The New Pirates: Modern Global Piracy
from Somalia to the South China Sea By Andrew Palmer I. B. Tauris, 2014, ISBN
978-1-84885-633-2, US $35.00 / CAN $40.00 / £22.50
The New Pirates is an analysis of modern
maritime piracy with particular focus on Somalia, but
covering the rest of the world as well. Palmer examines
underlying causes and how these pirates came to be such
a menace to seafarers, the shipping industry, and
society in general. Once he began writing, he found this
account of piracy far more complex than he imagined.
This necessitated additional resources and a wider scope
to cover not only the pirates, but also politics,
economics, criminal tendencies of African elites, and
the “War on Terror.” In his introduction he explains the
reason for the rise of pirates and provides a clear
definition of what acts constitute piracy. He makes it
clear that piracy changes society, “that everything in
our world is interconnected,” and how the world’s
economy will change because of this.
Below is a list of chapters and
the subheadings that outline what is covered in each
one.
1. Piracy: The Background
a. Our Perceptions of
Piracy b. The Re-emergence of
Piracy in the Twenty-first Century c. Causes and Factors d. A Coalition of Interest
Groups e. The Growth of Piracy
2. The Political Development
of Somalia
a. Somalia: Society and
Clans b. A Brief History of
Somalia to 2008 c. Modern Somalia d. Somalia’s Neighbours:
Regional Conflicts and Alliances in the Horn e. Somalia – A Failed
State? f. Failed States and Piracy
3. Stateless Territories and
Clandestine Networks
a. The African Reality:
Dealing with Ungoverned Spaces b. Somali Customary Law: Xeer c. Hidden Trade Networks in
Africa d. Criminal Networks e. Crime as a Globalized
Business f. Money Trail g. Money Transfers in
Somalia: Xawilaad h. The Criminalized or
Predatory State
4. The Pirate Coast
a. The Key Role of Puntland
in the Organization of Piracy b. Piracy in Central and
Southern Somalia c. Pirate Leaders d. The Origins of Modern
Somali Piracy e. Fishing and the
Justification for Piracy f. The Role of Yemen
5. The Geography of Piracy
a. Introduction b. The North-east Indian
Ocean and the Red Sea c. Southeast Asia and the
South China Sea d. West Africa e. South America and the
Caribbean
6. Pirate Operations
a. Introduction: The
Business of Piracy b. The Attack Craft c. Motherships d. The Arms Trade e. Pirate Weapons f. Pirate Techniques g. Changes in Strategy h. The Use of Intelligence
by Somali Pirates i. The Pirate Business
Model j. Ransoms: The Process k. The Cost of a Hijacking l. The Ransoming of the MV
Maran
Centaurus m. Pirate Negotiators n. The Condition of
Hostages: Threats, Abuse and Rusty Water
7. The Impact on the Shipping
Industry
a. The Global Shipping
Industry b. Flag States and
Ownership c. The Economies of Scale d. The Size of the Global
Merchant Fleet e. A Perfect Storm Causes
Market Collapse f. Post-crisis Economics
and the Shipping Industry g. The Threat to Cruise
Liners
8. Legal and Insurance Issues
a. The Role of Insurers b. Seaworthiness c. Insurance Claims d. Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS) e. Payment of Ransoms f. US Presidential Order on
the Payment of Ransoms g. European Union Council
Order No. 356/2010 h. The List of Prohibited
Persons and Organizations i. Uncertainties j. A Fatal Confusion k. Pirates and Justice l. The Use of Armed Guards,
Legal and Practical Issues
9. Vessel Defence
a. Merchant Vessels: Their
Adaptive Capacity b. Nature of the Threat to
Ships: Lessons and Best Practices c. How Vessels Dealt with
Attacks d. Practical Defensive
Measures e. The Role of Naval Forces
10. Are There Answers?
a. What the Maritime
Industry Must Do b. What Does Not Work c. Resilient Ships d. Setting Standards: The
Role of Flag States and Maritime Organizations e. Red Lines f. The Big Picture g. Failed States and Failed
Policies h. Piracy and the Predatory
State: The Problem Outside Somalia i. Drought and Famine in
Somalia j. Western Policies in the
Horn k. The Great Game in the
Horn of Africa l. What Hope for the
Somalias of the World? m. We Depend on the Sea n. Piracy is a
Manifestation of Change
Maps, charts, tables, and
illustrations enhance the text, while the book includes
a list of acronyms, end notes, a bibliography, and an
index. On the whole, the data and examples provided
encompass the period of 2009 through 2012. Although this
may date some information, it does not make it any less
important and informative.
What makes this an absorbing
and unique examination of modern maritime piracy is the
perspective from which it is written. Many such books
have been written by naval personnel, journalists, or
victims, but Palmer is CEO of Idarat Ltd. and has spent
the majority of his life in international business. His
observations provide keen insight on the problem, making
it clear that only looking at it from a Western
perception fails to allow the viewer to gain a more
thorough understanding of it. The New Pirates is an in-depth examination of
the whole picture, rather than focusing on one or two
particular aspects of piracy. It is a worthy and welcome
analysis written in such a way that a layperson can
easily comprehend what Palmer discusses. More
importantly, as Major General Julian Thompson writes in
the foreword, “Politicians, journalists, and those
involved in business and commerce, and in defence should
read this book . . . . This is an important book . . .
by a man who knows his business.” (xii)
Pirates
and Privateers
