maintaining a private army aint as cheap as it used to be

Where did that money go, Brebro? To one person? To many? What did it pay for?

Does it even begin to make restitution for the nuclear waste, for the decimated fishing grounds?

From The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/04/10/DI2009041001303.html

Ken Menhkaus, professor of political science at Davidson College and an expert on Somalia and the piracy epidemic off its coast, was online Friday, April 10, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the latest developments and ongoing negotiations.

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Ken Menkhaus: Hi, Ken Menkhaus here, I hope to help clarify questions on the Somalia piracy issue.

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Hartford, Conn.: Some questions about what happens after previously hijacked ships are released. How are the ransoms paid and the transfers converted to cash or other things of value? And what do the pirates do with their “booty?” It’s not like they can live in mansions and collect luxury cars on the Horn of Africa, can they?

Ken Menkhaus: Ransoms have usually been paid with cash airdrops and divvied up among the many, many local actors with a finger in this pie. The pirates and their financial backers use the money to build homes, get married, invest in businesses in Nairobi Kenya.

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Washington, D.C.: Because this was a U.S. ship, there will be calls now for the U.S.—and President Obama—to take more aggressive military action against the pirates - but really, shouldn’t we keep this in perspective? This is, after all, a relatively minor hindrance to world shipping, and absolutely no challenge to U.S. national security interests. The pirates have been surprisingly businesslike, generally not harming crews, and seeking “reasonable” ransoms. When you read that the reason ships don’t arm their crews against the pirates is that the cost of insurance would be greater than the ransoms, you know that these pirates have hit the sweet spot and are basically imposing a tax on shipping around the Horn. Sure, it’s illegal, but it’s hardly worth engaging the U.S. military in an misadventure in a failed African state. Or am I wrong?

Ken Menkhaus: I would tend to agree with you. The piracy problem off the coast of Somalia is real, and needs attention, but over-stating its impact on international trade and overreacting is likely to make things worse. The total ransoms paid last year, $20-40 million, is a lot of money in Somalia but little more than a nuisance tax for global shipping.

NYC: Is there any viable alternative for these former fisherman? Is it there isn’t enough fish left in their waters for them to make a living anymore (thanks to foreign commercial fisheries and governments which have dumped nuclear waste in their waters)? even if we came up with enough disincentives to deter future Somalian piracy, won’t we just be running these guys into the hands of al Qaeda and al Shabab? I’m interested in the bigger picture that hasn’t really been reported.

Ken Menkhaus: There are not many viable livelihoods for anyone in Somalia these days, but fishing is still an important and potentially lucrative sector. They can and do still fish (the dumping of waste is overstated, has not prevented int’l fishing trawlers from fishing in and around Somali waters). But it’s important to note that most of the pirates are not ex-fishermen, they are just gunmen.

Not to mention the CEOs of multinational conglomerations who decimate the earth, wedge their well heeled boots on the throats of poor people the world over and then make that much money PERSONALLY….

Where’s the outrage about that? Those are the motherfuckers that should be surrounded by NATO soldiers….

I agree with tatuaje, I’d like to see some documentation on just how all this ransom money is being distributed. It’s bad enough we don’t know where the TARP money went.

So, what your saying, brebro, is that the Pirates need more transparency and openness in Piracy?

I guess thats where we can bring it back around to Obama? As per the original post?

Indeed, more transparency is needed, and if the pirates would also stop hijacking ships that are bringing in food to feed hungry people, that would be great, especially for the hungry people.

i’m just happy that motherfrackers somehow makes it past the censors.

Oh, and, yeah, pirates? please stop hijacking the food bound for the starving. Please stick with the rich white assholes.  thank you.

i must be getting soft…i’m writing this to take the swear words off the MX home page…

Wow.  I just now realized that these posts show up on the home page.

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By the logic that the pirates are somehow justified because of grievances (real or imagined), then us locals would then be justified in a little piracy on Yankees? Hmmmm…the possibilities.

Well, at least we can count three more Pirates in Hell.

Gotta love the ROE that allowed the snipers to take them out! [Note—ROE means Rules of Engagement for the mil-speak impaired]

looks like someone has a crush.

looks like meat heads everywhere jizzed themselves dreaming of “justifiably” killing a brown person….

By the logic that the pirates are somehow justified because of grievances (real or imagined), then us locals would then be justified in a little piracy on Yankees? Hmmmm…the possibilities.

No, unless “Yankees” (jeez TP you are such a cliche sometimes) came to your home, stole all the food from your fridge and pantry, and smeared toxic waste all over the walls….

Now, switch “Yankees” to DuPont and maybe it’s time to run up that Jolly Roger….

Well, at least we can count three more Pirates in Hell.

I mean, really, now you just sound like a really bad Van Damme movie….

Seeing as the US captain has been rescued, three of the four pirates have lead in their heads now, and the other has been detained, this issue takes a turn in another direction.

While I never enjoy seeing humans take other human lives, when the pirates pointed an AK-47 at the US captain’s head, the Navy reacted quickly and decisively and I think I would have to agree with that decision. Obama approved the use of force, which will probably help give him positive marks for his First 100 Days review.

The difference between Obama and Bush is that Bush would have given a no-bid contract to Blackwater to go handle the situation rather than relying upon the talents and judgment of our own armed forces. That way, it is easier to blame someone should the situation go bad.  I think Obama handled this nicely, and the snipers on the US Navy ship even nicely-er.