Mercenaries to Police Somali Coast
Strategy Page
November 27, 2005: The growing piracy problem off the Somali coast has been solved by the hiring of private contractors to operate as a coast guard. The American firm, Top Cat Marine Security (www.TopCatMarineSecurity.com), has previously provided counter-terrorism and coastal security services for the Department of Homeland Defense, and other government agencies. The firm also designs and builds high speed patrol boats.
While no one is saying it, the United States is basically taking over coastal security duties for Somalia. The Transitional Government there has no money for this sort of thing, so it appears that the U.S. is picking up the tab. This could get interesting, for the Somali warlords who operate along the coast are not going to take kindly to some foreigners trying to interfere. The first priority of the new coast guard is to put the pirate gangs, and especially the two larger "mother ships", that are supporting attacks far out at sea, out of action.
Many of the Top Cat personnel will be non-Somali, and former military. Most of the staff will eventually be Somalis. By not sending active duty American military personnel into this, there is less for the media to grab onto and cause public opinion problems for the U.S. government. There’s also the opportunity for more private security forces to be used to help pacify all of Somalia. That would be very expensive, and it’s not a sure thing that the United States government would be willing to absorb the entire cost, as well as the media heat for spending all that money to try and police a bunch of uncooperative, heavily armed and, ungrateful Somalis.
Top Cat Marine Security is being paid $55 million for the first two years of the contract. Some of this will be recovered by enforcing the payment of fishing fees by foreign boats that work the lucrative coastal waters. Warlords are now getting some of this money, by demanding protection money from fishing boats, and ransom fro boats that are seized by pirates. In reaction to the police effort, the warlords can be expected to go after the new coast guards land bases. Top Cat will either have to establish heavily fortified and well defended land bases, or put some, or all, of them in foreign countries (like Kenya, Djibouti, and the breakaway Somaliland). But because of the extent of the Somali coast, it's unavoidable that a base be established in central Somalia, which is thick with heavily armed, aggressive and greedy warlords. Top Cat will have to live up to its name in order to survive."
Iraqi 9th Mechanized Division
November 26, 2005: The Iraqi 9th Mechanized division received an equipment upgrade over the Summer, as 77 T-72 tanks, contributed by Hungary, entered service. This month, the new vehicles, and their crews, were declared ready for service. These tanks equip two battalions of the 2nd Brigade. A battalion of infantry in the brigade uses Russian BMP armored vehicles. Another brigade uses older T-55 tanks and Russian made MTLB infantry vehicles. These vehicles are from the 1960s, and have been refurbished. Even the T-72s are basically 1980s technology. But the Iraqis aren’t planning on fighting another army with these vehicles, but doing police work with them. The 9th division will be used to protect voters next month. The tanks and armored personnel carriers are effective protection against suicide bombers, and their machine-guns on the vehicles can deal with hostile gunmen, or suicide bombers on foot or in vehicles.
There’s plenty of surplus Russian armor in Eastern Europe, which the current owners are planning on selling or scrapping. Since there are few customers for this obsolete equipment, you can earn a few brownie points with the U.S. by donating it to Iraq. The United States has been pushing this approach, even offering to pay the transport costs in some cases. The Iraqis, however, already have their eye on the future, and want more modern equipment. The United States has already said that it would leave a lot of military equipment behind when American units are withdrawn permanently, and the Iraqis are hoping some of this gear will include used M-1 tanks and M-2 infantry vehicles. Failing that, Russia is ready to sell Iraqi its new T-90 tanks. Just like the old days.
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