Pirates Sailing Under the Radar?

Matthew P. Jennings

With the dawning of a global economic crisis and new terrorist attacks around the globe, citizens of all nations are reminded that the world is a dangerous place. However, another rising threat does not seem to be getting the amount of attention or consideration it deserves. Piracy on the high seas was thought to be a remnant of the mercantilist era, or maybe a Hollywood dramatization, but recently it has been reentering the international scene and it is a very real threat.

In 2008, contemporary pirates using speedboats and cell phones to communicate have attacked almost 100 ships, many of them off the coast of Somalia. What is more, the pirates are non-discriminate: they have attacked ships ranging from a Saudi oil tanker carrying $100 million barrels of crude oil to a Ukrainian vessel carrying Russian-made tanks. More recently, pirates attempted to attack an American cruise ship carrying around 1000 people.

The magnitude of piracy must not be underestimated. Jus cogens principles of international law, of which piracy is one, are broad, moral values that are, in theory, agreed upon by all states as the only conditions under which a state’s sovereignty may be legally violated. Contemporary piracy provides an opportunity for the international community to unite and combat this collective threat.

In this, Russia has the potential to become a substantial contributor in the fight against the resurgence of pirates for two reasons. First, Russia would be interested in proving itself in another domain—the high seas—and in modernizing its esoteric navy. Second, protecting shipping lanes near Somalia is a golden opportunity to foster concrete cooperation with the West, including the U.S., EU, NATO, etc.

In November 2008, the Russian navy experienced its most recent mishap when 20 were asphyxiated on board the Nerpa submarine when Freon gas was accidentally released into the cabin. This tragedy embarrassingly illustrated the extent to which the Russian navy is in need of repairs and provided a chilling reminder of the Kursk disaster in August 2000, which left 118 sailors dead. Russia would jump at the chance to be included in international naval operations beyond its recent exercises with Venezuela and eager to prove to the world (and perhaps itself) that its navy can function properly and be a valuable tool—if needed—on the high seas. Indicative of Russia’s willingness to combat piracy, they have already sent the frigate Neustrashimy to the Somalian coast to rescue a Ukrainian ship that was hijacked carrying 33 Russian-made T-72 tanks.

Lately, there have been many points for disagreement between Russia and the West. Examples include U.S. missile defense plans in Poland and the Czech Republic, which Russian officials have vehemently opposed and have labeled a “red line” issue, NATO enlargement to Ukraine and Georgia, which Russia sees as an unnecessary advancement of a Cold War era alliance, and Europe’s energy dependence on Russia (2008 figures: 60% of the EU’s oil and 50% of its gas), which includes competing pipeline plans and distrust of Russia as a reliable supplier. With many issues causing friction, seizing the opportunity to jointly protect shipping lanes from the threat of pirates becomes much more critical to chalk up a concrete example of success resulting from international cooperation that includes Russia.

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and the U.S. president-elect Barack Obama are both reasonable, rational men who have expressed the desire to promote international cooperation during their presidencies. When Obama moves into the Oval Office, establishing a good relationship with Medvedev will be paramount to achieving this goal. Collaborating international naval efforts will represent a positive step in the short term and secure shipping lanes near the eastern coast of Africa. Russia must be included certainly in European security, but can also play a role in international security. Thwarting the resurgent challenge of piracy can and should be an area for collective cooperation moving forward.
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Matthew P. Jennings holds a BA in Political Science from the University of South Carolina. He specializes in Russian foreign policy and is associated with the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC. He also works in Washington as a research assistant at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Email questions/comments to: matt,jennings85@yahoo.com