The Panther Bay
Pirate Blog

For those following the legal aftermath of the terrible murder of the two Seattle-based seafaring couples shot by their pirate captors in February, the fourteen captured pirates were indicted in Virginia on Tuesday, 8 March 2011.

I believe the wanton killing of the Americans signals a new chapter in the war against the Somali-based pirates. Most of the hostages and vessels prior to this event were commercial in nature. These Seattle-based couples were pleasure sailors and their deaths were unnecessary. Moreover, their capture and subsequent murder shows the true hazard that piracy presents: They new the dangers and took the right precautions, including traveling in a convoy. They were captured when they became separated from their convoy.

The question now is what strategies will be used to bring piracy under control.