Anyone who learned some Tudor history at school has probably heard of “privateers”. (Licensed pirates,)
Plus ca change etc. According to Voice of America,
Private Contractors May Protect Against Somali Pirates
Pirates have captured 20 ships in and around the Gulf of Aden so far this year.
Naval vessels from about 10 nations will soon be patrolling the waters off the Somali coast, trying to prevent pirates from hijacking cargo ships.
The international efforts may soon be extended to include “private contractors”.
Now, Blackwater, a firm providing thousands of private contractors in Iraq, is offering its services to battle pirates.
VoA (somewhat unaccountably) interviewed a Maryland college professor for a view on this. (Is Maryland twinned with the Yemen?)
“I think it’s important to note first that historically this has been done. In fact, several hundred years ago, when piracy was rampant off the coast of Africa, it brought English trade in that region to a standstill. And the East India Company actually employed private convoys to protect their ships from pirates..
I will try to temporarily ignore the fact that “several hundred years ago,” English trade off the coast of Africa was the Triangle Trade (manufactured goods taken from England to Africa; slaves from Africa to the Americas; and sugar from the American plantations back to England.) All the same, this could hardly be seen as “trade” in any good sense.
I am also a bit confused by this particular historical parallel. The East India Company? My foggy memory of history had me thinking that the East India Company had something to do with India – indeed basically colonised India on a for-private-profit basis, not to mention caused any number of wars in its wake. Indeed, Wikipedia seems to share my delusion.
Maybe protecting the East India Company sounds a more respectable instance of the use of private naval warfare contractors than if you think of privateers in terms of the Pirates-of-the-Caribbean. Indeed, maybe, international co-operation can’t stamp out piracy in the Gulf of Aden. But in that case, what chance would an ad hoc private navy have?
More from VoA:
Cost of the private escort duty may outweigh the risk of sailing unprotected.
Berube says, “That would depend I think on the contracts themselves, but if you are a shipping company, for example, you would have to balance off the cost of providing that extra protection versus the potential loss of revenue… …
Berube says that his research shows most agree private contractors would provide escort duty and not hunt down pirates. “This is really simply just an extension of security that is already provided on some ships. We have armed riders for example. Some shipping companies are providing people on board to protect themselves from pirates,” he says.
He says, however, they must comply with international law, as well as local agreements
Hmm, Somalia has been in a state of complete chaos on and off for a couple of decades. International law doesn’t seem very big there. If it was – there wouldn’t be any pirates…… Or the UN would be able to stamp out the piracy threat, using member states’ existing navies. Without recourse to any private navy. Anyway, what is international law on the high seas? Who enforces it?
Are international governments like cash-strapped Tudor monarchs, forced to pursue their international objectives through fortune-seekers who’ll do the monarchs’ dirty work while enriching themselves?
It’s not just 1984 any more. Welcome to the Realpolitik of the 15th century.
I was kind of under the impression that International Maritime Law prohibits private vessels from being armed, hence the reason that cargo ships don’t just hire armed mercs to defend them. So, does Blackwater plan on getting their Letters Patent from the US, would that even be remotely legal? Er, or has that ever stopped them…
To be fair to the obscure Maryland professor, trade along the North African coast was a lot more than just slaves – and was regularly attacked by pirates. The piracy rates on the North African routes led to one of the United States first overseas “interference” wars and is still enshrined in the hymn of the US Marines (“Shores of Tripoli” part). The Barbary pirates were certainly a force in the region until relatively recently.
Not sure what this has to do with Somalia or the Gulf of Aden though.
Scote
Yes, excellent point.
T-W,
Yes, fair point, there is more African coast than West Africa, even “several hundred years ago” which I was taking to mean “more than two”. I wasn’t really thinking of the Moroccan coast or east Africa. I suppose the East India company must indeed have had to sail round Africa. (D’oh) My knowledge of privateers is hopelessly skewed in terms of historical periods and locations.
However, like you, I can’t see the relevance to Somalian piracy and I certainly can’t see licensing privateers as a good step forward in the 21st century.
You don’t appear to know much about the East India Trading company at all in fairness, no offense. I think however the idea of employing contractors be they US contractors such as Blackwater or more realistically employing other somalis to bring down pirate vessels is a great idea. After a stand off has been resolved such crews could be paid to hunt down the pirates and would be awarded 50% of the ransom.