Pirates of Puntland

Unlike Captain John Morgan’s crew, they don’t kill and torture their captives for entertainment. Instead, they treat their captives humanely and share the same food and housing.

A British captain who spent several weeks in their hands told the BBC they gave him a goat, although he did not realise the significance of this gesture of Somali hospitality: “For some reason, they gave us a goat, which we took in as pet; but several days later, they slaughtered the animal and cooked him for us to eat.”

These “Jalle Rogers” deviate from the universal pirate code and return the cargo intact along with the ransomed crew.

Like most of the reportage emerging out of stateless Somalia, the pirate phenomenon raises unanswered questions.

The lack of response on the international level — US, EU, regional governments — is an anomaly.

Why seek a UN security council resolution? Bush did not seek approval to shell the mountains behind Eyl when intelligence reported Hassan Dahir Aweis to be in the vicinity.

Why should the US intervene directly after Russia sent a warships, especially right after facing off with Putin over Georgia?

This in turn leads to the events in Ukraine and the enmity between the Orange faction and Mother Russia, raising the question, “Are these Ukrainian tanks or are they Russian tanks on an Ukrainian freighter? What if it was a Chinese shipment?”

These and other factors contradict the claims that pirate money is funding jihadi insurgents. Who is Al Shabaab anyway? Al Shabaab militias began popping up everywhere after the demise of the notorious Aden Hashi “Airo.” Insurgency will stay in fashion until the Ethiopians depart.

Of course, the government of the day in Kenya once again finds itself caught in a dodgy position; why does Kenya, or the GOSS (government of Southern Sudan), need obsolete war machines like fuel-guzzling tanks anyway?

Looking at the big picture, the Pirates of Puntland have been extracting taxes from a neglectful international system.

The capitalist high-roaders have gone multinational. For example: The first reference to the three pirates who died after exposure to toxic chemicals on an captured Iranian ship is buried on page seven when you Google “Somali pirates.”

It is wholly consistent for the excess-prone Somalis to ruin a good thing by pushing the envelope. It follows that, by the end of the day, the surcharges and premiums charged by shippers and insurers will trump by far the cash collected by the pirates.

Imagine that.