Eyl,(insidesomalia.org)- Question: How do Somali pirates, traveling in tiny boats, manage to seize and hold those huge commercial ships?

ANSWER: In Somalia, pirates are better-funded, better-organized and better-armed than one might imagine in a country that has been in tatters for nearly two decades.

They have the support of their communities and rogue members of the government.

Often dressed in military fatigues, pirates travel in open skiffs with outboard engines, working with larger ships that tow them far out to sea.

They typically are armed with automatic weapons, antitank rocket launchers and grenades -- weaponry that is readily available throughout Somalia.

The pirates use satellite navigation and communication equipment and an intimate knowledge of local waters, clambering aboard commercial vessels with ladders and grappling hooks.

They are believed to be backed by some members of local administrations and are supported in their communities, which they occasionally aid with ransom money from their piracy.

More often, though, the pirates are seen driving new cars and building new homes.

Source: The Associated Press