http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081202/ap_o...YXoQTLLJ94

These guys are in speedboats attacking ships. Seems you could wipe them out w/ a modest arsenal, readily stowed in a large ship.

There is talk of arming airline crews, which seems rife w/ danger to me. Why would it be hard to arm ships' crews?

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Looking at it from a Military Planning Point of View, if a Rogue Nation/Country "Declares War" on the rest of the World, and they are crazy serious, they may not attempt any "Offensive Actions" outside their Own Borders save one and that is to Attack Ships they claim are violating their 'Territorial Waters'.

We have seen too many times, where crazy Dictators will try to take in 100 Miles of Ocean and claim that this 100 Miles is where International Maritime Law begins and their Countries Ownership Ends and if a ship Treads to within less than 100 Miles of Their Coastline, they will Attack it as an Enemy Vessel.

So I have to think that once you Actually Arm Ocean Going Vessels with "Mounted Heavy Weapons", any country could legally consider that Vessel to be a "Ship of War" and thus claim reason to Attack it all the more.

When we used to go out into the Gulf and Board a Ship, the Coast Guard would Circle that Ship 360 Degrees the entire time, with men manning Heavy Weapons and Locked & Loaded Machine Guns - - if the Coast Guard so much as THOUGHT there was something bad going down, they would STROM the Ship and I mean under Gun Fire - - they Do Not Play - -

I would not like to know there are 500 Ships Docked or Anchored off my Coast or in my River and they all Have Permanent Mount Heavy Weapons - - the damage they could cause in just 5 Minutes of Constant Fire would be a Bloody Nightmare.

So - - From a Military Stand Point, Contracting Blackwater for an example, to live on your Vessel and only have Weapons on the Vessel that are Mobile and are not owned by the Vessel or Flag Country, but owned by Blackwater, then all you have is a Contracted Security Force that is Purely Defensive in all Respects and Descriptions.

"Two A-Teams of 12 Men Each" so you have '2' Full Armed Watches at all times.

Then, No Country could get away with saying the Vessel is a Ship of War since it does not Carry Heavy, Permanent Mounted Weapons - - and simply Arming Regular Crew is only going to get the Crew Slaughtered - - Shooting Paper Targets on the Range with your Buddies in NOT like Shooting Real Live Men that are Shooting back at you.

So, either these Shipping Companies or their Insurers get a Grip and hire Private Security that are trained to Defend from an Attack and Repel that Attack, or keep getting your Ships stolen and crew killed.

It is truly just that simple.

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Two things I have heard/read are that (1) it is illegal in international maritime laws to arm civilian ships, and (2) insurance companies won't allow it. I have seen at least one site contradicting the first notion.

The UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA is online - supposedly it allows for ships to be armed.

The Washington post has an article about Piracy insurance: Hitting the High Seas? Check Your Pirate Insurance.