UN Addresses War, Piracy In Somalia

New York---The security council adopted a resolution today supporting the extension of the African Union peacekeeping operation in Somalia (AMASOM) for another year. US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice stated that the resolution underscored the importance of support for the transitional federal government and expressed concern about the country’s deteriorating humanitarian situation.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees, over 100 000 Somali’s have been forced out of Mogadishu in the past month due to an escalation in fighting between armed groups, many of which have increasingly targeted civilians and humanitarian organizations. The World Food Program (WFP) was forced to suspend its food distribution earlier this month, and will remain unable to resume service until security conditions are stabilized.

A report released in Geneva earlier today by Dr Shamsul Bari, the UN’s independent expert on human rights in Somalia, highlighted the devastating consequences of the conflict on civilian populations and called on the international community to strengthen its engagement to the country. “ The Islamist forces fighting to topple the TGF (Transitional Government Forces ) are reported to have carried out extrajudicial executions, planted mines, bombs and other explosive devices in civilian areas, and used civilians as human shields.” said Bari, who also warned that the growth of piracy along the Somali coast was an important security threat to the region. The UN Contact Group on piracy off the coast of Somalia also convened today to discuss possible initiatives and solutions to counter the dangers posed by pirates.

In an attempt to set up safe transport corridors for commercial vessels and protect WFP food shipments into Mogadishu, the European Union has been conducting naval operations (EUNAVFOR) along the Somali coast since late 2008. According to EUNAVFOR Chief of Staff Captain Paul Chivers, the total number of attacks has continued to increase, although the number of successful ones has diminished. There are currently 9 ships being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

DOD Official: Sailors Should Fight Somali Pirates Themselves

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

The most effective way to deal with piracy off of the Somali coast is for the sailors to defend themselves, according to a Defense Department representative testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

Michele Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, said that of the recent pirate attacks in Somalia the most effective means of fending off the pirates came from actions taken by the crews themselves.

“The single most effective short-term response to piracy will be working with merchant shipping lines to ensure that vessels in the region take appropriate security measures themselves,” Flournoy said. She continued that it is not possible for the U.S. military to prevent or intervene in every pirate attack, but if crews take appropriate measures, “the vast majority of pirate attacks can be thwarted without any need for military intervention.”

There were 122 attempted pirate attacks in 2008, of which only 42 resulted in crewmembers becoming captured. Of the unsuccessful attacks, 78 percent of them were stopped by the crews actions, with the others being stopped by military intervention, according to Flournoy.

Flournoy divided crew countermeasures into two categories: passive and active defense measures. Passive measures are those which don’t necessarily require direct confrontation with the pirates, and can include physical obstructions to boarding points, avoiding high-risk waters, creating fortified “safe rooms” in the ship, posting lookouts at all times, and maintaining contact with maritime security forces. Active defense measures can include using fire hoses and small arms to repel pirates and a military presence on the boat. Both of these defensive measures are important for crews to talk to defend themselves, Flournoy said.

She believes that the complexity of this situation necessitates a multifaceted approach, which is why the aforementioned measures should be combined with greater military patrols and economic development. Additionally, the Defense Department would like to see more states willing to prosecute the pirates. Presently, Kenya is one of the only nations to actually place Somali pirates on trial.

According to Flournoy, since August 2008 36 pirate vessels have been destroyed or confiscated, small arms have been seized, and 146 pirates have been turned over to law enforcement officers.

The Right to Defend Oneself

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

“We all have an inherent right to self defense in international waters,” according to Senator Jim Webb (D-VA). This remark came out of a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that saw testimony from Richard Phillips, Captain of the Maersk Alabama. Phillips received international media attention several weeks ago while being held hostage by pirates off of the coast of Somalia.

Both the Senators and the witnesses acknowledged that Piracy off of the coast of Somalia has been on the rise recently. Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) said that America’s “ability to project naval power and to help ensure the free passage of goods and humanitarian aid is as important as ever.”

Phillips acknowledged that more needs to be done to secure vessels of the merchant marine, specifically arming the crew.

“In my opinion, arming the crew cannot and should not be viewed as the best or ultimate solution to the problem. At most, arming the crew should only be one component of a comprehensive plan and approach to combat piracy,” he said.

The comprehensive approach the committee discussed could include increased U.S. Navy presence in the most dangerous areas, the creation of a protected corridor that civilian ships can travel within, the rooting out of pirates in their land based sanctuaries and the “hardening” of ships, to make the ships structurally more resistant to pirates. “Hardening” measures include razor wire on railings, fire hoses to repel the pirates, and unbolting ladders that lead onto the boat. Phillips does not believe this will stop the pirates, but rather, that they will find a way to adapt.

Maersk Chaiman John Clancey, also present at the hearing, does not believe that arming the crews is a good idea.

“Our belief is that arming merchant sailors may result in the acquisition of even more lethal weapons and tactics by the pirates, a race that merchant sailors cannot win. In addition, most ports of call will not permit the introduction of forearms into their national waters,” Clancey said.

Clancey also posed that greater liability may be assumed by the companies if sailors are traveling with weapons. Neither Chairman Kerry nor Phillips felt that this argument was strong, because of the intense amount of training that mariners go through already. Kerry, a former member of the U.S. Navy, feels that the benefits outweigh the risks, and that multinational agreements can be reached to work out the issue of bringing weapons into port.

Richard Phillips is scheduled to testify next week before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Punishing the Pirates

By Kayleigh Harvey - Talk Radio News Service

When you think of pirates you may think of the man with the wooden leg, an eye patch and the parrot on his shoulder. Today, in the 21st century, although pirates may dress differently than their stereotypical model, the crime of piracy on the sea is still an issue.

The U.S. House Armed Services Committee today heard testimony from Vice Admiral William Gortney, Acting Principal Director of the Office of African Affairs for the U.S. Department of Defense, Daniel Pike, Ambassador Stephen Mull, Acting under Secretary for International Security and Arms Control for the U.S. State Department and Karl Wycoff, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs for the U.S. State Department on combating piracy on the high seas.

Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo) said in his opening statement: “Recent events in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, however, make this very much a current and important issue for American national security.”

The hearing focused on how to tackle piracy and how to best reprimand those who are caught committing this offense on the seas.

Vice Admiral Gortney told the committee that “no-one is immune”. He said that pirates generally look for a “15-minute window of opportunity,” tackling “low and slow ships by pulling up alongside them”. Gortney added that these boats are hard to detect as “they look like fishing vessels.” The committee heard that piracy crimes are generally committed in the morning and as a result, “any ship less than three feet away, particularly in the morning, is treated as a suspected pirate ship,” he said.

Vice Admiral Gortney also stated that the failure to counter piracy threats was not the result of failed training. He said that measures were being taken in order to protect ships on the seas, such as “barbed-wire, look-out post and security patrols.”

Congressman Gene Taylor (D-Missi) asked Ambassador Mull whether a ship, targeted by pirates, baring the American flag, would be treated as committing an attack against America. Mull’s response was inconclusive, and Congressman Taylor and Chairman Skelton have asked the Ambassador to submit a written statement outlining in detail, to the committee how this crime is dealt with under international and domestic law.

Piracy is an issue being tackled by all nation states and the Combined Maritime Forces have established the Maritime Security Patrol Area in the Gulf of Aden to combine a united front to tackle piracy crime at sea.