PIRATES OF PIRATES OF SOMALIASOMALIA

WHERE IS SOMALIA?WHERE IS SOMALIA?

SAUDI ARABIA

Somalia covers the horn of Africa on the continent’s eastern coast.

The Indian Ocean and its waterways separate Somalia from the oil-rich nations of the middle east.

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

In 1991, the In 1991, the outbreak of civil outbreak of civil war in Somalia war in Somalia led to the led to the collapse of its collapse of its government in government in Mogadishu.Mogadishu.

With the fall of With the fall of the capital came the capital came the fall of the fall of national national defense.defense.

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

Without a Without a functional coast functional coast guard, the guard, the waters around waters around Somalia’s vast Somalia’s vast borders were borders were invaded by invaded by foreign fishing foreign fishing and dumping and dumping vessels.vessels.

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

The Somali villagers, The Somali villagers, whose lifestyle so whose lifestyle so crucially depended on crucially depended on their fishing industry, their fishing industry, had no choice but had no choice but defend themselves. defend themselves.

Fishermen, soldiers, and computer masters alike set out to capture any ship that sailed near their coast. They call themselves vigilantes. We call them pirates.

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

After capturing a vessel, the pirates would After capturing a vessel, the pirates would hold the ship for a ransom, usually in the hold the ship for a ransom, usually in the range of millions of US dollars. range of millions of US dollars.

However, with such high stakes, profit became a secondary driving force for many Somalis to set out on the high seas.

ADDITIONAL INFOADDITIONAL INFO

Most Somali pirates do not intend Most Somali pirates do not intend to do any harm; they simply need to do any harm; they simply need the money to feed themselves the money to feed themselves and the impoverished people of and the impoverished people of their ravaged nation.their ravaged nation.

About a dozen ships are seized by About a dozen ships are seized by pirates at any given time.pirates at any given time.

ADDITIONAL INFOADDITIONAL INFO

The high-tech equipment which The high-tech equipment which pirates use are funded by Yemen pirates use are funded by Yemen and terrorist groups, such as al-and terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda.Qaeda.

Currently there does not seem to Currently there does not seem to be any hope of ending piracy in be any hope of ending piracy in Somali waters.Somali waters.

EQUIPMENT USED BY EQUIPMENT USED BY PIRATESPIRATES

RPGsRPGs(Rocket-Powered Grenade (Rocket-Powered Grenade

Launchers)Launchers)

SPEEDBOATsSPEEDBOATs

EQUIPMENT USED BY EQUIPMENT USED BY PIRATESPIRATES

HOOKS AND HOOKS AND ROPESROPES

GPSGPS RADIORADIO

MONEY-COUNTING MONEY-COUNTING MACHINEMACHINE

NAVY SEALS NAVY SEALS RESCUERESCUE

On April 13, 2009, after five days of failed On April 13, 2009, after five days of failed negotiation, Navy SEALs snipers were negotiation, Navy SEALs snipers were forced to shoot at three Somali pirates, one forced to shoot at three Somali pirates, one of whom was holding an AK-47 to the back of whom was holding an AK-47 to the back of American captain Richard Phllipsof American captain Richard Phllips’ head.

NAVY SEALS NAVY SEALS RESCUERESCUEThe event marked the first time Somali pirates The event marked the first time Somali pirates seized an American vessel. seized an American vessel.

The incident was also The incident was also monumental because monumental because of the extreme of the extreme difficulty of the difficulty of the mission– three snipers mission– three snipers simultaneouslysimultaneously killed killed three pirates in the three pirates in the headhead while while rocking rocking on the seaon the sea..

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