Yesterday I wrote about the recommendations General Petraeus had for the maritime industry. One of the recommendations was arming the crew or hiring armed guards to protect the vessel. In less than 24 hours, the Italian cruise liner “Melody” put the General’s recommendations to the test.
Cruising off the coast of Somalia on their way back to Italy, the crew and guests aboard the Italian vessel came under attack by six pirates on a speedboat. After a few minutes of harassing the ship and attempting to board, an Israeli security force onboard the ship opened fire. After noticing the resistance, the pirates pulled back to avoid the gunfire. They continued to trail the cruise liner for a few minutes, firing their rifles as the stern, but eventually pulled back and left the ship to continue on its way.
This was an effective example of how an armed presence aboard a ship can deter the pirates. Unfortunately, it could also lead to a false sense of security. What if these pirates also had RPG’s with them, or what if they decide to use RPG’s against the next ship they attempt to capture? The fear of escalation has to be on the mind of all the shipping company owners and Captains tonight. But in the mean time, the Israeli security force should feel proud tonight for protecting all 1500 people aboard the Melody.
Related articles:
CNN – “Italian cruise ship thwarts pirate attack”
AFP – “Cruise captain recounts Somali pirate attack”
Guardian – “Italian cruise ship fends off pirates with gunfire”
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