Lightning strikes twice

Posted By Annie Lowrey Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 2:35 PM Share

Woe to the Maersk Alabama, the U.S.-flagged freighter captured by pirates in April! Today, the U.S. Navy reported, pirates attacked and nearly boarded the same boat again. The New York Times has some pirate commentary on the incident:

Pirates in Xarardheere, one of their strongholds in Somalia, said Wednesday that some of their colleagues had been killed Tuesday night. "We have been told over the phone today that four of our colleagues were killed and two were injured," said a Somali pirate boss known as Red Teeth. "We will keep attacking on foreign vessels until illegal fishing and toxic dump is stopped," he added.

A few things of note.

First, the pirate activity off the Somali and Kenyan coasts and in the Gulf of Aden is generally chalked up to insecurity in the teetering African state. Pirates steal and murder at sea because of the dearth of opportunities and complete lack of governance at home. I hadn't heard the "illegal fishing and toxic dump" political argument, which sounds like it comes from Greenpeace, not Red Teeth, before.

Second, what strikes me most is the detail that the Maersk Alabama was 600 miles off of the Somali coast at the time of the attack -- the distance the Navy recommends. As ships have fortified and moved off the coast, the number of attacks has not decreased as one would expect (cf. the ICC maps of incidents from 2008 and 2009). The pirates have moved off shore with the boats -- and attacks have become more resource-intensive, dangerous, and difficult for them.

EXPLORE:AFRICA, PIRATES

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BOOKFISHER

3:05 PM ET

November 18, 2009

fish is old news

tho is toxic dumbing angle is first I heard, the illegal fishing have been an important factor in this pirate problem since it started, remember it was fishermen who started, and many of the pirates still is fishers, maybe fewer now with local fish-populace going up

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November 27, 2009

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December 15, 2009

I am totally agree with

I am totally agree with comment. He should do it..
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