The first act of Piracy that I can find occurred in 1635 by Thomas Smith at an Indian trading post, in the Susquehanna River. He was in fact a very educated man, and an agent for the Virginia Secretary of State, William Claiborne. This was acting out in rebellion against Lord Baltimore, who was insisting that any trading to be done first needed to have a license to do so from him. Many battles at sea occurred as the two sides fought. On one hand pirates revolting and taking what they want, and on the other hand the Government trying to control the rights and freedoms of everyone. Sound familiar? Today there are still scores of vessels at the bottom of the worlds oceans  buried in the sea bed full of untold treasures. A silent testament of this conflict. After the first time Smith was charged with piracy in 1638 he received a stay and was released on bail, only to continue his attacks in Claiborne’s name. He was captured again and this time there was no leniency, he was hanged.

What is happening today off the coast of Somalia is not much different to that of 1635,  except for one thing. The solution to this situation can not be solved at sea, it has to be done on land. Somalia has been in a state of anarchy since 1991, and this is now the 15th Government since then trying to get control of the rebels, and waring factions.

The pirates are operating in an area 386,100 sq miles or, the approximate size of Spain. The current international efforts to stop these acts of piracy face a very difficult task, they cannot be everywhere. Hence the success of the pirates as they are smaller, faster, and until lately can get back to land to demand ransom for the ship and crew.

The pirates of today are not using big sailing ships armed with cannons and swords, as Hollywood and Johnny Depp have made it look so romantic. They are using small boats with AK-47’s, and attack slower, unarmed vessels off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, and sometimes those ships are bringing food and supplies to their own Country. And speaking of the food supply of Somalia, do we really know the real story? Is there any truth to the rumor that Nuclear waste is now being dumped in international waters close to Somalia? Is the Italian Mafia involved? Are they under contract from European factories and hospitals to get rid of this stuff? Had you even heard of that?

At the same time, more than $300 million of tuna, lobster, and assorted other “crops” is being fished illegally off Somalia’s coast as other Nations take advantage of the instability of the Government. Is that not Piracy as well? Is this the real reason for the situation off the Horn of Africa? Doubtful, to be sure. For that to be true one would think it would be THAT the pirates are talking about, not the millions of dollars in ransom being demanded for life and property to be returned. I’m not saying there is no truth to the other allegations, just that I am not hearing much about it.

It is my opinion the acts of piracy will never disappear completely just as bank robberies will never cease. There is money to be made, (which is related to another article I am writing, soon to be published) and the Somalia Government has to regain control and stop these pirates locally, off the coast, and on land.

The recent rescue of an American  held hostage by pirates has garnered world wide media attention, and the spectacular rescue carried off by the armed forces shows their incredible skill and superior firepower. 3 snipers, 3 shots 3 kills from the deck of a pitching warship in near dark conditions! Wow.Yet, aside from that we have heard nothing or very little in the media about these other things. Why is that? Vietnam, Croatia, Northern Ireland, and a score of other conflicts where inner factions and other Nations secretly operated beneath the surface with their own agenda at the cost of the imperiled Country. Business as usual for some and the vile underworld to others.

The bottom line is there is no easy solution, and sending  scores of military ships to the area will not stop the crisis, only increase the death toll. The Country of Somalia is in need of international help and it is its people who are the ones that are being held hostage, and have been so for more than a decade. Where is the outrage and UN demands to end the suffering of these people? The hypocrisy of the “civilized” world is overwhelming sometimes.