I am fascinated by these Somali pirates!
They whip out into the vast ocean in their tiny little boats and take on supertankers, cruise ships - anything from which they think they can get a ransom.
They are like gnats on an elephant's butt, but the elephant's tail is short, making the gnats' success rate quite impressive.
I read that the pirates either fire on the bridge with a rocket launcher or just sneak up on the back of these big ships and climb up from the back, which is low and often has available ropes dangling. And the crews of the big ships are traditionally unarmed. Clearly, these guys are opportunists.
Somalia doesn't have much of a government, so the pirates have no worries on shore, and at this writing, the world's navies are just beginning to send ships to defend the merchants. But even they have a "short tail" - there remains much dispute and unclarity over who should convict the pirates. Apparently "walk the blank" is no longer included in maritime law.
A quote from a supertanker captain said his only plea was "DON'T SHOOT!" Apparently oil tankers emit a highly volitile gas that any flash or spark can ignite. A cruise ship apparently avoided capture with the one-two punch of speed and a sound "blaster" that can be fired as the pirates approach.
There have been some victories, but they are far outweighed by the millions in ransom the pirates are receiving. Some shipping companies are rerouting away from the Suez Canal, which hurts the struggling economy of Egypt.
Meanwhile, it appears piracy is big business in Somalia. I read that pirates are big spenders, paying $20 for a $5 bottle of perfume. And they employ a large support system, from women to make bread to men to service and fuel their "gnats," which continue to sting the mighty elephant of shipping ... at least until a better gnat-swatter is invented.
