Article

2012-07-11 Africa Horn

Footage of sailors held by pirates released

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2012-07-11 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top
File under: Pirates

#1 How does putting armed guards on ships in the Gulf of Aden possibly increase the risks of the journey? They are already sailing thru pirate infested waters. Well armed/trained guards have got a good chance of stopping pirates dead in their tracks.

What these shipping owners are NOT saying is that they don't give a da** about their own crews. Since the crewmen are Filipinos and Pakistanis (etc.), they are basically considered expendable. The only thing the owners care about is that their ships are not damaged - which could happen in a firefight. So this is all about the costs of repairs, and payoffs from insurance.

Pretty da**ed sick.
Maybe someone should round up a bunch of these shipping owners, and trade them as a group to the pirates - in exchange for the men currently in captivity. Suddenly when the show is on the other foot, we might see a change in attitude.

Posted by Raider 2012-07-11 10:08|| 2012-07-11 10:08|| Front Page Top

#2 Doesn't seem very smart for Malaysia to confirm that it's arranging a ransom payment. It will encourage further abductions of Malaysian-flagged ships and/or encourage shippers to register their vessels with countries other than Malaysia.

Posted by American Delight 2012-07-11 13:40|| http://moneyjihad.wordpress.com/ 2012-07-11 13:40|| Front Page Top

#3 Seems to me that if protecting your ship is important you'd want something like a PT boat aboard that could be dropped into the water and intercept anything that shows up on radar long before they got close. Couple of 50 calibres would do wonders to the kind of ship the pirates tend to use.

Posted by rjschwarz 2012-07-11 14:46|| 2012-07-11 14:46|| Front Page Top

#4 So this is all about the costs of repairs, and payoffs from insurance.

It's more involved than that, as anyone with experience in maritime law can tell you.

Essentially, it's the gray area where a merchant vessel drifts into the 'warship' designation. The latter has international legal and political ramifications.

'Armed mechantman' is a completely different animal and is legally considered an auxiliary military asset of a government.

Posted by Pappy 2012-07-11 15:33|| 2012-07-11 15:33|| Front Page Top

#5 Good point, Paps.

Posted by American Delight 2012-07-11 17:25|| http://moneyjihad.wordpress.com/ 2012-07-11 17:25|| Front Page Top

#6 There are options.

One is to jack the costs of insurance for ships transiting through areas of known piracy to beyond the point of pain. That is sort-of happening, but not to the point of forcing shippers, shipping companies and governments to take a more proactive (and preferably aggressive) stance.

Another is to enforce a convoy-only run through areas of known piracy. Anyone on their own voids their insurance. It'll be like herding cats - at first. But it will cut down on attacks.

Finally, deal with this as the international organized-crime operation that it is. That likely won't happen; there's too much money being spread around.

Posted by Pappy 2012-07-11 18:16|| 2012-07-11 18:16|| Front Page Top

23:04 JosephMendiola
23:03 JosephMendiola
22:39 USN, Ret.
22:14 Barbara
22:12 Barbara
22:10 tu3031
21:58 Nimble Spemble
21:58 Thing From Snowy Mountain
21:47 tu3031
21:46 Redneck Jim
21:34 Iblis
21:13 lord garth
20:48 Frank G
20:42 JosephMendiola
20:34 rammer
20:25 Deadeye Sproing4297
20:23 JosephMendiola
20:23 rammer
20:03 Barbara
19:59 Barbara
19:56 rammer
19:52 rex havoc
19:39 Bright Pebbles
19:20 Secret Asian Man