[Arkinsaw]

It's a fascinating thing to watch grow. The origins of the old Barbary Coast were something similar. I doubt seriously this one will turn into a mini-state but weirder things have happened. These guys are making more than the entire area's annual budget.

These jokers attack in old dhows pulling a motorboat. The are usually armed with AK-47 and RPG. How you cannot defend a supertanker against that I do not know.

A couple of .50 cals and a small security force could deal with that. One of those .50 cal sniper rifles could also do a number at long range as they approached.

As much money as the Saudis have, they could put a phalanx on the thing that would turn a dhow into matchsticks.

They have money, why are they not defending their own ships.

[Billthedrill]

These jokers attack in old dhows pulling a motorboat.

If so they had enough intelligence data to position the dhows 450 nm out or they'd never catch the tanker. I'm guessing the boys may have upgraded their gear, though.

I think the general view of merchant sailors is a little more aggressive than the ones I know merit. They're just working stiffs doing a rather tough and dirty job, and risking their lives to protect their cargo is not in the job description, especially if it involves shooting firehoses at people armed with RPG's and automatic weapons. The pirates have taken (relatively) good care of past hostages, enough to prevent a life-or-death scenario from the point of view of the sailors.

More likely it will take armed professionals to oppose armed professionals (yeah, give me a cupie doll for a golden revelation on that one). It simply becomes a question of who, and when. But it will most definitely involve attacks on a civilian population and a risk of death for hostages. So who bells the cat?