Deadly Waters: Inside The Hidden World Of Somalia's Pirates (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
Interesting overview of the Somali pirate industry, the author showing that the brigands of the Horn of Africa are much less professional or organized as what is often assumed. Bahadur shows that the often invoked root cause for these Somalis reverting to piracy, illegal foreign fishing off the Somali coast, might have been true, once, but doesn't apply to the reasoning for the current wave of pirates, these being primarily opportunists, attracted by the potential payoff. Illegal fishing does exist, but neither has there historically been a meaningful Somali fishing industry, nor was the Somali fishing industry of meaningful size when piracy started becoming more prominent, perhaps a decade ago or so. Early on in the book, Bahadur disses five myths: + Somali waters are not teeming with pirates. + Islamists do not control the pirates. + There isn't an international criminal cartel of meaningful size, running the operations. + Pirates do not have access to high tech intelligence or technology. + Pirate dollars are not fueling a property boom in Kenya. Interesting, the book regularly comes close to gonzo journalism, which actually makes the tale more interesting, as the story is rather straightforward. But Bahadur also needs to be commended for being the first western journalist to actually get something of an inside scoop of the workings of Somalia's pirates. Bahadur proposes a list of potential solutions: + Finance an effective and well paid Puntland police task force. So far, the semi-independent area of Puntland has been the primary base of Somalian pirates. + Fund an expansion of the Puntland prison system. This, so that pirates can be tried in Somalia, not in Kenya. + Foster intelligence coordination between Puntland and international naval forces. + Clampdown on illegal fishing. + Encourage or require passive security measures aboard commercial vessels. My Review: In The Pirates of Somalia Jay Bahadur talks about his investigative mission into the heart of the Somali pirate network as if he were recounting a casual family vacation to a welcoming foreign countryside. Indeed, under circumstances that would prompt a fairly rapid and instinctual fleeing response from most people, Bahadur, seemingly unfazed, assumes a seat on the dirin and enjoys a relaxed day of Khat (the local drug of choice) and tea consumption with internationally identified criminals. Apart from the blatant disregard for his own personal safety, Bahadur exposes the true world (or one version of the truth) of the Somali pirates; successfully debunking many of the pillage, plunder, and buried booty myths that captivate the minds of thousands of Americans. Who knew that Johnny Depp and Captain Hook could get it so wrong? Truly, and more poignantly, this is a story of a nation torn apart and a peoples thrown into chaos. It is unsurprising that, in the face of devastating poverty and constant government upheaval, piracy has become a relatively sane and stable option for many young men in Somalia. Jay Bahadur tells their story- and the story of our collective reactions to this budding maritime crime- from an objective standpoint. He approaches the Somali pirates and their predicaments with an open (albeit Khat-clouded) mind. The sheer amount of information in this short book is a testament to Bahadur’s incredible ability to turn what could have been a lengthy textbook into a readable, fascinating non-fiction novel of sorts.
What do You think about Deadly Waters: Inside The Hidden World Of Somalia's Pirates (2011)?
Very interesting and insightful. Bahadur is braver than I am to venture into that mess of a country.
—Jules
Very dry writing but I did learn some interesting facts about the piracy situation in Somalia.
—mtilvawala
Got half way through it and quit. I can't believe he actually made pirates boring.
—kaci1989
Having a helluva time reading this one. Going to put it down for awhile.
—kimee442
Kind of interesting but not as interesting as I thought.
—lovetaeny
