PIRATES – THE PROBLEM CAN BE CONTROLLED BUT NOT BY THE UN.

So, we are back to media madness about modern pirates, all I can say is that it makes me sick to the stomach – not the pirates, although they do, but rather the media, politicians and a host of others all trying to cash in on this terrible industry. In some areas of the world, from the 60s, pirates have been as active as they are today; it’s just that nobody cared and, except for a bit of short time excitement, nobody really cares today.

Let’s be clear on a couple of issues; over the years pirates have mutated into something different from 4 decades ago. They are still, to a degree, people trying to get money for their own use (usually poverty stricken fishermen) but now they have been joined by the ranks of religious fanatics. These are the people that are expanding the industry. The money they make, and there’s a lot of it, goes to help fund terrorist activities around the world. So, be aware, we are not just fighting simple pirates; we are also fighting large, cash healthy, terrorist organizations.

The question begs to be asked “Why do we fail in endeavors to wipe out pirates”? The answer is quite simple; the western culture legal Industry and general apathy get in the way. It’s the same reason that the Iraq conflict is failing. Western troops are soft (yes even the supposed bad boys) when compared to the enemy. Our troops have thousands of dollars worth of equipment, the best weapons and organised support. On the other side we have guys and gals who may only have an antiquated firearm, a pocket containing something akin to week old bread and some root vegetable and another pocket with some ammunition, but they also have something that our troops don’t and that’s a steely resolve to kill the enemy at any cost, there is a burning hatred that can only be extinguished by death. They do not need, comfort, they do not need food and they harbour no thoughts of home. If ordered, they will sit and wait in a ditch for days/weeks impervious to weather and personal comfort, their only thought is to carry out their assigned task.
Our troops, when compared to the opposition, have a background of home life, food, shelter, movies and general pleasant living. They want to get back to the good life, theirs just don’t care, and they have no dreams of ‘other things’ only killing the enemy.

I have worries about the UN and others getting involved, that will really stuff things up big time because that will bring the baggage of ‘political correctness’ and that’s a very bad idea. If you want to eradicate pirates, you start by showing strength not weakness, and to the eyes or the terrorist any and all forms of negotiation and attempts in ‘understanding’ are recognized as a weakness to be exploited and in that area they are masters. The UN or even simple multi nation action will involve so many ‘rules of engagement’ that it is doomed from the start. As in the past, the actual aim of the operation gets diluted and eventually lost, in the stream of rules and regulations imposed to carry it out. The enemy has no such hindrance and thus, again, wins the day.

Next we have to look with un-blinkered eyes at which governments may be surreptitiously supporting the pirate trade. I have got into trouble in the past by naming certain countries, so this time I will simply say that a careful watch should be kept on governments of countries lining the Malacca Straits and South China Sea. I won’t even dain to mention Somalia, their government couldn’t lie straight in bed and Nigeria needs to put on the suspect list.

Moslem factions in many countries now use pirates as a cash producing industry, their tentacles stretch across the globe and I would assume, although I have no proof, that they will be planning to extend these operations, all that is holding them back is the need to judge just what reaction the western world will make to the present level of operation.

So, how to defeat them and ‘yes’ it can be done – but not by present rules.

To test the water I would have two vessels in the water. The first is, your main attack vessel and the second, a support vessel but also capable of taking care of itself in a standalone operation. These vessels should steam no closer than one complete horizon between them (say 15/20 nautical miles). The purpose it to draw the enemy out to you and then dispose of them, I should say they I have been engaged in such operations and they are very successful but one rule must be recognised before you start ‘No Survivors’, you just can’t afford that luxury.

Standard procedure is for the pirate mother ship to get close and then launch fast inflatable rafts with boarding crews. Once the rafts are committed they are vulnerable but there is a strict order of events that must be observed.

Your crew must be armed with nothing less than modern gatlings, something akin to the M134D would be most acceptable. The rafts are actually the least of your worries; these can be easily disposed of. The main worry is the mother ship getting off any form of radio signal (THIS JUST MUSTN’T HAPPEN).
So, at least three gatling type guns or (if the range is long) one very smart sea to sea short range missile must take out the enemy wheelhouse and any radio masts etc.
At the same time the rafts must be totally destroyed, along with all occupants, that then just leaves one other item of business, but the one that can get tricky.
As the rafts are being destroyed you must already be steaming towards the mother ship - if it is still afloat. This must be boarded and any evidence gathered. Also, and this is where our western weakness gets in the way, any survivors must be eliminated. Then the vessel must either be sunk, or steamed to a hidden spot for disguise before returning her to a neutral and safe harbour.

It must appear to the pirate clan that the ship has just vanished, this starts to create valuable doubt. Once a few vessels and crews fail to return the trade will begin to become less attractive and once that little acorn of uncertainty is sown you can build on it. You will never be able to end the operation as the water will be constantly tested but the oceans will become a safer place.

The greatest problem in running this as a government or governments operation is that they are simply no good at keeping any secrets and the need for such extreme measures will have the legal types screaming their heads off. Plus the operation would need to be kept secret from certain governments with whom, on paper, we enjoy cordial relations, no matter how much we distrust them.

I am now getting on in years and I am sure that superior military techniques have evolved since my days of ‘point and pull the trigger’. However, one thing is still the same – we are losing because our western charter does not allow us to go the last (very messy) yards and unless someone is prepared to stand up and tell things as they are and take the necessary unpalatable action, the seas will get less safe and terrorists richer by the year.

I’m not holding my breath, as this is another area where we have lost the plot. In my day there were actually two groups actively opposing pirates. Indeed both were paid mercenaries but they did get the job done. As to what happened to them? Well, our own governments and culture made them outcasts. They were condemned because they tried to make the sea a safer place when governments couldn’t or wouldn’t – just like now.

Harry Drake

Ludlow Tower Has Fallen

Last night I received a phone call from an old schoolmate still in England, she rang to tell me that my old school friend Dickie Warner had died. It was cancer, Dickie was always a heavy smoker even when only 14 years old. Some of you will remember Dickie from some of my short stories, he was always around and I often thought about him and his later girlfriend, then wife, Barbara Hatman.

Dickie was a ‘quietly patriotic’ sort of chap and ended up in the army. He saw service all over the globe in defense of the realm including the Falkland Isles. It always rather surprised me as Dickie was a quiet sort; you know the kind of chap, solid, reliable, honest, and always the faithful friend.
So, another chapter of the book has closed, I just wished that I had managed to get back to see him before the end but hindsight has never been served by mortal man.

I remember one year, we were, I think, about 10 years old. It was around the 4th of November and every kid had sufficient fireworks stuffed under their beds to make Guy Fawkes seem very tame, ready for Bonfire Night (Nov 5). Dickie and I had, apart from the other stuff, 10 thruppeny (say 3c today) rockets and we had been making great plans for their use.
Merle Common school had its playground dived into a boys side and a girls side, in those days girls were treated like fragile flowers (yeah right, they were more vicious than a tiger with a toothache – but they looked so sweet) and had to be protected.
Now Dickie and I thought this was not only unfair but the girls had more playground space than we did and that wasn’t right, after all their activities usually only entailed sitting in a circle or skipping on the spot, what did they need room for?
Now these el cheapo rockets didn’t go far and we worked out that from the playing field across the road we could (properly aimed) shoot the said rockets into the girl’s playground. We didn’t know just how this might improve the situation; it just seemed, at the time, a good thing to do.
During the long lunch period we slipped across the road and set up ten milk bottles on an angle. In each of these we stuffed a rocked, aimed to clear the trees and land in the girl’s playground.
Then when we came out for afternoon break (15mins) we slipped across the road and got ready to set them off. Now we weren’t that stupid as to light the blue touch papers and let them rip, that would have exposed us as being the culprits. What we did was tie a small length of cotton twine to each fuse and lit the twine. You blow out the flame and it continues smoldering until it reaches the end, or in this case the rocket fuses. We had cut the twine so that it would smolder for about 4 minutes, that meant that by the time they started to fall on the girl’s playground we could be innocently loitering in plain view on the boy’s side of the iron curtain.

We were gleefully awaiting the screams when we saw something to make the blood turn to ice ‘teachers’ and even worse, teachers showing unknown adults (they turned out to be school inspectors) around. There was nothing to be done, the result was inevitable.
Nobody heard the first ones arrive and they fell quite harmlessly between people – but they naturally got much noticed. Then the second wave of about 5 rained down, one hit the headmaster, one hit Miss Coldbreath (maths) and one hit some chap wearing a bowler hat – I must say the hit rate was very good. There was a lot of screaming and running around, Dickie and I, although things had gone a bit wrong, were on the ground helpless with laughter, this was better than a Saturday cartoon at the cinema.

I’m not sure how many rockets actually landed in the playground but the ones that did sure created a big stir and Dickie and I both knew that dark clouds loomed on the horizon. These got even darker when the janitor found one rocked which hadn’t gone off, the blasted string had gone out leaving the evidence for all to see. So along with everybody else, we had no alibi.
For some reason everybody suspected us but nothing could be proved, however, there was no children’s rights in those days and on suspicion alone we got the ruler across the hand and playground sweeping for the rest of the term – but we did become heroes and enjoyed many free sweets from admiring classmates.
These days such antics would have had a thousand people screaming at the press about hoodlums and child crime – back then it was nothing more than a rather good prank. OK not the brightest but it was a hoot of the best kind.

I wonder if this had anything to do with Dickie ending up as CO of an artillery regiment or whatever they’re called these days – good old Dickie, he certainly knew how to aim a truepenny rocket – Good times old son, good times.

This is for you Dickie; it sums you up very well.

LEAVE your home behind, lad,
And reach your friends your hand,
And go, and luck go with you
While Ludlow tower shall stand.

Oh, come you home of Sunday
When Ludlow streets are still
And Ludlow bells are calling
To farm and lane and mill,

Or come you home of Monday
When Ludlow market hums
And Ludlow chimes are playing
‘The conquering hero comes,’

Come you home a hero,
Or come not home at all,
The lads you leave will mind you
Till Ludlow tower shall fall.

And you will list the bugle
That blows in lands of morn,
And make the foes of England
Be sorry you were born.

And you till trump of doomsday
On lands of morn may lie,
And make the hearts of comrades
Be heavy where you die.

Leave your home behind you,
Your friends by field and town:
Oh, town and field will mind you
Till Ludlow tower is down.

A. E. Housman (1859–1936). A Shropshire Lad. 1896.


From your old friend in crime
Harry