Pirates of the Aden -- good man's test

Battle-weary gunmen in the world's most lawless continent--tired of killing each other--have a new, more lucrative avocation: piracy.

A helpless world watches as African anarchy spills over into the Arabian Sea and Somali pirates gore into profits of merchant shipping around the Horn of Africa (most of which is Somalian border).

Now wannabe pirates from other neighbouring countries are joining in. They too want to drive around in swanky new SUVs, have two-day long weddings with "goat meat", and marry the best-looking girls in their villages and towns--like the star pirates (as reported by a news agency from Eyl, a hitherto insignificant fishing outpost in Somalia that has turned into headquarters for the business).

In acts that would give Johnny Depp a run for his money, Somali pirates have hijacked 33 ships this year alone. Some have been released after multi-million dollar ransom payments by shipping companies. However, 200 crew and cargo of 12 more vessels still remain in their custody.

The modern-day buccaneers attack ship after ship passing through the Gulf of Aden, which leads to the Suez Canal--the maritime short cut between Europe and Asia. While US, Russian, Indian and European warships have started patrolling the area to ward off the outlaws, the attacks have actually increased in the last few weeks.

Even as an Indian Navy frigate sank a pirate "mother ship" on Tuesday, the high-sea robbers took control of 3 more vessels since Saturday, among them a prize catch--a Saudi oil tanker with crude worth more than 110 million US dollars. The ransom has been set at 25 million dollars. The deadline: 10 days.

In the meantime, the good men twiddle their thumbs and bite their nails, frustrated with having to start a new war on terror in this 1 million square mile marine battleground.

They realise the problem that is Somalia. Destitute, chaotic and utterly out of control. The US tried to bring a semblance of order once, in the late eighties. But they pressed the eject button quickly after the black-hawk-down episode, fearing another Vietnam. Since then, the country has descended into ever greater disorder, with a moderate Islamist government--backed by Ethiopia and the West--fighting hardline Islamist rebels.

The Somalian prime minister has already thrown up his hands in despair about the piracy problem. The US meanwhile is worried that a counterpiracy UN resolution, which provides the international community authority to fight back, is expiring this December.

Some frightened shipping companies are planning to go round the Cape of Good Hope (their last hope of still being in business). But this will nullify the purpose the historic Suez Canal was built for.

However, all hope is not lost. There's good news that the Somalian government has finally allowed other navies to enter their territorial waters, when in hot pursuit of these new breed of criminals. And the Indian Navy, having drawn first blood, is raring to go in.

The best response would be for all the powerful navies to come together and kick the backsides of this bunch of goons, running riot in international waters and holding the world to ransom.

I say the Saudis should kick this off by refusing to negotiate the 25-million-dollar ransom. Considering that crude has come down by almost 60 per cent in the last few months, they should refuse to pick up the pirates' phone call unless they are ready to start talking 10 million.