Rebel Reports / By Jeremy Scahill
comments_imageCOMMENTS: 122

'Pirates' Strike a U.S. Ship Owned by a Pentagon Contractor, But Is the Media Telling the Whole Story?

Reports say the crew of a U.S. cargo vessel seized early today has retaken the ship, but there's more to the story of rising "pirate" attacks.
April 8, 2009  |  
 
 
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UPDATE: At least one nuclear-powered U.S. warship is reportedly on its way to the scene of the hijacking off the coast of Somalia of a vessel owned by a major Pentagon contractor. A U.S. official told the Associated Press the destroyer USS Bainbridge is en route while another official said six or seven ships are responding to the takeover of the “Maersk Alabama,” which is part of a fleet of ships owned by Maersk Ltd., a U.S. subsidiary of a Denmark firm, which does about a half-billion dollars in business with the U.S. government a year.

The Somali pirates who took control of the 17,000-ton "Maersk Alabama" cargo-ship in the early hours of Wednesday morning probably were unaware that the ship they were boarding belonged to a U.S. Department of Defense contractor with "top security clearance," which does a half-billion dollars in annual business with the Pentagon, primarily the Navy. The ship was being operated by an "all-American" crew -- there were 20 U.S. nationals on the ship. "Every indication is that this is the first time a U.S.-flagged ship has been successfully seized by pirates," said Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesperson for for the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. The last documented pirate attack of a U.S. vessel by African pirates was reported in 1804, off Libya, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The company, A.P. Moller-Maersk, is a Denmark-based company with a large U.S. subsidiary, Maersk Line, Ltd, that serves U.S. government agencies and contractors. The company, which is based in Norfolk, Virginia, runs the world's largest fleet of U.S.-flag vessels. The "Alabama" was about 300 miles off the coast of the Puntland region of northern Somalia when it was taken. The U.S. military says the Alabama was not operating on a DoD contract at the time and was said to be delivering food aid.

The closest U.S. warship to the "Alabama" at the time of the seizure was 300 miles away. The U.S. Navy did not say how or if it would respond, but seemed not to rule out intervention. "It's fair to say we are closely monitoring the situation, but we will not discuss nor speculate on current and future military operations," said Navy Cmdr. Jane Campbell.

The seizure of the ship seemed to have been short-lived. At the time of this writing, the Pentagon was reporting that the U.S. crew retook the ship and was holding one of the pirates in custody. At this point, it is unclear if the crew acted alone or had assistance from the military or another security force.

Over the past year, there has been a dramatic uptick in media coverage of the "pirates," particularly in the Gulf of Aden. Pirates reportedly took in upwards of $150 million in ransoms last year alone.  In fact, at the moment the Alabama's seizure, pirates were already holding 14 other vessels with about 200 crew members, according to the International Maritime Bureau. There have been seven hijackings in the past month alone.

Often, the reporting on pirates centers around the gangsterism of the pirates and the seemingly huge ransoms they demand. Indeed, piracy can be a very profitable business, as the following report from Reuters suggests:


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Jeremy Scahill, an independent journalist who reports frequently for the national radio and TV program Democracy Now!, has spent extensive time reporting from Iraq and Yugoslavia. He is currently a Puffin Writing Fellow at The Nation Institute. Scahill is the author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army. His writing and reporting is available at RebelReports.com.
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See more stories tagged with: blackwater, somalia, pirates, xe, somali pirates, johan hari, gulf of aden, u.s. navy, jane campbell, a.p. moller-maersk

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waste dumping
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Rod on Apr 8, 2009 11:26 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There is no "their" ocean, it is the same ocean. Just like there is no peeing section in a pool. If criminals were dumping waste, they should be caught. I would say unbelievable, but after the AIG bonus thing, I will believe anything.

Rod

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» RE: waste dumping Posted by: jadresak
» RE: waste dumping Posted by: Rod
» EEZ Posted by: brunowe
» RE: waste dumping Posted by: Libsrule

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Too funny,
[Report this comment]
Posted by: 2thepoint on Apr 8, 2009 11:52 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
They are patrolling their ocean then capture a ship and demand $25 million!! and some people believe that story??? you mean is has nothing to do with the money or weapons they can get..

right!

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» RE: Too funny, Posted by: Llama11
» RE: Too funny, Posted by: 2thepoint
» RE: Too funny, Posted by: rhinojos

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I am wondering
[Report this comment]
Posted by: EncinoM on Apr 8, 2009 11:54 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If this wasn't a trojan horse, used to capture the Pirates.

If so good going, make the pirates think twice about seizing ships.

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» RE: I am wondering Posted by: 2thepoint

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Wouldn't it be ironic . . .
[Report this comment]
Posted by: dustdevil on Apr 8, 2009 12:41 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
if the former owners of the nuclear waste being dumped into the waters off Somalia suffered a little radiation poison from eating fish caught in the Somalian waters.

Fish seek underwater structure for protection. Underwater nuclear waste barrels would attract baitfish which would in turn attract gamefish.

Bon appetit, nuclear polluters.

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» RE: Wouldn't it be ironic . . . Posted by: MyLeftFoot

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It would have been nice to have a primary source on the issue of nuclear waste dumping.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: ABetterFuture on Apr 8, 2009 1:32 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
You'd think someone would have thought to take a picture of such waste, unless like vampires, they don't show up on film.

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So Alternet supports pirates now??
[Report this comment]
Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu on Apr 8, 2009 1:38 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I knew Alternet supported brutal dictators, the Taliban, income redistribution, oppressive taxes, open boarders, child predator rehabilitation, and Hamas. I didn't know they supported piracy. Guess I'll add it to the list...lol.

These pirates are interested in one thing: money. They have absolutely no interest in the environment. They are not heros. If they want to improve their situation they should form a stable democracy based on capitalism, like we've seen happen in Iraq. Stealing property and violating people's rights accomplishes nothing.

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» RE: So Alternet supports pirates now?? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» RE: So Alternet supports pirates now?? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» RE: Where is that stable democracy you mention? . . . Posted by: LaughingModerateIndependent
» behind the Iron Currant Posted by: Bliss Doubt
» RE: What planet do you live on, etvaugha? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» RE: What planet do you live on, etvaugha? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» RE: So Alternet supports pirates now?? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» RE: So Alternet supports pirates now?? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» Ah, them college kiddies at it again. LOL ! Posted by: LaughingModerateIndependent
» I agree. Thank you. Posted by: CarlaWaters
» I think I have it all figured out Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» How does that song go???? Posted by: 2thepoint
» Bravo mkdelta69! Posted by: Bliss Doubt
» This was the best post ever! Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars

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Naval intradiciton can bust unknown ships
[Report this comment]
Posted by: reg373 on Apr 8, 2009 5:37 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
**He said the crew tried to exchange the captain for a captive pirate, but apparently the pirates reneged on the deal.**

Hmm. And here the pirate had believed in honor amongst thieves… ;^)
– found a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth

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What a load of crap
[Report this comment]
Posted by: hkc on Apr 8, 2009 10:32 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This article begins by making some strange claim about how Maersk Line is a big bad defense contractor. Well that's like saying Kellogs is a big bad defense contractor because they sell corn flakes to the army. If selling stuff or services to the US military is a mark of satanism I think we all need to be very careful about where we shop. This sort of thing is just sensationalism and has nothing to do with the real story.

Second there is an attempt at justification that the poor Somali's are naturally driven to piracy because people fish their waters and dump trash into their ocean. There are two serious philosophical problems with this argument. First claiming that poverty justifies a life of crime dishonors the struggle of the vast majority of people rich or poor who make their livings without resorting to crime. Most people no matter how poor do not turn to crime, most of the poor who do turn to crime victimize primarily their closese neighbors, other poor people. To say that poverty justifies crime is ethically indefensible nonsense.

Second the Somali's need to organize some kind of government that works. Right now even feudalism is struggling to take hold. This is the kind of environment that makes one understand that the divine right of kings could be a progressive concept in some circumstances. Somalia isn't working. Until it gets a government that can defend its people and territory against crime and build an economic structure that works it is only natural that it will be a dumping ground and that its fish will be stolen. This does not justify armed robbery or murder and that is exactly what high seas piracy is.

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» RE: What a load of crap Posted by: Tacticsb
» RE: What a load of crap Posted by: Tacticsb
» RE: What a load of crap Posted by: Livemike
» RE: What a load of crap Posted by: MIST
» Poor People, Rich People Posted by: linecrosser
» RE: What a load of crap Posted by: mirdad

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Their time is coming.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Honky the Nihilist... on Apr 9, 2009 1:13 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
They had a good run but I believe that the lawlessness that has been their bread and butter will be used by private firms to slaughter these scumbags for profit. I certainly won’t be crying over spilt Somali blood.

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» I see wingnuts have Posted by: xxdr_zombiexx
» YOUR TIME IS COMING HONKEY Posted by: sirios
» RE: Their time is coming. Posted by: Shehova
» RE: Their time is coming. Posted by: 2thepoint

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Fact checking is a good thing
[Report this comment]
Posted by: lphughes on Apr 9, 2009 6:47 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Talk about nuclear paranoia! There may be nuclear vessels in the area, but they are either carriers or subs. The Bainbridge isn't either.

The prototype muclear destroyer USS Bainbridge CGN-25 was decommisioned in 1996. The current USS Bainbridge DDG-96 is an Arleigh Burke class destroyer powered by conventional diesel turbines. The Bainbridge is named after the US Navy's first destroyer, and is the fifth Navy ship to carry the name.

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» One small fact! Posted by: 2thepoint

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» RE: LOL Posted by: alive

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The US needs to BUTT OUT and quit pirating other nations already !
[Report this comment]
Posted by: JenniferBedingfield on Apr 9, 2009 7:37 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There's enough mess here at home to deal with. Besides, the Pentagon is way too corrupt and deserves to be abolished. The Founding Fathers wouldn't accept the Pentagon for the bloat it has become.

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Is there anything the Pentagon can do right these days?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: CarlaWaters on Apr 9, 2009 8:25 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
First, they can't/won't keep track of DoD spending. Now, they want to sacrifice security by sending ships into nations they have no business with? What a sick joke the Pentagon has become !

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This article's point makes no sense
[Report this comment]
Posted by: BCcovers on Apr 9, 2009 9:20 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If these pirates were really interested in "policing" or "protecting" their ocean then they would hold only the crews for ransom and then scuttle the ships at sea so that they could never be used again.

Instead they ask for a much larger ransom (for the crew AND ship) that they know the ship's insurers will happily pay them. The ship gets returned and continues its operations, including shipping through Somali waters. Your conclusion that they are protecting their country and territory does not add up logically because of this above point. Furthermore, many of the hijackings are now taking place in the Indian Ocean (International waters), not the Gulf Aden off the coast of Somlia.

The US has an opportunity here to do something really good for the world with its military power. Take the seas back, bomb the pirate"s ships in port, bomb the pirate leaders mansions, and make being a Somali pirate one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and it will stop. Right now there is too little risk and great rewards for Piracy in Somalia.

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» Let's agree.... Posted by: laoma
» RE: Let's agree.... Posted by: mainspark
» RE: Missed the point entirely. Posted by: mainspark

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Always thought there was more to this story.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Bliss Doubt on Apr 9, 2009 10:53 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This story proves, once again, that Africa is the world's dumping ground.

When the pirates captured a cruise ship a couple of years ago, they stripped the ship of mattresses. These people are desperately poor and hungry.

Desperation breeds terrorism. No hope, no fear.

One can never justify terrorism of any kind, but one must always try to understand where and why it began.

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Kind of an abrupt ending to this story...?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Bizatch! on Apr 9, 2009 11:25 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I know this event is still unfolding and is not very clear in the minds of most reporters, but the editing of this article seems very unfocused. Whether Scahill submitted it as is or if it was hastily posted by Alternet, it does not bode well for clarity in journalism.

I found a clear explanation of the fundamental point that Scahill tries to make in a concise but fair interview with a Sudanese diplomat on Global News (here in Canada) recently... that the *pirates* are in many cases trying to stop toxic waste from being dumped off the coast of Somalia, as well as preventing illegal fishing by international trawlers. The facts are glaring and indisputable, in addition to the obvious detriment of having no national coastguard to speak of.

My first reaction upon hearing the weird reports of this incident yesterday was of some bullshit 'Team America' style stand-off against wild-eyed African bandits. The shaky details are questionable enough; but why are they broadcasting such unsubstantiated blather so recklessly anyway?

(Don't answer that, of course-- it's the righteousness of the West at the heart of this message)

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Thank you Jeremy Scahill
[Report this comment]
Posted by: djuhlinger on Apr 9, 2009 12:14 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
My hat is off to Jeremy Scahill, who has taken another simplistic media story that caters to misconception and prejudice, exposed the perpetrators, and put matters into a cogent scenario.

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The nuke angle may explain the attack on a "French yacht"
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Posted by: DaBear on Apr 9, 2009 6:23 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
So far, the piracy litany seemed to have an odd-ball event.... out of hundreds involving commercial ships, one private yacht, and with considerable West Indian Ocean private yacht traffic along the Horn, it seemed odd that the Frog boat got nailed by the pirates. The nuke angle might illuminate that... (esp. if the nuke waste dumpers were Frogs). I wish I had more info on that.

But like the sketchy defense contractor thing... we'll probably never know. It always seems weird to me too.. you got a 500 ft long cargo ship getting jacked by a bunch of skiffs. WTF?!

The whole recent thing with the "All American Crew" bullshit also smells funny. What's in the containers, batman?

I love the local-boyz-defending-their-turf angle Scahill brings up. Hadn't been able to see that before. Kinda fun (for the pirates anyway); nice to see the "poor" kicking the asses of the "rich" for a change (although in real life, I'm sure it's not nearly that simplistic at all). BBC had better coverage in general compared to the 'Merkaaner "media"...

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At least 2 sides to every story
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Posted by: Mel H. on Apr 10, 2009 8:18 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The United States government has been presenting it's side of this story on our nightly news programs. Thank you Alternet for endeavoring to provide the point of view of the Somali people and the so-called "pirates".

Also, I have heard that the U.S. has been going to Somalia with tankers and stealing Somali oil, which is another reason the Somali people are angry.

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The New Hydrarchy
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Posted by: sincere on Apr 10, 2009 9:11 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Kudos to Scahill to pointing out the other side of the coin. A few journalists as far back as 2008 pointed out that the brains behind these pirate operations are *ex-fisherman*--pushed out of work by illegal mechanized trawlers from Europe/Asia that roam the Somali coasts, and illegal dumping. One report told of an Italian trawler that came and dumped toxic waste, and then left with fish! Talk about a double insult. While having a central government could help in these cases, that's not always the case--as trawlers operate illegally off Senegal and are pushing fishermen there out of business, and toxic dumping in the oceans of the poor is all-too-common (i.e., Ivory Coast 2006). These Somali pirates ain't all "Robin Hoods," which Scahill is clearly not saying--though the usual braying conservative crowd are frothing that he has. They have however become not only wealthy figures of power, but the people who build homes in places like Puntland and those to whom Somali businessmen now go to for loans. They hire ex-militia men as muscle, and hi-tech types to work GPS and computers to track ships. It's worth noting how similar all of this is to the actual age of pirates, who themselves were often dispossessed men (criminals, debtors, runaway slaves, indentured servants, etc.) who created their own society at sea often saw themselves as rebels who quite justifiably attacked the caravans of commerce of their day--from merchant vessels to slave ships. Then like now, they were deemed pariahs (as much for their piracy as their often revolutionary egalitarian rhetoric) who threatened to upset the existing social order. Thousands were hanged throughout the Atlantic. Condmen or condone these modern day pirates, understanding *how* this admittedly untenable situation began (and all the factors and players involved) is essential.

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I don't get it.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: gorkman on Apr 10, 2009 12:14 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The aricle states that european ships were illegally dumping radioactive waste in Somali waters.

That seems to me a bit weird. Why would European ships travel all the way around the horn of Africa or go through the Suez canal to reach this lawless area just to dump toxic waste?

Couldn't they just go to international waters in the middle of the atlantic and dump it there?

Don't the stricter environmental regulations of the EU require documentation of the amounts of dangerous waste their industries produce and where they put it?

I would like more detailed specifics and documentation of these serious allegations before I consider them believable

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» RE: I don't get it. Posted by: mirdad

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BulldogRedemer
[Report this comment]
Posted by: BulldogRedeemer on Apr 10, 2009 3:51 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What does armed hijacking on the high seas in international waters, a civilian unarmed ship hundreds of miles off the coast not understood by Jeremy Scahill and other America haters? It is not the bad old pentagon, the US Navy nor Blackwater at fault here. It is criminal PIRATES, not "pirates", who take hostages for ransom. Quit always trying to blame America for everything and try loving her for a change.

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Pirate vs. privateer
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Posted by: Scarabus on Apr 11, 2009 6:10 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In earlier times,"privateers" were licensed to capture enemy vessels in the national interest — in exchange for a cut of the booty, of course.

Squishy, but one can make a rational case that there's legal justification for such behavior.

But a fair number of privateers realized that they'd do a whole lot better by going freelance, keeping all the booty for themselves rather than settling for a fraction of the total. They became pirates. And, as pirates rather than patriots, they were hunted down by their own government.

So let's look at the current situation from the perspective of that historic precedent. You want to argue that these guys are acting as sophisticated moral agents, promoting justice and national interest rather than self-interest? As privateers, so to speak? Then good luck. You may be right, but the burden of proof is yours.

You want to argue that the cargo the ships are carrying, cargo the crew members are clueless about, is complicit in some opaque nexus of imperial conspiracy? Fair enough. That's seriously interesting. To an over-educated nerd like me, but not to an ordinary sailor.

What are the odds that the sailors being threatened and murdered are political? That they actually know what their vessel is carrying, let alone its place in a complex international web? And what are the odds that the attackers are motivated by politics rather than greed?

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Just a hunch ...
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Posted by: chorton on Apr 11, 2009 8:00 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I would watch very closely for the possibility that this incident is being used as grounds for another attempt to impose by force on Somalia a government friendly to US corporate interests.

Whatever case could be made for this in terms of noble democratic or humanitarian objectives, and no matter how plausible it may sound, all of recent history tells us that this will be a new disaster for the Somali people and will do no good for the people of the US. We need to oppose it at the first sign that it is actually in preparation.

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The pirates hijacked a ship bringing humanitarian aid to poor Somalis. Shows whose side they're on!!
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Posted by: yellow on Apr 12, 2009 1:19 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
These bandits don't care about the poor and oppressed. They are now oppressors.

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Pirates vs. Privateers
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Posted by: kogwonton on Apr 12, 2009 1:33 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Maybe Somalia can get a license from the U.S. as a 'private contractor' like Blackwater and they can legally pirate like has been done for centuries. The only difference between pirates and privateers was the license and the flag being flown.

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They were all killed
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Posted by: Honky the Nihilist... on Apr 12, 2009 6:57 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Just like I said they would be.

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» one surivired Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars
Alternet Comments:

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waste dumping
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Rod on Apr 8, 2009 11:26 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There is no "their" ocean, it is the same ocean. Just like there is no peeing section in a pool. If criminals were dumping waste, they should be caught. I would say unbelievable, but after the AIG bonus thing, I will believe anything.

Rod

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» RE: waste dumping Posted by: jadresak
» RE: waste dumping Posted by: Rod
» EEZ Posted by: brunowe
» RE: waste dumping Posted by: Libsrule

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Too funny,
[Report this comment]
Posted by: 2thepoint on Apr 8, 2009 11:52 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
They are patrolling their ocean then capture a ship and demand $25 million!! and some people believe that story??? you mean is has nothing to do with the money or weapons they can get..

right!

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» RE: Too funny, Posted by: Llama11
» RE: Too funny, Posted by: 2thepoint
» RE: Too funny, Posted by: rhinojos

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I am wondering
[Report this comment]
Posted by: EncinoM on Apr 8, 2009 11:54 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If this wasn't a trojan horse, used to capture the Pirates.

If so good going, make the pirates think twice about seizing ships.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: I am wondering Posted by: 2thepoint

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Wouldn't it be ironic . . .
[Report this comment]
Posted by: dustdevil on Apr 8, 2009 12:41 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
if the former owners of the nuclear waste being dumped into the waters off Somalia suffered a little radiation poison from eating fish caught in the Somalian waters.

Fish seek underwater structure for protection. Underwater nuclear waste barrels would attract baitfish which would in turn attract gamefish.

Bon appetit, nuclear polluters.

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» RE: Wouldn't it be ironic . . . Posted by: MyLeftFoot

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It would have been nice to have a primary source on the issue of nuclear waste dumping.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: ABetterFuture on Apr 8, 2009 1:32 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
You'd think someone would have thought to take a picture of such waste, unless like vampires, they don't show up on film.

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So Alternet supports pirates now??
[Report this comment]
Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu on Apr 8, 2009 1:38 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I knew Alternet supported brutal dictators, the Taliban, income redistribution, oppressive taxes, open boarders, child predator rehabilitation, and Hamas. I didn't know they supported piracy. Guess I'll add it to the list...lol.

These pirates are interested in one thing: money. They have absolutely no interest in the environment. They are not heros. If they want to improve their situation they should form a stable democracy based on capitalism, like we've seen happen in Iraq. Stealing property and violating people's rights accomplishes nothing.

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» RE: So Alternet supports pirates now?? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» RE: So Alternet supports pirates now?? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» RE: Where is that stable democracy you mention? . . . Posted by: LaughingModerateIndependent
» behind the Iron Currant Posted by: Bliss Doubt
» RE: What planet do you live on, etvaugha? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» RE: What planet do you live on, etvaugha? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» RE: So Alternet supports pirates now?? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» RE: So Alternet supports pirates now?? Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» Ah, them college kiddies at it again. LOL ! Posted by: LaughingModerateIndependent
» I agree. Thank you. Posted by: CarlaWaters
» I think I have it all figured out Posted by: etvaugha@mtu.edu
» How does that song go???? Posted by: 2thepoint
» Bravo mkdelta69! Posted by: Bliss Doubt
» This was the best post ever! Posted by: SeattlePackedSnowandCollidedCars

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Naval intradiciton can bust unknown ships
[Report this comment]
Posted by: reg373 on Apr 8, 2009 5:37 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
**He said the crew tried to exchange the captain for a captive pirate, but apparently the pirates reneged on the deal.**

Hmm. And here the pirate had believed in honor amongst thieves… ;^)
– found a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth

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This comment has been removed from the site due to non-compliance with AlterNet's community policies.

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What a load of crap
[Report this comment]
Posted by: hkc on Apr 8, 2009 10:32 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This article begins by making some strange claim about how Maersk Line is a big bad defense contractor. Well that's like saying Kellogs is a big bad defense contractor because they sell corn flakes to the army. If selling stuff or services to the US military is a mark of satanism I think we all need to be very careful about where we shop. This sort of thing is just sensationalism and has nothing to do with the real story.

Second there is an attempt at justification that the poor Somali's are naturally driven to piracy because people fish their waters and dump trash into their ocean. There are two serious philosophical problems with this argument. First claiming that poverty justifies a life of crime dishonors the struggle of the vast majority of people rich or poor who make their livings without resorting to crime. Most people no matter how poor do not turn to crime, most of the poor who do turn to crime victimize primarily their closese neighbors, other poor people. To say that poverty justifies crime is ethically indefensible nonsense.

Second the Somali's need to organize some kind of government that works. Right now even feudalism is struggling to take hold. This is the kind of environment that makes one understand that the divine right of kings could be a progressive concept in some circumstances. Somalia isn't working. Until it gets a government that can defend its people and territory against crime and build an economic structure that works it is only natural that it will be a dumping ground and that its fish will be stolen. This does not justify armed robbery or murder and that is exactly what high seas piracy is.

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» RE: What a load of crap Posted by: Tacticsb
» RE: What a load of crap Posted by: Tacticsb
» RE: What a load of crap Posted by: Livemike
» RE: What a load of crap Posted by: MIST
» Poor People, Rich People Posted by: linecrosser
» RE: What a load of crap Posted by: mirdad

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Their time is coming.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Honky the Nihilist... on Apr 9, 2009 1:13 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
They had a good run but I believe that the lawlessness that has been their bread and butter will be used by private firms to slaughter these scumbags for profit. I certainly won’t be crying over spilt Somali blood.

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» I see wingnuts have Posted by: xxdr_zombiexx
» YOUR TIME IS COMING HONKEY Posted by: sirios
» RE: Their time is coming. Posted by: Shehova
» RE: Their time is coming. Posted by: 2thepoint

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Fact checking is a good thing
[Report this comment]
Posted by: lphughes on Apr 9, 2009 6:47 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Talk about nuclear paranoia! There may be nuclear vessels in the area, but they are either carriers or subs. The Bainbridge isn't either.

The prototype muclear destroyer USS Bainbridge CGN-25 was decommisioned in 1996. The current USS Bainbridge DDG-96 is an Arleigh Burke class destroyer powered by conventional diesel turbines. The Bainbridge is named after the US Navy's first destroyer, and is the fifth Navy ship to carry the name.

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» One small fact! Posted by: 2thepoint

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» RE: LOL Posted by: alive

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The US needs to BUTT OUT and quit pirating other nations already !
[Report this comment]
Posted by: JenniferBedingfield on Apr 9, 2009 7:37 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There's enough mess here at home to deal with. Besides, the Pentagon is way too corrupt and deserves to be abolished. The Founding Fathers wouldn't accept the Pentagon for the bloat it has become.

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Is there anything the Pentagon can do right these days?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: CarlaWaters on Apr 9, 2009 8:25 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
First, they can't/won't keep track of DoD spending. Now, they want to sacrifice security by sending ships into nations they have no business with? What a sick joke the Pentagon has become !

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This article's point makes no sense
[Report this comment]
Posted by: BCcovers on Apr 9, 2009 9:20 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If these pirates were really interested in "policing" or "protecting" their ocean then they would hold only the crews for ransom and then scuttle the ships at sea so that they could never be used again.

Instead they ask for a much larger ransom (for the crew AND ship) that they know the ship's insurers will happily pay them. The ship gets returned and continues its operations, including shipping through Somali waters. Your conclusion that they are protecting their country and territory does not add up logically because of this above point. Furthermore, many of the hijackings are now taking place in the Indian Ocean (International waters), not the Gulf Aden off the coast of Somlia.

The US has an opportunity here to do something really good for the world with its military power. Take the seas back, bomb the pirate"s ships in port, bomb the pirate leaders mansions, and make being a Somali pirate one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and it will stop. Right now there is too little risk and great rewards for Piracy in Somalia.

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» Let's agree.... Posted by: laoma
» RE: Let's agree.... Posted by: mainspark
» RE: Missed the point entirely. Posted by: mainspark

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Always thought there was more to this story.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Bliss Doubt on Apr 9, 2009 10:53 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This story proves, once again, that Africa is the world's dumping ground.

When the pirates captured a cruise ship a couple of years ago, they stripped the ship of mattresses. These people are desperately poor and hungry.

Desperation breeds terrorism. No hope, no fear.

One can never justify terrorism of any kind, but one must always try to understand where and why it began.

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Kind of an abrupt ending to this story...?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Bizatch! on Apr 9, 2009 11:25 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I know this event is still unfolding and is not very clear in the minds of most reporters, but the editing of this article seems very unfocused. Whether Scahill submitted it as is or if it was hastily posted by Alternet, it does not bode well for clarity in journalism.

I found a clear explanation of the fundamental point that Scahill tries to make in a concise but fair interview with a Sudanese diplomat on Global News (here in Canada) recently... that the *pirates* are in many cases trying to stop toxic waste from being dumped off the coast of Somalia, as well as preventing illegal fishing by international trawlers. The facts are glaring and indisputable, in addition to the obvious detriment of having no national coastguard to speak of.

My first reaction upon hearing the weird reports of this incident yesterday was of some bullshit 'Team America' style stand-off against wild-eyed African bandits. The shaky details are questionable enough; but why are they broadcasting such unsubstantiated blather so recklessly anyway?

(Don't answer that, of course-- it's the righteousness of the West at the heart of this message)

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Thank you Jeremy Scahill
[Report this comment]
Posted by: djuhlinger on Apr 9, 2009 12:14 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
My hat is off to Jeremy Scahill, who has taken another simplistic media story that caters to misconception and prejudice, exposed the perpetrators, and put matters into a cogent scenario.

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The nuke angle may explain the attack on a "French yacht"
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Posted by: DaBear on Apr 9, 2009 6:23 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
So far, the piracy litany seemed to have an odd-ball event.... out of hundreds involving commercial ships, one private yacht, and with considerable West Indian Ocean private yacht traffic along the Horn, it seemed odd that the Frog boat got nailed by the pirates. The nuke angle might illuminate that... (esp. if the nuke waste dumpers were Frogs). I wish I had more info on that.

But like the sketchy defense contractor thing... we'll probably never know. It always seems weird to me too.. you got a 500 ft long cargo ship getting jacked by a bunch of skiffs. WTF?!

The whole recent thing with the "All American Crew" bullshit also smells funny. What's in the containers, batman?

I love the local-boyz-defending-their-turf angle Scahill brings up. Hadn't been able to see that before. Kinda fun (for the pirates anyway); nice to see the "poor" kicking the asses of the "rich" for a change (although in real life, I'm sure it's not nearly that simplistic at all). BBC had better coverage in general compared to the 'Merkaaner "media"...

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At least 2 sides to every story
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Posted by: Mel H. on Apr 10, 2009 8:18 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The United States government has been presenting it's side of this story on our nightly news programs. Thank you Alternet for endeavoring to provide the point of view of the Somali people and the so-called "pirates".

Also, I have heard that the U.S. has been going to Somalia with tankers and stealing Somali oil, which is another reason the Somali people are angry.

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The New Hydrarchy
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Posted by: sincere on Apr 10, 2009 9:11 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Kudos to Scahill to pointing out the other side of the coin. A few journalists as far back as 2008 pointed out that the brains behind these pirate operations are *ex-fisherman*--pushed out of work by illegal mechanized trawlers from Europe/Asia that roam the Somali coasts, and illegal dumping. One report told of an Italian trawler that came and dumped toxic waste, and then left with fish! Talk about a double insult. While having a central government could help in these cases, that's not always the case--as trawlers operate illegally off Senegal and are pushing fishermen there out of business, and toxic dumping in the oceans of the poor is all-too-common (i.e., Ivory Coast 2006). These Somali pirates ain't all "Robin Hoods," which Scahill is clearly not saying--though the usual braying conservative crowd are frothing that he has. They have however become not only wealthy figures of power, but the people who build homes in places like Puntland and those to whom Somali businessmen now go to for loans. They hire ex-militia men as muscle, and hi-tech types to work GPS and computers to track ships. It's worth noting how similar all of this is to the actual age of pirates, who themselves were often dispossessed men (criminals, debtors, runaway slaves, indentured servants, etc.) who created their own society at sea often saw themselves as rebels who quite justifiably attacked the caravans of commerce of their day--from merchant vessels to slave ships. Then like now, they were deemed pariahs (as much for their piracy as their often revolutionary egalitarian rhetoric) who threatened to upset the existing social order. Thousands were hanged throughout the Atlantic. Condmen or condone these modern day pirates, understanding *how* this admittedly untenable situation began (and all the factors and players involved) is essential.

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I don't get it.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: gorkman on Apr 10, 2009 12:14 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The aricle states that european ships were illegally dumping radioactive waste in Somali waters.

That seems to me a bit weird. Why would European ships travel all the way around the horn of Africa or go through the Suez canal to reach this lawless area just to dump toxic waste?

Couldn't they just go to international waters in the middle of the atlantic and dump it there?

Don't the stricter environmental regulations of the EU require documentation of the amounts of dangerous waste their industries produce and where they put it?

I would like more detailed specifics and documentation of these serious allegations before I consider them believable

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» RE: I don't get it. Posted by: mirdad

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BulldogRedemer
[Report this comment]
Posted by: BulldogRedeemer on Apr 10, 2009 3:51 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What does armed hijacking on the high seas in international waters, a civilian unarmed ship hundreds of miles off the coast not understood by Jeremy Scahill and other America haters? It is not the bad old pentagon, the US Navy nor Blackwater at fault here. It is criminal PIRATES, not "pirates", who take hostages for ransom. Quit always trying to blame America for everything and try loving her for a change.

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Pirate vs. privateer
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Posted by: Scarabus on Apr 11, 2009 6:10 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In earlier times,"privateers" were licensed to capture enemy vessels in the national interest — in exchange for a cut of the booty, of course.

Squishy, but one can make a rational case that there's legal justification for such behavior.

But a fair number of privateers realized that they'd do a whole lot better by going freelance, keeping all the booty for themselves rather than settling for a fraction of the total. They became pirates. And, as pirates rather than patriots, they were hunted down by their own government.

So let's look at the current situation from the perspective of that historic precedent. You want to argue that these guys are acting as sophisticated moral agents, promoting justice and national interest rather than self-interest? As privateers, so to speak? Then good luck. You may be right, but the burden of proof is yours.

You want to argue that the cargo the ships are carrying, cargo the crew members are clueless about, is complicit in some opaque nexus of imperial conspiracy? Fair enough. That's seriously interesting. To an over-educated nerd like me, but not to an ordinary sailor.

What are the odds that the sailors being threatened and murdered are political? That they actually know what their vessel is carrying, let alone its place in a complex international web? And what are the odds that the attackers are motivated by politics rather than greed?

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Just a hunch ...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: chorton on Apr 11, 2009 8:00 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I would watch very closely for the possibility that this incident is being used as grounds for another attempt to impose by force on Somalia a government friendly to US corporate interests.

Whatever case could be made for this in terms of noble democratic or humanitarian objectives, and no matter how plausible it may sound, all of recent history tells us that this will be a new disaster for the Somali people and will do no good for the people of the US. We need to oppose it at the first sign that it is actually in preparation.

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The pirates hijacked a ship bringing humanitarian aid to poor Somalis. Shows whose side they're on!!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: yellow on Apr 12, 2009 1:19 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
These bandits don't care about the poor and oppressed. They are now oppressors.

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Pirates vs. Privateers
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Posted by: kogwonton on Apr 12, 2009 1:33 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Maybe Somalia can get a license from the U.S. as a 'private contractor' like Blackwater and they can legally pirate like has been done for centuries. The only difference between pirates and privateers was the license and the flag being flown.

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They were all killed
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Honky the Nihilist... on Apr 12, 2009 6:57 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Just like I said they would be.

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