And what the hell is this mother-ship anyway?

[seemslikeadream]

US firm to fight Somali pirates

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4471536.stm


A US company has been given a two-year contract to help fight piracy off the Somalia coast - seen as among the world's most dangerous waters.
The $50m contract has been awarded by Somalia's transitional government.

Topcat Marine Security will target the "mother ship" launching pirate ships from the open sea, said the firm's Peter Casini.

Earlier this month, pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades at a US-based luxury cruise liner.

There have been 32 pirate attacks off the Somali coast since March this year, according to the International Maritime Board.

Government dismayed

"The agreement signed today will defend Somalia's territorial waters, defeat the pirates and put an end to the illegal fishing and poaching of our precious natural marine resources," Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Gedi said.


http://www.kathryncramer.com/kathryn_cramer/2005/11/topcat_marine_s.html

Topcat Marine Security: A Very Crowded Office Space, a Shell Corporation, or Just a Scam?
Who could resist the tale, not long ago, of a cruise ship fending off Somalian pirates with its handy sonic blaster? Well, someone somewhere just had to do something about those blasted pirates!

Today the BBC announced that the American firm Topcat Marine Security, of 545 8th Ave. Suite 401, New York, NY 10018, had gotten the job! Now you might think that chasing pirates would be too scary, but these guys at Topcat (or Top Cat, depending on which bit of their web site you look at) have strong motivation: a VERY crowded Manhattan office! Wouldn't you rather go chase pirates if you had to share an office with The Center for Risk Communication, a magazine called "Animal Fair", and a bank, Liechetensteinische-Amerikanische Union Bank Corp. (which apparently conducted unauthorized banking activities in the state of NY in 1999), a "home income" business called Maychic, a web site called NY Club Scene, MyHealingPrayer.com, HotDynamite.com, an online video store (not PTA safe, so I won't post a link), The Law Office of Gary Ruff “Defending Consumers Against Electronic Piracy Claims”TM, and much more! What a racket they must make! If I shared that office, I'd go to sea to fight pirates, too!


http://www.somalilandtimes.net/202/10.shtml

By Donna Somala

On Friday 24 November, the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) has signed a two-year contract worth of US$ 55 million with Topcat Marine Security Inc. a company registered in Egg Harbor, New Jersey (NJ) USA. Topcat’s current address is unknown. Court documents states that “Mr. Casini has a foreclosure judgment against his residence and is behind in child support and taxes”.

See page 2 of the Court report: http://www.njb.uscourts.gov/chambers2/lyons/04rl003p_97-39420_Casini.pdf#search='peter%20casini'

The deal is that Topcat will advance the aforesaid money in exchange for access to fishing and marine resources of Somalia to pay back its’ creditors.

However, the misleading story given to the world media is that the company will assist the TFG to end the piracy. Prior to March 2005 there were no ORGANIZED CRIME OF PIRACY IN SOMALIA. One needs to ask why is there a rise of piracy after Mr. Yusuf was elected as president of TFG? There also questions regarding this upsurge of piracy in Somalia and the way in which the white speedboats used in the piracy were obtained.

This deal is between two insolvent parties: Mr. Peter J. Casini, the manager of the private firm, Topcat and Mr. Hassan Abshir, an appointed Minister of Fishery of a non functioning transitional government.

However, some key questions yet to be answered:

Was a "cease and desist" actually issued, assuming that is the appropriate legal remedy in this case? If not, will it be? Will it be a paper tiger?

http://www.mountainrunner.us/2005/12/update_has_topcat_marine_secur.html

Does this mean the dissolution of TopCat Marine Security for either the purpose of protecting Somalia's coast or for good?
Will those involved with TopCat regroup, if the haven't already, and continue on their planned path?

If this was a clandestine operation, will USG do a better job next time? (Based on the participants in this fiasco I highly doubt this was a USG-sponsored adventure. If it was, somebody should be demoted or fired.)
Lastly, will there be similar fanfare in the media over the termination of this coast protection solution? I doubt it because I doubt the validity and legitimacy of the whole TopCat endeavor.
Will there be another public attempt at a private or public solution? Will the EU, AU, UN be more involved the next go'round, especially as a result of the publicity?
OR was this all a complete shame by a criminal (see Kathryn Cramer's post on Casini & TopCat, the "man" behind TopCat Marine Security) and Somalia is no closer to security or will good things result from the publicity? Based on certain rumors and suggestions, I question the likelihood of this path... it seems like a lot of mobilizing went in behind the scenes to stop a scam artist and a lot interest from people other than District Attorney's (lawyers working for municipalities in the United States) and Attorney's General (lawyers working for states in the United States).

http://purpleslurple.net/ps.php?theurl=http://www.heritage.org/Research/HomelandDefense/BG1526.cfm#purp581


http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:27WosbPjmjQJ:szamko.gnn.tv/blogs/10859/from_Somalia_with_Love%3Fr%3D1+peter+Casini&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=17

Topcat marine security, Somali’s will be grateful to know, have zero experience catching pirates or policing African coasts. Their expertise has been honed in gaining contracts from the Department of Homeland Security, not impoverished governments and they have no experience actually running security operations. No, they make boats, fast, open top, fibreglass hulled power boats. They do not train non-english speaking coastguards in areas where a working government is absent, but they do sell powerful leisure craft to shallow water fishermen off the eastern seaboard. Interestingly too, and the paper trail is sparse (but revealing), their driving force, a man named Peter J Casini, has a long history of failed business ventures, stretching throughout the 1990s when he appears to have made a few fine boats, but constructed an even finer mess of a business. Even his own cousin agreed

that “from what I could see and from what I was told, it was, like, pathetic, horrible mismanagement.”
Casini appeared in court in New Jersey on one occasion to fight the (valid) claims of a customer but managed to squirm out of a fraud charge (his accuser claimed that Casini had deliberately run down one business and transferred assets to another, whilst denying any claims from customers of his prior business. It seems that the court could find no evidence of this actually occurring.) . Either way, Peter J Casini has run through 7 (mostly failed) companies since 1992, and must have generous friends and/or a very thick skin. I wonder whether the Somali government were appraised of his history during the bidding process (if there was one). Despite all of his failures, Peter J Casini has come out a winner in the maritime security/anti-terrorism game.
Into this strange story of a failed state, a remarkably well funded yet nonexistent government, enterprising, but incompetent pirates, impervious cruise ships, FBI agents on submarines and CIA psychologists, steps Peter J Casini, bow-tie round his neck and a magnum in his hand. As he says, he’s on a mission; “We will end the piracy very quickly, there is no question about that” he says “There is a ship that is launching small ships 75 to 100 miles from the shore, our goal is to take the mother ship.” . What on earth is going on? The USA would certainly not hand over powers to a company with absolutely no expertise in such a critical region – and as a company with extremely close ties to Homeland Security, it can be expected that personnel from areas of government/intelligence have links with Topcat, who have profited immensely from the boom in homeland security “industries” since 9/11. As mentioned above, sidelining African governments is also good for US interests, up to a point, in that the US forces based in Djibouti need to be friendly with Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen. It is a worrying, if bizarre situation. What, for example, will be the rules of engagement for a private company in such waters? What if an international terrorist just happened to turn up in “Topcat custody”? And what the hell is this mother-ship anyway?

[Captain Hilts]

1. It's good to see that Topcat's still working. But what of Huckelberry Hound? nt

[soothsayer]

5. I wonder if Benny is still with him.

[acmavm]

2. More mercenaries?

[seemslikeadream]

3. yep

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:n50Z6lRjzhEJ:www.answers.com/topic/private-military-company+Top+Cat+Marine+Security&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=25




The 1949, Third Geneva Convention (GCIII) does not recognize the difference between defense contractors and PMCs; it defines a category called supply contractors. If the supply contractor has been issued with a valid identity card from the armed forces which they accompany, they are entitled to be treated as prisoners of war upon capture (GCIII Article 4.1.4). If, however, the contractor engages in combat, he/she can be classified as a mercenary by the captors under the 1997 Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions (Protocol I) Article 47.c, unless falling under an exemption to this clause in Article 47. If captured contractors are found to be mercenaries, they are an unlawful combatant and lose the right to prisoner of war status.



http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:oyt9XYIFex0J:www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2006/64696.htm+Top+Cat+Marine+Security&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=29

QUESTION: Apparently, the Somali Government has given the U.S. Navy permission to patrol its waters for pirates. I just wondered whether you had any details on this. There seemed to be kind of conflicting reports coming out of the region. There was also this story last November where a U.S. company, Bobcats -- was it Bobcats? Or Top Cat, sorry. Top Cat Marine Security was given this big contract to fight piracy. I just wondered where the U.S. Navy fitted in with this and was the embassy involved in trying to negotiate a deal.


MR. MCCORMACK: I'll look into it for you, Sue. Anything else on --


QUESTION: Can I just -- so was that -- so you can't confirm the fact that the U.S. has made a deal to --


MR. MCCORMACK: With respect to piracy, our military forces are very active in that region around the Horn of Africa and the Department of Defense has talked many times about the operations, counterterrorism operations that they've had as well as meeting whatever international obligations they may have with respect to preventing piracy.


Now, on the discrete question of has the United States been in contact with the Government of Somalia on this particular issue, I'm happy to look into it for you. I don't have the particular information for you on that. I can speak in general about the fact that our military is very active in that region for a variety of different reasons.


QUESTION: But just to make that slightly more specific there, according to the copy that we have out of Nairobi, transitional Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi has said that they secured a "milestone" agreement, which is a very specific agreement, to undertake these patrols there. So we need a sort of confirmation or a yes or no --


MR. MCCORMACK: I'm happy to look into that for you, Peter. I don't have the information up here and it's not an issue that I discussed with people before I came out.


QUESTION: Okay.

[saigon68]

9. Time for another Rose Petal Parade

[wakeme2008]

4. The Mother-Ship is the main ship that the pirates leave from.

Most if not all pirate attacks are by way of Zodiacs or small boats. IE the attack on the Seabourn Spirit.

Picture by Norm2002 from the Cruise Critic Seabourn forum

[acmejack]

6. Here is the USS Churchill capturing a "Mothership" last year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4636588.stm

[Captain Hilts]

7. Where's the RN's HMS Roosevelt. Still looking for that one....nt

[seemslikeadream]

8. Senator Lindsey Graham gives "Thumps Up" to Top Cat

http://www.topcatmarinesecurity.com/news-press%20releases/Sen.%20Lindsay%20Graham.pdf

http://images.google.com/images?q=Peter%20Casini&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&tab=wi


Check out the videos

http://www.topcatmarinesecurity.com/vids.htm

[Captain Hilts]

10. Sure, but how does Officer Dibbles feel about this? nt