Piracy, an International Nightmare

Two months ago, it seemed that Somali pirates were no longer a threat, having apparently been subdued by naval patrols from several nations in the Gulf of Aden.

It turns out they may have been waiting for the summer monsoon season to subside. Now that the seas are calmer, the piracy business is booming.

On Monday, Somali brigands commandeered an oil tanker with $20 million worth of crude en route from Saudi Arabia to the United States.

Summer was quiet. But the last two months have seen 38 ships attacked and 10 hijacked, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The pirates have shifted from the heavily patrolled Gulf of Aden to the area of ocean between the African mainland and the Seychelles islands, the New York Times reports.

Twenty warships are not enough to contain the pirates. U.S. Navy Lt. Matt Allen said: "It's 2.5 million square miles we're dealing with. It's a very large area. It's a daunting task," he told the Times.

The pirates, many former fishermen, are using as headquarters large ships in the middle of the ocean from whence to launch their attacks using motorized dinghies. Somalis are being drawn to the trade by large ransoms paid for commercial ships. Yet they have captured and threatened to kill a retired British couple who were cruising the seas in their sailboat. A seven-figure ransom has been demanded.

This is becoming an international nightmare, fed by the chaos and poverty of Somalia and made possible by the vast expanse of ocean. More Somalis are becoming involved in the dishonest trade. More commercial vessels are being seized.

The pirates have changed tactics, moving further out into the open ocean where they can operate unhindered. "They have definitely increased their capacity and their ability to stay out at sea for longer," said Cyrus Mody of the International Maritime Bureau in London.

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