This is more of a random musing, and just trying to think of something that could end this. I really don't have a solution.
First of all I think that the problem of piracy is one that the shipping companies have really brought upon themselves. They have been very consistent in terms of paying ransom's to get crews and ships back. As a result of this piracy has become a pretty low risk high reward business for people in certain locatations.
First of all I hope that is changing. The pirates who thought they had gotten away with hijacking the Saudi Oil tanker earlier this year had about 10 minutes to chear before they had a meeting with Allah. The French took care of business a few days ago, and now we did as well. So, in this regard hopefully they pirates will start to see that this is not as risk free as it used to be.
However, if there is the financial motive your always going to have people willing to do it, even at the risk of their lives, and the amounts are huge. Even people in a relatively wealthy place like the United States are willing to risk life and limb for a certain price, my brother for example having just signed a contract with an International Oil Company to provide security in Iraq for 300K per year (He figured why not, I've been doing the same thing in the Army for years for a hell of a lot less).
Anyway, the amounts are massive to these people who would be otherwise starving, the financial motive must be removed. Since it's been established that many of these pirate gangs have links to terrorists, could a case not be made that any company paying off the pirates is giving money to a terrorist organization, and there for be tried for doing so? I realize this is a rather harsh course of action, but I suspect it might work.
Does anyone else have any thoughts? I'm hoping this does not turn into a typical Politics and Religion shit throwing contest because I think a solution can be found, but I have no idea what it is. If anyone has other ideas, or thinks mine is a pretty damn good one, I'd like to hear from you.
Brandon
First of all I think that the problem of piracy is one that the shipping companies have really brought upon themselves. They have been very consistent in terms of paying ransom's to get crews and ships back. As a result of this piracy has become a pretty low risk high reward business for people in certain locatations.
First of all I hope that is changing. The pirates who thought they had gotten away with hijacking the Saudi Oil tanker earlier this year had about 10 minutes to chear before they had a meeting with Allah. The French took care of business a few days ago, and now we did as well. So, in this regard hopefully they pirates will start to see that this is not as risk free as it used to be.
However, if there is the financial motive your always going to have people willing to do it, even at the risk of their lives, and the amounts are huge. Even people in a relatively wealthy place like the United States are willing to risk life and limb for a certain price, my brother for example having just signed a contract with an International Oil Company to provide security in Iraq for 300K per year (He figured why not, I've been doing the same thing in the Army for years for a hell of a lot less).
Anyway, the amounts are massive to these people who would be otherwise starving, the financial motive must be removed. Since it's been established that many of these pirate gangs have links to terrorists, could a case not be made that any company paying off the pirates is giving money to a terrorist organization, and there for be tried for doing so? I realize this is a rather harsh course of action, but I suspect it might work.
Does anyone else have any thoughts? I'm hoping this does not turn into a typical Politics and Religion shit throwing contest because I think a solution can be found, but I have no idea what it is. If anyone has other ideas, or thinks mine is a pretty damn good one, I'd like to hear from you.
Brandon
