In First, Private Guards Kill Somali Pirate

NYT: By ALAN COWELL
March 24, 2010

PARIS — Private security guards aboard a merchant ship plying the pirate-infested waters off Somalia shot dead one of several attackers trying to seize the vessel, the European Naval Force in the area said on Wednesday. The killing was thought to have been the first involving private contractors, the Naval Force said.

The death could escalate the struggle between pirates and merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, where cargo ships increasingly carry private security operatives to repel assailants. Some maritime organizations believe the presence of armed contractors might persuade pirates to adopt more aggressive tactics. The death of the pirate also raised legal questions about the accountability of private security teams, a United Nations official said.

The episode happened early on Tuesday when the Almezaan, a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship heading for Mogadishu, came under attack from pirates using high-speed skiffs controlled by a mother ship, the British-based Naval Force said in a statement on its Web site. More...