On April 7, Somalian pirates once again attempted to hijack a ship on it's normal route so they could hold the crew for ransom. The only difference from previous hijackings, is that this ship was being run by an American crew. This is the first time in a couple of centuries that pirates like this have attacked a United States' crew and cargo. The ship, the Maersk Alabama, carried food supplies and other aid like materials that were to be used to help different communities in the Kenyan port of Mombosa. However, the hijacking didn't go as planned and the American crew, along with American Naval Officers stationed near the Somalian coast, have taken back the ship and thwarted most of the pirates' plans. Yet, there's a problem. Before the skirmish was over, the captain of the Maersk, Captain Richard Phillips, allowed himself to be taken by the pirates so as to save his crew. Four of the pirates took him on one of the Maersk's lifeboats and are holding him hostage until their demands are met. The United States Navy and the FBI Hostage Negotiations Unit are both working to negotiate Captain Phillips' safe return. But the pirate's are "desperate" according the the USA Today article. Desperation causes people to do stupid things and it's very likely that Captain Phillips' life is at stake. This represents the first serious, albeit small, "security risk" for the Obama administration. I'm not aware of how much power each person of the government has in these type of situations, but what should the person calling the shots do in this type of situation? If you pay the ransom, you not only let the pirates get away, but you also encourage repeat attempts because they know it pays off. If you don't pay the ransom, sure you capture the pirates and discourage future attempts, but you would be putting the good captain in serious risk and also risk the lives of the pirates themselves. The press would have a field day if they knew the US forces allowed the captain to be killed in order to not pay a ransom. How much is an American citizen worth to the the United States government? How much are pirates lives worth? I would personally try to pay the ransom (there's an interesting article on how they do that here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7752813.stm) secure the hostage, then take the pirates before they escape...but even that's really messy and there's no telling what the pirates will do. It all comes down to how much the pirates want to survive this incident.
Also, pirate attacks have been increasing (especially off the Somalian Coast) with this being the sixth hijack attempt this week! Why is this not a major concern at things like the G20 conference when it is obviously hindering trade and travel?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
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Desperate times call for desperate measures. It was hard to refrain from laughing while I read this. I guess as the economy continues to take a nose-dive people are beginning to get more creative with how they acquire money if they're out of work or simply unhappy with how little they're making. The thought of people pirating an American ship seems unreal. Although a life is in jeopardy, I would hardly consider this the first real security threat for Obama's administration. Then again are pirates terrorists? Just one more thing to worry about. If anything this event is just another reminder of how desperately the American people need economic stability. If Obama accomplishes one thing during his time in office it should be to get the economy back on track. People are suffering and people are clearly desperate. I'll expect more craziness in the next months and wont be surprised if someone hears about this capture and gets the bright idea to find their inner pirate and follow suit. On a serious note I do think that drug sales will increase as will crime as the economy continues to fail. Poverty degrades the quality of life and I sincerely hope that the United States comes out of this soon.
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