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| Africa Horn | |||
| Insurance firms plan private navy vs. Somali pirates | |||
| 2010-09-29 | |||
| Patrol boats crewed by armed guards to protect valuable ships in Gulf of Aden Insurers have drawn up plans for the world's first private navy to try to turn the tide against Somali pirates who continue to plague the global shipping industry by hijacking vessels for ransoms of more than £100m a year, The Independent has learnt. The new navy, which has the agreement in principle of several shipping groups and is being considered by the British Government, is the latest attempt to counter the increasingly sophisticated and aggressive piracy gangs who operate up to 1,200 miles from their bases in the Horn of Africa and are about to launch a new wave of seaborne attacks following the monsoon season. A multi-national naval force, including an EU fleet currently commanded by a British officer, has dramatically reduced the number of assaults in the Gulf of Aden in recent months. But seizures continue with 16 ships and 354 sailors currently being held hostage. The Independent has seen Nato documents which show both ransom payments and the period that pirates are holding vessels have doubled in the last 12 months to an average $4m and 117 days respectively.
Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT), which insures 14 per cent of the world's commercial shipping fleet, said the unprecedented "private navy" would work under the direct control of the military with clear rules of engagement valid under international law. Early discussions have also been held with the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Transport and the Foreign Office. Sean Woollerson, a senior partner with JLT, told The Independent: "We are looking at setting up a private navy to escort vessels through the danger zones. We would have armed personnel with fast boats escorting ships and make it very clear to any Somali vessels in the vicinity that they are entering a protected area. "At the moment there is a disconnect between the private security sector and the international naval force. We think we can help remedy that and place this force under the control of the multi-national force. We look after about 5,000 ships and have had 10 vessels taken in total, including a seizure where one crew member was shot and killed. Piracy is a serious problem, these are criminals basically extorting funds, so why not do something more proactive?" The force, which would have set-up costs of around £10m, would be funded by insurers and shipping companies in return for a reduction on the anti-piracy insurance premiums, which average around £50,000 per voyage and can reach £300,000 for a super-tanker. The maritime insurance industry, much of it based in London, has borne the brunt of the financial cost of the piracy problem, paying out $300m (£191m) in ransoms and associated costs in the last two years alone. Major obstacles remain before the private navy can set sail, such as the legal status of a private force and its relationship with the Nato-controlled naval fleet. But major shipping companies and key insurers are keen to proceed with the plan. Although private contractors already offer armed teams on board vessels, the idea of a sizeable industry-funded naval force is a major departure and evidence of the strength of feeling there that more needs to be done to counter piracy. The prospect of the private sector directly intervening to protect the 6.8 billion tons of goods moved by sea each year is symptomatic of renewed alarm at the success of about 1,000 pirates controlled by Somali clans in disrupting the 22,000 ships which pass through the Gulf of Aden annually. A coalition of shipping companies, trade unions and welfare organisations yesterday sought to increase the pressure on governments and international bodies to provide more military cover and secure an agreement which allows pirates to be captured and prosecuted. Currently nearly all suspected pirates captured off the Somali coast are simply stripped of their weapons and allowed to return to port.
As a result, shipping companies are contemplating the increased use of armed contractors on board their vessels, something previously considered more likely to escalate encounters with pirates. | |||
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #9 Ah, yes, RHETT BUTLER = LOVER + HUBBY OF THE NOTORIUS SCARLETT O'HARA, WEST POINT GRADUATE, INJUN FIGHTER, BRAVE + SKILLED CONFEDERATE BLOCKADE-RUNNER, = all around SCANDALOUS GENTLEMAN-ROGUE, etc. At least to the ante-bellum Old South + Old Army. HMMMM, HMMMMM, e.g. the "BLACKWATER/XE GLOBAL FLEET SECURITY SERVICE, LLC", aka FLEETGUARD??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-09-29 19:24 |
| #8 But, but, but the West quietly pressed the emerging "democracies" of Africa to shun and make illegal, all colonial aparthied remnants such as Executive Outcomes. (EO being a well documented and interesting study in it's own right) Also instructed was the cleansing of as many non-Bantu as possible from the defense forces and national police. The results have been extraordinary as evidenced by Zimbabwe and many of the others. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-09-29 09:36 |
| #7 They would be better off building a mercenary company like Executive Outcomes and work the land side of the problem. Probably with raids and boat destruction rather than all out confrontation. Such a group could possibly find work in areas the nation stations of the world don't want to get involved in (such as Darfur). |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2010-09-29 09:28 |
| #6 to an average $4m and 117 days respectively. We can rest assured that Ali's, with his AK in the rubber boat, cut is not even one percent of that sum. Time for some Predators hovering over Number Twos and Threes in that region as well. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-09-29 09:15 |
| #5 Take the money and start plowing it into intel and investigation instead Take the money and use it to go after the Jihad enablers in the West. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-09-29 05:46 |
| #4 Pirates sleep just like everyone esle, nice cozy little bunks on shore. Bomb thier nests and this business will quickly stop. Oh, I forgot. Rich, evil western former colonial exploiters can't kill them because they are poverty ridden [everyone now realizes poverty causes piracy] poor black, dopers and jihadi slavers from Africa who are now |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-09-29 02:30 |
| #3 The force, which would have set-up costs of around £10m Take the money and start plowing it into intel and investigation instead. Someone's tipping off the pirates where the multi-national naval forces are or aren't, what ships are coming through the choke-points, etc. It's organized crime backed by jihadists, not "poor ex-fishermen without means of support" anymore. And - jack up the insurance rates for shipping passing through those areas to the point of pain, as was done in the Malacca Straits. Refuse to include a ransom clause or charge a premium for it. Either governments will react to the potential economic damage, or anti-piracy measures will become more effective, or shippers will find another way to move cargo. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2010-09-29 01:06 |
| #2 Sounds to me like they need a bazooka. (or whatever the current name is) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-09-29 00:40 |
| #1 As a result, shipping companies are contemplating the increased use of armed contractors on board their vessels, something previously considered more likely to escalate encounters with pirates. So, what are the armed guards going to do? They can't arrest the pirates, because no one, especially the European Union, can effectively try and punish them. They can't shoot them, because that would be icky. So what are they going to do? Just wave their weapons and hope the pirates run away? Personally, I would just put a small leak in the pirates boat - one that is just slightly more than the pumps can handle. If the pirates are truly protecting Somali fishing grounds, and they are close to Somalia, they can get home no problem. If they are 400 miles out to sea, that is their tough luck. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2010-09-29 00:33 |