ID | 087704 |
Title Proper | Somali piracy |
Other Title Information | a nasty problem, a web of responses |
Language | ENG |
Author | Kraska, James ; Wilson, Brian |
Publication | 2009. |
Summary / Abstract (Note) | On April 12, US Navy Seals staged a dramatic rescue of an American cargo ship captain who had been held hostage during a five-day standoff in the Indian Ocean. The episode highlighted a problem that has drawn increasing international attention over the past year: piracy off the Somali coast. Approximately 125 ships carrying cargo that included oil, weapons, and chemicals were attacked in 2008. In the first two months of 2009, another 30 ships were attacked near Somalia. To be sure, armed gangs demanding ransom have successfully boarded only a small fraction of the 33,000 vessels that annually ply the region's strategically important waters-waters that include the Gulf of Aden, the key gateway to trade between the East and West. Still, several seamen have been killed or injured, and the global merchant shipping supply chain has been adversely affected (for instance through increased insurance premiums). Some vessels, especially slower ships with low freeboards, have opted to avoid the area altogether. |
`In' analytical Note | Current History Vol. 108, No. 718; May 2009:p227-231 |
Journal Source | Current History Vol. 108, No. 718; May 2009:p227-231 |
Key Words | Somali Piracy ; Nasty Problem ; Web of Responses |