Somalia is poor and lawless, to be sure, but this ship was one hundred miles from shore. So, this attack wasn't a matter of a few barefoot fishermen motoring out in a rubber raft hoping to score some loot from a boat's safe. No impoverished Somali motors out in a small open boat a hundred miles from the African coast, with AK's and RPG launchers, on the chance that some fat ship might pass by. This was an attack well-planned in advance, against a target the pirates knew would be passing by this spot.
Given the planning of this assault, I'm not at all sure the motive was simply "theft", as a cruise line official put it on a television news report. It is possible that an extremely brutal and protracted version of the terrorist attacks that have shocked the world over the past several years was narrowly avoided today.
You are quite possibly right.
People have forgotten the Achille Lauro.
And the way terrorists blow up planes, they will be happy to blow up ships.
Exactly. This was an Al Qaeda operation and they knew there were 150 Americans on that cruise ship.
From the Notices To Mariners:
Maritime Administration Advisories:
2005-3 SOMALI PIRACY
TO: OPERATORS OF U.S. FLAG AND EFFECTIVE U.S. CONTROLLED VESSELS AND OTHER MARITIME INTERESTS THIS MARAD ADVISORY ON PIRACY OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA ORIGINATED FROM THE NATIONAL MARITIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
1. THE NATIONAL MARITIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER (NMIC) ADVISES THAT TWO MORE AT SEA MERCHANT VESSEL HIJACKINGS ON 18 AND 20 OCTOBER OFF THE EAST COAST OF SOMALIA, DEMONSTRATES PIRATES ABILITY TO CONDUCT AT SEA HIJACKINGS FROM AS FAR SOUTH AS KISMAYO (02 S) TO AS FAR NORTH AS EYL(08 N), AND OUT TO A DISTANCE OF 170 NM.
2. ALL VESSELS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN AT LEAST 200 NM FROM THE EASTCOAST OF SOMALIA. ALL MERCHANT VESSELS TRANSITING THE COAST OFSOMALIA, NO MATTER HOW FAR OFFSHORE, SHOULD INCREASE ANTI-PIRACY PRECAUTIONS AND MAINTAIN A HEIGHTENED STATE OF VIGILANCE. PIRATES ARE REPORTED TO HAVE USED PREVIOUSLY HIJACKED SHIPS AS BASES FOR FURTHER ATTACKS.
3. ANOTHER REPORTED PIRATE TACTIC HAS BEEN TO ISSUE A FALSE DISTRESS CALL TO LURE A SHIP CLOSE INSHORE. THEREFORE, CAUTION SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN RESPONDING TO DISTRESS CALLS KEEPING IN MIND IT MAY BE A TACTIC TO LURE A VESSEL INTO A TRAP.
4. VICTIMIZED VESSELS REPORT TWO TO THREE 6 TO 9 METER SPEEDBOATS WITH 3 TO 6 ARMED MEN PER VESSEL ARMED WITH AK-47S AND SHOULDER LAUNCHED ROCKETS, OPENING FIRE ON THEIR VESSELS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN ORDER TO INTIMIDATE THEM INTO STOPPING.
5. TO DATE, VESSELS THAT INCREASE SPEED AND TAKE EVASIVE MANEUVERS AVOID BOARDING WHILE THOSE THAT SLOW DOWN ARE BOARDED, TAKEN TO THESOMALI COASTLINE, AND RELEASED AFTER SUCCESSFUL RANSOM PAYMENT,OFTEN AFTER PROTRACTED NEGOTIATIONS OF AS MUCH AS 11 WEEKS.
6. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ADVISORY, CONTACT THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE OF SHIP OPERATIONS, CODE MAR-613, ROOM2122, 400 7TH STREET, WASHINGTON, DC 20590; TELEPHONE 202-366-5735, OR BYE-MAIL TO OPCENTR1.MARAD@DOT.GOV. (281800Z OCT 2005)