Pirates, They still exist.

Pirates, they still exist
fixing the root

What is Piracy/Pirates?

Sunday, June 6, 2010 / 4:37 AM

pir•ate |ˈpīrət|

noun
a person who attacks and robs ships at sea.

The word pirate is commonly associated with a person who had a wooden peg-leg, eye patches, owning a large ship with the skull and crossbone flag and a parrot on their shoulder, such as the picture shown below

however today's sea pirates usually are equipped with high tech gadgets, with high-speed boats, cellular phones and more modern assault weapons. The picture below shows a typical modern sea pirate.

pi·ra·cy |pahy-ruh-see|

noun
practice of a pirate; robbery or illegal violence at sea.

Maritime Piracy therefore is where armed pirates rob, hijack or attack ships. It is thought that the main incentive for the Somali Pirates is to kidnap the crew for ransom, not to kill.

This is why it is important to fix the country's economic stability as many are only committing the crime because it's seen as easy money

Stage one:
Spreading the word

What is Piracy/Pirates?

Sunday, June 6, 2010 / 4:37 AM

pir•ate |ˈpīrət|

noun
a person who attacks and robs ships at sea.

however today's sea pirates usually are equipped with high tech gadgets, with high-speed boats, cellular phones and more modern assault weapons. The picture below shows a typical modern sea pirate.

pi·ra·cy |pahy-ruh-see|

noun
practice of a pirate; robbery or illegal violence at sea.

Maritime Piracy therefore is where armed pirates rob, hijack or attack ships. It is thought that the main incentive for the Somali Pirates is to kidnap the crew for ransom, not to kill.

This is why it is important to fix the country's economic stability as many are only committing the crime because it's seen as easy money

Other cases
Attacks

MV Almezaan

commercial cargo ship

The MV Almezaan is a cargo commercial ship which has been attacked a total of 3 times off the coast of Somalia. The first and second attack occurring on the 1st of May,2009 and the 8th of November, 2009 respectively. In the second case, the pirates demanded a ransom, however the third attack was much more aggressive resulting in the death of one Somali Pirate.

Route en Dubai to Mogadishu

Attack one

On the 1st of May 2009, the MV Almezaan was hi-jacked and later taken to Haradheere whilst transporting used vehicles to Mogadishu, it was later released with no ransom needing to be paid. However this means that there would be delays, resulting in higher product prices.

Attack two

The second attack occured on the 8th of November 2009, whilst travelling the route from Dubai to Mogadishu. This is time not so lucky, the pirates demanded a $15 000 ransom for the ships return.

Attack three

The finial attack and most aggressive, happened on the 24th of March 2010.The Panamanian-flagged MV Almezaan was 60 miles (97km) south of the pirate port of Haradheere, en route to Mogadishu, when it was attack. This time a small team of private security guards fired shots to repel the first attack but when the gang came in for a second approach the guards aimed to kill. A Spanish navy helicopter, sent as part of the EU anti-piracy force, tracked the pirates, firing into the water to force their surrender.

Somalia
Facts about Somalia

Somalia

Country

Location: Eastern Africa, east of Ethiopia. Somalia borders the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Area: 637,657 sq km
Bordered by: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya
Coastline: 3,025 km
Climate: Principally desert, monsoons
Terrain: Mostly flat to undulating plateau, rising to hills in the north
Elevation: Shimibris 2,416m (highest point)
Natural Resources: Uranium, iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, oil

People

Population: 9,558,666 (estimate)
Median Age: 17.5 years
Population Growth Rate: 2.824% (2008 est.)
Birth Rate: 44.12 births/1,000 population
Death Rate: 15.89 deaths/1,000 population
Total Fertility Rate: 6.6 children born/woman
Nationality: Somali
Ethnic Groups: Somali 85%; Bantu, Arab, and other non-Somali 15%
Religions: Sunni Muslim
Languages: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy: 37.8% age 15 and over can read and write; 49.7% male, 25.8% female (2001 est.)
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons: 1.1 million (2007)

Government

Capital: Mogadishu
Government Type: Transitional, parliamentary federal government (no permament natonal government)
Political Parties and Leaders: None
Political Pressure Groups and Leaders: Numerous clan and sub-clan factions exist both in support and in opposition to the transitional government
Diplomatic Representation: Somalia does not have an embassy in the United States; United States does not have an embassy in Somalia

Economy

Overview: Somalia has maintained a healthy informal economy, largely based on livestock, remittance/money transfer companies, and telecommunications. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Livestock, hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia’s principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports. Somalia’s small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and sold as scrap metal. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. Money exchange services have sprouted throughout the country, handling between $500 million and $1 billion in remittances annually. Mogadishu’s main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with private-security militias.

GDP – Official Exchange Rate: $2.509 billion (2007 est.)
GDP Per Capita: $600
GDP Real Growth Rate: 2.6%
GDP Composition by Sector: Agriculture 65%, industry 10%, services 25%
Labor Force: 3.7 million (few skilled laborers) (1975)
Unemployment Rate: NA
Exports: $300 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports – Commodities: Livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal
Imports: $798 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports – Commodities: Manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat
Currency: Somali shilling (SOS)
Exchange Rates: 23,000 shillings per US dollar (unnoficial black market rate as of February 2007)