>>>> things have definitely escalated in the last couple years. <<<<<
Amazingly, the civilized nations of the world seem completely impotent in the face of Somali piracy.
Piracy’s also a problem in the Straits Of Malacca, but it seems much more opportunistic due to the confluence of Singapore shipping and the geography of Malaysia and Indonesia.
This nonsense from Somalia is just a brazen and egregious F.U.
And with all the current firepower and patrolling there the civilized world can’t stop it?
I believe it was a few weeks ago that $3 million was paid to the Somali pirates of the Saudi oil tanker.
The Somali pirates are running a pretty effective scam:
They capture a ship, sell the cargo, get $$$.
Or they ‘ransom’ the ship back to its owner, and get $$$.
If they keep the cargo, the shipper’s insurance pays for the loss.
[Wonder how many of those shippers use AIG — who is getting taxpayer bailouts.]
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Apparently, ship crews are not allowed to be armed (if I heard right via Fox&Friends this morning), so the pirates pretty much have free reign of the area.
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Considering the number of pirate attacks/captures (7 just this week?), it seems the interenational community isn’t too concerned. The piracy has been going on for years, with little response.