Industrial Espionage - Old School Version Against China

There was a time when China had a monopoly on a product the rest of the world grew dependent on and it took a British agent, engaging in industrial espionage to wrest that monopoly from them. As set out in Sarah Rose's excellent book For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History

Robert Fortune was a Scottish gardener, botanist, plant hunter - and industrial spy. In 1848, the East India Company engaged him to make a clandestine trip into the interior of China - territory forbidden to foreigners - to steal the closely guarded secrets of tea. For centuries, China had been the world's sole tea manufacturer. Britain purchased this fuel for its Empire by trading opium to the Chinese - a poisonous relationship Britain fought two destructive wars to sustain. The East India Company had profited lavishly as the middleman, but now it was sinking, having lost its monopoly to trade tea. Its salvation, it thought, was to establish its own plantations in the Himalayas of British India. There were just two problems: India had no tea plants worth growing, and the company wouldn't have known what to do with them if it had. Hence Robert Fortune's daring trip.

Disguising himself, Fortune nabbed both tea plants and experts and secreted them from China to British controlled territories and changed the world - and not for the better for the Chinese.

Are we still feeling the effects of these 19th Century act of industrial espionage? Was this theft part of the "100 years of humiliation" ingrained in modern Chinese thought? What lessons did China learn from the British tea effort?

I commend the book to you as you examine such thoughts.

The book has been 6 years in print and is available used at reasonable prices or for Kindle. Very good audio edition, too.

See also here:

Widespread consumption of costly tea in England and the American Colonies combined with China’s lack of interest in purchasing western goods, results in a disastrous trade deficit, as millions in Mexican silver dollars are poured into China to pay for Chinese tea and other goods.

Britain’s solution to their trade deficit with China is to promote the sale of addicitve opium grown in India and smuggled into China for profit.

Eventually British intransigent violations of Chinese laws forbidding the sale and use of opium bring about the Opium Wars and the spiraling downfall of China in defeat from a previous position of unrivaled world trading power.

Brits worry about application of armed force by anti-pirate guards

Can a private security team shoot at these guys? Or does he need to wait until fired upon?

Reported at BBC News - Clarify "lethal force" piracy defence rules, say MPs, worry over "free fire zones at sea" prompts effort to have good rules for private armed security guards:

But Mr Ottaway said much more detail was needed on how UK-flagged vessels could respond, if confronted by pirates.

"The government's guidance on the use of force, particularly lethal force, is very limited and there is little to help a ship's master make a judgement on where force can be used.

"The question anyone would ask is that if a private armed guard on board a UK-flagged vessel sees an armed skiff approaching at high speed, can the guard open fire? The government must provide clearer direction on what is permissible and what is not."

Ok, we're talking British law (as it only applies to UK-flagged ships) but I would assume that once fired upon by an "armed skiff" a security team is justified in returning fire - unless there is some "you must retreat as far as you can rule" before shooting back rule. However, up the to the point of receiving fire there are a whole lot of scenarios that can arise - perhaps the private security teams need to have counsel present.

The pirates, on the other hand, don't seem to be troubled much by rules - or concerns about damage to innocent lives - being outlaws and all.

Update: You can find an excerpt of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee report on "Piracy off the coast of Somalia" here:

We conclude that the guidance on the use of force, particularly lethal force, is very limited and there is little to help a master make a judgement on where force can be used. The Government must provide clearer direction on what is permissible and what is not. Guidance over the use of potentially lethal force should not be left to private companies to agree upon. We recommend that the change of policy be accompanied by clear, detailed and unambiguous guidance on the legal use of force for private armed guards defending a vessel under attack. This guidance should be consistent with the rules that would govern the use of force by members of the UK armed forces in similar circumstances, and should include:

• the circumstances in which private armed security guards faced with a clear threat of violence may respond with force, including lethal force, where proportionate and necessary, and
• examples of a "graduated response" to an attack, including confirmation that nothing in UK law or the CPS guidance requires a victim of pirate attack to await an aggressor's first blow before acting in self-defence.

We recommend that the Government take this forward as a matter of urgency, as we understand that private armed guards are already being deployed on some UK-flagged vessels.

A Not-So-Fine Mess: Anti-Pirate Security Guards Imprisoned in Eritrea

Eritrea

As noted before in these posts, the laws governing private armed security guards that are employed to deter the Somali pirates (who are often joined by nationals of other countries) are fraught with pitfalls for the unwary or the unlucky.

A special concern has been the importation of weapons into countries with a strong anti-import of weapons bias. In recent months, we have seen reports of security teams dumping their weapons at sea rather than go through the possible troubles of port/nation driven laws. See Somali Pirates: Security Firms Dump Weapons to Comply with Law, for example.

The Security Team

Now a small team of British private security guards (one is an Australian with dual citizenship) is in prison in Eritrea under some serious charges, as reported here:

They work for Protection Vessels International (PVI), a company which works to protect ships from piracy.

In a statement, the Eritrean government claims "all the British nationals in detention" have "fully admitted they have committed a crime".

It says the men regret trying to escape from the port of Massawa, where there was an apparent dispute about payment for fuel and supplies.

But more seriously, it says the men "bear accountability" for "acts of invasion, organising terrorism and espionage".

The ministry also states the British government should be held accountable for issuing a permit "that was used as a cover for the criminals who committed acts of invasion and sabotage".

A somewhat more radical view of the charges against the team comes from Foreign Policy Journal:

In early February of this year, 2011, a six man squad of British mercenaries were caught red handed in the midst of preparing an attempt to assassinate the top leadership of the Eritrean government in the port city of Massawa on the Red Sea.

Of the six, four were apprehended and two managed to escape, abandoning their mates while blazing out of Massawa Bay into the Red Sea in an inflatable speed boat, never to be seen again by Eritrean eyes.

A search of the vessel they arrived on uncovered a cache of tools of the assassin’s trade. Included was a small arsenal of automatic weapons, a sophisticated satellite communications system, state of the art electronic target range finders, and most damning, several sniper rifles.

All of those arrested have since been confirmed as employees of a British “security” firm akin to the notorious US company Blackwater/Xe. At least two of the four are former British Special Forces. As in the case of Raymond Davis, the CIA killer caught in the act in Pakistan, the British Foreign Office has been claiming Geneva Convention protections for these gun thugs all but confirming their being on an official mission for the British Government.

As noted in the articles, the British government has not been able to meet with the captives. Their employer, however, has offered up an apology:

A security firm whose bungled mission in the Horn of Africa led to four British men being captured in Eritrea, and held without consular access for more than six months, has issued an unreserved apology in an attempt to hasten their release.

The men, two of whom are former Royal Marines, disappeared on Christmas Eve hours after their ship was intercepted by the Eritrean navy after an unscheduled stop at a port in Massawa. They were sent back to the mainland and put in jail. All were contractors working for the Hatfield-based security firm Protection Vessels International (PVI).

Yesterday the company said it “deeply regretted” the situation, issuing “an unreserved apology for any wrongdoing”. Eritrean television showed footage of the four men being paraded as well as shots of arms and equipment including rifles, handguns, GPS devices, bullet-proof vests, and satellite phones seized from the vessel.

The incident occurred on 23 December after the Sea Scorpion, one of the PVI ships on assignment in the Horn of Africa, suffered an equipment failure and was instructed to approach Massawa in an attempt to refuel.

Equipped with weapon systems including sniper rifles, the boat is understood to have stopped at the offshore island of Romia, where some of its contents and personnel were unloaded. The ship was intercepted as it tried to leave Massawa, and the men – three of whom are named as Adrian Troy, Christopher Alan Collison and Alun Sims – were taken away.

From here, the Eritrean government press release about these men (yes, it's long):

Crimes of the British Institution PVI and its members in Eritrea
Christopher Alan Collison, is a British national who claims to have been working as facilitator of Protection Vessels International (PVI) in Djibouti. Concealing his real identity, he requested an entry Visa from the Eritrean Embassy in Djibouti on 13 December 2010 for visiting Eritrea disguised as a tourist. Accordingly, he was granted the entry Visa, and arrived at Asmara International Airport on 17 December 2010.


The following day, 18 December 2010, Collison left for Massawa hiring a taxi with plate number ER-2-02315. And on 19 December 2010, he got in touch with Finan Shipping and Port Services Corporation requesting that it serve as an agent to facilitate in supplying a tourist vessel with food stuff and fuel. He informed the corporation that the vessel departed from the UK and was passing through Egypt en-route to Djibouti, and that it had run out of supplies. On the basis of Collison’s fabricated account, a boat called SEA SCORPION, along with two speed boats called RED and GRAY RIBS, arrived in Massawa Port carrying 6 British ‘sailors’.

During their stay in Massawa Port until 23 December 2010, Collison and the 6 sailors disguised as tourists claimed to have carried out repair work on one of the speed boats called GRAY RIBS, while loading the boat with whatever food and fuel supplies. After conducting discussion on ways of securing payment either in cash or bank account for the services rendered by the Finan Shipping and Port Services, they produced a document confirming payment made by a British bank and informed them that the sum has been sent through the Western Union. As the Finan Corporation needed confirmation of the payment made through the Bank of Eritrea on the one hand and due to the fact that those institutions that provide clearance had their office hours closed on the other, it was decided that both sides arrange a reschedule for 7:00 a.m. next morning. However, that same evening at 19:30 p.m., the 6 sailors and Collison himself who entered the country after acquiring a tourist visa made an attempt to flee Massawa on the speed boat RED RIB turning off lights and without securing any legal clearance whatsoever. After having traveled a distance of almost 3 nautical miles, they were given warning shots by members of the Eritrean Naval Force to stop immediately. Thereafter, while the SEA SCORPION KN252 carrying 4 sailors heeded the call, the RED RIB speed boat with 3 sailors fled.

As for SEA SCORPION, it was brought under control. Following intensive search conducted on the sailors, GPS and computers found in the boat, a number of still and moving pictures, as well as information messages were obtained that confirmed the violation of Eritrea’s land and maritime sovereignty. On the basis of the information thus acquired, a search was conducted on the Eritrean Island of Romia, where a number of light weapons fitted with silencers, telescopes and distance-monitoring sailing equipments were secured. Moreover, night vision binoculars equipped with a GPS together with poison-tipped bullets, bullet-proof vests, radios, as well as V-SAT satellite telephones were seized during the search. The Island of Romia (16o24’N and 40o 05’E) is an Eritrean island located 30 nautical miles inside sovereign Eritrean territorial waters.


All the British nationals in detention fully admitted that they “have committed a crime in having illegally and repeatedly entered sovereign Eritrean Island as well as violating the country’s territorial waters bearing armaments, in addition to attempting to escape from Massawa”. And in doing so, they expressed regret for their actions. Besides, they have repeatedly and strongly pleaded for amnesty for their criminal acts. As for Collison, the PVI representative in Djibouti who had legally acquired entry Visa to Eritrea disguised as a tourist, admitted that he had committed a crime through posing himself as a tourist and trying to escape from Massawa illegally by boat.


Outcome of the Investigation
Concerning PROTECTION VESSELS INTERNATIONAL (PVI)

The (PVI) is one of the many emerging armed forces claiming to be engaged in anti-piracy activities. It is an organization mainly based in the UK and owned by a British national named Domenic Mee, a former member of the British Naval Force. He claims to have more than 200-strong employees, the majority of whom are themselves former members of the British Navy. Besides, some are civil seamen.


PVI owns the following 4 ships and an unspecified large number of speed boats:
1. AL 345 with Tel. number 0088-1621-467138 flying the British flag
2. AM 230 with Tel. number 0088-1621-467431 flying the British flag
3. DM 234 with Tel. number 0088-1621-467138 flying the British flag
4. KN 252 (SEA SCORPION) flying the Egyptian flag


While the 3 PVI ships carry the British flag, KN 252 SEA SCORPION operates with the Egyptian flag. When it was seized while entering Massawa Port and later on trying to escape, it was flying the Egyptian flag. Even though the argument on the part of the accused who claim that “it was bought not long ago and that the transfer of ownership has not yet been finalized” deserves some consideration, the fact that resort was deliberately made to such a scheme nonetheless represents a deliberate cover-up in view of the fact that a vessel entering Eritrean territorial waters with an Egyptian flag is regarded as being more acceptable and logical.


It is on record that PVI bought SEA SCORPION in Alexandria, Egypt, on 07/2010 and that it underwent repair and test in the Egyptian port of Hurgada; it entered Port Sudan on 11/10/2010, in addition to taking about a month to have a new generator installed in it, thus subsequently embarking on conducting activities from its permanent headquarters, i.e. (17o N to 18o N) in mid-November 2010, and pursuing its routine work in the Red Sea international waterways. This has been confirmed by documents secured and testimonies obtained from the accused parties. (17o N to 18o N) are coordinates that stretch from Bab Adem (50 km South of Marsa Teklai) to Ras Kesar.


Crimes committed by PVI against sovereign Eritrean territorial waters and islands


1. On 22/11/2010 an unknown number of PVI members entered the Island of Romia (16o24’N and 40o 05’E), located 30 nautical miles inside Eritrea through the RED RIB speed boat. The crew conducted intensive surveillance, during which they took video footage of the entire island. Moreover, 2 PVI members entered the island with a view to identifying a suitable spot for anchor, the vegetation of the island and possible sites for cover, as well as prospects of potable water sources. All relevant information they acquired was transmitted via radio, and the footage they compiled in the process is documented as evidence.


2. The PVI members moved the speed boat named GRAY RIB closer to Romia Island through tagging it by the SEA SCORPION and RED RIB boats on 25/11/2010. (The film shots the group compiled are documented as evidence.)


3. The documents obtained from the group have ascertained that the commanding officer of PVI, Domenic Mee, docked closer to Romia Island on 26/11/2010 through the ship SEA SCORPION and the speed boat RED RIB along with an unspecified number of armed members and other support personnel.


4. On 30/11/2010 a 10-member armed group and other support staff headed by Domenic Mee, commanding officer of PVI, along with the ship SEA SCORPION and the speed boat RED RIB invaded the sovereign Eritrean Island of Romia staging strategic military movements and in possession of various types of weapons, thus staying there for a number of days. Such activities were confirmed by the still and moving pictures they took on 30/11/2010. What’s more, even though they did not admit their invasion of the island openly, the accused themselves do not deny having stayed there.

Red arrow points to Eritrea

5. The PVI carried out repeated acts of espionage and intelligence work on Harmil Island (16o31’N and 40o 51’E) which is located 31.38 nautical miles inside Eritrean territorial waters through its ship AL-345 and the speed boat RED RIB. In an electronic mail he addressed to members of the SEA SCORPION dated 12/12/2010, Domenic Mee, relayed information concerning the outcome of the spying activities undertaken and his observations about the island. He also sent out information that the speed boat RED RIB was spotted by members of the Eritrean Security Guard, in addition to the fact that their AL-345 ship made a speedy escape thereafter. Domenic Mee further warned the SEA SCORPION staff to strictly avoid passing through Harmil Island during their journey to Massawa, in view of the fact that RED RID was spotted by members of the Eritrean Security Guard near Harmil Island on a previous occasion, and that it should not be identified as being an integral part of the SEA SCORPION ship. He further warned the crew of the need to exercise caution taking into account the possibility that members of the Eritrean Security Guard are likely to possess communication facilities. These acts conclusively prove that the PVI has carried out acts of espionage on sovereign Eritrean territorial waters and islands. (The necessary documents along with concrete evidence are available.)


6. On 19/12/2010, 17 armed members of the PVI and 4 support staff entered Romia Island through KN-252 SEA SCORPION and RED RIB, 4 armed British nationals, namely Pinington Henry, Moorhead Paul, Montgomery Robert, and Ternbul Mark headed to international waters on 20/12/2010 from Romia Island through the RED RIB speed boat.


7. 6 other Britons who are members of PVI departed from Romia Island on 20/12/2010 mounting two speed boats on the SEA SCORPION disguised as tourists and under the pretension of loading food stuff and fuel supplies. In due coarse, they arrived in Massawa on 21/12/2010 after having exercised maximum caution against the possibility of being spotted by Eritrean Security Guards by traveling through yet unfamiliar sea routes between the Isratu and Dihil Islands.


8. In total, 11 seamen (8 Britons and 3 Egyptians) kept themselves in hiding at Romia Island from 19/12/2010 to 23/12/2010 and in the possession of an unknown number of military hardware, big package boxes and various equipments, as well as communication facilities. These seamen were given directives to keep guard in twos and to reply: “We are tourists keen to observe sharks” upon inquiry. Hence, this conclusively proves that the PVI institution has been making use of the Eritrean Island of Romia as its military base and arms depot.


9. On 23/12/2010, the six British nationals who infiltrated into Massawa under the guise of getting food stuff and fuel and the one who entered under the pretext of a tourist possessing visa from Djibouti escaped from Massawa Port at night through speed boats, i.e. SEA SCORPION and RED RIBS turning off lights and leaving behind a legal permit and visa. After a journey of 3 nautical miles, the SEA SCORPION along with the currently detained 4 British seamen was captured following a warning shot fired by members of the Naval Force, while the RED RIB speed boat along with 3 seamen managed to escape to the Romia Island where it disappeared taking with it 8 British and 3 Egyptians, as well as loading up military hardware and equipments from the island. (Names of those who escaped from Massawa and Romia Island along with their arms are documented)


10. Members of the Eritrean Naval Force confirmed that on 24/12/2010, an unidentified mother-ship carrying a boat was conducting surveillance activities from 9:00 a.m. to 16:00 p.m. along a distance of 5 nautical miles north-west of Romia Island. It is indisputable that the intention of the ship was to follow up the overall situation of the SEA SCORPION and the detained PVI members, in addition to removing the remaining military hardware in Romia Island.


11. During surveillance activities undertaken by members of the Eritrean Naval Force in Romia Island on 24/12/2010, military hardware packed in 8 big boxes was discovered that comprises 18 different types of snipers along with lenses and silencer devices, 8 guns, 10 radios for communication, 10 bulletproof vests, 7 helmets, 1,700 bullets of various types, including poison-tipped ones, 2 GPS equipped with infrared night vision and daylight binoculars. (Details of the discovered weapons and devices are documented)


12. On 24/12/2010 at 8:58 p.m. the commander of SEA SCORPION, Copral Alun Edward Sims, while in detention sent e-mail to the operations commander, Mark Cowell, informing him to transfer the armed men and military hardware in Romia Island to international territorial waters. On top of providing information that such elements were those who intentionally committed the crimes, this e-mail was sent with a view to covering up evidence.


13. On 24/12/2010 at 9:44 p.m. PVI Operations Commander Mark Cowell sent an e-mail to Alun Edward Sims while in detention ordering him to delete all e-mail messages whenever he got the chance to do so. His message is documented as evidence. In accordance with such an order, Alun Edward Sims deleted the hard disk of the computer in the ship. To restore the deleted hard disk was to some extent a time-consuming process. This act of annulling evidence was resorted to in fear that they would entail accountability for the crimes committed.


14. The PVI Institution infiltrated into the Eritrean territorial waters and islands via the ship SEA SCORPION from 22/11/2010 to 23/12/2010 carrying a number of boxes with military hardware, equipments and communication devices. (Documents attesting to these acts are available).


The pretexts PVI applied to commit the aforementioned crimes


1. ‘Anti-piracy’ pretext


Although the detained members and the discovered documents reveal that the institution provides ‘anti-piracy’ service in Red Sea international waters 17°N to 18°E, no act of piracy whatsoever occurred in the aforementioned part of the Red Sea (north of Dahlak Island).


When PVI deployed its members in the Red Sea international waters 17°N to 18°E in November 2010 under the guise of fighting piracy, it immediately resorted to infiltrating 30 nautical miles deep into sovereign Eritrean territorial waters on 22/12/2010 through a speed boat tagged RED RIBS. Following the exploration of the Romia Island, it used it as a safe haven for hiding its military hardware and equipments, as well as the docking of damaged boats and the base for armed members during the period between the end of November to 23 December 2010. This act has already been confirmed by the document and material evidences already seized. Such an act is tantamount to invasion and violation of sovereign Eritrean territory, thus having no correlation to all so-called piracy and anti-piracy activities.


2. Pretext under tourist cover


At a time when members of the PVI approached the Finan Shipping and Port Services Corporation via their facilitating agent in Djibouti, Christopher Alan Collison, they requested that he serve as a facilitating agent for obtaining food stuff and fuel from the Massawa Port that would be used by tourists who crossed to Djibouti via Egypt originating from the UK. Besides, the PVI agent who traveled from Djibouti to Eritrea to facilitate the issue of the institution, approached the Eritrean Embassy in Djibouti and requested for a tourist visa. The discovered documentary evidence also proved that the armed members of the institutions who remained in hiding in Romia Island along with their weapons were informed by the institution to appear as “tourists keen to observe sharks” in a bid to cover up their true identity.


3. Pretext under the guise of loading food stuff and fuel supply


Loading food stuff and fuel supply was a ploy employed by PVI members to enter Massawa, which in itself constitutes a pretext. And this in view of the fact that if at all the PVI really provides anti-piracy service, it has ample opportunity to secure food stuff and supplementary fuel supply from the big commercial ships to which it provides so-called service within the periphery of international waters and without wasting extra fuel. However, putting aside such opportunity, the institution used the loading of food and fuel as a guise for engaging in other missions. After undertaking surveillance and intelligence work in Harmil Island through its ship and speed boats, it deployed and hid armed members along with military hardware in the sovereign Eritrean Island of Romia. Entering Massawa originating from the Island through the sea route which was not familiar at all to any ship or boat before, constitutes a continuation of its acts of espionage, sabotage as well as surveillance activities, and not for the simple reason of obtaining food stuff and fuel supply. Moreover, if at all the PVI was in real need of food stuff and fuel from Massawa Port, it would have had no problem whatsoever to obtain entrance permit through the usual practice of revealing its true identity, the number of its members as well as weapons in its possession to the Eritrean authorities. However, it made futile attempts to enter the country under a number of aggressive pretexts, simply because its intention and mission objective were in essence hostile.


4. Legal accountability of PVI and its members


1. PVI committed acts of invasion against sovereign Eritrean territorial waters and islands from November to December 2010 through deploying a number of armed members along with various military hardware in Romia Island using KN252 SEA SCORPION and 2 speed boats. In doing so, the institution repeatedly used the Island as a base and safe haven of its armed members and arms depot. As a result of such acts of invasion, Domenic Mee and his institution, as well as the 4 detained individuals, including the 22 PVI members that escaped who repeatedly infiltrated into sovereign Eritrean territorial waters and islands are to be held accountable for the act.


2. On 19/12/2010, 21 members of the PVI (including those 4 detained) infiltrated and deployed different types of weapons, poison-tipped bullets, bulletproof vests, radio transmitters and infrared night-vision binoculars in the sovereign Eritrean Island of Romia. There is high possibility that such military hardware is intended for perpetrating acts of terrorism and sabotage. Hence, the members are accountable for infiltrating into the sovereign Eritrean Island of Romia and stashing weaponry, besides orchestrating futile acts of espionage and terrorism.


3. The head of PVI is to be held accountable for undertaking spying activities through RED RIB speed motor boat and AL-345 ship over the work of the Eritrean Naval Force in the sovereign Eritrean Island of Harmil and its environs.


4. The head of PVI and the detained members are to be held accountable for the criminal act of escaping from Massawa without fulfilling the necessary clearance obligations in violation of the nation’s maritime law, in addition to disappearing by speed boats carrying 11 armed members and unidentified number of weaponry from Romia Island.


5. Those who escaped from Massawa and managed to take out 11 armed members along with military hardware in Romia Island are to be held accountable for organizing acts of terrorism and sabotage, as well as concealing evidences. (Their names are documented).


6. All those members of the PVI who infiltrated into sovereign Eritrean territory through SEA SCORPION ship and participated in acts of invasion, organizing terrorism and espionage bear accountability for the aforementioned criminal deeds. (Details concerning the names of all the individuals are documented)


7. Christopher Alan Collison who managed to obtain tourist visa and arrived in the country through Asmara International Airport, but tried to escape illegally without clearance and together with those accused of attempting to run away from Massawa on 23/12/2010 and thus subsequently apprehended following the warning shot are to be held accountable for acts of espionage and violation of the nation’s immigration laws.


8. The British government is equally to be held accountable for issuing permit that was used as a cover for the criminals who committed acts of invasion and espionage, as well as organizing terrorist acts and sabotage, in addition to possession of weaponry in sovereign Eritrean territorial waters and islands in gross violation of international law.


The detailed information thus presented is in full conformity with the volume of evidences acquired, as well as the testimony of the PVI members presently under detention. In any case, the legal proceedings connected with this matter have not yet been finalized. The issue of those who managed to escape and the military hardware and equipments they took with them is also to be viewed within the framework of subsequent legal process.


Ministry of Foreign Affairs
7 June 2011
Asmara

Not good.

Photos from Eritrean government.

Britannia's Naval Crisis

It's a sad state of affairs when the head of the Navy that produced Drake and Nelson, the protected the free peoples of Great Britain, that defeated armadas, kept Napoleon at bay and ruled the waves has to explain to why England has a navy at all.

I pity the poor First Sea Lord as he fights back against a Royal Army financial thrust aimed at increasing troop levels at the expense of naval ships.

Yes, limited and austere budgets will breed inter-service rivalries. See here:

The head of the British Army has called for infantry “boots on the ground” to be preserved, at the expense of costly tanks, aircraft and ships, before what are expected to be devastating post-election defence cuts.

But to think that the FSL has to go before some crowd in England to defend the fleet:

Within the Royal Navy, I must retain and develop the quality to deliver success across the full spectrum of defence activity up to and including high intensity warfare. At the same time, I also need to preserve the appropriate capacity to be out on the beat every day, across the globe – as the Naval prayer so appositely states – as a security for “such as pass on the seas upon their lawful occasions; that the inhabitants of the commonwealth may in peace and quietness serve.” Words from another age, but as relevant today to maritime nation that still trades across the world, is made prosperous by engaging across the world and to do so relies on access to the sea.

Somewhere, the ghosts of Royal Navy sailors are quietly whispering:

The nations, not so blest as thee,
Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall;
While thou shalt flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all.

"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."

Somali Pirates: Pirates lower ransom demand for Brit yacht couple, alternative swap for captured pirates doubtful

Reportedly, Somali pirates holding as captives the British yacht couple have lowered their ransom demand, as set out here:

Having originally told the BBC by telephone on Saturday that Paul and Rachel Chandler, aged 59 and 55, would be released only after $7-million (R54-million) had been handed over, the group have now changed their demand.

They have told the BBC that they will accept $163000 (R1.25-million).

The pirates also warned military powers in the area of the Somali coast and in the Indian Ocean not to attack or try to rescue the couple.

"If they do nothing to us, we will do nothing to them," the group said.

Another alternative seems to some sort of prisoner exchange:

A spokesman for the pirates holding Paul and Rachel Chandler said the kidnappers were torn between asking for a ransom or the release of their comrades.

The couple, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, were captured more than a week ago as they sailed from the Seychelles towards Tanzania in their yacht, the Lynn Rival.
***
Cmdr Harbour said there was no precedent for captured pirates being swapped for hostages, but such a deal could not be ruled out.

"Once these seven are in the hands of a particular flag state then if they are contacted by a (hostage) negotiating party then they have the authority to make such a decision," he said.

But maritime security expert Nick Davis said a hostage exchange was out of the question.

"There's no way in the world that the Germans would ever release Somalis in exchange for the Chandlers," he said.

He also criticised the British Government's response, saying they had been forced "onto the back foot" by failing to engage with the hijackers.

"The best thing they can do now is tow the Chandlers' yacht close to the Somali shore to provide some neutral territory, and make a goodwill gesture to the pirates," he said. "It does not have to be money, it could be school supplies or an improvement to the local infrastructure."

Somali Pirates: $7 million Ransom Demand for Brit Yachters

Pirates want $7 million ransom for UK couple:

The BBC said Friday that Somali pirates called the broadcaster to demand $7 million for the release of a British couple whose yacht was hijacked off the coast of Africa.

The British broadcaster cited an unidentified caller as saying the size of the ransom was justified because NATO forces in the area had arrested Somali fishermen and destroyed their equipment.

"If they do not harm us, we will not harm them," the BBC quoted the caller as saying. "We only need a little amount of $7 million."

Paul and Rachel Chandler were headed to Tanzania in their boat, the Lynn Rival, when a distress signal was sent Oct. 23. The British navy found their empty yacht on Thursday, and both have been in sporadic contact with the British media since.

The pirates will settle for $1.5 million and a share of the movie and book rights . . .

Somali Pirates: British Yacht Couple Moved to Cargo Ship, Yacht Stripped and Abandoned

Reported here:

Paul Chandler told Britain's ITV News in a phone call that he and his wife were being held aboard a container ship anchored a mile from the Somali coast. They apparently had been briefly taken ashore.
***
Chandler told ITV the pirates crept aboard his yacht at night while he was asleep.

"They kept asking for money and took everything of value on the boat," Chandler, 59, said in the interview before the phone connection was abruptly broken off.

The British navy found the yacht — empty — in international waters earlier Thursday. Warships had been searching for the Lynn Rival since it sent out a distress signal Oct. 23.

Chandler later told the BBC in a telephone interview that he is being treated well by his captors.

"We are well, and being looked after OK," Chandler said. "Food is OK."

Good article about one of the Somali pirate havens Harardhere:

Piracy in Harardhere started in 2003-2004 as the business idea of one man, whose foot soldiers took the British yachting couple last week: Mohamed Abdi "Afweyne" (Somali for "big mouth").

"He had no clue about the sea... On technical matters related to boats, I had to teach him from scratch and the first times we went out to sea, he was sick all the time," one of his associates recalled.

Afweyne comes from an area and clan with no experience of piracy, but he head-hunted some of the most prominent pirates from the northern breakaway region of Puntland for his start-up.

"Harardhere provided the perfect base for the pirates as it was far away from the fractions in the Somali civil war," Norwegian researcher Stig Jarle Hansen explained in a recent report on piracy.

British commandos kill Somali pirates in showdown at sea

After being fired upon while investigating a suspected pirate dhow, some Royal Marines made a couple of suspected pirates "former" pirates, as set out here:

British commandos killed two suspected pirates who tried to seize a Danish ship in the Gulf of Aden in an unprecedented operation involving a Royal Navy and a Russian warship, it was revealed today.

The suspect pirates were shot yesterday after the Royal Marine commandos, in rigid inflatable boats launched from the frigate HMS Cumberland, were fired at from a Yemeni-flagged dhow, the Ministry of Defence said.

It said the Cumberland was conducting routine Nato maritime security operations in the Gulf of Aden when a number of its crew boarded the dhow. The British crew "had reason to believe" the vessel had been involved in an attack on the Danish-registered MV Powerful earlier that day.

"Various non-forcible methods had been used in an attempt to stop the dhow but they were unsuccessful," the MoD said, adding that the inflatables circled the dhow in an attempt to stop it. People on the dhow fired at the British commandos who returned fire in self-defence, the MoD said. Two of the dhow crew were killed.

The rest of the crew surrendered and the vessel was boarded 60 miles south of the Yemeni coast.

UPDATE: here

UPDATE2: From the Royal Navy:

HMS Cumberland whilst conducting routine Maritime Security Operations in the Gulf of Aden on the 11 November had course to board a Yemeni flagged dhow, towing a skiff which they had reason to believe had been involved in an attack on the Danish-registered MV Powerful earlier in the day.

Various non-forcible methods had been used in an attempt to stop the dhow but they were unsuccessful. Sea boats were launched to circle the dhow in an attempt to encourage it to stop – these boats were fired at from the dhow and the crews returned fire in self defence. The dhow crew subsequently surrendered and a compliant boarding followed. It was then clear that two personnel, believed to be pirates, had been shot and killed.

A Yemeni national was also found injured and later died, despite receiving emergency treatment from the ship’s doctor. It is unclear whether his injuries were as a result of the firefight or a previous incident involving the pirates.

An MOD Spokesman said:

“Yesterday a crew from the frigate HMS Cumberland boarded a foreign flagged dhow, believed to be Yemeni, which had been positively identified in an earlier hijacking attempt on a Danish vessel. Prior to boarding, boats launched by Cumberland to intercept the dhow were involved in an exchange of fire. Two foreign nationals, believed to be Somali pirates, were shot and killed in self defence. A Yemeni national was also found injured and later died, despite receiving emergency treatment from the ship’s doctor. It is unclear whether his injuries were as a result of the firefight or a previous incident involving the pirates. As with all shooting incidents, a post shooting incident investigation is currently being conducted.”

More on the Russian involvement here:

Russian navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said the Russian missile frigate Neustrashimy and the British frigate HMS Cumberland each sent up a helicopter against the pirates as they tried to commandeer a Danish vessel on Tuesday. It was the first action by a Russian warship sent to prevent hijackings off Somalia.

"The pirates tried to hit the ship with automatic weapons fire and made several attempts to seize it," Dygalo said on state-run Vesti-24 television.

The British military said the Cumberland then sent boats to circle a Yemeni-flagged dhow - a traditional wooden vessel - that apparently had been involved in the attack on the Danish-registered MV Powerful and refused to halt.

The crew of the dhow opened fire at the boats, but surrendered after the British crews returned fire in self defense, the military said. A British crew boarded the dhow and found that two suspected pirates, believed to be Somalis, had been shot and killed, it said.

Brit Navy gets some authority

Reported as Navy is given new power to destroy pirate vessels:

Royal Navy sources said commanding officers had been given the power to destroy equipment used by pirates – including sinking their vessels.

A recent escalation in piracy in the lawless waters off the coast of Somalia has involved a series of high-profile raids, including the seizure of the MV Faina carrying a cargo of tanks and weapons.

A US-led international fleet Combined Task Force 150, including the British frigate HMS Northumberland, is already patrolling the Gulf of Aden.

In a Commons written answer, Mr Ainsworth told shadow foreign secretary William Hague yesterday: 'The government's stance on piracy has recently been reviewed.

'This has resulted in a move to a more proactive posture whereby Royal Navy units in the region will actively seek out pirates, and we have issued them with more robust guidance to deal with any pirates encountered.'

Previously, commanding officers could only engage pirates if they caught them in the act and were not allowed to destroy their weapons or equipment.

A navy source said: 'The UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea does not permit them to destroy equipment.

'What the UK guidance will do is allow commanding officers to do that.'