I've mentioned before that part of my job in Mauritius and the Indian Ocean generally is to work with other countries and their militaries to combat the scourge of piracy off the Somali coast. I was in the Embassy only a few hours as the new Political/Military Officer before we kicked off a long-planned training session for coast guard and maritime personnel from four impacted countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Seychelles, and Mauritius are all impacted by the problem of piracy in the Indian Ocean. Somali pirates have become very adept at assaulting large vessels, boarding them quickly with guns and rocket propelled grenades, and threatening the crews with grievous harm or death if a huge ransom is not paid. It is organized crime on the high seas. Secretary Hillary Clinton calls it a 17th century crime taking place in the 21st century. The United States military, particularly the Navy, has forcefully responded to this challenge. Part of its response to assure maritime security is to offer training to the police and military organizations of the region in an attempt to apprehend and capture the pirates on the high seas. Proper training is essential to not only stop and capture the pirates, but to assure that we have sufficient evidence to put pirates on trial, get convictions, and put them in jail. I hit the ground running in my first week of work. The Embassy and its personnel worked with the US Navy and the Mauritius Coast Guard to stage such a training program in Mauritius. At the end of the training, and in the absence of the Ambassador and Charge d'Affaires, I was asked to deliver the graduation speech and help with the ceremony of delivering certificates to the multi-national group of trainees. I spoke about the need to continue to work cooperatively to resolve this problem; and the need to train professionals to address it. It was a great honor for me to do this, particulary in my first week living here. I spoke in French, English, and even tried out a few phrases of Mauritian Creole. I am particularly proud to be representing a country that cares about providing training for all nations to protect important international shipping lanes; keeping commerce flowing throughout the world. It's good work, and I'm so pleased to be working side by side with these pirate fighters.
I've mentioned before that part of my job in Mauritius and the Indian Ocean generally is to work with other countries and their militaries to combat the scourge of piracy off the Somali coast. I was in the Embassy only a few hours as the new Political/Military Officer before we kicked off a long-planned training session for coast guard and maritime personnel from four impacted countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Seychelles, and Mauritius are all impacted by the problem of piracy in the Indian Ocean. Somali pirates have become very adept at assaulting large vessels, boarding them quickly with guns and rocket propelled grenades, and threatening the crews with grievous harm or death if a huge ransom is not paid. It is organized crime on the high seas. Secretary Hillary Clinton calls it a 17th century crime taking place in the 21st century. The United States military, particularly the Navy, has forcefully responded to this challenge. Part of its response to assure maritime security is to offer training to the police and military organizations of the region in an attempt to apprehend and capture the pirates on the high seas. Proper training is essential to not only stop and capture the pirates, but to assure that we have sufficient evidence to put pirates on trial, get convictions, and put them in jail. I hit the ground running in my first week of work. The Embassy and its personnel worked with the US Navy and the Mauritius Coast Guard to stage such a training program in Mauritius. At the end of the training, and in the absence of the Ambassador and Charge d'Affaires, I was asked to deliver the graduation speech and help with the ceremony of delivering certificates to the multi-national group of trainees. I spoke about the need to continue to work cooperatively to resolve this problem; and the need to train professionals to address it. It was a great honor for me to do this, particulary in my first week living here. I spoke in French, English, and even tried out a few phrases of Mauritian Creole. I am particularly proud to be representing a country that cares about providing training for all nations to protect important international shipping lanes; keeping commerce flowing throughout the world. It's good work, and I'm so pleased to be working side by side with these pirate fighters.
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