RE: Letters of marque

Glenn,

> At 11:00 AM -0500 1/12/02, Glenn M Wilson wrote:
> >
> >Much as I hate to make the guys in DC look good - the maritime safety
> >guys in NIMA (National Imagery and Mapping Agency aka known as "Not
> >Interested in Maps Anymore) issue warnings about piracy regularly as
part
> >of their maritime safety mission.  Wonder how difficult it would be
to
> >get that information to determine frequency, severity, etc.?  In the
last
> >few months in the South Asia and, much more, in the SE Asia parts of
the
> >BBC online there have been articles about piracy events (in port
raids
> >has been popular recently IIRC.)
>
> And again, who are they bothering? What kind of pirates are they?
> What are they equipped with?

Much the same as happens in the Carib. (below) IIRC, 'they' are
suppposed to
be somewhat better equipped and a bit more reckless.

> At 9:21 AM -0400 1/12/02, Bob Makowsky wrote:
>As far as any piracy in the Caribbean Basin at this time, I cannot
recall a
>case we have been involved with or one that has crossed message traffic
that
>I have seen.  There is still thievery but the "drug runner" steals boat
to
>use to smuggle is over.  Purpose purchased vessels are the current
choice
of
>platform.
>
>The large preponderance of Piracy that I have heard rumored to be
>active in the Caribbean involves 2 types:
>
>	a. theft (by subterfuge or force) of small boats from people
>for the purpose of running drugs.
>	b. groups that prey on refugee's in boats.

Ok, so why are we assuming that this isn't the case?

>	I highly doubt anyone would even contemplate taking over a
>commercial ship in waters so close to the US. It would be like waving
>a big flag and "saying come invade my country."

Depends on what size and who owns it... If it's a Free Trader, the
government in question may not care, especially if they have a record
for
smuggling. If it's a ship owned by a big conglomerate with alot of
lobbyists...

Hey, it may also be like several of Movements in SA, they kidnap people
all
the time for ransom (also a tactics of the pirates of yore IIRC). Now we
have pirates specifically targetting passanger liners and yachts...

That becomes the real question (as we have danced around in this
discussion). What does GZG commercial/personal/tourist shipping/travel
look
like?

There are most certainly pirates, but without an answer to the above
question there is very little ability to figure out where they fit in
the
food chain.

>And yes, if we heard of any piracy we would respond with a Cutter (less
than
>a frigate but more multi-mission capable) and it would go badly for the
>pirates.
>
>Exactly my point. Plus, you guys have High Endurance Cutters that go
>all the way to asia and back from Hawaii.

If we could get away with it... Most countries, even in the current
situation, get cranky when other nations start invading thier
territorial
waters. Just because we can send ships there doesn't mean that they have
the... err... 'political freedom' to do so.

I would also imagine Pirates hiding out in areas that they know very
well
and have an advantage in. Asteroid Fields, Planetoid Belts, and the
like.
Small maneuverable ships have the advantage, *plus* it's home ground.

David