The history of piracy. Part 7 and last

In the previous part, the history of piracy approached its logical conclusion. It was said in what format there was piracy during world wars and how it exists today. There is nothing to talk about, but one important aspect was left without attention, which, which is characteristic, is relevant now.

In this final part, I will consider the phenomenon of “Somali piracy”. But because of the relevance of the problem, I will consider the whole situation and the prerequisites in more detail. And for a better understanding of the situation, you need to start with the general story of Somalia in order to better understand how everything has come to what is now.

Somali state itself was created in 1960 As a result of the unification of the former colonies – British Somalia and Italian Somalia. The presence of two colonial powers on one territory, each of which the rules with its specifics and, excuse me, culture, immediately after the union laid out an imprint on the relations of different groups of people this collected in parts of the country. Despite the fact that these groups themselves are very heterogeneous.

The USSR played its own role. Somali’s military aid began back in the early 1960s, but then Moscow did not pursue any special goals in this region-so, on-duty assistance with the aim for something more in the distant perspective. But after the coup of 1969 and the coming to power of Mohammed Siad Barre, Soviet assistance increased sharply – in Moscow they appreciated the strategic position of Somalia, which allowed to influence the situation in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. By 1977, the Somali army totaled 37 thousand people, there were heavy artillery, jet fighters, etc.D. – And all this thanks to the kindness of the USSR.

In the summer of 1977, Somali troops invaded ogaden and took control of most of the territory. But then Barre was faced with the fact that Moscow refused to support it in this enterprise – moreover, the Kremlin clearly made it clear that he prefers to see the Ethiopian leader Mengist Hayle Mariam (why it happened – a separate issue). Accordingly, the requests of Siad Barre for help were rejected. In response, the head of Somalia denounced a friendship and cooperation agreement between the two countries and drove the entire Soviet staff from Somalia. Everything would be nothing – only military assistance he had completely lost. The USSR, on a couple of Cuba, taking the Ethiopian army under their wing, showed the Somalians how truly it was necessary to fight-as a result, the defeated and demoralized Somali army in March 1978 fled from Ogagan. This defeat in Ogagen was the impetus that launched a chain of events. Somalia’s officer composition of the army was so close to his heart that he moved to active actions-in April, the officers from the Clan Mucheterein (Clan Darra) rebelled and made an attempt to overthrow Barre. The uprising was rigidly crushed, but some of the rebels managed to flee to Ethiopia, where she organized Democratic front of salvation Somalia (DFSS), who unleashed a partisan war against the regime Barre.

Having quarreled with the USSR, Siad Barre turned to the West for help – And, I must say, he fucked her pretty. In the 1980s, only from the United States he received help for $ 800 million-a quarter of them in the form of military assistance (for which he discovered access to ports and airfields). Italian help was even more – $ 1 billion, half of this amount in the form of military assistance. Later it was estimated that each Somalian accounted for $ 80 – in fact, half of the country’s GDP. In general, foreign assistance became the main source of Somali’s income – but it did not really reach the common people: Siad Barre disposed of everyone, controlling and distributing it at its discretion (first of all, it went around the dictator and his clan). On resale of assistance in the black market, conditions were made. In 1988, the World Bank published a report: an increase in foreign assistance in Somalia at 14 (!) times the increase in food consumption. In the 1970s, Somalia, being a poor country, could still fully provide itself with cereal crops. By the end of the 1980s, it became completely dependent on foreign assistance-the profit from the sale of which went into the pocket of the ruling elite.

So Somalia plunged into the chaos of the Civil War, which was led by gangs, whose leaders the Western media called Warlords or “field commanders” (“Barlordism” is characteristic of many countries with a collapsed statehood, or where the clan construction of society dominates, for example, in Kosovo and Metokhia (Republic of Kosovo), Chechnya, Afghanistan, former Central Asian republics of the USSR, in some countries of Latin America and some others, but mainly Islamic). Hunger began in the country, and by the summer of 1992 the number of victims of hunger and hostilities has already exceeded three hundred thousand people.
When “there is no consent in comrades”, but only enmity and mess, other comrades are connected to the restraint. In 1992, the UN Security Council resolution laid the foundation for the UN World Medical Mission in Somalia – UNASOM (United Nation Operation in Somalia). This mission totaled three and a half thousand troops, seven hundred civilians and fifty military observers. The main area of ​​its activities was the capital of Mogadish. This mission was not successful – the order was not brought even in the same city.

Then, the United States at the UN Security Council achieved the adoption of a resolution on the transfer of commanders to the United States and to provide these peacekeepers with the right to ensure the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid to starve in Somalia by any means, t.e. power. Within the framework of this resolution, the Restore Hope operation was launched, during which the new contingent of the “blue helmets” of the UN, headed by the Americans, began in the Mogadishu area. Then, under the auspices of the United States in Addis Abbe (Ethiopia) on March 15, 1993, a peaceful conference began, at which Somali groups agreed to stop fire. However, the main obstacle to the implementation of these agreements was the position of General Mohammed Farah Aidid, who, heading the largest military detachments, did not want to share power in its extensive territory and go under the control of the central authorities of Somali.

In Somalia, battles resumed against peacekeepers, in which the Americans lost 18 people dead and 73 wounded, and the forces of General Aidid to half thousand killed. And now those not many who have not watched Ridley Scott’s stunning film “The Fall of the Black Hawk” must correct this misunderstanding. US President Bill Clinton decided to save the soldier and ordered to stop the operation, and then ordered the American troops to leave Somalia altogether. US Defense Minister of Aspin Forest in protest resigned. The second mission of the UN failed. The UN Secretary General declared Somalia “a state without a government” ..
With the departure of peacekeepers, the civil war in Somali broke out again. In the conditions of chaos uniting power, besides clans, Islamic courts that existed in mosques remained. After the fall of the Central Government, these courts, first taken control of the education and health system, created their own law enforcement system.

The failure of the Somali Mission had serious consequences for the whole world. When President Clinton entered the White House in January 1993, he said that the UN (with the active support of the United States) would serve as an effective tool for maintaining peace on the planet.
Clinton issued a decree in which the conditions of the participation of Americans in the UN jobs were clearly prescribed. Since that moment, before offering the UN military assistance, the United States had to make sure that the UN operation is in life interests that the mission should have a clear time frame, that Americans should have a clear idea of ​​the nature and scale of the mission, etc.D.

But the most important thing is that the decree appeared exactly at the moment when the largest catastrophe was brewing in Africa: the Rwandian massacre, which claimed the lives of more than a million people. Just when the intervention was vital, the United States and the UN washed their hands and limited themselves to the role of observers.

Until 1991, the Republic of Somali (in those years https://partyspins.uk/ of the Somali Democratic Republic) was a respected member of the world community – participant in the UN, League of the Arab states and the African Union (in those years called the organization of African unity). Her President Siad Barre traveled with official visits around the world-from Riyadh to New York. He was accepted by the leaders of many countries. At the Congresses of the CPSU in Moscow, he made greetings to the Soviet Communists. In general, with all its internal problems (and the whole history of the country, after obtaining independence in 1960, is associated with the ongoing intercanean struggle for power) was considered a full -fledged state. And then there were no states ..

In our view, Somali pirates are completely impoverished people who, against the backdrop of an ongoing civil war and the actual collapse of the state, picked up the old “Kalashi” Chinese production in order to somehow feed their families;A sort of “Robin-Guds” of the Gulf of Aden, who boldly hurry in their fragile ships, across huge sea vessels, carrying acute-density goods for and so faded citizens of the prosperous West.

By and large, Somali citizens really do not have to choose. They can either participate in the war on the side of one of the local clans, or engage in sea robbery, or slowly die, since the convoys with humanitarian aid is unlikely to get to their street.

All criminal activity sooner or later falls under the control of the mafia, becomes organized. This happened in Somalia. Today, local piracy is a well -organized and debugged business. In favor of this statement, the established facts of international transit of funds acting as a ransom for the courts, cargo and members of ship teams, as well as the transit of some categories of cargo that disappeared from the veins in the waters of the Gulf of Adens captured as a ransom. Actually, the recent report of the World Bank, the UN and Interpol is an extra confirmation that Search for the cause of piracy only in the social causes and internal problems of Somalia is a deep misconception.

Experts say that money for the redemption of ships, goods and hostages in pirate operations is always received by the third party-Nerezist. These people live in the West and are respectable businessmen. Then some part of the money acts the pirates themselves. But what and whether it does at all is unknown. It is possible, the doctor of political sciences Andrei Manaulo believes that they are paid from other funds, and “redemption” money in reality has a different purpose and other addressees. In other words, here you can suspect one of the financing schemes for international terrorism. PAbout at least some of the pirate leaders are connected by close ties with the local Al-Qaeda cells and other jihadist organizations. In general, looking at warlike, but dressed in pirates dressed, it is difficult to imagine that each of them, in theory, receives about 10 thousand dollars for an average bunch of several million. And if piracy pursued only the goal of financing the civil war, then the situation in Somalia had to change dramatically for a long time (it does not matter which direction). However, this does not happen. Therefore, the extracted resources leave the country.

The African horn expert and the African continent Mohamed Said draws attention to this. In his opinion, 70 % of all money remains in London. The remaining 30 % are sent to Dubai, and from there already to Somalia, where only 10 % of the initial amount reaches. So the pirates themselves or the syndicate for which they work do not receive colossal profit. Money settles in the field of banking, security and insurance in the West, says Mohamed Said

According to the World Bank, piracy costs the global economy of $ 18 billion a year with constantly increasing trade costs. At the same time, the financing of pirate raids remains quite affordable: the simplest costs several hundred dollars, and large expeditions with the participation of several vessels will cost somewhere in 30-40 thousand.

In most cases, approaching the victim’s vessel, they use metal “cats”-catching, after which they quickly rise to the deck and localize the actions of the crew, forcing him to change the course in the direction of the pirate of Somali.

A typical pirate operation has from three to five investors. Some financiers, especially in the Somali diaspora, have little cash inside Somalia, but possess significant financial resources abroad and use money laundering to send funds to their long -suffering homeland. In general, financiers are in the center of the Piracy network. Taking an average of about half the total ransom, they are the main beneficiaries of this activity. As for the performers themselves, they are often content with what they will find on the ship. Says the head of the Marine Law Center, chief researcher at the Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vasily Gutsulyak:

“As a rule, the main prey is the captain’s cabin and the captain safe with currency. As for income, it goes due to the redemption of cash through intermediaries. To further expand criminal activity. First of all for the purchase of modern weapons. Then for the purchase of high -speed boats and for other needs “

Interestingly, some pirates change qualifications. Today they offer their services to potential and actual victims of piracy, for example, as consultants and negotiators. But business at this level, of course, cannot be interesting for large players. They have much higher rates and scale.Doctor of Political Sciences Andrei Manaulolo recalls the story of Faina captured by the pirates of Ukrainian transport. In his holds were tanks and anti -aircraft complexes. Not a single missing tank was then used by Somali field commanders in combat clashes with rivals. Consequently, all weapons were transferred to other consumers outside the country, and transported by organized. There is even an opinion that Somali pirates deliberately hunt for large batches of weapons and military equipment, which cannot be implemented within the country, fulfilling someone’s order. The question is whose. And it is clear that this someone gives the pirates a tip, which ship is to rob, and which is better not to approach. This state of affairs suggests that the Gulf of Aden is an important link in a large geopolitical game, and the piracy itself is an original cover operation that provides an almost perfect legend for the undercover transactions of the powers of this world.

The German Institute of Economics Research in its analytical report recognized that piracy became beneficial for all participants in world trade, turning into a profitable business. At the same time, piracy itself is a good source of income and for insurers.
After all, insurance is not issued for a year, one passes through the waters of the Gulf of Aden, and the high level of piracy stimulates the shipowners generously paying for the opportunity to restore the lost cargo, at least in dollar equivalent. For insurers, the payment of several basses for insurance does not affect gigantic profit in any way.

London experts evaluate the volume of the insurance market that ensure the payment of ransom at 340 million euros per year. It is these funds that spend shipping companies so that they are not covered by the ransom, but insurance. For only one operation of transferring couriers, they require for themselves from 100 thousand dollars. This part of the work – namely, dropping a bag with money from a helicopter on a court captured by pirates – is firmly held in their hands by former British military personnel who settled in East Africa with their companies offering similar services.

In the plight of shipping companies, it earns a lot of money and the rapidly arising industry to ensure security. According to experts, private security companies receive even more from the fight against pirates than the pirates themselves. One American company has acquired one business company even a former US coastal ship. Security companies receive about 2.2 thousand dollars daily. for each of the 4-5 of their employees who are on board the accompanying vessel.

A special place is occupied by mercenaries-security guards Slavs, in general, immigrants from the CIS countries. This is more about this here.

In December 2008, the European Union began to conduct Atlanta naval operations in the Arabian Sea and the Aden Bay in order to ensure the safety of civil shipping. This was the first military campaign in the EU History against Pirates in the area of ​​Somali coast. These forces amount to 1.7 thousand people from 8 countries of the European Union located on 9 warships and one auxiliary ship. Russia received the right to deal with sea pirates off the coast of Somalia according to the UN Security Council resolution 1816. Since the fall of 2008, the ships of our Navy began patrolling the African horns area. Actively fighting pirates fleet of NATO countries.

A wide resonance was the story of the capture of the Russian ship “Moscow University” and its liberation. Our military sailors from the ship Marshal Shaposhnikov conducted an operation against the pirates, neutralized them and sent them a boat home. In Moscow, this was met with enthusiasm, but in Somalia with undisguised irritation. Somali authorities demanded official explanations from Russia why this Russian military sailors left 10 Somali pirates in the open ocean in the Gulf of Aden, who “had little chance of surviving without navigation devices”. “Yes, they are bandits, and we do not dispute this fact. But they had to appear before a fair court. Leaving them in the open ocean – this was not the only opportunity to punish them “, – said the head of the Ministry of Communication Somalia. Something is not heard from this ministry from this ministry. Although they regularly send the pirates to the new “on the waves”. Note that the Westerners did not free their ships at all, although they are captured in dozens.

Americans are not an example of cultural Europeans. On April 10, 2010, the Nicholas military frigate answered the Somalis attack with fire, sinking their boat. One attacker was killed, the rest were arrested. They were charged with an intentional conspiracy, an armed attack, an attack to rob the vessel and violent actions against the crew of the ship. The trial goes to the United States. Piracy charges are put forward in accordance with the law adopted almost 200 years ago. According to the law, the minimum punishment for piracy is a lifelong conclusion.

So what does the coming day prepare the Somalians themselves, and their pirates, and sailors floating past these shores, and the international community? To understand this, let’s take a look at the geographical map of the world. And we will see that the African horn and the Somalian clans inhabiting it are located next to the strategic route of oil transportation from the Persian Gulf to Europe and America through the Suez Canal. In the opposite direction – from west to east – the trade route is no less important.

About 250 vessels, pass here per day. And keep this neck of the Gulf of Aden “especially interested” states will be under their control. True, no one called them here. But they will come anyway when a degree of tension rises to a threatening mark. And when he himself “rises”? Unknown. And will it rise at all. Therefore, it must be artificially raised! You think that Somali pirates for the first raids dug up machine guns and machine guns in their personal plots? Or after all, someone armed them? So they arranged several Flybustier republics on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden. And no one, mind you, no one touched them in ten years! And this is after the invasion of the Grenada and landing in Panama for less important reasons for the world community.

But on the north side of the Aden Bay suddenly (?!) exploded forgotten by everyone (or not everyone?) Yemen – small and poor Arabic country. And immediately Yemenic news in the first lanes of American and European newspapers-“Yemen under the threat of Islamists”, “Parks with explosives are sent from Yemen around the world, Al-Qaeda transfers its operations to Yemen”. And she went to write the province … And the “interested state” is already here as it is with proposals to help destroy the Al-Qaeda cells on the territory of Yemen.

Soon, very soon, al-Qaeda will be found in Somaliland! It was then that new military bases of fighters with international terrorism will be created on both banks of the Gulf of Aden. It was then that the American marines will begin to catch al-Qaeda commanders not in the mountains of Afghanistan, but in their elements-in the sea, possibly under water. On September 20, 2010, BAE Systems received a contract for creating a database “Geonames” and “Human Terran System) Somalia (Human Terran System!) and Yemen (!). Bae Systems is a large defense company of Great Britain. Engages in developments in the field of weapons, information security and in the aerospace sector. The last time such work was carried out by her in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This followed-a rare case-the public performance of Jonathan Evans, the head of the British special services of MI-5. He said that in Somalia there is a significant number of British citizens undergoing combat training in the camps of the Islamist movement “Ash Shabab”. “This is only a matter of time when we encounter directly with terrorists who are influenced by those who are now fighting in the ranks of“ Ash Shabab, ”Evans said. And he added that, in addition to Somalia, Yemen is “another reason for anxiety”. Familiar all names and addresses … but Yemen soon after these “revelations” suddenly (?!) flashed with the fire of a civil conflict!