'Barbary Pirates,' a 1681 painting by William van de Velde
Armed pirates on a Somali beach
How to Deal With Pirates -Michael Oren
[E]scalating assaults by pirates from Somalia [have] result[ed] in the capture of 14 ships and 250 of their crew members. Over 90 such attacks have occurred this year alone -- a three-fold increase since 2007.
Among their prizes, the pirates have seized a Ukrainian freighter crammed with Soviet-made battle tanks and, most recently, the tanker Sirius Star with $100 million worth of Saudi crude in its holds. These shipments are now being held off the Somali coast where the pirates are bargaining for their return.
21st-century piracy threatens international trade and confronts the U.S. with complex questions. Should the U.S. Navy, for example, actively combat the pirates, emulating the Indian warship that destroyed a Somali speedboat earlier this week? Can the U.S., which is already overstretched militarily in two conflicts, afford to assume responsibility for another open-ended operation in the same area? Or should America follow the example now being set by Saudi Arabia and various [other] states which have paid $25 million to $30 million in ransoms to the pirates this year alone?
America would be ill-advised to act unilaterally against the pirates. The good news is: It does not have to. In contrast to the refusal to unite with America during the Iraq War, the European states today share America's interest in restoring peace to the seas. Moreover, they have expressed a willingness to cooperate with American military measures against the Somali bandits.
Somali pirates will be emboldened by a lack of forceful response. Any attempt to bargain with them and to pay the modern equivalent of tribute will beget more piracy. [T]he only effective response to piracy is a coercive one.
[W]hile it is true that U.S. forces are deeply committed elsewhere in the region, addressing the threat of Somali pirates must be made a national priority while there is still time. Much like terrorism, piracy, unless uprooted, will mushroom.
[The Wall Street Journal]
1 comment:
This is a threat that must be stopped. Nevertheless, the US navy is there to try to prevent these hijackings. The problem has been, if a hijacking occurs, it is too late. An attack can destroy the property of these other nations, and then these nations pay a ransom instead. We need a much larger multi-national patrolling and accompanying ships through the area, and when enough pirates are destroyed, or hampered in their goals, we may finally get a handle on this.
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