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Somali Piracy ConferenceHosted by National Maritime Intelligence Center and Office of Naval Intelligence7 April 200!ise of Piracy and Ot"er Maritime Insec#rity in Somalia!emar$s by %avid H& S"innAd'#nct Professor( )lliott Sc"ool of International Affairs( *eorge +as"ington ,niversity-.o Caveats /et me begin .it" t.o caveats& irst( all of my information comes from open so#rces1 t"ose of yo# .it" access to classified information on t"is s#b'ect may be disappointed .it" some of t"e lac#nae in my presentation& -"e best open so#rce reporting I "ave seen on t"is topic comes from
 Jane’s Intelligence Review
& Second( I am not a la.yer and my analysis may r#n ro#g"s"od over some of t"e legal n#ances of t"e  problem( ."ic" are important( b#t ."ic" s"o#ld also yield to common sense& I apologie in advance to t"ose of yo# familiar .it" inside information abo#t Somali piracy and to t"e la.yers in t"e a#dience& I .ill be provocative& %angers along Somali S"oresMaritime travel along t"e Somali coast "as long been a dangero#s b#siness& My o.n official connection .it" Somalia began in 34 as t"e State %epartment des$ officer for Somalia& or t"e ne5t t.o years I spent abo#t a 6#arter of my assignment s#pporting t"e ,&S& embassy in Mogadis"# in obtaining t"e release from Somalias Siad 8arre government of t.o American flagged vessels t"at "ad been capt#red in separate incidents off t"e Somali coast on t"e gro#nds t"at t"ey .ere spy s"ips& In fact( t"ey .ere privately o.ned geop"ysical researc" s"ips t"at "ad finis"ed t"eir oil prospecting .or$ in t"e Persian *#lf area and .ere ret#rning to t"e ,nited States& It too$ mont"s to convince t"e Somali government to release t"e s"ips and t"eir cre.s& -"is .as not piracy( b#t it  provides an early e5ample of t"e "aards of sailing along t"e Somali coast& Piracy "as been a problem in t"e .aters off Somalia for at least ten years& 8et.een 2009 and 2007( t"ere .ere abo#t fifteen s#ccessf#l or attempted pirate attac$s off Somalia and in t"e *#lf of Aden eac" year& In 200:( t"e n#mber of attac$s '#mped to .ell over 3001 different so#rces #se different n#mbers based on differing interpretations of pirate attac$s& At least forty of t"e attac$s in 200: involving abo#t :00 cre. members .ere s#ccessf#l& -"is dramatic increase attracted t"e attention of t"e international comm#nity& -"e sei#re of a ,$rainian vessel transporting ;90 million .ort" of -<72 !#ssian tan$s( grenade la#nc"ers and amm#nition and a /iberian<flagged tan$er carrying ;300 million .ort" of Sa#di oil to t"e ,nited States #nderscored t"e concern& -"e pirate attac$s s"ifted from t"e Mogadis"# area to t"e *#lf of Aden at t"e end of 2007&)stimates on t"e amo#nt of ransom money collected by t"e pirates in 200: range from ;90 million to ;320 million& -"is may not so#nd li$e a lot as t"e ,nited States distrib#tes bail o#t money( b#t it is "#ge s#m for impoveris"ed Somalia& In addition(
 
 piracy "as ca#sed ins#rance premi#ms for a single transit t"ro#g" t"e *#lf of Aden to rise from as lo. as ;=00 to as m#c" as ;20(000& -"e /egal 8ac$gro#nd-"e ,nited Nations Convention on t"e /a. of t"e Sea defines piracy as any illegal acts of violence( detention or depredation committed o#tside territorial .aters for  private >rat"er t"an political? ends by cre. or passengers of a private s"ip or aircraft against anot"er s"ip( persons or cre.& On t"e "ig" seas or in any ot"er place o#tside t"e  '#risdiction of a state( any nation may seie a pirated s"ip( arrest t"e pirates( and seie t"e  property on board and s#bmit t"e matter to its civil and criminal co#rts& Only .ars"ips and military aircraft or vessels in government service may e5ercise t"is a#t"ority& In 2003( t"e International Maritime Organiation adopted a code of practice for investigating piracy and armed robbery against s"ips& President 8#s" signed in 2007 a compre"ensive and s.eeping policy governing diplomatic and legal action to fig"t  piracy& -"e policy emp"asied collaborative strategies by states and t"e maritime ind#stry to prevent pirate attac$s and ot"er criminal acts of violence against ,&S& vessels(  persons and interests& In 200:( t"e ,N Sec#rity Co#ncil passed a resol#tion calling on all states to cooperate in co#nter<piracy actions off t"e Somali coast& It a#t"oried operations inside Somalias territorial .aters to deny t"at area as a safe "aven for pirates ."o operate o#tside t"e 32<mile limit& At t"e end of 200:( t"e ,nited States sponsored a ,N Sec#rity Co#ncil resol#tion t"at a#t"oried co#ntries to @ta$e all necessary meas#res as"ore in Somalia( incl#ding in its airspace to capt#re t"ose persons #sing Somali territory for piracy& %efense Secretary *ates 6#ite properly po#red cold .ater on t"is initiative by pointing o#t t"at t"e international comm#nity does not "ave ade6#ate intelligence to carry o#t land<based see$ and destroy missions against pirates& -"e ,&S& ift" leet commander ec"oed t"is vie.& +"ile t"ere is no "arm in "aving t"is ,N resol#tion on t"e record( since its passage I dont believe it "as ever been #sed& In Ban#ary 200( t"e ,nited States and t"e ,nited ingdom signed a memorand#m of #nderstanding .it" enya t"at permits t"em to "and over to enyan a#t"orities capt#red pirates for prosec#tion& enya emp"asied t"at t"is s"o#ld not constit#te an open door for d#mping pirates onto enyan soil& It remains to be seen "o effective t"is collaboration .ill be&Also in Ban#ary 200( nine co#ntriesD%'ibo#ti( )t"iopia( enya( Madagascar( t"e Maldives( t"e Seyc"elles( Somalia( -anania( and EemenDsigned an agreement to cooperate in preventing s"ip "i'ac$ings and appre"ending pirates for arrest and  prosec#tion& no.n as t"e %'ibo#ti Code of Cond#ct( it allo.s one signatory co#ntry to send armed forces into anot"er signatory co#ntrys territorial .aters to p#rs#e pirates and( in some cases( to 'ointly cond#ct anti<piracy operations& -"e fact is( "o.ever( t"at all of t"ese co#ntries "ave e5tremely limited capacity to deal .it" pirates and t"e code is largely meaningless& Somalia is not party to most of t"e relevant international treaties and does not "ave any co#nter<piracy legislation& 8eca#se no central a#t"ority controls Somalia( "o.ever( t"e point .o#ld be moot even if it "ad co#nter<piracy legislation& -"e Somali 2
 
-ransitional ederal *overnment did conc#r .it" t"e ,N Sec#rity Co#ncil resol#tion t"at allo.s foreign forces to engage in "ot p#rs#it of pirates on Somali territory& +"o Are t"e Somali PiratesF-"e pirate gro#ps c#t across Somali clan lines and tend to live along t"e coastline& -"e n#mber of Somalis involved in piracy "as been estimated as "ig" as 3(=00& -"e #nit operating o#t of ismay# in so#t"ern Somalia comprises pirates from t"e Ha.iye( %arod and 8ant# clans& One of t"e senior commanders is a Mare"an ."ile t"e 8ant# are former fis"ermen& Pirates operating o#t of Harard"eere nort" of Mogadis"# are dominated by t"e S#leiman s#b<s#b clan& -"ey #se )l %ere and Hobyo as s#pply bases and t"e inland to.ns of *al$ayo and *aro.e in P#ntland as logistical and financial "#bs& According to
 Jane’s
( Pa$istani and S#danese nationals "elp plan t"e piracy operations o#t of Harard"eere& -"ere are reg#lar contacts bet.een t"e pirates in ismay# and Harard"eere& %arod gro#ps "ave a base f#rt"er #p t"e Indian Ocean coast at )yl and at t"e ma'or *#lf of Aden port of 8osasso& Somalis are e5ceptionally entreprene#rial& Piracy is a .ay to ma$e money& -"ere is no evidence t"at piracy is directly lin$ed to international terrorism( alt"o#g" many Somali gro#ps get a c#t of t"e ransom money&
 Jane’s
 "as identified a close lin$ bet.een t"e pirates and t"e e5tremist al<S"abab gro#p( ."ic" says it "as lin$s to al<Gaeda& -"e  pirates in ismay# coordinate .it" t"e al<S"abab militia in t"e area( alt"o#g" al<S"abab apparently does not play an active role in t"e pirate attac$s& Al<S"abab re6#ires some  pirates to pay a protection fee of = to 30 percent of t"e ransom money& If al<S"abab "elps to train t"e pirates( it mig"t receive 20 percent and #p to =0 percent if it finances t"e  piracy operation& -"ere is increasing evidence t"at t"e pirates are assisting al<S"abab .it" arms sm#ggling from Eemen and t.o central Asian co#ntries& -"ey are also reportedly "elping al<S"abab develop an independent maritime force so t"at it can sm#ggle foreign 'i"adist fig"ters and @special .eapons into Somalia& A lin$ .it" terrorism is .orrisome( b#t t"e alliance bet.een t"e pirates and al<S"abab is fragile&Pirate Mod#s OperandiAlt"o#g" Somali pirates operate from a variety of bases( t"eir met"odology is similar& -"e attac$ boats are small .ood or fiber<glass fis"ing s$iffs of t.enty to si5ty feet o#tfitted .it" d#al engines of #p to := HP& -"ey are often carried and la#nc"ed by @mot"er s"ips( #s#ally fis"ing tra.lers or d"o.s t"at .ere commandeered or p#rc"ased  by t"e pirates& -"ey #se *PS devices( satellite p"ones and some "ave ac6#ired e6#ipment t"at enables t"em to pic$ #p A#tomatic Identification Signals >AIS? re6#ired  by commercial vessels& )ac" s$iff contains t"ree to seven pirates& If t"e attac$ occ#rs in t"e *#lf of Aden( t"e s$iffs overnig"t off t"e coast of Eemen and attac$ ."en morning arrives at speeds of #p to 90 $nots in gro#ps of t.o or t"ree& -"ey often fire a#tomatic .eapons and !P*s at t"e vessel& S"ips t"at stop are more li$ely to be capt#red& -"e  pirates #se grappling "oo$s and ladders to board& Pirates t"en force t"e vessel to one of t"e pirate bases at 8argaal( )yl( Hobyo( *araad or Harard"eere ."ere t"ey ma$e a ransom demand& -"e going rate is ;3 to ;2 million( depending on t"e s"ip and cre.& -"e pirates normally receive cas" at t"e point 9

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