Somali pirates frustrated, running scared with British hostages

November 11, 9:39 AMMaritime Headlines ExaminerBrad Sylvester

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Well armed Somali pirates aboard the MV Faina
Jason R. Zalasky, US Navy

On October 23rd Paul and Rachel Chandler were kidnapped by a group of pirates from their small private yacht sailing off the coast of Tanzania near Somalia. Since then, they have been transferred to a pirate captured container ship, and from there to the mainland of Somalia itself. The Times Online reports that they are being held by a group of inexperienced pirates who are carrying them from village to village as they wear out their welcome in each one.

Somali pirates fighting amongst themselves

The pirate group holding the Chandlers, is apparently itself squabbling over the disposition of the kidnapped couple. The UK’s Guardian reports that some of the pirates guarding the Chandlers want to turn them over to Islamist extremists who are currently engaged in a war to overthrow Somalia’s government. Meanwhile, the group has demanded $7 million dollars in ransom for the Chandlers. Additionally they have demanded that 7 captured pirates be released from a German warship where they are being held after firing on a French fishing trawler.

Pirates growing increasing frustrated and threatening Chandlers

The Times Online quotes one of the pirates holding the British couple as saying “I’m waiting for a response from the family, but no one is making any calls to us.” The same pirate went on to say that the Chandlers would be punished according to the treatment received by the seven captive pirates aboard the German warship. The Chandlers’ danger increases day by day as the pirates holding them become more and more frustrated. With the lack of response, they may feel they need to take drastic action to get someone to listen to their demands. If they feel that they cannot secure a ransom for the British hostages then they may dispose of them, either giving them to a more hard line group, or killing them outright.

Somali leader defends pirates

The Somali government has allowed the pirates safe haven in the country and the country’s prime minister recently defended them to the international community, according to an AFP report. "I do not condone it, I want it to stop, but I reflect on how humanely they treat the crews caught in the middle, and that 30 percent of each ransom is used to support the local community.” Even as the AP reports another vessel with a crew of 22 has been captured near the Seychelles, The international community supports the Somali government despite its soft line on the pirates who make their haven there.

West caught be a rock and a Harardhere place

The west is backed into the corner of supporting the current Somali government because it is currently fighting a war against Islamic extremists and pirates seem to be viewed as the lesser of two evils. There comes a breaking point, however, when the Somali government must either allow foreign strike forces onto Somali soil to rescue hostages and exterminate pirates, or the Somali government must undertake the task itself. Since it is not clear that the Somali government has either the will, the integrity, or the ability to go after the pirates, then it must allow others to take care of the problem.

What war is the pirate ransom funding?

Meanwhile, insurance company negotiators routinely pay millions of dollars to pirates in exchange for the release of commercial vessels captured by Somali pirates. While Somalia’s leader says 30% of that ransom money is distributed throughout the community, one wonders where the rest goes. Pirates are living well with modern SUV’s and other trappings of wealth, but the lion’s share of the money is going somewhere else. Is it funding the Islamic insurgency? Is it funding global terrorism? Some of it is almost certainly slipping into the pockets of Somali government officials. It is certainly buying AK-47s for pirates, but the fact that these pirates continue to risk their lives in small skiffs against warships and trained military crews after making several multi-million dollar scores suggests that these pirates are not keeping the bulk of the cash, but are receiving only enough of the blood money to keep them actively seizing ships and hostages. The international cannot wait and see what develops as more and more pirate funded arms flow into the region. If Somalia will not eliminate the pirate threat, then the UN must pass a resolution to send in a force to crush this threat before it matures, and before more innocents like the Chandlers are kidnapped and threatened with torture and death.

Sources:
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/08/spy-planes-hunt-pirates
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6907980.ece
www.examiner.com/a-2314552~EU__Somali_pirates_seize_cargo_ship_with_22_crew.html?cid=rss-World
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPzmK8a7lvHcRC5xHqaMQoqt9-tQ
www.examiner.com/examiner/x-27597-Maritime-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m10d28-British-Couple-Held-Hostage-by-Pirates-Warships-in-Pursuit

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