A Comparative Analysis of Two Types of Piracy: Iranian / Iraqi Piracy in the Arabian Gulf and Somali Piracy in the Indian Ocean
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A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TWO TYPES OF PIRACY: IRANIAN / IRAQI PIRACY IN THE ARABIAN GULF AND SOMALI PIRACY IN THE INDIAN OCEAN By Mohammad E. A. Al-Qattan A Thesis submitted to Newcastle University for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Marine Science and Technology September 2016 A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TWO TYPES OF PIRACY: IRANIAN / IRAQI PIRACY IN THE ARABIAN GULF AND SOMALI PIRACY IN THE INDIAN OCEAN Abstract This thesis is an investigation into maritime piracy in the Arabian Gulf and Somalia with a practical objective of understanding the drivers underpinning piracy behaviour to aid identifying how best to deal with this issue. Maritime piracy is a complicated crime which is unique in every region. The main findings from empirical data collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews (n = 43 undertaken between 2012 and 2013 in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Nairobi and Mombasa) showed that pirates could be categorized according to different strategies adopted in attacking ships: pirates in the Arabian Gulf applied hit and run techniques, while Somalis’ pirates adopted a kidnap for ransom approach. While both sets of pirates seek money as a reward, the question is why do Iraqi and Iranian pirates steal cash and valuables, whereas Somali pirates focus on ransom? In this thesis, the resultant analyses identified that motive is not the main key for forming the pirates’ chosen strategy - whether the motive is political, ideological or purely financial is not critical to the method selected. The reasons for the different strategies adopted by the pirates are manifold, however, three main variables emerged from the analyses: geographical advantage; state failure or success; and illegal fishing by foreign vessels. These three factors must be applied all together in order to trigger the kidnap-for-ransom strategy. In the Arabian Gulf, there is no illegal fishing or state failure, which suggests that Iraqi and Iranian pirates do not kidnap for ransom, whereas Somalia exhibits all three factors at the same time. Studying these and other factors by a combination of fieldwork and documentary analysis has led to a new understanding of why different kinds of maritime piracy have arisen in the geographical areas researched, and the research presented herein offers new contextual evidence that could help the different regions decide how best to tackle the different types of piracy. These findings and the methods employed may also have potential application in other parts of the world where piracy is a problem of potential risk. i Acknowledgments First I would like to thank my supervisors Professor Selina Stead and Professor Tim Gray for their encouragement, guidance, and support and for the valuable feedback from the start to the end of my PhD journey. I am also indebted to my parents Esmael Al- Qattan and Seham Al-Kandari and to our special friends in Newcastle Leanne and Michael Ratcliffe for their constant loving and for providing support when most needed. The special thanks to my wife Fatemah Al-Qabandi who provided love, support, encouragement and caring. My fieldworks, interviews and data collection would have been more difficult without all the help been provided by friends and colleagues, special thanks to Mr. Nasser Al- Buhairi, Lt. Colonel Saleh Al-Adwani, The Kuwaiti Coastguards, the Qatari Coastguards, the Bahraini Navy and the Somali Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Also my thanks would be for the Kuwaiti Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya for the support they have provided during my stay in Kenya. ii iii Contents Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Seriousness of Somali piracy .......................................................................................... 2 1.3 Research objectives ....................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Research questions and hypotheses .............................................................................. 5 1.5 The epistemological and methodological problems of gaining insights into piracy ........... 6 1.6 Chapter overview .......................................................................................................... 8 2 Chapter Two: Research Methodology, Theoretical Framework and Literature Review .... 11 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 11 2.2 Research methodology ................................................................................................ 11 2.2.1 Data collection ..................................................................................................... 12 2.2.2 Finding interviewees ........................................................................................... 13 2.2.3 Design of the fieldwork ....................................................................................... 13 2.2.4 List of interviewees ............................................................................................. 14 2.2.5 Data analysis methods ...................................................................................... 14 2.3 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 16 2.3.1 Rational choice theory ........................................................................................ 16 2.3.2 Structural theory ................................................................................................. 17 2.3.3 Cognitive theory .................................................................................................. 18 2.4 Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 19 2.4.1 Definitions of piracy ............................................................................................ 19 2.4.2 Motivations of pirates ......................................................................................... 26 2.4.3 Causes of piracy .................................................................................................. 29 2.4.4 Manifestations of piracy ..................................................................................... 36 2.4.5 Consequences of piracy ...................................................................................... 41 2.4.6 Responses to piracy ............................................................................................. 44 2.4.7 Violation of international law and human rights ............................................. 56 2.4.8 Recommendations for dealing with piracy ....................................................... 58 2.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 61 3 Chapter Three: Analysis of Interview Data. ..................................................................... 63 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 63 3.2 The motives of maritime piracy ................................................................................... 64 3.2.1 Motivations in the Arabian Gulf ....................................................................... 64 3.2.2 Motivations in Somalia ....................................................................................... 65 3.3 The causes of maritime piracy ..................................................................................... 70 3.3.1 Perceptions of the causes of piracy in the Arabian Gulf ................................. 70 3.3.2 Perceptions of the causes of piracy in Somalia ................................................. 71 3.4 Manifestations of the two different kinds of maritime piracy ....................................... 79 3.4.1 Manifestations of financial piracy in the Arabian Gulf .................................. 79 3.4.2 Manifestation of financial piracy in Somalia .................................................... 84 3.4.3 Manifestations of terror piracy in the Arabian Gulf ....................................... 95 i 3.4.4 Manifestations of terror piracy in Somalia ...................................................... 97 3.5 Consequences of the two different kinds of maritime piracy ........................................ 99 3.5.1 Consequences of piracy in the Arabian Gulf .................................................... 99 3.5.2 Consequences of piracy in Somalia ................................................................. 101 3.6 Different responses to counter the two different kinds of maritime piracy ................. 103 3.6.1 Political responses in the Arabian Gulf .......................................................... 103 3.6.2 Political responses in Somalia .......................................................................... 104 3.6.3 Mmilitary responses in the Arabian Gulf ....................................................... 108 3.6.4 Military responses in Somalia .......................................................................... 111 3.7 Violations of international law perpetrated against pirates ........................................ 117 3.7.1 Violations of international law in the Arabian