Transcript Somalia – Terrorism with Troubled Waters

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/poll/2009/apr/09/us-navy-somalia-piracy
Terrorism in Troubled Waters
Texas A&M University
Global Issues Conference
Zooming Out for a Global View
Facts – Somalia’s Pirates
Somalia’s pirates have captured ships including:

Tankers with 2 Million Barrels of Oil [$100M]

The Maersk Alabama [U.S. Ship]

‘Le Ponant’ [French Luxury Ship]
Recent Attacks:
Date
Attack
4-4-09
Pirates capture Le Ponant
32 crew and passengers captive
3-20-09
Pirates capture ‘Plaka de Bakio’, a Spanish fishing ship, with grenade launchers.
26 crew captive
11-11-08
Pirates attempt to seize Danish Ship
2 Pirates killed. Attack stopped.
9-25-08
MV Faina captured. Pirates seize Russian-made tanks, grenade launchers, and
military hardware.
9-4-08
‘Al Mansoura’ captured.
25 crew captive.
1
The Actions 
2
3
High Risk of Terrorist Attacks
1. Trade Ships, carrying cargo (oil, fish, machinery…) pass through Suez Canal, going south.
2. Ships sell some of their goods, and continue south.
3. Ships travel around Somalia.
Path #2:
High Risk of Attacks
1. Ships come from the Horn of Africa trying to get products to Europe.
2. Ships enter the Gulf of Aden.
3. Ships pass through Suez Canal.
Piracy 2008 Maps
Gulf of Aden
Key:
Yellow: Attempted Attack
Red: Actual Attack
Purple: Suspicious Vessel
Worldwide
http://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=visualization&controller=visualization.googlemap&Itemid=89
Most attacks are concentrated around the Gulf of Aden.
Why? The main reason is ships carrying all kinds of
goods pass through that region, and the region is poor
How Does Piracy Affect Houston?
Let’s look at Houston. It’s a shipping port. Many companies that do
business in Africa also have offices in Houston. We also have many trained
maritime workers. Some of the relief ships for war-torn parts of Africa leave
from Houston.
 Piracy spreads from Africa to Houston because of our port.
 A captain gave himself as a hostage to save his shipmates.
 At TAMU Galveston you can get a degree in Maritime Studies. People in
Houston are connected to the industry. Their families are also connected.
How Is It Addressed Globally?
Countries are trying to settle piracy with naval
force, however this is controversial. Some
believe it makes the pirates angrier and causes
more attacks.
Groups such as the IMB(International Maritime
Bureau) and the PRC (Piracy Reporting Center)
try to help deal with piracy safely through
awareness .
The United Nations has held several conferences
to suggest solutions to the issue.
How Do Organizations Handle Piracy?
• UN had Security Council meeting.
• Articles 100-107 of the Law of the Sea Convention
passed.
 Deal with piracy and repression on high seas
• U.S. Navy assists in combating pirates and rescuing
hostages.
• IMB and PRC keep live maps of piracy, try to
combat piracy by securing commonly attacked areas,
and support common awareness of the issues.
• The U.S. government has promised to help combat
piracy through naval force.
Articles 100-107 of the Law of the Sea
Article Number Meaning
100
Countries will co-operate in ending piracy.
101-103
You many NOT do ANYTHING ILLEGAL to another vessel
104-105
You may NOT hold a vessel or its crew hostage. There are laws
against taking hostages.
106
If your vessel is unrightfully seized, you can hold the captors liable.
107
Only an official vessel can seize a ship.
A New Look
One ship full of highly precious cargo decided, for
security issues, to change the ship’s looks. Guns,
rifles, training of crew, and high-tech equipment
made the pirates think twice. In fact, the ship
never saw any pirate ships. In fact, new looks can
be enough to scare the pirates away.
THE DRAWBACK!
Planting most guns, and training most crewmembers
could cost several thousands of dollars.
Multiplied by the number of ships in the seas, this could
be well over same neighboring countries’ GDPs!
Market volatility could rise in neighboring states.
Help our neighbors!
The Plan
The Downside
If the EU and the U.S. help
surround the Gulf of Aden and
help Somalia by providing
food, military force, and some
funding, Somalia would have
enough resources to help end
terrorism, since this area is
where most of the piracy
occurs.
• This would require at least 4-6
months to set into action.
• Some countries don’t have
excess funding and troops.
• The plan is very costly and
risky.
• The plan only solves one area.
• The plan doesn't stop the
process.
Bibliography [MLA]
 "Video: 'It's what he would do for his crew' | World news | guardian.co.uk." 11 Apr. 2009
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/apr/09/pirates-hostage>.
 "Peter Lehr: Supporting Somalia's president is more likely to stop the pirates than warships | Comment is free |
guardian.co.uk." 11 Apr. 2009 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/10/piracy-somalia>.
 "Peter Lehr: Supporting Somalia's president is more likely to stop the pirates than warships | Comment is free |
guardian.co.uk." 11 Apr. 2009 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/10/piracy-somalia>.
 "David Axe: The US must lead a coordinated response against Somali pirates | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk."
11 Apr. 2009 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/apr/09/piracy-somalia-alabama-usnavy>.
 "David Axe: The US must lead a coordinated response against Somali pirates | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk."
11 Apr. 2009 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/apr/09/piracy-somalia-alabama-usnavy>.
 "The Missing Tanks." The Economist 11 Oct. 2008: 68.
 "The World's most Utterly Failed State." The Economist 4 Oct. 2008: 49-50.
 "Piracy- Look for the Silver Lining." The Economist 19 July 2008: 23-24.
 "Somalia - A Hint of Hope for a Broken country." The Economist 19 Apr. 2008: 58-59.
 True, Judy. Personal interview. 14 Apr. 2009.
 Williams, Ian. “Ian Williams: Dealing Effectively with Somalian Pirates requires new Thinking | .” 9 Dec. 2008. 14
Apr. 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifaamerica/2008/dec/09/somalia-pirates-international-maritimelaw
 "THE LAW OF THE SEA." BERNAERTS’ GUIDE TO THE 1982 UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE
LAW OF THE SEA. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://www.bernaerts-unclos.de/42-49.html>.