Chinese Consider Anti-Piracy Mission

In what would be the first long range Chinese naval mission since the 15th century, the Chinese navy is considering sending an anti-piracy armada to buccaneer infested waters off of Africa.... The Chinese Navy?  Wow, I will sure feel a lot safer piloting my 2 helipad-3 gym-1 ballroom mega-yacht through the Strait of Hormuz.

Pirates on Trial in Kenya

“Where pirates are generally treated as enemies of mankind, really, the recognition (is) that nations should stand together in defending themselves and the international community from the scourge of piracy.”

Breaking News: UN Approves Pursuing Pirates on Land

We're a little slow on the uptake on this one (still getting our bearings here at arrrrgh.net), but this is a game-changing UN policy shift that will allow military forces to pursue pirates onto land when in "hot pursuit". The CNN article quotes U.S. Secretary of State Rice as saying that the current, lame-duck U.S. President is behind the resolution; however, the BBC Video claims that the Commander of the U.S. Navy's 5th fleet, William Gortney, warned of the danger of killing innocent civilians on shore. It will be interesting to see if, when, and how this new policy is executed in the coming months.

Zep mentioned that NPR reported this policy shift is conditional on the approval of the Somali transitional government, but that makes me wonder about the authority of this resolution (and ultimately its ability/likelihood to be executed). As both the above BBC piece and a related NPR piece highlight, these issues (along with piracy in general) are interwoven with the challenges facing the weak government in Somali.

Pirates Outmaneuver Warships Off Somalia

The New York Times is reporting that despite the best efforts of more than a dozen destroyers hailing from around the world, the Pirates continue to evade capture.

Quote:

"But the wily buccaneers of Somalia’s seas do not seem especially deterred — instead, they seem to be getting only wilier."

The bands have amassed booty estimated at over $120 million this year alone. What exactly one does with that kind of money in a country with almost no infrastructure is unclear, but the perennial pirate favorites of loose women and lots of booze seem likely choices.

See the entire story here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/world/africa/16pirate.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink