Somali pirates attack large cruise ship

[chainprayer]

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Wo...ing_British,_American_And_Australian_Tourists

I thought this was pretty scary, especially if it would have been successful.

The one part I found especially interesting was their defensive capabilities...

The ship's main defence against attack, a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), was readied during the chase.
It emits a high-powered beam of sound which, at close range, can shatter a person's eardrums.

 

[dukebound85]

something needs to be done. maybe a law requiring a small unit on every valuable cargo ship or something for ships going through that region

 

[BornAgainMac]

LRAD? A battlecruiser could take those pirates out so easily.

 

[zioxide]

something needs to be done. maybe a law requiring a small unit on every valuable cargo ship or something for ships going through that region

How are you going to enforce a law in international waters? There's nothing preventing private companies operating these vessels to hire security for their ships.

As for the ones that are captured, I don't see why they can't just send a special forces team to recapture the ships.

 

[robanga]

The LRAD is an amazing weapon, I have seen a demo of it and it can literally ruin someone's day. The pain caused by such intense sound is pretty great.

 

[aj123456]

a friend of mine went on a cruise and told me that cruise ships have like 9 high powered cannons

 

[apsterling]

I'm dying to know why we don't have vigilante justice going on, like a home-made solution. Or Navy SEALS or something, it'd be ended so easy.

 

[angelneo]

As for the ones that are captured, I don't see why they can't just send a special forces team to recapture the ships.

Because usually hostages are involved. This link might better explain piracy in Somalia

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/12/01/pirate.interview/?iref=hpmostpop

Boyah said that the piracy began because traditional coastal fishing became difficult after foreign fishing trawlers depleted local fish stocks. Traditional fishermen started attacking the trawlers until the trawler crews fought back with heavy weapons. The fishermen then turned to softer targets.

 

[joepunk]

I'm dying to know why we don't have vigilante justice going on, like a home-made solution. Or Navy SEALS or something, it'd be ended so easy.

IMO because they are human beings who have found a means to survive in a country that offers not much for it's people except war/drugs/civil fighting. And then if special forces were sent in and killed some of the pirates, well, we would see much more hostility and possibly bloodshed against shipping crews in response to killing of their own.

 

[soylahan]

^exactly.

The pirates just want to take the ship hostage and get a ransom. They know the companies will pay it. The actual number of casualties is surprisingly low. If they have to start defending themselves, things could get nasty. (Relatively) nonviolent defense methods like the sonic beam is probably the way to go.

I get this giddy sense of nostalgia when I read these news reports and look at pictures of the pirates. They're totally old school pirates! ...aside from the fact that they use gps tracking, but still!

 

[robanga]

There are at least three historic ways to stop piracy that have all been used before with some success;

1. Naval Patrols - Its a big ocean and if the pirate is also in a somewhat larger craft you can still do a lot with some ships. However it is a big ocean. This is hard to do effectively, it requires a lot of ships, planes etc. Big $$$

2. Naval Blockade- It requires armed conflict to establish but its pretty effective all and all. It stops real trade (whatever is left) and makes it harder to get aid to all those starving people. Big $$$

3. Invasion and slaughter- It worked against the Barbary Pirates in 1815 ("the shores of Tripoli") It puts a pretty big hurting on the folks that are in power in the ports and doing some of these activities. It requires the destruction of a lot of boats and vessels and also hurts a lot of people that are not pirates. You do then have an option of installing a more lawful government, but that is going to be a tall order in Somalia. Big $$

There are a couple of other less viable options;

1. Do nothing; Big $$$

2. Feed, clothe and employ the world , so that nobody will want to take any one else's stuff. While it sounds very touching is probably not very realistic

 

[thomahawk]

well first off. sending spec. forces in would be putting hostages at risk, but most of all nobody has jurisdiction to do anything, and the UN doesnt do **** at all.

i think we should start a international coast guard that follows all ships in the waters around the globe. so that we can protect the ships and keep things enforced on the water

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

If there is any good from this - at least the pirates are doing their part in lowering global temperatures.

 

[robanga]

well first off. sending spec. forces in would be putting hostages at risk, but most of all nobody has jurisdiction to do anything, and the UN doesnt do **** at all.

i think we should start a international coast guard that follows all ships in the waters around the globe. so that we can protect the ships and keep things enforced on the water

That would be one massively expensive coast guard

 

[soylahan]

i think we should start a international coast guard that follows all ships in the waters around the globe. so that we can protect the ships and keep things enforced on the water

sounds like a job for the world-policing power that is the United States...

 

[Blue Velvet]

We already have a thread on this topic in PRSI which is more suitable as the thread usually takes a political turn, as this one has done.

Thread closed.