Excerpts:
"Billions of dollars of goods move through the Gulf of Aden each year," said Bill Mathews, Blackwater’s executive vice president. "We have been contacted by ship owners who say they need our help in making sure those goods get to their destination safely.
The International Maritime Bureau estimated that more than 100 ships have been attacked off Somalia alone since January. A total of 14 ships and 250 crew members are still being held for ransom.
Among them, the Saudi oil tanker Sirius Star and its cargo worth more than 0 million are still being held. The ship and its 25-member crew were seized on Nov. 14
.
Just this week, pirates fired on a U.S. cruise ship carrying hundreds of passengers as it steamed across the Gulf of Aden on a 32-day cruise from Rome to Singapore.
Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said more than 70 companies, including shipping and insurance firms, have contacted the security specialists for information on the McArthur, although she did not elaborate. She said meetings are taking place this week in London to explain to those interested what the company can provide.
"More than 70 different companies have reached out to find out our capabilities," she said.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/04/blackwater-joins-fight-against-sea-piracy/
That’s odd; after the oil tanker was captured, I suggested Blackwater could provide security versus relying on US and other Navies. Private shipping should pay the cost of their own security.
I think it will slow down the piracy quite a bit, but some remnants will always persist.
these men and women are ruthless and i think they target moslems. they are not fare
This looks like war to me… I don’t know if blackwater is setup to handle a war, but I’m sure they will find a way to make money.
I hope they set an example with the filth robbing people in that water soon.
So long as the ransoms keep getting paid, it won’t stop.
It won’t end if blackwater is involved. The fleecing of America will continue as bush’s mercenary buddies keep sticking it to us taxpayers.
Put a couple of .50 cals on those ships and it would end pretty quickly. The Blackwater guys have access to those, so at the very least, the ships they protect will be safer. You can call them what you want, but you can’t deny they are effective at what they do.
Well I think the whole thing has gotten to this point simply because nobody is shooting back and worse yet paying them ransom. I think the thing with the cruise ship captain just flooring it and driving away from these guys was pretty funny, I wonder if anyone else thought to do that.
Using privateers operating under Letters of Marque to combat pirates has been used before to good effect. On the other hand these crooks have regular bases that they operate out of that could be attacked by regular navy and marine units and put out of business. This should be an international effort, but if it isn’t then the US should do it itself. What’s the point of having the ‘most powerful navy in the world’ if we don’t use to protect the freedom of the seas? Hopefully the new administration will take action. The Bush Junta hasn’t been much help that’s for sure.
I hope they can make a reality TV show out of this. What better enetertainment than to see radical islamist pirates in small boats blown out of the water and turned into shark food.
It should end quickly unless Blackwater doesn’t want to put itself out of a job.
I think this is an excellent and appropriate use for private militia.
I like it! Thanks for the link. Private companies are always more efficient than Gov. Go get-em Blackwater!
I think this is great news. These people at Blackwater are some of the best of the best. People like them may be the last great hope for this once great country of our.
Hopefully Blackwater starts making Somali pirates simply disappear. Maybe they should make it easy and mine the entire coastline of Somalia.
You know how the Liberal U.N. is! You are not allowed to protect yourself, the evil rich deserve it. The U.N. security council is a rotten pathetic joke!!!!!!
Face it. Blackwater is a decent choice, since Chuck Norris, Steven Segal and Bruce Willis are not available, and the Governator was broken by the pirates and thieves in the Cal State Legislature.