It only takes a few RPG’s, one to take out the bridge, to stop large merchant vessels. The damage they could do to an oil tanker or LPG carrier would be catastrophic. Here’s an article with more background, written last year, from the “trade’s” perspective.

This is exactly the reason they aren’t armed, and why arming them wouldn’t help. I hear this a lot – “why aren’t they armed”? RPGs.

But I’m a bit bummed about the happenstance and roundabout way you learned of the hiring, because it reinforces my perception that there’s no transparency about committee staff.

Sorry, I didn’t see the question earlier. The Jack Blum information came from one of the morning interviews a couple weeks ago on Minnesota Public Radio. Can’t reference the date — but the point of the discussion was the history of congressional investigations of banking and finance matters with someone who is about to publish a book on the topic. Blum’s being hired was just a statement in the whole discussion of BCCI. MPR has four hours of public policy programs every weekday. Usually two hours on national or international matters, and two on State policy — but sometimes fun topics such as the theory of Twins Management in selecting the relief and closer pitching staff.

I recognize Blum simply because I got fascinated with the BCCI matter back in 1987 or 88, and over the years have read a couple of books on the matter, and Blum just seems to me the kind of super focused and passionate investigator necessary for these kinds of things to succeed.

Gun running
Terrorist infiltration
Mutiny

How would you control for any of the three given the combination of a free (actually owner paid) supply of guns and effective lack of security checks on the crews? $1 or $3 million dollars goes a long, long way in Somalia. but equally it goes a very long way in most of the countries that provide crews for the typical Liberian or Panamanian flagged freighter owned by some Greek or Pakistani shipping company.

Traditionally there were relatively little control on civilian mariners hitting the bars and stores of most sea ports, you showed your papers and were good to go. That attitude would have to change in a hurry if every guy coming down the gangplank potentially had access to an AK-47 handy for sale into the black market or for some quick little terror action. I am not sure the Port Masters of Sydney, Amsterdam, Shanghai, New Orleans, Long Beach or most certainly Mumbai would be really happy to see steady streams of armed vessels with crews from who knows where tying up to their docks on a daily basis.

For example here is a picture of the Port of Houston as seen from the Houston Ship Canal.
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/eca45/
Do you really want every tanker or freighter entering or leaving your local port having access to high powered rifles? Port security is a nightmare even now, I don’t think we need to add hundreds or thousands of guns in the hands of Third World merchant crews entering major world ports to the mix.

1. 3 killed, 1 wounded and Captain Phillips unhurt … looks like the work of SEALS.

2. Warm Hugs to the Phillips’ household … I think that Easter this year will be just a little bit more special.

Further comment:
Somali pirates? Pretty small potatoes compared to the US imperial land-pirates, who are currently aiming their guns at thirty million Iraqis, demanding that that let US oil companies be allowed to steal their oil. We are also pointing our guns at some sixty million Afghanis, demanding that they allow US oil companies to build pipelines across their country. And if they have the gall to resist, we bomb them, wound them, maim them, imprison them, blindfold them, torture them and kill them.