National Security Online Resource Center

The world has seen increased media coverage of pirate attacks of Spanish and English ships off of the Somali coast recently. This particular story details the release of Spanish hostages after the payment of a 3 million dollar ransom. Although the pirates were later captured, countless suspects still remain at sea, including pirates who are holding a British couple hostage for 7 million dollars.

The United States faced a crisis last spring when an American ship captain was held hostage on the high seas for days. Initial reports had indicated that he was killed, but we later learned that he survived thanks to a daring Navy SEAL operation. In this case, four pirates held the captain hostage, and SEAL snipers killed three of the pirates with simultaneous gunshots. The fourth pirate immediately surrendered and was transported to the US to face trial.

Some sympathizers may blame economic conditions as the cause for piracy (it may contribute) and therefore ask that ships either employ non-lethal tactics when responding to pirates or to pay off their ransom. These responses are flawed because they legitimize piracy as a profession. If Somali citizens saw that piracy was not a profitable profession but one with high risk of death, perhaps they would consider other means of making a living.