Rise of Modern-Day Pirates: Where They Come From, What They Want

Modern-day piracy has once again made international news with the capture of 20 American hostages on the cargo ship cargo ship Maersk Alabama. The Alabama was the sixth vessel in a week to be hit by pirates who have extorted tens of millions of dollars in ransoms. Who are these pirates, and how have they become so pervasive?

They aren't like the pirates in the movies. "Colorful pirates don't exist. They're either well-organized gangs, making a lot of money out of it, or opportunistic thieves," Ian Taylor, editor of Cargo Security International, told the BBC in 2006. With no patrols along the shoreline, commercial fishing fleets from around the world exploited the chaos and plundered the waters. Somali fishermen armed themselves and turned into vigilantes by confronting illegal fishing boats and demanding that they pay a tax. "They got greedy," a Somali diplomat said. Some started taking hostages for ransom and robbing boats. Pirates tell reporters that they don't want to hurt anyone; they only want money.

Piracy has grown in Somalia with the 1991 collapse of the government. The money is tempting in a country where almost half the population needs international food aid.

"Even now, pirates are marrying the most beautiful ladies, with nonstop dancing at weddings that go a couple of days," one former pirate told Time. "Some pirates are even sending their girlfriends to hospitals abroad to give birth. Imagine that."

Comments

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

Surely, there are plenty of UNEMPLOYED, former-military snipers available for hire. Once pirate casualties/fatalities climb above 50%, the problem will disappear, at least, until the endemic chaos which is Somalia produces yet another surfeit of young males with no skills and ambitions that are little more than tribal.....!

[thegloriouscause]

What this article fails to mention is the fact that these merchant ships being attacked are not allowed by the federal government to be armed. Private shipowners would do a far better job of defending themselves if they were allowed to provide their own security. THAT is the explanation for the rise of modern-day pirates.

[Klimb]

But fed. law is not international law...fed. govt shld know this by now...some laws such as bearing arms shld be legal on such international waters.

[BluestateGuyInTX]

Which merchant ships? This is the first American flagged ship to be attacked. What could possibly make you think that the US federal government had any authority over what foreign flagged ships do when transiting in international waters between non-embargoed ports?

[Halter]

If water hoses fail, pour boiling oil over the sides when they try to board. Arrrrgh.