Vermont ship captain testifies on piracy

The ship captain from Vermont who survived a harrowing hostage ordeal testified this afternoon before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is examining the threat of piracy off the Horn of Africa, and possible solutions.

Captain Richard Phillips, 53, who was freed earlier this month after US Navy snipers killed three Somali pirates, testified on a panel with John Clancey, Chairman of Maersk, Inc., the ship's owner. Stephen D. Mull, acting assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, also testified.

Phillips testified that the "most desirable" solution to piracy is putting military escorts aboard US vessels.

But given the logistical issues, ships' defenses could also be strengthened, he said.

Arming crews should be only one component and only a limited number of crew members should have access to weapons, and should be well trained, Phillips said. Read Phillips' full remarks below.

In his opening remarks, committee Chairman John F. Kerry noted that piracy is claiming innocent lives and costing significant amounts of money.

"To make matters worse, we know that pirates use much of their ransom money to buy better weapons and bigger engines to make it even easier to overtake larger vessels. They also use ransom money to arm and equip private militias. This is a dangerous and vicious cycle," he said in prepared remarks.

"Piracy goes to the heart of our national security and economic interests. America has always been a seafaring nation, and securing the world's sea lanes has been a source and a symbol of our strength. In the face of instability and crises around the globe, our ability to project naval power and to help ensure the free passage of goods and humanitarian aid is as important as ever." Read Kerry's full opening statement is below.

Modern-day piracy, the experts were to testify, is the product of lawlessness in places like Somalia and is motivated by money more than ideology. It's a dangerous business nonetheless, with pirates carrying small arms and rocket launchers.

The International Maritime Bureau recorded 111 attacks in the waters off the Horn of Africa in 2008, almost double the number of the year before. The bureau has recorded at least 84 attacks in the first quarter of 2009.

About 300 non-U.S. crew members remain in Somali captivity aboard 18 hijacked vessels, according to the Senate panel.

The problem requires a complex regional response between the United States and other powers such as China, India and Russia, Ambassador Mull told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He said U.S. officials are working with other countries to deny pirates whatever they might gain from taking ships and crews.

PHILLIPS REMARKS

I am Captain Richard Phillips. I am a graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, I have been a member of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots Union since 1979, and I am a licensed American merchant mariner. I was the captain of the MAERSK ALABAMA when it was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia on April 8th. Thankfully, that episode ended with the successful return of the ship, its cargo of US food aid for Africa and, most importantly, my crew. All of us have returned home safely and for that my entire crew and I are deeply appreciative of the actions taken by the Administration, the Department of Defense and, most specifically, the US Navy, the Navy SEALS and the crew aboard the USS Bainbridge. All of the US military and government personnel who were involved in this situation are clearly highly trained and motivated professionals and I want to use this opportunity to again say "thank you” to everyone involved in our safe return.

I want to thank the management of Maersk and Waterman Steamship Corp. who handled the situation, the crew and our families with great care and concern.

And equally important, I want to publicly commend all the officers and crew aboard the MAERSK ALABAMA who responded with their typical professionalism in response to this incident. The Licensed Deck Officers who are members of the Masters, Mates & Pilots Union, the Licensed Deck Officer and Licensed Engineers who are members of the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, and the unlicensed crew who belong to the Seafarers International Union are dedicated merchant mariners, typical of America's merchant seamen who are well-trained and who are ready and able to respond when necessary to protect the interests of our country.

I am honored to come before this Committee today to discuss my views on making commercial shipping safer, and worldwide sea lanes more secure from the threat of piracy.
I need to make clear at the outset that I am unable to discuss the incident itself because of the ongoing investigation and pending legal action against one of the pirates. But I've had a lot of time to think about the difficult and complex issues of protecting vessel, cargo and crew in crime-ridden waters. So instead of a recount of the MAERSK ALABAMA incident, the focus of my comments will be my beliefs, based on my years of experience at sea, as to what can or should be done to respond to piracy and to protect American vessels and crews.

I should also say at the outset that I realize that my opinions may differ in some ways from other recommendations you have heard before and may hear today from others on the panel. Nevertheless, I do believe that all of us in the maritime industry understand that it is imperative that we work together to address this complex problem, and I believe we are in general agreement on the main principles of keeping crew, cargo and vessel safe.
First, I believe it is the responsibility of our government to protect the United States, including U.S.-flag vessels that are by definition an extension of the United States, their U.S. citizen crews, and our nation's worldwide commercial assets. So, it follows then that the most desirable and appropriate solution to piracy is for the United States government to provide protection, through military escorts and/or military detachments aboard U.S. vessels. That said, I am well aware that some will argue that there is a limit to any government's resources - even America's. In fact, due to the vastness of the area to be covered – and the areas of threat are continually growing larger - our Navy and the coalition of other navies currently positioned in the Gulf of Aden region may simply not have the resources to provide all the protection necessary to prevent and stop the attacks.

So what other things can be done?

In my opinion, the targets – the vessels – can be "hardened” even beyond what's being done today and made even more structurally resistant to pirates. In addition, more can be done in terms of developing specific anti-piracy procedures, tools and training for American crews. I do however want to emphasize that contrary to some reports that I've heard recently, American mariners are highly trained and do receive up-to-date training and upgrading at the private educational training facilities jointly run by the maritime unions and their contracted shipping companies. I believe that discussions are underway now between the industry and government on the details of specific proposals to harden the vessels (the specifics of which should remain secret) and I am confident that we will soon have additional methods for protecting vessel and crew. And while they will be an improvement, there is no way they can be foolproof.

I've also heard the suggestion that all we have to do to counter piracy is "just arm the crews”. In my opinion, arming the crew cannot and should not be viewed as the best or ultimate solution to the problem. At most, arming the crew should be only one component of a comprehensive plan and approach to combat piracy. To the extent we go forward in this direction, it would be my personal preference that only the four most senior ranking officers aboard the vessel have access to effective weaponry and that these individuals receive special training on a regular basis. I realize that even this limited approach to arming the crew opens up a very thorny set of issues. I'll let others sort out the legal and liability issues but we all must understand that having weapons on board merchant ships fundamentally changes the model of commercial shipping and we must be very cautious about how it is done.

Nevertheless, I do believe that arming the crew, as part of an overall strategy, could provide an effective deterrent under certain circumstances and I believe that a measured capability in this respect should be part of the overall debate about how to defend ourselves against criminals on the sea.

As for armed security details put aboard vessels, I believe, as I indicated earlier, that this idea could certainly be developed into an effective deterrent. My preference would be government protection forces. However, as long as they are adequately trained I would not be opposed to private security on board. Of course, I realize that very clear protocols would have to be established and followed. For example, as a captain, I am responsible for the vessel, cargo and crew at all times. And I am not comfortable giving up command authority to others… including the commander of a protection force. In the heat of an attack, there can be only one final decision maker. So command is only one of many issues that would have to be worked out in for security forces to operate effectively.

While there are many new ideas and much discussion going on about how to deal with piracy, I would respectfully ask the Committee to be mindful that the seafarers I've met and worked with over my career are resourceful, hardworking, adventurous, courageous, patriotic and independent. They want whatever help you can offer to make the sea lanes more secure and their work environment safer. But we realize that while preparation is absolutely critical, not every situation can be anticipated. And we accept that as a part of the seafarer's life. So, I will just close with a request for you to please proceed carefully and to please continue to include us in your discussions and debates.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak and I look forward to answering your questions.

KERRY OPENING REMARKS

Just a few years ago, most Americans viewed piracy as a scourge of centuries past. Even those aware of modern piracy largely thought of it as contained to Southeast Asia, and no longer a serious problem even there.

Recent events off the coast of Somalia, however, have made piracy not just front-page news but a major concern once again for shippers and policymakers alike. Almost every day brings news of yet another attack on a cargo ship or tanker carrying humanitarian supplies, oil, or even weapons—not to mention a usually defenseless crew.

Today the Committee will examine the threat of maritime piracy off the Horn of Africa, and the solutions available to us, to other governments, and to shippers in confronting this growing challenge.

These attacks have claimed innocent lives, and they have imposed a significant financial cost. Forty-two vessels were hijacked last year off the coast of Somalia, earning pirates an estimated $30 million in ransom. Companies are spending additional millions on new insurance costs, hiring private security, retrofitting ships to protect them from seizure, and rerouting vessels thousands of miles out of their way—sometimes all the way around the African continent—just to avoid pirates.

Nor is the threat contained to a small area off the Somali coast. Pirates are now operating over 1,000 miles from the Somali coast, in an area of more than one million square miles, and in shipping lanes that were even recently considered safe.

To make matters worse, we know that pirates use much of their ransom money to buy better weapons and bigger engines to make it even easier to overtake larger vessels. They also use ransom money to arm and equip private militias. This is a dangerous and vicious cycle.

Piracy goes to the heart of our national security and economic interests. America has always been a seafaring nation, and securing the world's sea lanes has been a source and a symbol of our strength. In the face of instability and crises around the globe, our ability to project naval power and to help ensure the free passage of goods and humanitarian aid is as important as ever.

International piracy—which thrives on chaos and ungoverned spaces, and is perpetrated by small groups of non-state actors—combines several of the great security challenges of our age. It is noteworthy that while our warships could level a city, it was the precise aim of three Navy snipers that ultimately proved effective in resolving the stand-off with the pirates who held Captain Phillips hostage.

We must also recognize that Somali piracy is in part a by-product of Somalia's fragmented political situation. As chair of the subcommittee on Africa, Senator Feingold will be holding a hearing shortly that explores the larger question of American policy toward that country.

And, like so many of today's challenges, the renewed threat of piracy demands a multifaceted, multinational effort—one that coordinates the world's naval powers, the United Nations, the international shipping community, and the nations that border Somalia.

We have already made great progress marshalling an international enforcement effort. Combined Task Force 151, which is expected to grow to 22 nations, patrols the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden to try to keep these waters free of pirates and to assist vessels in distress or under attack. The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia has brought two dozen countries together to improve operational support to anti-piracy operations, strengthen judicial frameworks for arrest and prosecution of pirates, and track their financial activities. America is a leading member of both. Kenya deserves praise for stepping forward to play an important role in the judicial process as well.

I am confident that today's hearing will provide insight into the policy options available to address this immediate challenge, and to lay the necessary groundwork for an effective long-term solution.

We are honored to have with us Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama. Captain Phillips personally confronted pirates who held him hostage, threatened his life, and sought to capture his crew as well.

Captain Phillips risked his own life to ensure the safety of his crew, knowing full well the potential consequences of his actions. Scripture tells us, "there is no greater love than sacrificing yourself for a friend.” His actions, selfless and heroic, are an example for all of us. Captain, it's a pleasure to have you with us today.

Joining Captain Phillips on our first panel is John Clancey, the Chairman of Maersk. On our second panel, we have Ambassador Stephen Mull, Senior Advisor to the Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs.

I welcome the insights of our witnesses into how best to address what has become a matter of real concern for many of us. We thank all of you for joining us today. I recognize Senator Lugar for his opening statement.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.