Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Called it!
Just one day after Somali pirates hijacked a Saudi tanker filled with 2 million barrels of oil and just one hour after I suggested a Chinese cargo ship would make a better target, Somali pirates hijacked a Hong Kong cargo ship carrying 3600 tonnes of wheat destined for Iran. This is probably the ideal target for a large pirate organization whose is undoubtedly associated with the Islamic groups that are starting to take control of Southern Somalia. The food can not only generate funds, feed some of its militiamen but also be distributed to their fellow countrymen in a bid to solidify their authority and add some general support.
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5 comments:
agreed.
im taking a course in complex emergencies that had a lecture about how rebel groups gain support, i think that is a very interesting example.
you can use.
Just quote my blog in your essay hahaha
In reference to the pirate endgame plan. It's strictly ransom money. they've received 150 million just in the past month alone. It really is a billion dollar industry.
Apparently the pirates live a luxury life too. The locals don't mind it either because the pirates provide economic stimulus for the local townspeople. They bring a lot of money in, and spend it locally.
It seems crazy that these companies just pay them off to get the cargo back, but what option really do they have. The military never wants to get involved. Additionally, a few million dollars ransom for cargo worth 100 million is a small price to pay. In the long run paying the ransom is just feeding the fire hence the huge rise in attacks.
The ironic part is is that it's the companies who own the cargo/ships that are funding the pirates.
For the pirates it's low-risk with an extremely high-payout .
It is not just the cargo either, it is the lives of your employees, the media coverage that damages your public relations records and the billion dollar boats themselves. It appears as though this is the major starting point of all commerce in the North.
It is unfortunate that the Western world refused to allow a semi-working Somaliland gain some sort of international recognition. For awhile it was a reasonably well functioning pseudo-state. It also may have helped balance power with the Islamic Militias in the South.
I wish people wouldn't pirate stuff, and keep their hands off of what isn't theirs.
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