12/2/2008 Piracy Problems

Johnny Depp's character in Pirates of the Caribbean has glamorized pirates for most movie goers around the world. But truth be told, pirating, which has been around since man first started traversing the globe in great wooden sailing ships, is one of the most vicious and brutish of practices. It is hard for most of us to believe that a handful of pirates off the Horn of Africa could continue to terrorize a multitude of nations in this day and age. Their bounty has included cruise ships, military supply ships, and now a supertanker hauling millions in crude oil. If left unchecked who knows what this pack of scoundrels will hold the world up for next; maybe more ships loaded with food, grain, or medical supplies. Several countries have sent ships to patrol these waters, the United States among them, but the piracy continues, although India did destroy a pirate vessel recently; kudos to them! While International Law now prohibits the most gruesome of pirate punishments of the past, such as hanging them in chains for all to see while nature takes its course, a collective show of force is going to have to be used.