Lawless Seas!

The marine fraternity watched with bated breath as a Russian warship, with naval commandos, headed out to the Gulf of Aden, to assist, a sea jacked oil tanker, 'Moscow University'. The tanker was carrying 86,000 tons of crude oil from Sudan to China, valued at over $ 50 million, when it was captured by Somalia pirates on May 5 and rescued by a Russian anti-submarine cruiser the next day in a commando operation. Apparently the tanker carrying crude oil was taken over by heavily armed Somali pirates off the coast of Somalia.In ensuing events the ship was boarded by the Russian commandos & after a firefight, in which one pirate was killed, all the ships crew were saved & moved to safety.The Russian Defense Ministry said, the Russian anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov freed the Moscow University.
While the commando operation has been lauded the world over, Russian Prime minister, Putin has praised the ships crew for their fortitude, skill & valor. I think the conduct of the Captain & his crew on the oil tanker was exemplary.They seem to have followed, all security instructions, as drilled into them, created a secure perimeter & taken shelter in the ships Engine Room. Not only did they prevent the pirates at getting at them, but were also prepared for a long siege, with adequate water & food. The Captain had also radioed for help as soon as the pirate attack began & when Russian commandos reached the stricken ship, the pirates were sitting ducks. Contrast this with the Belgian ship, captured a couple of days ago. The pirates have physically taken hostage of the ships crew ( 13 Indians ) & enormously improved their bargaining power.
From an organization point of view, what is to be learnt, from this episode? The Captain of the 'Moscow University', said that he & his crew took their anti piracy drills very seriously, so when the crisis hit, they responded, correctly and effectively.Good planning & preparation does that for you!
The Russians have also captured, ten of the pirates & now seem to have a quandary on their hands, whether to hand the pirates over to the defunct Government of Somalia or try them in Russia.Because international laws are so loose & poorly defined, many fear that the Russians, could take the short route & execute the pirates, to bring closure to the event.Suspected pirates from other cases are in custody and awaiting trial in France, the Netherlands and the United States.Handling of internation disputes, continues to be an area of challenge for most nations!Many countries are keen to hand over, captured pirates for trial to Kenya, but the Kenyans, are not very interested, as of now, due to their own internal issues......