VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLO #3218/01 3641220
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291220Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0789
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0351
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 0257
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA PRIORITY 0101
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0678
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 0150
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 0077
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA PRIORITY 0179
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT PRIORITY 0289
RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT PRIORITY 0098
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0429
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 0661
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA PRIORITY 0243
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUWDQAC/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1267
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1326

UNCLAS LONDON 003218 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EWWT PREL PHSA KCRM SO UK
SUBJECT: SOMALI PIRACY:INDUSTRY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ON-BOARD 
SECURITY TEAMS 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: The Oil Companies International Marine Forum 
(OCIMF) hosted a Joint Industry and Naval Forces Workshop on 
Somali piracy in London on December 18, 2009. Military 
representatives from EU Naval Forces, Coalition Forces 
(CTF-150), and NATO outlined their operations and dilemmas in 
the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa. Naval operators 
emphasized the small number of navy ships available, the huge 
sea areas, and the slippery nature of their adversaries, with 
today,s fishermen being tomorrow's pirates. Participants 
noted that piracy is becoming a "high growth" industry with 
some risks but huge rewards. Industry representatives noted 
the humanitarian toll on the 286 seafarers currently being 
held hostage. The maritime industry is very uncomfortable 
with the concept of armed security teams on ships as a tool 
for fighting Somali piracy. END SUMMARY 
 
Piracy a &Growth Industry8 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. International Maritime Organization Secretary General 
Efthimios Mitropoulos expressed his concern over the growth 
of piracy and noted the large amount of shipping that passes 
through the Horn of Africa/Gulf of Aden area.  He commended 
the recent UN Security Council resolutions on Somali piracy 
that introduce the concept of on-board law enforcement 
personnel or "shipriders," support international cooperation 
on piracy, and permit &all necessary methods8 to be 
employed against pirates.  The IMO will support international 
cooperation, including at a proposed meeting on January 24 in 
Djibouti, he said. 
 
¶3.  Other participants noted that over the past year 
incidents of piracy and armed robbery at the sea off the 
Somali coast have significantly increased and it is becoming 
a "growth industry8 built around ransoms, not ideology. 
Pirates are robbers, not terrorists, said one participant, 
and there is no identifiable link between pirates and 
terrorists.  The number of attacks is up five-fold in 2008 
but only 0.14 per cent of the 25,000 maritime transits 
through the area are victims of successful hijacks. Pirates 
are watching counter-tactics closely and are very adaptable. 
Military officers with experience in the area commented that 
pirates now have good equipment such as GPS systems and 
satellite phones, and are highly organized, including a 
&Code of Conduct8 for pirates that imposes &fines8 for 
injuring or killing seafarers and damaging ships. 
 
Military Response Won,t Solve Problem 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. Rear Admiral Thomas Cropper (Combined Task Force 150) 
noted the small number of navy ships available, the huge sea 
areas, and the slippery nature of their adversaries.  Simply 
identifying pirates among the hordes of fishing boats is a 
major challenge. Rear Admiral Philip Jones (EU NAVFOR) noted 
legal and policy constraints faced by military forces 
operating in the region. The combination of a vast, remote 
area of operation; lack of host nation support; and the need 
for rapid response makes their task operationally very 
challenging.  Communication, coordination and expectation 
management at the operational level -- not at the political 
level -- are keys to maximizing results from the forces 
available. 
 
¶5.  Rules of Engagement are another challenge.  Participating 
forces are governed by substantially different national 
mandates, with varying rules of engagement.  Anti-piracy work 
pushes the limits of those national mandates in some cases. 
Naval forces face legal and logistical issues dealing with 
captured pirates since they are not trained for law 
enforcement, detention, legal processes, or handling 
prisoners.  National laws are needed to deal with those 
issues.  Extradition and prosecution are problematic, and 
 
agreements with coastal states on detainee handover are not 
yet complete. Participants agreed that maritime forces cannot 
eradicate the problem and the ultimate solution lies ashore 
through an international effort.  A measured military 
approach, a &slow-burn closure,8 is the best way to ensure 
the safety of hostages held ashore, said a participant. 
 
SUA Convention Offers a Legal Mechanism 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. The United States noted that there are sufficient legal 
mechanisms to deal with prosecution under the 1988 Convention 
on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of 
Maritime Navigation (SUA). SUA provides for parties to accept 
the delivery of detained suspects into their countries and to 
prosecute them. 
 
Industry Can Help Its Own Cause 
------------------------------- 
 
¶7. Rear Admiral Tony Rix (NATO) stressed the importance of 
commercial ships enhancing resistance and self protection 
capabilities such as speed, maneuvering away from potential 
attackers, avoiding high risk areas at night, or rigging fire 
hoses over side. EU NAVFOR encouraged mariners to use the 
Maritime Security Center web site (www.mschoa.eu) that has 
key information on transit details, alerts, and self 
protection measures, and where ship masters can give feedback 
on their lessens learnt. Industry said some but not all 
shipping firms are working to be proactive and to make a Horn 
of Africa transit, which they called a &bad neighborhood,8 
safer for their ships and crews. 
 
286 Hostages Being Held ) High Humanitarian Cost 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶8. Industry representatives (Maersk, Chevron, BIMCO) noted 
the psychological trauma on the 286 seafarers currently being 
held hostage, and said that a commercial airliner and 
passengers being held hostage would provoke a much different 
response than has been seen from governments towards ship 
hijackings. Industry is uncomfortable with arming sailors or 
with having armed security teams on board as a tool for 
fighting piracy.  They say this would escalate the level of 
violence, and would make pirates more willing to open fire 
preemptively, or to use heavier weapons.  There are also 
safety concerns on ships carrying explosive, flammable or 
dangerous cargoes. 
 
There is a Positive Story to Tell 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶9. Participants noted that media coverage has been focused on 
pirates' activities and not enough has been written about 
success stories in avoiding them. Naval officers agreed that 
a consistent, low-key public message is needed that will 
thread the needle between complacency and panic.  Merchant 
mariners need to be informed and careful but not overreact. 
Industry representatives said their crews are scared about 
operating in the area but are still willing to go. 
 
¶10. OCIMF proposed to meet again in February 2009. 
 
¶11.  Comment: Industry representatives repeatedly expressed 
their appreciation for &wonderful efforts8 made by naval 
forces in the area. 
 
Visit London's Classified Website: 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom 
 
TUTTLE