The Pirates of Puntland

From Real Clear World:

Somalia's pirates have a big problem on their hands — in the form of their greatest prize, the Saudi-owned oil tanker the Sirius Star.

The Sirius Star has 2 million barrels of oil on board and is one of at least 15 "prize" ships now anchored off the Somali coast. According to the pirates, the ship's crew of 25 is well-fed and well-treated. They have joined another 300 captive sailors taken from other hijacked vessels.

And add $30 million to these impressive numbers. That's an unofficial figure for the ransoms paid over the last year by shipping companies to Somali pirates to free crews, cargoes and vessels. From a sea crook's perspective, a freighter fleet and $30 million in cash isn't a problem, it's success. The cash roll may seem small by Wall Street bailout stands, but $30 million goes a long way in Puntland.

Read more ....