Are pirates as dumb as we think?

Does this depict stupidity?

It’s tempting to rant on the stupidity of the Somali pirates and their recent attacks on naval vessels, but I think it would be more prudent to step back and look at the whole picture. They may not be as dumb as we think.

• September 24th 2008 – Pirates threaten the U.S. Navy auxiliary oiler USNS John Lenthall by approaching the ship at high speed.  Warning shots were fired and the boats departed.

• November 18th 2008, the Indian naval warship Tabar was threatened by pirates armed with rocket propelled grenades and machine guns.  The Tabar opened fire and destroyed one boat.  A second boat fled and was eventually captured, and a third boat escaped.

• Last week, pirates attempted to attack the French frigate Nivôse. Fortunately, the attack was thwarted, the pirates arrested and their weapons seized. Rocket propelled grenades and other explosives were found aboard one of the boats involved in the attack.

Weaponry confiscated after the attack on the Nivôse. Note the sticks of dynamite.

• On May 6th, pirates attempted to attack the U.S. Navy auxiliary replenishment ship USNS Lewis and Clark.  Pirates fired upon the ship, but were eventually outrun as the ship increased speed. It should also be noted that the USNS Lewis and Clark is also serving as a “prison ship” for captured pirates, until they can be transferred to shore.  The ship is carrying armed personnel and is operated by civilian mariners.

I’ve seen several news articles titled “How could they be so stupid!”  “Idiot pirates attack warship” etc.  While the likelihood of pirates actually overtaking a warship or even a auxiliary naval vessel and taking the ship hostage are extremely unlikely, the liklihood of them severely damaging a warship or auxiliary ship is significant.  Remember the USS Cole? They simply need to get close enough, and any ship could find themselves in serious danger.

Remember, we all start off dumb in this world.  Pirates are no different.  They will become smarter, and more experienced and thus more dangerous as their business continues to thrive.

Their recent attacks on warships may be tests or dry runs and not necessarily sheer stupidity as some may be quick to dismiss.  They would no doubt be dangerous tests, but we should not dismiss them so quickly.  Captured pirates are also revealing increasingly more explosive weaponry.  In addition to AK-47s we are now seeing RPGs, and even sticks of P4A dynamite as the Nivôse found last week.  Money obtained from ransoms and foreign assistance will no doubt result in an overall improvement in weaponry.

Will we be able to distinguish pirates from terrorists?  Terrorists, not pirates, bombed the USS Cole.  The merge between the two could be disastrous.