poorest areas in Africa. Upwards of ninety percent of all food aid from the WFP arrives by sea. Drought, corruption, inflation and instability have come to head for Somalia, and this latest rash of piracy only augments the looming crisis; almost four million people in Somalia alone will require food assistance/humanitarian aid by the end of this year. WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said recently that “the Horn of Africa region is facing the worse humanitarian crisis since 1984…” Needless to say, the situation is not helped by the ongoing standoff between Somali pirates and the international shipping community.  On October 7, 2008 the United Nations Security Council responded by adopting resolution 1838 “to fight piracy on the coast of Somalia by deploying naval vessels and military aircraft,” but it is unclear what, if any, effect this commitment will have.

Adding to the maritime maelstrom is the recent press release from Blackwater USA announcing the mercenary group’s availability to fight the growing piracy problem. “As a company founded and run by former Navy SEALS,” the press release reads, “Blackwater is uniquely positioned to assist the shipping industry in the Gulf of Aden and elsewhere.” The AP wrote yesterday, “Blackwater Worldwide and other private security firms _ some with a reputation for being quick on the trigger in Iraq _ are joining the battle against pirates plaguing one of the world's most important shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia. The growing interest among merchant fleets to hire their own firepower is encouraged by the U.S. Navy and represents a new and potential lucrative market for security firms scaling back operations in Iraq. NATO, with a flotilla of warships due to arrive in Somali waters this weekend, is trying to work out legal and regulatory issues surrounding the use of armed contractors before adopting a position on private security companies. But the U.S. Navy, part of the coalition already patrolling off the coast of Somalia, says the coalition cannot effectively patrol the 2.5 million square miles of dangerous waters and welcomes the companies.” Currently, “British firms dominate security work in the Gulf of Aden, but American companies are increasingly getting into the action, according an Associated Press examination of new anti-piracy efforts through interviews in East Africa, Europe and Washington."

Between the guns, drugs, mercs, and money, I’m on sensory overload.

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