Times discussions on Somali Pirates

[xiinfaniin]

 

The only way to ameliorate this problem is to control piracy from land. But unfortunately, there is continued reluctance among many governments to do anything “on shore” — memories of “Black Hawk Down” are still strong.

 

But there has to be a change in the incentive structure for pirates. Right now, companies and some governments are still willing to pay ransom. Might they instead hire clans to combat piracy, along the “sons of Iraq” model? Maybe foreign naval forces in the area should work to guarantee that Somali fishermen are free to ply their trade without fear of either pirate attack or the arrival of foreign fishing fleets to illegally fish Somali waters.

 

After all, the genesis of the pirate gangs were the militiamen taken on board Somali fishing vessels to attack the famed “zombie fleets” from other countries. Perhaps it’s time for the international community to deal directly with the self-proclaimed governments in Somaliland and Puntland, rather than hoping against hope that a central government in Somalia will be reconstructed.

 

 

 

Read on NY Times Somali Pirate discussion blog

[Gheelle.T]

This piracy business is getting out of hand. French just killed two pirates and one of their hostages(a French citizen)they also captured 3 pirates. It is time for these pirated to rethink of what they do and call it off all together. Other wise, they will be hunted like a wild pray.

[General Duke]

They are making more threats, its a movie I tell ya.

[Gheelle.T]

They are gambling with their lives if you ask me. Maybe they don't see it now, but when they are blown out from left and right, then and only then will they realize.

[General Duke]

^^^The French are cunning, they just took their hostages back the Americans seem to be playing a waiting game.

[Gheelle.T]

^American are trying to negotiate for now, but when things get heated, they will act up and only then will we see dead bodies.

[Ducaysane]

They call them Pirates, I call them coast guard. badaan wixii ka haray nimankaasu ha ilaaliyaan

[General Duke]

^^^The Pirates [coast guards]think its a joke, but its not.

 

They do so well when there is no blood shed.

 

But over time their mayhem will help Somalia.

[Thankful]

These guys are not the coast guard, I've seen these young criminals driving around in their convoy's of SUV's in Garoowe dressed in their nice clothing. They would get drunk and night and start shooting in the air, rumour was that they were fighting over the girls they bring over from Hargeysa and Addis. They made more money in a few months then they would have ever make in their entire lives, but it's like a disease they always want to go back for more and can't stop. The best way I can describe them is like drug dealers over in the west. Even though they have money and the cars, the majority of people look down on them and see them a criminal failures. Who are not doing it to help anyone but themselves. They might have young highschool wanna be kids who look up to them, but no one wants to be around them. They are definitely not respected. I never met one person that though what the pirates were doing was a good thing, or that they thought the Pirates were defending the coast, most people spoke negatively about them and would never be friends with them. The Pirates are alcoholics and addicted to drugs. If you don't believe me, make a trip and you'll see.

[Sherban Shabeel]

I will never judge the pirates for doing what they do. Maybe because I'm just like them at heart. When you see that honest work won't get you anywhere, when everyone steals, you too will want to steal. I'd rather have my children live in luxury built on theft than have them starve because their daddy's "honest".

[Gheelle.T]

^Do you rob people on you spare time? What a logic you have there. I want to live in a luxury on theft kuyeh..Go rob some banks and tells about it.

[xiinfaniin]

^^lool

sherban dont know the consequence of what he is talking about. if the pirates continue at teh rate they are growing now, thier shortsighted effort to fatten themselves will have a negative strategic concequence for somalia as a nation.

[Paragon]

Read through it and responded:

 

'Kill them', 'Hang them', 'Haul them into court', and some such phrases litter the above discussion that I have perused. However, from where I stand, such phrases, ill thought of as they are, do indeed reflect a poor comprehension of this 'pirate' situation. The salient question is, even if ‘powerful’ states were prepared to use unrestrained force: kill who? Hang who? Court marshal who? Are we talking about man who is least concerned about such sentences? Or one who, with assured provisions of all of life's necessity through or the services the state provides, fretting at the very thought of losing such comfort?

 

For the ‘pirates’, this is simply about survival; it's do or die, and to die will sooner or later lead to 'kill' - both in the tactical response of pirates and their hunters. So let us not be hasty and inflame the problem even further. The real solution, which may take a long time to materialize, shouldn't be taken out of the available options. Both the problem and the solution are rooted in the source, I believe.

 

As a number of discussants have rightly pointed out, all concerned governments and shipping companies, must be willing to invest in the re-instatement of governance on Somali shores. Any other approach, as I see, will only have a temporal, and perhaps, an opposite effect.

[Mintid Farayar]

This whole situation has dangerous consequences for "Puntland".

The chickens have come home to roost....

 

If the navies in the area take action against the coastal bases, how many innocent Somalis will get killed in collateral damage? We're all well aware of the overwhelming force U.S. forces use once they are primed for action.

 

Insha'Allah, kheyr!!

[Emperor]

Nothing can be done about this pirates problem in the Somali coast, there are already enough ships and destroyers from all over the world in the Somali sea, any more or few more ships sent there will not add any weight...

 

The only way to deal with the Somali pirate problem is to only end the Somali crisis and conflict once and for all to create a strong Somali government that's capable of doing the job.... Unless these foreign countries commit their forces on the ground in full force and stay in for quite a considerable amount of time which I doubt they will do... Remember if you chase the pirates from one base say like Eil or Harardhere they move to a next base, the Somali coast is too long even for the super powers to monitor, its not easy trust they will dissappear and come again....

 

The only solution is to engage with the Somali authorities like Puntland, Somaliland and the Somali government. The inernational community must engage in the Somali issues in an appropriate and meaninful manner and help to end the civil strive and create a strong government, the isue of pirates will be resolved otherwise it is a never ending circle