America.gov (Washington, DC)
Matt Herrick
4 May 2009
Buzzards Bay — In the 100 years the Massachusetts Maritime Academy has taught mariners to crew merchant ships, not once had pirates hijacked a U.S.-flagged vessel. Never had weapon-wielding sea bandits kidnapped an American captain. The students' anti-piracy training seemed abstract, until Somali raiders boarded the Maersk Alabama April 8.
Suddenly, the students had context. It wasn't only that two crewmembers of the Alabama were graduates, but also that the incident reinforced their learning.
"With the U.S. responding the way we did, it can show the international community that we're not going to give in to piracy and we can deal with it in a different way than just giving them the money," said 22-year-old senior cadet Kyle Ingersoll, one of 18 students attending Captain Joseph Murphy's security course on a recent Thursday morning.
Balding and tanned, bearded and broad, Murphy is an old salt, a Boston-bred seaman with 40 years experience on ships as large as oil tankers and as small as lobster boats. Two decades ago he brought his love of seafaring to this academy of 1,100 students on a rocky peninsula sandwiched between Butler Cove and Cape Cod Canal. Mass Maritime -- as it is known -- offers several undergraduate programs, and Murphy teaches in the marine transportation department. He also happens to be the father of 34-year-old Shane Murphy, a 2001 graduate and a crewmember on the Alabama. It was Shane who recently skippered the ship to safety in Kenya.
The elder Murphy's students met Shane, who came to a class to talk about piracy. Murphy often brings experienced mariners into the classroom to "translate the theoretical into the practical." But Shane's visit was noteworthy, considering the course's focus on security and anti-piracy. "It happened to someone they know. That brings it home," Murphy said.
Murphy's course for fourth-year cadets covers how to compose a security plan for a ship, crew and cargo; how to plan travel routes that minimize interactions with pirates; how to use speed and evasive maneuvers to avoid small craft; and what to do if taken hostage. Combating piracy, not the sole focus of the course, has gained significance as acts of piracy grow. In 2008, in the Gulf of Aden area off of Somalia, incidents more than doubled, according to the International Chamber of Commerce. The ICC reports 293 pirate attacks worldwide on many countries' ships and more than 900 hostages taken in 2008. Today, some mariners from other countries remain hostages.
"We had none of this kind of training when I was starting out," Murphy said. "When I started going to sea ... [pirates] would come on board, steal whatever they could on deck and be gone. Now, they come on board, they grab the ship, the cargo and the crew, and they hold them for ransom."
Shane Murphy reunites with his wife, Sarena, at an Air Force base April 16, before speaking to his father's students about piracy.
Historically, merchant mariners have worked for private shipping companies in times of peace and have acted as an auxiliary unit of the U.S. Navy in times of war. Last year, Mass Maritime began offering a marksmanship course to prepare students whose future employers may require them to carry firearms.
On this morning Murphy's class is tackling the intricacies of international maritime law and the State Department's role in securing international agreements to combat piracy. A female cadet breaks Murphy's lecture with a question.
"Why is there any question about whether or not we can prosecute the pirate?" she asks, referring to Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, the Somali pirate who survived by surrendering to the U.S. Navy.
Murphy surveys the class and then his voice booms forth. "This is an occurrence on the high seas, right?"
The cadets nod.
"Legally speaking, that is an issue that is dealt with by international convention. But believe me," he says parenthetically, "this individual was involved in the incident. I have pretty good sources."
Outside, the sun slices through gray morning drizzle and hits the 540-foot (164-meter) training ship, the Kennedy, that gives cadets their first extended experience on the high seas. The Kennedy steams out as much as 14,000 miles (22,400 kilometers) and back on a one-semester journey. Hanging on the Kennedy are lifeboats, similar to the one in which four pirates held Capt. Richard Phillips, skipper of the Alabama, before one surrendered and the other three were killed.
Rear Admiral Richard G. Gurnon, president of Mass Maritime, said cadets make a transformation from individualistic young adults to team-oriented leaders aboard the Kennedy. When informed that Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts questioned the prudence of sending young men and women with less than a year's training and sometimes little time at sea out to protect valuable merchant ships, Gurnon didn't hesitate to respond: "The success of any operation depends on the training of the people and the leadership that's involved, not the age or the experience of the players."
Captain Murphy said that once his son's safety was assured, his thoughts went to Phillips aboard the lifeboat. He thought about the training and leadership Phillips would have acquired, and he felt convinced Phillips would make it.
"All the things we saw in Rich Phillips -- courage, dedication, respect, duty, honor -- they're all things he learned right across there, in the dormitories. It's the regimen here," he said.
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The solution to the piracy problem IS TO ESTABLISH A LARGE, MILITARY AND ECONOMICALLY STRONG, UNITED 'UNITED EAST AFRICAN STATES.'
The process to create such a SUPERSTATE, with a population of about 550 million people IS ALREADY UNDERWAY.
Africa has to create two SUPERPOWERS, one to oversea the Atlantic and one to oversea the Indian Ocean.
As for skilled personnel and technical help. Africa has in her DIASPORA, about 300 million African descent people in the Americas alone. Some of most Africanist, Nationalistic people anywhere who for the past 200 years (since Toussaint L'Overture saved 24 million in gold bullion to stop the slave trade in Africa -- see 'A History of Racism and Terrorism, Rebellion and Overcoming," also 'A History of Education Book II," BOTH AT Xlibris.com http://www.xlibris.com or http://www.myspace.com/sexyaabooksculture
and http://blackmalepowermovement.forumsland.com
The SOLUTION TO STOPPING THE EVIL AND UNCONCIONABLE EXPLOITATION OF AFRICA'S RESOURCES, SEA COASTS, MINERALS AND WATER is for Africa to STAR WORKING TO BUILD 'FORTRESS NATIONS,' that will not allow another 'BERLIN CONFERENCE,' and partitioning of Africa.
The 'parasitic nations' are twiddling their fingers, just waiting for the disintegration of Africa's nations -- AND IN PLACES LIKE SUDAN, THEY ARE ACTUALLY PARTAKING IN POLICIES THAT PROMOTE DISTRUCTION.
The time has come to stop the PARASITIC NATIONS from exploiting Africa. It is time to establish at least two or three strong AFRICAN SUPERPOWERS:
East African Union United States of West Africa Union of Southern African States
The parasites are satisfied with small, fragmented nations created during the colonial period to satisfy Europe. Yet, try causing fragmentation in their nations and they will not tolerate it for a second, just as they do not tolerate people with the flu or people accused of engaging in criminal activity during the Olympics.
Nations are desperate to REACH SUPERPOWERHOOD, however, these nations have nothing but promises and tricks. Some of these nations are no larger than some island chains, yet, they are engaged in the same COLONIAL PIRACY that they are accusing the Somalis of.
Finally, Somalis more than anyone else MUST REVIVE AND RETURN TO THE ANCIENT CUSH CULTURE. The same has to go for Sudan. The religions of foreign invaders and occupiers who tell Africans to be good 'Christians,' while the mistreat Africans in the Americas and use Christianity and religion for political purposes (like those people who have kept Africans in the US out of upward mobility, BECAUSE OF RACIST RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PURE RACISM).
Therefore, Africans have to realize that BEFORE THE SLAVE RAIDERS AND 'TRADERS' LANDED ON AFRICAN SOIL, AFRICANS HAD A THRIVING CIVILIZATION.
see 'PIRATES,' http://blackmalepowermovement.forumsland.com
Somali HipHop Artist K'Naan on Somali Pirates
THESE GUYS ARE LIKE THE U.S. PATRIOTS OF 1776.
THEY ARE PROTECTING THEIR COUNTRY FROM RADIOACTIVE WASTE
BEING DUMPED IN SOMALI WATERS.
[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTxJLlQCe4U]
[This inspiring poem was featuring in the movie “Coach Carter ”]
Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.
We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?
Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.
Your Playing Small Doesn’t Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Won’t Feel Insecure Around You.
We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.
We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.
It’s Not Just In Some Of Us; It’s In Everyone.
And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.
And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others
- Marianne Williamson -
[NOTE – BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WON’T STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
WAKE UP !!! STAY UP !!!
TRUTHSEEKERS MOUNT UP !!! [http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com]
Life Is A Game. Have Fun . Luke 18:17 - Isaiah 11:6
Somali HipHop Artist K'Naan on Somali Pirates
THESE GUYS ARE LIKE THE U.S. PATRIOTS OF 1776.
THEY ARE PROTECTING THEIR COUNTRY FROM RADIOACTIVE WASTE
BEING DUMPED IN SOMALI WATERS.
[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTxJLlQCe4U]
[This inspiring poem was featuring in the movie “Coach Carter ”]
Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.
We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?
Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.
Your Playing Small Doesn’t Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Won’t Feel Insecure Around You.
We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.
We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.
It’s Not Just In Some Of Us; It’s In Everyone.
And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.
And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others
- Marianne Williamson -
[NOTE – BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WON’T STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
WAKE UP !!! STAY UP !!!
TRUTHSEEKERS MOUNT UP !!! [http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com]
Life Is A Game. Have Fun . Luke 18:17 - Isaiah 11:6
These pirates are a drain on the Somali people as are the fake govts that are nothing but clan based. One can only avoid blame for a period of time until reality knocks. And you know what, it is wake up time. It can not be anyone elses fault but the clan, islamists and the governments implanted by others. All this lawlessness must be stopped even if it means hitting the coast line where the pirates operate. Then the Somali people should take control of their destiny and build a nation based on law once these gangesters are eliminated.
Common sense dectates the least that can be done is get rid of these thugs.
See all comments (6).
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