[OutMyWindow]

Originally Posted by brian eiland

When you think about it, it doesn't sound too different from life in the Central Business Districts of many of the Western world's major cities.

Sounds like they just substitute the Briefcase for a gun, simple enough.

[Marmot]

This just in:

Two British and one Irish security guard have been plucked from the sea by
a military helicopter after jumping from a chemical tanker seized by
pirates off Somalia.

Their decision to abandon the two dozen crew members still on board
attracted some criticism, but their British employer insisted that the
three former soldiers were heroes who had resisted a sustained attack by
heavily-armed pirates with great courage and would have been killed if they
had stayed any longer.

"They were unarmed. They had no other option...As far as I'm concerned
they
deserve a medal," said Nick Davis, a former British army pilot who runs
Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions (APMSS) out of Poole, Dorset.
* * *
They fired water cannon at the pirates, and zig-zagged. They also used a
long range accoustic device (LRAD) which fires laser-like beams of
excruciatingly-painful sound at attackers. They beat off three or four
attacks but the pirates then began firing RPGs at the LRAD's operator.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle5253731.ece

[NYCAP123]

Why would a security detail (trained soldiers) be unarmed?

[Marmot]

"Why would a security detail (trained soldiers) be unarmed? "

Because it is another example of how ridiculous this issue has become. The military, who have the resources and information to deal with this won't do anything, and every former soldier in the British Army who can't get a job someplace else holds himself out as a "security specialist" and s--t like this is the result.

So much for the vaunted LRAD, so much for firehoses handled by unarmed "security specialists" ... this crap has rapidly gone out of control because despite the critical importance of shipping through this part of the world, there is no immediate threat to the income or well being of a politician or his/her family. This is so typical. There are hundreds of seafarers lost each year and dozens of ships sunk but unless one of them leaves an oil slick on the beach near a voter, you will never hear about it. Let these "pirates" punch a hole in the cabin of some well connected cruise passenger or an admiral's wardroom then maybe they will begin to grow a backbone and clean up the mess they are helping to maintain.

[Marmot]

Credibility of unarmed guards in Somalia questioned

By David Osler

28 November 2008 Lloyds List

Vulnerable ships, or those with highvalue cargoes, should either follow BIMCO’s advice and re-route round the Cape of Good Hope, or consider paying for armed support from a reputable provider.

THE credibility of unarmed guards for vessels in the Gulf of Aden has come under renewed question after Somalian pirates hijacked the chemical tanker Biscaglia in broad daylight, despite the presence of a team of British security personnel onboard.

To make matters worse, the owners say that the ship was within the Maritime Security Patrol Area, ostensibly a safe corridor for merchant shipping, and was following a French-led convoy.

Maritime security sources stressed that while owners should not rush to get trigger happy, they need to be aware that simple three-man squads equipped only with non-lethal equipment were no longer enough to counter increasingly sophisticated and brazen pirate tactics.

Vulnerable ships, or those with highvalue cargoes, should either follow BIMCO’s advice and re-route round the Cape of Good Hope, or consider paying for armed support from a reputable provider.

The Liberia-flagged 27,350 dwt, 1986-built Biscaglia is operated and managed out of Singapore by Ishima.

It had 28 Bangladeshi and Indian crew onboard at the time of its capture on Friday morning.

The vessel is owned by Industrial Shipping Enterprises of Stamford, Connecticut, and was en route from Dumai, Indonesia, to Barcelona, laden with palm oil. A distress signal was received at 0447 hrs UTC, the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur said.

The commander of French frigate Nivose Jean-Marc Le Quilliec told Agence France Presse that the attack was mounted by five Somalians in a fishing boat. He said the three security guards jumped overboard and were subsequently picked up by a German helicopter.

The team were provided by UK company Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions, which said: “We have been informed by coalition military authorities that three of our unarmed security staff were rescued from the water by a coalition helicopter and are onboard a coalition warship in the Gulf of Aden.

“We have established procedures in place to deal with this and are working hard with the shipowners to assist in this fast-developing situation. Our prime concern is the safety of the people involved.”

APMSS specialises in the use of non-lethal equipment, including acoustic devices that direct high levels of sound in a concentrated beam at potential assailants, with effects said to be debilitating.

This latest incident brings the number of attacks on shipping attributed to Somalian pirates to 97 this year, and the total number of ships in captivity is 15.

[K1W1]

Hi,

Interesting developments here in the last 48 hrs.

It just goes to reinforce what I posted earlier and was supported in a later post by Stan Antrim ( A man who can honestly say he has a lot of experience in dealing with the bad guys)about the uselessness of LRAD as a weapon.

The time for armed security teams is here- and has been for a while!

If participating naval vessels set up a staging area at the eastern approach to the Gulf of Aden and the Sthn end of the Red Sea it would be quite a simple matter to deliver and retrieve these guys from ships as they pass.If they were lifted on and off by helicopter at each end of the transit from a participating naval vessel this would remove the issue of countries not want ing to have these guys embarking and dis embarking on their soil.

[Marmot]

I still think it is better to remove the threat than to establish elaborate procedures to defend individual vessels.

Disarm or destroy the threat and there won't be any need to indulge in a logistically complex and probably ineffective response.

If the civilized world doesn't do something at sea very quickly we will have a situation where there are so many ships being held by these scum that we wil have to invade a couple more hell holes and deepen the quagmire we are already sinking into in that part of the world.

This isn't rocket science or a "private security force" opportunity, it is a mop up operation. Board every suspicious vessel, disarm or destroy it. Game over.

[NYCAP123]

It seems like this ship did everything almost right. And subsequently almost got the help they needed. "was following a French-led convoy." but were 2 hours away from getting help. Why not be in it? Had security on board yet had them unarmed. Whoever set up their security procedures should be fired.

[OutMyWindow]

Originally Posted by Marmot

This isn't rocket science or a "private security force" opportunity, it is a mop up operation. Board every suspicious vessel, disarm or destroy it. Game over.

Here you go.....


Blackwater gunboats will protect ships from pirates

Wednesday, 19 November 2008

The American security company Blackwater is planning to cash in on the rising threat of piracy on the high seas by launching a flotilla of gunboats for hire by the shipping companies. The firm, which gained international notoriety when its staff killed civilians in Iraq, has already equipped one vessel, called The McArthur, which will carry up to 40 armed guards and have a landing pad for an attack helicopter.

The McArthur, a former survey ship, arrives in the Gulf of Aden, the scene of the recent high-profile hijackings and shootouts with Somali pirates, at the end of the year. It is to be joined by three or four similar vessels over next year to form the company's private navy. Blackwater, which has strong ties with the Republican administration in Washington, was the subject of investigations by the US Congress and the Iraqi government after its guards shot dead 17 people in Baghdad's Nisoor Square last year, a massacre which led directly to changes in law regarding security contractors in Iraq.

Several security companies are rushing to the region despite the presence of British, American, Russian and Indian naval warships, among others, sent to protect ships. For fees ranging from £8,000 to £12,000 for transits of three and five days, companies are offering teams of unarmed guards, "non-lethal deck security personnel".

With more than 60 ships attacked in the Gulf and ship-owners paying an estimated £75m in ransom for the return of crew and cargo, the security companies foresee a lucrative business.
One US company, Hollowpoint Protective Services, says it is offering a comprehensive service of hostage negotiations backed by armed rescue operations if the talks fail. Eos, a British concern, says it favours a "non-lethal" approach with the use of sophisticated laser, microwave and acoustical devices. But Blackwater plans to have the largest and most heavily armed presence among the security contractors. The company believes that the presence of escorting gunboats will have a deterrent effect, with criminal gangs being forced to switch to more vulnerable targets.

A Blackwater spokeswoman, Anne Tyrrell, said there have already been about 15 inquiries about its anti-piracy service. The company refused to reveal how much it will charge. Its executive vice-president, Bill Matthews, said the US Navy and the Royal Navy do not have the resources in the region to provide total security, opening up a role for companies such as his. He added: "While there are temporary needs that perhaps outpace the limited resources of the Department of Defence [Washington] and the Ministry of Defence [London], the private sector is available to fill those gaps.

"We have been contacted by ship-owners who say they need our help in making sure goods get to their destination. The McArthur can help us accomplish that. We have not sought to enter the space until recently. It was not part of our business plan. But as the world changes, so does our business plan." Nick Davis, a former British Army pilot who runs a company in Poole called Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions, said: "It frightens me that Blackwater is going down there. Their background is not in deterrence. Their background is in weapons. To me, the best people to be armed are the military. Pirates might approach McArthur without knowing it's a Blackwater boat and try to hijack it."

Chris Austen, chief executive of Maritime & Underwater Security Consultants, in London, said ship-owners should be cautious about armed guards. "There are some flags that prohibit the carriage of arms or the use of violence. There are some insurers that will not accept it, and your insurance will be void."

[NYCAP123]

" Pirates might approach McArthur without knowing it's a Blackwater boat and try to hijack it."
Wouldn't that be just about perfect. Sort of like the crook that tries to rob a cop bar.

[Marmot]

"Wouldn't that be just about perfect ..."

Poetic justice. But I still believe that the use of mercenaries and their ilk is a bad idea, a really bad idea for a whole lot of reasons. Not least is it is an admission that governments are incapable of protecting the citizenry and politicians lack the will to enforce international law.

The military could revive the old "Q-ship" idea and put a fleet of decoy vessels in the area. An act of agression against one of them would be sufficient reason to destroy the agressor.

In the meantime, blockade the countries which are harboring the pirates and the ships they are holding. They lack central governments, are lawless and by any definition are "rogue nations" so isolate them and let the local populace deal with those who are bringing more grief to their hovels.

Throwing money at soldiers of fortune and mercenaries only lowers us to the level of the warlords who have taken the Horn of Africa to its current condition. We shouldn't need to become vigilantes.

[Kevin]

I'd like to see a show of hands from whoever's surprised to see Blackwater enter this market...

Anyone?

Anyone...?

[OutMyWindow]

I'm not up on my International Law, but is it any Government’s duty to protect private businesses that are flying 3rd party commercial flags.
These vessels are well insured and it’s up to the Insurer and the ship owners to secure their cargo and assets, and if they can’t then they need to use security measures to protect their interests.
I guess if the Pirates were killing nationals than the grieved Country would have cause to take military action, but as History shows, who would want to go into Somalia after the last fiasco, especially to rescue palm oil, television sets, or soviet tanks.
This Blackwater intervention could be just what is needed and probably encouraged behind the scenes, as their tactics would never be questioned or be subject to political correctness.

[NYCAP123]

Marmot, I share you concerns for bringing mercs into a situation but you put it very well: " it is an admission that governments are incapable of protecting the citizenry and politicians lack the will to enforce international law." Well?
On the up side it also affords deniability so I too wouldn't be surprised if it was asked for.

[Marmot]

"... is it any Government’s duty to protect private businesses that are flying 3rd party commercial flags."

In a word, yes. Shipping is not just "private business" it is world trade and a critical component of the world's economy. That has been the justification for the U.S. worldwide naval presence since the beginning of the 20th century. It is the rationale for our presence in the Persian Gulf and S.E. Asia. It is the reason we reflagged Kuwaiti tankers in the late 1980s.

That region is one of the poster locations for what the US government calls a "choke point" of "sea lines of communication or "SLOC" which have long been our justification for many military escapades in the past.

There is no shortage of official verbiage declaring the sea lanes and that region as critical to US economic interests. And somebody in DC has the receipts to show we have invested a few trillion $ to back up that position. This is one of those times when the UN should earn its keep and declare open season on those "pirates."