The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
More Books by James Dunnigan
|
Dirty Little Secrets
How Do You Tell The Muggers From The Pirates
by James Dunnigan
August 30, 2005
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
The rise in pirate attacks over the last decade
has been somewhat misleading. About 80 percent of the attacks can more
accurately be classified as burglary or mugging. The average loss for each of
these “pirate attacks” has been about $5,000. Typically, a few thieves scramble
aboard a large ship at night, often while the ship is tied up in an anchorage,
and steal whatever they can get their hands on, that will fit into a small
boat. The loot is lowered into the pirate’s boat, and the thieves make their
getaway. If any of the crew are encountered, the thieves will rob them as well,
or run off and go away empty handed. When the crew does detect such a robbery
in progress, they will radio the local coast guard. But the thieves are usually
long gone before the cops show up. Most modern merchant ships have small crews,
typically two or three dozen men and women. These ships rarely carry firearms,
and are more concerned about keeping the ship from a navigation accident
(running aground, usually on under water rocks), or some onboard accident with
the ships machinery (especially in the engine room.) And then there are the
probabilities to consider. Even in the areas with the largest number of “pirate
attacks,” the chance of a ship suffering such an incident at about one in 500.
Thus piracy is a problem, but more of a nuisance, than a situation that
threatens the viability of seagoing commerce.
|
|
