PIRATES – 2009 SOLUTION(S)

PIRATES – 2009 SOLUTION(S)

It appears to us at The Study that the way out of the current pirate fiasco is clear.
It is not cheap.
It is not without some risk.

But it can be done.

There are at least several options:

1 arm the civilian vessels transiting the threatened waters

This option fails due to a variety of legal, practical facts of life which render options 2 and 3 infinitely more acceptable.
Details could be supplied.

2 naval escorts of convoys of civilian vessels in endangered waters

Naval escorts would guarantee the safety of all vessels in convoy. This is an excellent solution. This is the way it used to be done.

3 private security escorts of civilian convoys
This option would work but would encounter all sorts of legitimate as well as illegitimate objections. This option would work.

4 invade and sanitize the coast of Africa which is harboring pirate barbarians
This option would be the most inefficient and would very likely fail.

The nice thing about options 2 and 3 is that pirates would be totally unable to cope with even small naval escorts.
Costs would be minimal.
But there would be costs.

Success of the Good Guys would be guaranteed.

Finally, the American Skipper, Captain Richard Phillips, should be freed safely – by whatever means: ransom, immunity, etc.

And it should be the last time any barbarian is allowed to take any vessel which takes advantage of protection offered by the navies of the civilized world.

And finally again, it would help suppress this disgusting seagoing criminal activity if pirates would be dealt with summarily in the old-fashioned way: namely, termination of life.

A simple idea, too simple for the world we are now living in.

God save us.