HOSTIS HUMANIS GENERIS

The Centurion Chronicle
Special Issue – Apr 2009

HOSTIS HUMANIS GENERIS
(common enemies to all)

Piracy at sea has always been considered a capital crime as far back as in Roman times; and, those engaging in it subject to summary justice whenever caught. It’s been the law of the sea for centuries, much like the law of the Old West here concerning horse thieves and cattle rustlers, with both types to be strung up at a rope’s end from the nearest yardarm or tree, as the most proper form of “due process” for them.

Their claims to the contrary, today’s Somali pirates are nothing more than a modern version of such earlier pests, with no justifiable excuses for their predations. They’re simply organized criminal gangs who’ve hit upon a different and more effective version of the old protection racket. That is – pay up, or we’ll keep hijacking your ships and crews -, extortion of ransom being the objective.

Two hundred years ago the Bey of Algiers was playing the same game, and as today, the mostly European powers and shipping interests were responding with the same limp-biscuit approach, by paying him and his pirate henchmen off, rather than forcibly resisting such extortions. But that approach didn’t work too well, since the Bey and his henchmen didn’t always keep to their bargain. Thus, it was a very lucrative and low risk activity. Until, that is, the young American republic suffered the embarrassment of having one of its warships captured.

The international community, however, was aghast when, instead of paying up like everyone else, the Americans struck back with a vengeance. First, rescuing and retaking their vessel, then, landing Marines in force, and threatening to blow the Bey and his lavish palace to kingdom come with a few well directed broadsides, if all hostages weren’t immediately released, etc..

It was the kind of language he could understand, and, seeing the folly of refusing such a proposition, he obligingly agreed to a treaty which granted American ships and vessels immunity from any future attacks….along with a preferential trade agreement as well between himself and the Americans. It was a treaty that lasted well into the modern era. As for the rest of international community, it continued paying tribute for another thirty years or so, until the forces of colonialism ultimately did away with the problem.

Unfortunately, the same linguini-like attitude seems to still be in play today, with the international community moaning and groaning about such attacks, choosing impotence and ransom payoffs while these Somali sea vermin continue operating with impunity. The lessons of history seem to have been forgotten –appeasement-only begets more aggression. Payoffs…only embolden extortionists to demand more.

Recent French and American actions, however, may signal an end to such a situation, and may actually lead to some kind of coherent and coordinated multi-national proper application of force and summary justice against such piratical activity. If so, we may yet see something along the following lines come to pass:

1. A collective declaration by the maritime nations concerned imposing a 50 nautical mile offshore no-go limit for all such Somali vessels. Those going beyond that to be considered piratical and subject to seizure and destruction. The limit to be enforced by an international task force of naval and air resources.
2. Implementation of an international escort/convoy system for all vessels entering or exiting through the Gulf of Aden for the Red Sea and Suez.
3. Plans for a coordinated series of commando-type raids in force against the known home ports of such Somali pirates, the objectives of which being both the release of captured vessels and crews, and, the destruction of Somali vessels used as so-called “mother ships” for piratical purposes.

Something of this sort should make the risk-reward ratio sufficiently unattractive for further acts of piracy in those waters.

CENTURION