The Pirates of Puntland

So why do the pirates now have a big problem? They have had, quite simply, too much success -- and have moved from nuisance to noxious. Hijacking an oil tanker is an economic assault on the industrial world that the general public understands. Don't discount the global economic downturn's sobering effect. Shippers estimate that rerouting tankers and freighters around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope (in order to avoid pirate waters) increases shipping costs 20 percent to 30 percent,

Pirates and terrorists thrive in anarchic territory. Though Somali pirates may not directly connect with al-Qaida-affiliated terror groups, indirect ties exist -- and certainly so do short-lived alliances of convenience. Intelligence agencies scrutinize criminal organizations for many reasons. Smugglers and rebels share clandestine lives. Terrorists worldwide (e.g., Colombia) run "mafia-style" extortion rackets. The Filipino Islamist terror group Abu Sayyaf is a pirate gang.

Trading powers are responding to the Somali pirates' violent bravado. Last week, an Indian Navy ship sank a Somali pirate vessel off East Africa. StrategyPage.com reported Russia is sending more ships and a commando group trained in hostage rescue. Though it risks the lives of hostages, a punitive strike on the Pirates of Puntland could be next month's news.

Modern piracy won't be stopped by naval action alone. In "Jolly Roger With an Uzi" (published in 2000), authors Jack Gottschalk and Brian Flanagan analyze the piracy problem as a complex challenge to the international political system. Ineffective governments are part of the predicament. Corrupt shipping agents even play a role, providing intel to criminals. Placing armed guards on ships isn't a new idea, but it creates legal tangles. However, Gottschalk and Flanagan note that "lethal force to prevent pirate attacks" against ships on the high seas "may well be necessary to bring piracy under effective control."