CIAO DATE: 11/2008

Small Boats, Weak States, Dirty Money: Piracy & Maritime Terrorism in the Modern World

January 2008

Columbia University Press

Abstract

Piracy is an organised crime. Even at its simplest it requires groups or gangs to carry it out. More profitable piracy requires larger and more sophisticated organisation. The most corrosive effect of organised crime is corruption, which as Thachuk and Tangredi argue, "is the main vehicle, and likely the most socially damaging activity, by which criminal gangs achieve their aims."10 Phil Williams reaches the same conclusion: "Organised crime," he writes, "makes systematic use of corruption" and is an effect that has not been emphasised sufficiently.

It is true that financial gain has undoubtedly been the main motivator for all types of criminal, including pirates, but neither has it been far from the minds of maritime insurgents and terrorists. To do what they do requires money. Short of funds since the main state sponsors of terrorism withdrew their support, insurgents and terrorists have, in many cases, adopted not only the methods but also the mores of organised crime. Crime corrupts, terrorism subverts and when they merge they do both.

Consequently, this book sets out to answer three questions:

1. What form does piracy take in the contemporary world?

2. What is maritime terrorism?

3. Are piracy and maritime terrorism similar or linked?

The aim is to test the proposition that piracy and maritime terrorism, separately or together, present a threat to international security.

 

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Abbreviations
• Introduction

• 1. What is Piracy?
  • A slippery concept
  • Piracy, politics and corruption
  • Piracy in international law
  • Piracy as an international interest
  • Piracy: ancient and modern
• 2. Contemporary Piracy: The Who, The Why and The Where
  • What are pirates after?
  • Reasons for piracy
  • What types of ship are attacked?
  • Methods of attack and boarding
  • The cost of piracy
  • State piracy
  • How many attacks are there and who counts them?
  • Weaknesses with the figures
  • Southeast Asia
  • South China Sea
  • Bay of Bengal-Bangladesh
  • South America
  • Yacht piracy
  • East Africa-Somalia
  • West Africa-Nigeria
  • Global phenomenon, local problem, diffuse challenge
• 3. Contemporary Piracy: Irritation or Menace?
  • Pirate typology
  • Vulnerability assessment
  • Threat assessment
  • Objectives
  • Environmental risk
  • Violence
  • Access to markets
  • Links to insurgent or terrorist groups
  • Level of official support and corruption
  • Links to organised crime
  • Contemporary piracy: irritation or menace?
• 4. Maritime Terrorism
  • What is terrorism?
  • What is maritime terrorism?
  • Terrorist attacks at sea: the story so far
  • Seafarers’ attitudes
  • A global threat on a global medium?
  • Categories of maritime targets
  • The weapons and methods of maritime terrorists
  • Ships as delivery systems for weapons
  • The global shipping network; a vulnerable system
  • Multiple targets and multiple problems
• 5 Maritime Terrorists
  • Terrorists at sea
  • The principal actors
  • The main reasons to go to sea: movement and supply
  • What makes some groups successful?
  • The obstacles confronting the maritime terrorist
  • Why do terrorists use the sea?
• 6. Assessing the Threat
  • So where is the threat or risk?
  • Disorder and the sea: out of sight, out of mind
  • Maritime disorder and initiatives for tackling it
  • The restless sea
  • What might change?
  • Conclusion: assessing the threat

• Bibliography
• Index

 

Resource link: Small Boats, Weak States, Dirty Money: Piracy & Maritime Terrorism in the Modern World [PDF] - 2.3M