How to correct a huge mistake?

Word today that authorities have arrested a Canadian, suspected of passing information to China about the current Canadian shipbuilding programme, which includes new vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard.  Given the small maritime footprint Canada has, this seems a bit odd, eh? Yes, we should have a far bigger coastal and overseas presence, but no one's tried to invade our waters since the Second World War, so our marine capabilities have decreased quite a bit over the last half century over many governments of several different political stripes.

If one wonders why the Chinese would allegedly be interested in us Canadians, well maybe it's for the same reason we're interested in them. And the Russians, Brazilians, British, French and Americans. Cause that's what we all do: spy on each other.

But since Canada is not developing cutting-edge naval technology (to my knowledge), why has this become headline news up here? Maybe because of the tale of a certain Canadian naval Sub-Lieutenant who spied for the Russians? A case which embarrassed various Canadian security establishments to their allies. (You could honestly get more intel about the Canadian shipbuilding programme by buying rounds in Halifax bars for a few weeks.)

National security should be based on real and certain threats, not what appears to this observer to be - in this instance - merely a means of showing our partners we're on top of things. We aren't if we miss someone working with classified info in naval intelligence, but then notice a Lloyd's Register engineer. C'mon folks.

The return of the prodigal son..and Britney Spears

I'm back...For those who've wondered, the last couple of years I've been wandering the North American continent from coast to coast, from sea to sea, looking at a variety of security issues, and how regular people - including mariners - have been affected. Made a documentary film about what's happening to the Canada-US border. Spent a lot of time up close and personal seeing how fishermen work off Canada's East Coast. And watched as the issue of maritime crime (including piracy) has faded from the headlines. But it hasn't faded for those still affected by things. Just ask the families of all those still being held captive in Somalia or Nigeria.

Now, on the bizarre upside, look at this odd news item about how some are dealing with Somali pirates. I wish I'd made this up. And, as a colleague said to me today: "I had no idea Somali pirates had such good taste." Go figure, and read this: http://thestar.blogs.com/worlddaily/2013/10/britney-spears-is-toxic-to-somali-pirates.html

Vimy Ridge 95 years on...

It is one of the most beautiful memorials to The Great War, The War To End All Wars. I say this clouded by being a descendant of those who fought in the trenches of WW1 France, has travelled to more modern warzones, and seen the way others commemorate the past.

Exactly 95 years ago, on Easter Monday, 1917 - April 9 - an assault began on German positions in northwestern France that had previously proven unassailable by Allied forces. This time it would be led by Canadian troops, under Canadian commanders (not British), and it would succeed beyond anyone's expectations.

We Canadians - and many others - often forget we can a tenacious bunch of SOBs, your best friends, and worst enemy. Canadians put on a good show of civility. But trust me, there's a hornest nest we'll unveil if needed. What came from the Boer War, WW1, Ortona, Normandy or Bihac were the product of a nation created by so many people who had to live with war. We know it. Don't like it. But sometimes have to deal with it. Pacem ad omnes...

The Perils Of Canadian Submariners

Oh, if only this was the problem.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is today reporting that one of our submarines had an unfortunate encounter with the seabed last summer. HMCS Corner Brook apparently ran into the ground while on manoeuvres in the Pacific last June, just off British Columbia. As the photos obtained by the CBC show, the damage was severe. Or, as Canadian Senator Colin Kennedy put it, "horrific".

Corner Brook is one of four Victoria-class subs the now Royal Canadian Navy purchased from Great Britain back in 1998. All were used (or previously-owned, if you'd prefer), and the deal was sen by many observers - including myself - as bad. Think about getting an old AMC Gremlin or Hyundai Pony: cheap to buy, hell to maintain.

To date, none of the RCNs subs have been deemed combat-ready for deep water patrols, the only thing that makes them an effective part of Canada's maritime defence apparatus. HMCS Chicoutimi caught fire while transiting to Canada from the UK, killing an officer, and remains in dry dock in Halifax. The Victoria has a dented hull, with her sailing operations restricted. And HMCS Windsor entered dry dock in Halifax in 2007, where she still remains. As the CBC report states, "Not one submarine is capable of firing a torpedo."

You really do get what you pay for with these marine versions of the Iltis jeep that once plagued the Canadian Army. And the fact that the Department of National Defence and the RCN have been so quiet about the problems with these vessels makes one think they are taking the term 'silent service' to a new level.

Cut and run, suits and stripes. And do it right now, because this current situation does a great disservice to the lengthy experience Canadian submariners have acquired over at least the last half century.

New Insights On Somali Piracy

There's a new book now out in North America, the UK, Australia and the Netherlands that provides one of the most detailed looks ever presented into how piracy operates in the seas off Somalia. "The Pirates Of Somalia" is the result of several years of meticulous research by Canadian journalist Jay Bahadur, who has gone where few others have to explore the issues by immersing himself in things the hard way: He traveled throughout the Horn of Africa. At great risk to himself, Bahadur ventured into coastal communities, met with pirates, their leaders, supporters and those struggling with this nefarious threat. As I wrote in a review for The Globe & Mail newspaper this weekend (read it here), Bahadur manages to get to the core of piracy - the money angle - by using his contacts and research to break down the financial aspects of this criminal enterprise, positing that some of those on the low end of the hierarchical ladder of a gang make less than $11.00 an hour for all their efforts. The book is a fascinating read and a well-needed look into the ongoing problems, well worth checking out.

I've added a link at right (under Horn Of Africa Piracy) to Bahadur's blog, The Pirates Of Puntland, where he has more information about the book, and himself.

Working together

Almost sixty years ago, as the world was being turned upside down in what we now call the Second World War, Canada and the United States of America created one of the best trans-national fighting forces seen in modern times. The First Special Force, or Devil's Brigade as it became known, embodied the best aspects of each nations warriors - and our mutual desires for peace in the face of injustice and anarchy. Two nations that once warred each have become the strongest of friends. Let us argue, amuse and enlighten one another. To my many American friends: Happy 4th of July.

Bonne fête Canada

For those who have missed me, I'm back in my native land. Thoughts and insights will resume shortly. In the meantime, I've my grandfather's old ensign laid out on my deck in honour of our nation's birthday, and a beer in hand. Cheers!

The Post-Osama Peace Dividend Potential

And that's Osama (as in bin-Laden), not Obama. Though both are key to this.

A perceptive analysis of what could - should? - be done in the wake the al-Qaeda leader's death comes from Chrystia Freeland of Reuters. His death last week brings to a close a decade-long, US-led international effort at stemming bin Laden's efforts to wage conflict with those who did not ascribe to his extremist view. And to those who feel otherwise, can you please just accept that he is dead. If the Taliban believes he's gone, there's no reason anyone else should.)

Read what Freeland wrote yesterday, as there is an economic aspect worth considering.

Boating Safety 101

Now that May has arrived, folks in these parts have finally put away their snow shovels and begun thinking about summer's coming pleasures. And for many of us that means hoping to spend some time on the water, in a canoe, sailboat or even an aging, much-patched craft (powered by a 3HP Evinrude outboard acquired when Canada was celebrating its centennial).

But a colleague of mine who works as a marine safety inspector recently reminded that the warmer weather also signals the start of what he blithely calls "the idiot season". That is, the period when an inordinate number of people take to the water, many of whom put themselves - and others - at risk by their actions.

As he put it, "There is a certain kind of Mad Men mentality that affects boaters. Small craft operators, I mean. It's like, 'We don't need any rules'. But driving a car without wearing your seat belt? No way, not any more. Flying an airplane without knowing the rules, or drinking and driving? Absolutely not. But folks still think they can just climb in a boat, fire up the engine, grab a beer and head off."

His frustration was evident as we spoke. After years working on merchant vessels in the Great Lakes and on the oceans, he's seen his share of accidents, near misses and "stupidity" on the water, with much of his ire focused on recreational boaters, especially small craft users.

I bring this up because a surprising number of people in Canada still don't realize that operators of recreational craft fitted with any type of motor must carry what Transport Canada deems proof of competency while on board. It's the law from coast to coast to coast, whether you're in a PWC, a sailboat with an outboard or a canoe with a trolling motor. Motor + watercraft = need to get a competency card.

Now lest anyone fret that this is another form of government intrusion into our daily lives, it should be noted that there's an easy way to deal with things: Get a Pleasure Craft Operator Card. Essentially it proves you've done a basic boating safety course and know port from starboard, so to speak. There's a manual you can purchase in many nautical outfitters or book stores that you study, then comes a written exam. If you pass, the card is yours, for life. It's not a license that has to be renewed.

To make things easier, Transport Canada has accredited a variety of organizations across the country that offer classroom or online courses. A list of accredited groups can be found on the Transport Canada website (see the Marine Safety sidebar), but I'll point out one good online site that can help anyone through the process.

It's called BoaterExam.com, and allows you to do tutorials at your own pace and write the final exam when you're ready. And the exam is an open book one, so that should make things easier.

Getting a Pleasure Craft Operator Card is a no-brainer, whether you're a teenager or retired. About seven to nine million Canadians take to the water every year, but over 200 die while out boating, and something like 6000 other accidents occur annually. Doesn't have to be that way.

Get the card.

Algoma District, Northern Ontario

Pirates Sentenced In U.S. Court To Life In Prison

For the first time in over two hundred years, the United States has convicted individuals on the crime of piracy. As AFP reports, five Somali suspects today each received life sentences for their attack on a an American frigate last year (the USS Nicholas, see here). In a Norfolk, Virginia, court, the individuals also received an additional 80 years apiece for other charges, for whatever that's worth.

Able prosecution using the fullest legal means possible is part of dealing with the problem. The international community must not shy away from using the clearest - and most transparent - means available to address things. The rule of law is one of the thin wedges that keeps communal cohesiveness from spiraling into anarchy.

However, I still advocate the establishment of an international admiralty court to deal with suspected pirates, as this is a unique situation in the broader scheme of things. More to come, but this is a big advance.

Suspected Pirates Indicted In Virginia

Fourteen suspected pirates have been indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in Norfolk, Virginia, relating to the attack on the yacht Quest. That incident ended on February 22 with the deaths of four Americans, Jean and Scott Adam (the owners of the yacht) and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle. It's being reported that the suspects face charges of piracy, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and use of firearms. No member of the group has charged with murder, which may be because investigators are still trying to unravel what happened when the incident ended. Thirteen of the indicted suspects are said to be Somali, while the fourteenth is apparently Yemeni.

More On Danish Yachters Seized By Pirates

It's being reported that the Danes seized by pirates last week, while sailing in their yacht, have been moved to another vessel. And the seven captives have apparently been split up, clearly to make it more difficult for forces to try to rescue them. What happened earlier last week with the four American yachters has obviously been noted by the pirates holding the Danes, which tells you a little about how much these maritime criminals communicate and follow the news.

Meanwhile, there are still have ill-informed postings about the situation, harping on that these Danes should never have been in the area. In a piece in today's National Post out of Canada, Araminta Wordsworth writes, "A Danish couple and their three children ignored warnings of Somali pirates when they elected to sail blithely into the Indian Ocean. Guess what? They got caught. Now they're getting little sympathy as they pray for rescue."

Wordsworth assumes many things here: That the children ignored warnings, that the pirates offered a warning, that no one cares about their plight and that the Indian Ocean - in toto - is the realm of pirates. Okay, I am really talking about semantics and bad journalism, but there is a broader point here.

As I said in an earlier post, there are responsibilities on various fronts here. But the criticism being thrown at these Danish captives is wrong, in my opinion. Change what Wordsworth wrote to something like, "An Asian crew ignored warnings of Somali pirates when they elected to sail blithely into the Indian Ocean. Guess what? They got caught. Now they're getting little sympathy as they pray for rescue."

That could describe the vast majority of mariners currently being held hostage by Somali pirates. The Danish yachters took a risk and got caught. But this is what the seafaring world deals with on a daily basis. In fact, as I've been told in many interviews, the professional world of global shipping considers piracy as just another cost of doing business.

The media criticisms should not be aimed at the Danes hijacked last week. They should be aimed at the shipping community that has allowed piracy off the Horn of Africa to grow while being written off as a bottom end deduction.

Libya & Piracy

As various nations, including Canada, dispatch forces to the Mediterranean to deal with the rebellion against Muammar Gaddafi, any observer of piracy off the Horn of Africa will wonder if those same elements might be deployed elsewhere once the crisis in that nation hopefully ends.

There will potentially be a lot of naval assets in the Gulf of Sidra soon. But if the situation in Libya does not require them, might they be deployed to the seas off the Horn of Africa? Seems likely, especially given recent events. Which would be apt, given Gaddafi's previous endorsement of Somali pirates (see here).

Yachters: Piracy Risks & Responsibilities

With the news that a Danish yacht was seized by pirates last Thursday, there has been concern raised about the fact among the seven aboard the vessel are three children, aged between 12 and 16. As Danish foreign minister Lene Espersen put it, "It's almost unbearable to know that children are involved, and I vigorously condemn the pirates."

On a Time online blog, an item was posted today that voiced what many others are thinking, with the writer wondering, "What astounds your humble correspondent is that many foreigners, mostly Europeans and Americans, still insist on adventuring in the shadow of the pirate threat, especially with their own children."

Seems a fair assessment on the surface, but ignores the fact that piracy is not confined to the Indian Ocean or seas off the Horn of Africa. Yachters face the risk of seaborne attacks in many other places, such as the Caribbean. In early December, a Canadian man was killed by attackers while anchored on his boat off the north coast of Honduras. As reported, he was shot in front of his 24-year-old daughter, who managed to get a passing commercial vessel to rescue her. (The yachter killed, Milan Egrmajer, was a retired veteran of the Canadian Navy, so was not unaware of maritime risks.)

Sailing in many parts of the world is fraught with potential trouble, from the weather to criminal activity, on shore and at sea. Nobody sails in a place like off the Horn of Africa without being aware of the risks. But should they be there in the first place?

Well NATO does not think so. On their shipping site (see here), they state, "Naval forces strongly recommend that yachts do not transit this area." And the European Union's Naval Force Somalia site says, "Yachts are strongly recommended to avoid the area."

So if you follow this thinking we should just concede the seas off Somalia to the pirates and go elsewhere. Except that the route through the Red Sea to and from the Suez Canal is a vital transit corridor, for pleasure boats as well as commercial vessels. And giving in to the pirates is the wrong approach.

Instead, recent incidents involving yachters mean that the various entities dealing with the situation in that part of the world need to amend their procedures. To simply attempt to safeguard commercial vessels while ignoring yachters is misguided. As the EU says (quoted on Noonsite), "Anti-piracy patrols by warships can only offer limited protection for yachts in the area. If you are boarded by pirates, the rules of engagement prevent EU naval forces from taking steps to rescue you."

Damn, that's a bitch.

As an EU member, hopefully the Danes will not throw up their hands and leave the most recently hijacked yachters left to their own devices. But they should also have released information about the seizure earlier than four days after it occurred, if only to give fair warning to any other vessels in the area the incident transpired.

It is time for the naval forces in the region to extend their protection to yachts and specifically provide convoy assistance to these boats. they may not be carrying hundreds of millions in commercial goods, but they are still mariners seeking free passage on the seas.

But it is also time for the yachting community to address this situation in a more cohesive manner. As the level of violence continues to rise in the region as a result of pirate activities, sailing in the area must be considered akin to venturing into a storm front.

Most are aware of the risks, and a good take can be found on the Cruising World site (see here), where a couple of yachters recently talked about the stress of sailing in piracy-prone waters.

Americans hijacked by pirates

As has been reported tonight (see here, here here and elsewhere), a number of American yachters have been taken hostage by pirates in the Indian Ocean. The sailing vessel Quest, owned by Jean and Scott Adam, was reportedly seized Friday afternoon while sailing 240 nautical miles off Oman. We can likely watch a growing media reaction to this hijacking, owing to the hostages being American.

Which is both good and bad.

The good - such as it is - is that the media and the public will remember that maritime piracy is a problem that affects all of us, not just off the coast of Somalia. This is something that does impact on North Americans.

The bad is that this will forget the plight of the almost 800 individuals currently being held hostage by Somali captors, including a South African couple captured while aboard their sailboat four months ago.

Those aboard the S/V Quest deserve as much attention as all the other mariners currently being held in atrocious conditions. Please do not forget them - all of them; they have no one else but all of us to pressure international community to free them.

Somali man sentenced in Manhattan court

Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, the sole survivor of the April 2009 Maersk Alabama incident, was sentenced this afternoon to 33 years and nine months in prison for his role in that pirate attack. This was the maximum sentence; Muse's lawyers had asked for the minimum-allowable sentence, 27 years, but Judge Loretta Preska declined the request.

The Somali man reportedly told the court today, "I'm very sorry for what I did. I got my hands into something that was more powerful than me."

Muse plead guilty last year to charges of hijacking, kidnapping and hostage-taking. He did not plead guilty to any piracy charges, nor was he convicted of piracy charges, unlike what some media are reporting (see the BBC here). While he may be a pirate in the eyes of many, he is a convicted kidnapper and hijacker in the eyes of justice.

Christmas Memories

For those of you who still stumble upon this site, you may be wondering where I've been and why I've posted so little of late. The main reason is I've been occupied working on the new season of a television series about historic tank battles which is called, appropriately, Greatest Tank Battles. (The series website can be seen here, and the show begins its second season in Canada and its first season in the U.S. in January. It's also airing overseas.) The secondary reason is I've been trying to unwind this holiday season. But rest assured I'm not going to stop my work commenting on maritime security.

It has been my pleasure to spend the last few months interviewing veterans from the Second World War, former members of armoured units who fought for the Allies and their opponents; Canadians, Americans and Germans. These are gentlemen in their 80s and 90s who endured situations few today can comprehend, even those who have seen service in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's easy to forget the sacrifices that were made by another generation, even those who were fighting for "the enemy". Battle is so often not about politics, but about the guys close to you. The bond between comrades (not in the "Soviet" form) is unique, and the bond between tankers is perhaps even closer than their other combat arms brethren.

To hear the stories of tankers has, as I said, been a pleasure. But to hear the experiences of those involved in the December 1943 battle for the Italian town of Ortona has been eye-opening. as an upcoming episode of the Greatest Tank Battles will recount, this was one of the most intense battles the Canadians would fight in the Second World War, leading to more casualties than were incurred in the D-Day landings.

From December 20 to 28, 1943, Canadians tanks and infantry would take on elite German paratroopers for control of the Adriatic port. You can read more about it here and here. But amidst all the fighting, the Canadians managed to arrange a Christmas dinner, in a church on the outskirts of Ortona. It was one of the most amazing moments to occur at this Yuletide time while conflict was going on, and is pictured below.

Remember those in harm's way at this time of the year, those far from home and family, be they warriors or mariners. Peace unto all.

Ortona, December 25, 1943

British Couple Released By Pirates At Last

After over a year in captivity, British yachters Rachel and Paul Chandler were finally released by their Somali pirate captors yesterday. In a video posted on the BBC site, they appear thin, but in good spirits. In a comment given to the BBC's Andrew Harding, Rachel said one of the worst things about their ordeal was being separated from her husband, an unusual tactic that pirates do not normally employ with captives.

Xan Rice of The Guardian provides a closer look at what may have gone on behind the scenes to secure the couple's release (see it here). It includes the possibility that some of the ransom money may have come from part of British government assistance provided to the Somali government.

Though denied by a spokesman for British prime minister Gordon Brown, one would have to wonder about things based on what happened to the Chandlers after being let free. Instead of being allowed to go free - as every other captive has - the couple were, instead, flown to Mogadishu. There they were driven by African Union forces in an armoured vehicle to meet with Somali government officials for a photo op. Not the usual way these things work out.

It should also be noted that the same spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon did not call the Chandlers' captors pirates. Instead he called them terrorists.

Regardless, it is good to see the ordeal of these hostages finally ended.

Pirates Get The Largest Ransom For The Largest Ship Ever Seized

According to media reports, Somali pirate gangs have managed to secure a record ransom of $9.5 million (US) for the release of the largest vessel ever seized. The MT Samho Dream was captured last April off the Horn of Africa while sailing about 1500 kilometers southeast of the Gulf Aden, while en route from Iraq to the United States with a load of crude oil valued at around $170 million. Her crew of 24 are said to be in good condition after spending seven months in captivity, though the supertanker has yet to leave for open sea.

When the Samho Dream was seized back in the early hours of 4 April, her capture immediately raised the bar in terms of how big the prizes are that pirates are going after. Yet since the ship and her crew were taken, there has been precious little reported about this situation.

Writing the day after this immense vessel was hijacked (see here), I wondered if she would garner the largest ransom ever seen. And, unfortunately, I've been proven right. I wish I'd been wrong.

There appears to be a change happening within pirate cartels in Somalia, another metastasis of their various criminal enterprises. Some are garnering huge payouts - meaning we will see the $10 million barrier broken next year, unless the situation drastically changes. But others are feeling the pinch of reduced returns on their investments, leading them to more frustration, and actions such as the sinking of vessels deemed of insufficient value (see here). As well, there is the pressure coming the main Islamist insurgents in Somalia.

Regardless, the situation with piracy off the Horn of Africa is currently morphing, evolving. But is anyone noticing?

Book Review: Pirate State By Peter Eichstaedt

There's a new book out that provides insights into the rise of piracy in places like Somalia and Nigeria that is worth looking at. I recently reviewed it for The Globe & Mail in Canada, and here's what I wrote:

"Paradise - for pirates that is"

When it comes to describing Somalia, one of the few words you would expect a sane person to use would be ‘paradise’. But a few years ago, in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa, that was exactly how one man remembered for me the Somalia of the 1970s: as an economically vibrant, politically stable and culturally inviting country. Today it is better known as one of the most lawlessness places on the planet, fraught with warlords, famine, religious extremists, and, of course, pirates.

How Somalia got to this point and how piracy has come to flourish in the seas off the Horn of Africa are what drives American journalist Peter Eichstaedt’s new book, Pirate State: Inside Somalia’s Terrorism At Sea. A former senior editor with Uganda Radio Network, the author knows East Africa well (his previous book looked at child soldiers in the Lord’s Resistance Army). In this work, he introduces us to pirates, gunmen, security officials and others trying to cope with the situation, going beyond the headlines, and the hyperbole, to investigate the root causes of piracy off Somalia, while also examining the broader implications that the situation poses to the world.

As Eichstaedt shows, the spectacular growth of piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa can be traced back to Somalia’s descent into anarchy that began almost two decades ago. In the years that followed, a variety of elements capitalized on the country’s chaos. Local warlords carved out clan-based fiefdoms on land, while foreign vessels appeared offshore to illegally harvest fish and dump toxic waste into the same seas.

The rape of the ocean by foreigners was one reason some Somalis began attacking vessels in the 1990s, and it continues to be used as a justification for piracy today. While Eichstaedt acknowledges this as a motivating factor, he also goes to lengths to dispel its lingering rationalization. The notion that today’s pirates are just simple fishermen forced to pillage ships because of foreign exploiters falls apart as the author reveals how organized the situation has become today. For behind those young men hijacking ships in the Indian Ocean lie criminal gangs tied to Somali warlords and politicians, entities intent on illegally generating tens of millions of dollars from the sea each year. In the words of a Somali negotiator for pirate gangs, “Angry fishermen [are] not the reason and cause of piracy. It is a purely selfish business.”

One of the book’s strongest sections comes when Eichstaedt travels to the sprawling Dadaab Refuge Camp in northeastern Kenya to see how those displaced by the fighting in Somalia feel about the situation in their homeland. These snapshots of refugee life reveal an overwhelming sense of despondency about the state of their nation, a place most fear returning. Many of these exiled Somalis also voice contrasting views about the international community’s responsibilities: some blame it for creating – or even fostering – the current situation, while others feel outsiders are the only solution to end the lawlessness.

The desire to reach a more hopeful, peaceful place – like America – resound within Dadaab. So, too, does a fear of how Somalia is being torn apart even further by extremist groups. The same chaos that allowed pirates to flourish has also given rise to Islamist insurgents, some of whom have ties to al-Qaeda. Eichstaedt traces the growth of the largest such group, al-Shabaab, meeting with a former fighter and raising the potential of Somalia becoming a new Afghanistan.

At times the book seems rushed, condensing some of the author’s experiences into just a few pages or paragraphs. And he omits to speak personally with any of the victims of pirate incidents, relying on media reports instead. But Eichstaedt more than compensates for these moments of brevity by introducing us to those affected by Somalia’s anarchy and those perpetuating it. As he makes abundantly clear in his book, Somalia is today a paradise only for pirates, warlords, criminal gangs and extremists.