Loaded: Freighters Ready To Shoot Across Pirate Bow -- Wall Street JournalSome Cargo Ships Break Maritime Tradition by Taking Up Arms but Many Carriers Fear That Will Threaten -- Not Improve -- Safety.
Freighters that ferry goods in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia have a new and unusual cargo: armed guards.
Shipping firms in the modern era have resisted packing heat even in areas where attacks are common. Their reasoning: A firefight leading to lawsuits, damaged goods or a sunken ship could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, a sum far exceeding the few million dollars in ransom that pirates usually demand.
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My Comment: Some of the shipping companies .... and I am sure most of the sailors .... have lost all patience with this continuous "threat and attack" from Somali pirates. With little if any support from international warships in the region .... everyone is now taking responsibility for their own protection. My only surprise is that it has taken them this long to react like this.