Pirates hijack another British ship
Somali pirates did it again—in broad daylight, in one of the busiest waterways in the world. On December 28, Somali brigands boarded and captured the St. James Park, a British-flagged chemical tanker. Crew members aboard the ship pushed the distress signal button, and a U.S. warship responded, but it was too late. The crew members were now hostages, and the ship was sailing toward the Somali coast.
The ramifications go beyond one ship and 26 crew members. If a British ship can be taken in the narrow Gulf of Aden, then the British Navy is weak, and the international community’s anti-piracy effort is little more than a public relations stunt.
Pirates used to fear preying on British ships. Those days are gone. Britannia can no longer even pretend to rule the waves. Emasculated by politicians and an increasingly insular population, the British Navy is a shell of its former glory.
The fact that pirates stole a massive ship in broad daylight in one of the most heavily trafficked waterways in the world indicates that the pirates have little fear of reprisals. The fact that they then sail it home under the prows of the world’s most powerful warships is almost inexplicable. Why the boldness? It’s simple. When pirates are captured, the most common course of action is to let them go. Officials fear that if pirates are hurt or injured, it might cause the pirates to retaliate against other merchant vessels. Plus the military doesn’t want the hassle of transporting the pirates, and governments don’t want the problem of prosecuting pirates that might claim asylum and ask to stay.
What a ridiculous situation. Has everyone forgotten? These are pirates! Definition: murderous armed robbers on boats.
Britain, the United States and much of the international community seem content to let pirates continue capturing ships and extorting merchant companies. Naval task forces routinely say it is impossible to police an ocean area five times the size of Texas.
But the area where the plunder docks is much smaller. And our leaders know exactly where it is. Just look at your satellite monitors for the harbor that’s glowing with dozens of unanswered distress signals. Or catch a ride with a journalist. Or visit the pirate “stock exchanges,” where these mass thieves raise capital and pay dividends to investors.
Why then won’t Britain or America deal with the problem at its source? They know where the pirates are, and they know these pirates are working against the UN-backed Somali government. Top officials from Somalia have even urged the international community to pursue pirates into Somali waters and have given permission for international forces to land on Somali territory to deal with the pirate bases of operation.
Yet Britain and America refuse to act in the interest of Somalia, in the interest of merchants, in the interest of ship crews, or even when their own shipping is at risk. In America’s case, it has even lost two oil supertankers. Bold, unanswered pirate raids are a sign that both Britain and the United States—and their navies—are far from the superpowers they once were. This is evidence of a prophecy written in Leviticus 26:19 being fulfilled. For more information on how this prophecy is affecting the U.S. and Britain today, read “Pirates Prove America Won’t Fight to Win” and “Pirates Expose America’s Broken Will.”
