The recent operation by NATO forces to free the crew of Italian ship MV Montecristo from pirates serves as a reminder that this ancient plague of the seas remains a threat to global commerceand that the Wests response to date is simply not adequate.
The International Maritime Organization reports that Somali pirates have attacked 199 ships this year and currently hold 10 ships and 251 hostages. Yet the anti-piracy effort off the Horn of Africa, led by the most powerful navies on earth, is stymied by self-defeating rules of engagement.
The International Maritime Organization reports that Somali pirates have attacked 199 ships this year and currently hold 10 ships and 251 hostages. Yet the anti-piracy effort off the Horn of Africa, led by the most powerful navies on earth, is stymied by self-defeating rules of engagement.