Piracy at Sea

On September 25, 2008, three speedboats, captained by pirates, commandeered a Ukrainian cargo ship off the coast of Somalia. This has escalated to a hostage situation where repercussions exist beyond the immediate sailors and the pirates involved. The United Sates Navy has surrounded the vessel, "The Faina," in attempts to keep the situation from escalating to violence. The seized cargo ship has caused international concern because it is said to contain Russian tanks, grenade launchers, and ammunition. Originally, the pirates demanded a ransom of $35 million to free the ship and crew unharmed; However, negotiations over the past week have brought the amount down to $5 million, an amount previously requested, and often paid by various western companies whose ships have been detained by the same pirate organization.

In the past year, more than fifty boats have been attacked by pirates off the Somalian coast. This puts strain on a country that has fallen into famine due to drought and internal strife. As of late, the United Nations has been sending aid to this region in the form of food and other needed supplies. Most of these deliveries are made by boat, prompting navies from various western countries to send patrol vessels to that area. The US destroyer "The Howard" was in the region at the time of seizure last week for this reason, and has responded to the conflict. Multiple American ships have since converged on "The Faina" in an effort to keep any additional pirates at bay and to negotiate the safe release of the cargo and the crew. The Russian frigate "The Dauntless" is also responding to the call for assistance.

The content of the ship in distress has caused concern for multiple reasons. One of which is that the United States doesn't want the weapons to fall into the wrong hands. According to two western diplomats, a maritime official, and the pirates themselves, the Ukrainian cargo ship was en route to Sudan, a country currently entrenched in its own conflict. Sudan's struggles with rebel groups waging their own attacks against the Sudanese central government and a subsequent genocide in the region have prompted an American and United Nations Weapon Embargo. There is concern that if the weapons on this ship are not secured, they may be offloaded to Islamic extremists currently inhabiting the Sudan. It is also thought that these extremists may be supporting Al Qaeda and its terrorist activities. Furthermore, if the Ukrainian vessel was truly en route to Sudan, it is in blatant violation of United Nation and American sanctions.

It is unclear how the United States will proceed in dealing with the pirates. It is also unclear what the United Nations will do if in fact, it is proven that the Ukrainians were providing arms to the Sudanese in spite of the embargo. What is clear is that the United States will continue to support countries in need outside of our own boarder

--ace1453