Rescue of U.S. sea captain won’t end piracy epidemic; global response demanded

While Americans celebrate the freeing of an U.S. cargo ship captain and the killing of three pirates who were holding him hostage, the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa is still a very dangerous place.

The reason: Somalia, the country from which the brigands of the high seas operate, has a non-functioning central government and is largely under the control of a bunch of tribal strongmen. Hence, there is no punishment for the crime of piracy. Indeed, it is not far-fetched to imagine the many millions of dollars that have been paid in ransom being spread around to buy protection.

The drama of the last several days off the coast was a rarity in the way it ended. First, the American ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates, Maersk Alabama, got away safely after the captain, Richard Phillips, offered himself as a hostage.

The pirates took Phillips off the ship and onto a lifeboat. If this were a normal hijacking, the ship’s company, Maersk Line Limited, would have paid the ransom of a couple million dollars and the vessel, along with its crew and cargo, would have been released.

But because of the uncommon circumstances surrounding the Maersk Alabama’s takeover, the negotiations centered on the release of the captain.

On Sunday, Phillips was rescued after Navy Seals sharpshooters picked off the three pirates, one of whom had a gun trained on him. One day last week, he had attempted to escape by jumping in the water, but was recaptured by the pirates, This time, American military got involved — in a one-sided fire fight with the Somalis.

Three were killed; a fourth is in American custody. A public trial, if not in this country, then in the East African nation of Kenya, a U.S. ally, is well advised. The message must go out to pirates that they are playing with fire — literally and figuratively.

Of course, the value of life in many poor countries is trumped by the prospect of turning a quick buck, which is what piracy has become on the Indian Ocean.

Other nations

President Barack Obama, who hailed Capt. Phillips’ courage as “a model for all Americans,” was right when he said Sunday the U.S. needs help from other countries to deal with the threat of piracy and to hold pirates accountable.

Why? Because of the reality that is the hunting ground: It is 2.5 million square nautical miles (about five times the size of the Gulf of Mexico); 20,000 commercial ships transit the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa annually; heavily armed warships from various countries, including the United States, try, but generally fail, to defend all those commercial ships.

So, what’s the answer? There isn’t a straightforward one, but it seems to us that a blockade of Somalia is long overdue.

Pirates who are paid ransoms high-tail it back to their home ports and then disappear into the sparsely populated countryside. They must be stopped before then can get on land.

Given that there isn’t an effective central government, the African Union and the United Nations should develop a blockade plan that would result in pirate boats, including mother ships, being blown out of the water by the navies of various countries as they attempt to get to port.

Last year, NATO rejected a blockade, but in light of what has taken place lately, inaction is no longer an option.

While Americans are celebrating, a little French boy today is fatherless after what occurred late last week on the ocean. A private sailboat had been hijacked, but as demands were being made for its release and freedom of several French citizens aboard, the French Navy decided to attack.

When the shooting ended, the death toll included the boy’s father. Pirates were also killed.

The challenge

Therein lies the challenge for countries such as the United States. It’s easy for critics of the administration or the shoot-first-ask-questions-later crowd to demand aggressive, fast action.

But what if the president had ordered the Navy to fire rockets at the lifeboat carrying Capt. Phillips. And what if he had been killed?

We have no doubt that the critics would be the first to accuse Obama of being trigger happy and of being responsible for the murder of a hero.

It’s a no-win situation, but Americans need to understand that the Somali pirates don’t care about their lives or the lives of anyone else.

That’s why the freeing of Capt. Phillips and the killing of three pirates will not end the piracy on the high seas.

Indeed, associates of the slain men have promised to exact revenge against Americans and the French. Something must be done fast to keep the death and injury toll down.

Even now, the pirates are holding ransom several ships from various countries.