Due to years of a combination of decolonization and globalization, the marginal of the world, such as pirates, are becoming more desperate. At the same time, major powers are suffering from economic crises and a shortage of funding. For example, the United States is struggling to pay for its global naval and air forces stationed around the world. Budget pressure and future cuts worth billions of dollars will adversely effect its Navy and Air Force, which in some instances is already sailing outdated warships and flying aged aircraft. It is estimated that it cost the U.S. over $1 billion each year to safeguard cargo through the Gulf of Aden. It is also a major problem that many other nations in the world face too. The European Union just spent $450 million to patrol its vessels.

Meanwhile, and as mentioned earlier, piracy is on the rise, especially in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. In the last several months, dozens of ships have either been raided or held captive, specifically off the coast of Somalia. As Somalia's Transnational Federal Government lacks that necessary resources to prevent piracy, and as international naval and air forces are finding it more difficult to fund naval fleets so as to protect shipping lands, the global community might want to consider what the Ottoman Empire did, that is, in employing pirates into a professional naval force. After all, illegal and over-fishing and toxic waste disposal by international companies have put many Somali fishermen out of business, many of which have turned to piracy.

Since the sultans of the Ottoman Empire ruled over vast territories, which included parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, their ships and supply lines were an easy target for pirates and corsairs-pirates who operated in the Mediterranean and along the Barbary Coast. Each year, on the Black Sea and throughout the Mediterranean and Seas and in the Persian Gulf, hundreds of ships were either plundered or their passengers taken captive and held for ransom. As the Ottoman's sought more maritime power, they employed pirates and corsairs like Kemal Reis, Burak Reis, and Piri Reis to help protect shipping lanes. Some were even engrafted to, and included in, the Ottoman naval forces. Kheireddin Barbarossa, Turgut Reis, and Uluj Ali became either sea captains or admirals.(1)

Many corsairs and pirates protected Ottoman cargo vessels. They also showed their courage during fierce naval battles. As more corsairs and pirates were employed by the Ottoman Empire, less ships were plundered and passengers held for ransom. However, when the Ottoman's navy experienced several defeats by European powers, and as it declined due to poor leadership and corrupt sultans, the Mediterranean and Red Seas, along with other water areas once protected by the Ottoman's naval and corsair forces, were again made into a pirate's dominion. Nation's around the world expended large sums of money in sending naval fleets to battle with the Barbary Coast pirates of North Africa. An ineffective war and blockade against Tripoli cost the U.S. a frigate, the Philadelphia.(2)

It is also important to understand that most civilizations or religious kingdoms-from ancient Greece to the Rome, Byzantium, Viking, Russian, Italian, Dutch Spanish, Portuguese, French, British, and the United States-either licensed, funded, or employed pirates. In fact, a group of Dutch pirates called the Sea Beggars played an important role in the history of the Netherlands. They temporarily united with the forces of William of Orange to help liberate their country from Spain.(3) And just as Christian pirates helped protect the faith of certain European kingdoms, and Anglo-American pirates helped liberate the thirteen American colonies from British imperialism, years later Chinese pirates would battle European powers to protect their cultural beliefs and heritages.

Would the benefits of employing and training pirates, like those along the coast of Somalia, outweigh the problems? Possibly. A corsair-like naval force employed by the nations of the world, perhaps even the United Nations, would reduce growing tensions among imperial navies now existing. Not only would professionalizing Somali pirates save enormous sums of money for major powers, and taxpayers that have to pay for court costs when a pirate is captured and then extradited, but a sharp decrease in piracy and the plundering of vessels, taking of hostages, and killing, would occur. While paying pirates to patrol shipping lanes could serve as reparations, for toxic dumping and over-fishing, some of the marginalized of the world would be assimilated into the global community.

Dallas Darling (darling@wn.com)

(Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John's Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace. He is a correspondent for www.worldnews.com. You can read more of Dallas' writings at www.beverlydarling.com and wn.com//dallasdarling.)

(1) Rogozinski, Jan. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Pirates., New York, New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1997., p. 246.

(2) Bruce, Anthony and William Cogar. An Encyclopedia Of Naval History. New York, New York: Fact on File, Inc., 1999., p. 89.

(3) Cordingly, David. Under The Black Flag: The Romance And The Reality Of Life Among The Pirates. New York, New York: Random House Publishers, 1995., p. xv.