“For Somali Pirates, Worst Enemy May Be on Shore,” in the New York Times on May 9, featured an interview with Puntland pirate boss Abshir Boyah, who claims to have hijacked more than 25 ships. Boyah says he’s worried because Islamic clerics would like to cut off his hands as an un-Islamic thief, and drive him and his ilk out of town and out of business. His solution? Let the mullahs find jobs for his hijacking crews that pay nearly as well as their booty does now — and help senior pirates like him form a Somalian coast guard.
To me, Boyah comes across like he’s toying with his interviewer and baiting the clerics. The pirate groups are armed to the teeth with AK-47s and RPGs that they can use ashore just as well as at sea. They may be an irreligious lot, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t united and motivated by a significant shared set of values: Boyah describes piracy like the sport of hunting, and negotiating as a “religion.” Pirate leaders feel deeply obliged to support their families and clans. Social prestige plus materialist dissipation in this life can be cherished by some just as much as a sure path to Heaven in the next life is cherished by others. Somali culture in general puts high stock in not backing down from conflict and confrontation, even when things do turn deadly.
Many of the pirates recently arrested in their skiffs and dhows by international naval forces were quickly set free, making the threat of prosecution no real deterrent. Withholding foreign aid and charity is problematic; economic sanctions usually strengthen the grip of tyrants and warlords. One wonders whether the Puntland clerics mean business about any crackdown, or are just talking tough, holding out (negotiating?) for a take of the big pirate prizes.
For the West and other interested parties to look to local Muslim clerics to diminish Somalian piracy will likely prove ineffective. Counter-terror experts are concerned that Islamo-fascists such as al Qaeda might hire or infiltrate the pirates, or study and adapt ship hijacking tactics themselves. If mullah militias do go after Boyah’s crowd, the pirates will surely fight back, leading to more civil war all along the strategically located Somali coast. The chaos would create a power vacuum into which could pour nautical suicide bombers led by fanatical leaders. The beef of Puntland clerics is with piracy-financed spending on sinful liquor, illegal drugs, and illicit sex. To let this benign moralist agenda be replaced by al Qaeda’s purpose of destroying whole societies would be a grave error indeed.
I still think a relevant tactic might be for a task force to warn pirates and civilians to flee inland, then raid their lairs from seaward to burn their boats, and withdraw. Then let ex-pirates and local clerics confer on the job creation and maritime security issues Boyah half-joked about, with help from abroad.
– Joe Buff
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
So why does this article feature a Phillipino terrorist in the photo?
Why not just armed the merchant ships and let them blow the pirates out of the water when they approach and stop paying the ransom. If you take the profit out of it they will stop.
Good point cheeseburger…I’ll have the photo department pull the archives of all the pirate photos I’ve got and get it replaced…thanks for the catch…
Christian: An April 16 DT piece on piracy uses that same pic.
I suggest for anyone remotely interested in the issue of piracy, to read the actual interview, and form his or her own opinion about the pirate in question, and whatever relationship he has the mullahs. It was an interesting read.
Mullahs & pirates= terrorisim.
NO exceptions, No excuses.
Arm Up.
Lock & Load
I find it very curious that after the us kills pirates that suddenly a news story comes out about Islamic mullahs snd their problem with piracy.
Can anyone say findraiser?
They are sipmly giving a warning to the pirates, give us a cut or we’ll kill you.
There is the same problem all over again. People don’t have food or money but they can get weapons. What are they gonna do? They can’t put that in a pot and cook it. When are we gonna take care of all the warlords and the people that take all the goods that we ship every week to support the poor in this world? Poverty, weapons and religious believes just don’t mix.
I agree stephen–lock & load. I’m so sick of people looking out for the “rights” and “interests” of brazen idiots who prey upon peaceful people to convey their ignorant agendas and disrupt shipping lanes. Why don’t we just start a “special interest” fund for them and award them millions a year so that the bounties don’t have to be paid? (sarcasm mine) Why are militarily strong countries pandering to these unskilled morons? Three wasn’t enough. Do a sweep of the waters and “clear” them all out so that normal operations can resume. One viewing of “Pirates of the Carribean” and they think they can take over their waters. Duh.
The Mullah taught the Pirates idiot!He’s Alah’s second rosh/head….Polymorphism is deadly….