Protect the Peace in Somalia

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Recommended: the econmic impat of piracy

Protect the Peace in Somalia

Popular culture’s depiction of pirates and piracy is romanticized and sanitized through favorable portrayals of characters like Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean; however the real piracy that has been occurring in Somalia is very different from what is shown in the movies. This has been going on for many years and no organization has been able to put a stop to this. Pirates board ships and hold the captain and crew hostage until the ship owners pay ransom, and if they refuse the pirates do not resist killing the hostages. Pirates have also been known to steal resources such as oil, but this is not as common. The U.S. needs to take action in combating Somalian piracy by targeting networks through constant surveillance and control in order to make international commerce safer and promote world peace.

Somali piracy is violent, brutal and deadly, and many Americans are surprised to hear that it is still a problem today, “Piracy has been around for many years but it hadn’t been prevalent in Somalia until around the 1980’s” (Dryad). The numbers support this statement, “In 2013 there were 264 pirate attacks which is less than past years, but still too high to the point where it is still considered a big world issue” (Pottengal). Clearly piracy is a real thing and it is significant enough that countries all over the world need to worry about it. Though the number of incidents has gone down slightly in recent years, it is still a big enough issue that the U.S. needs to get more involved in adding solution.

There is already a significant multinational effort under way to combat Somali piracy. “1430 suspected pirates are being prosecuted in more than 21 countries” (Marzooqah). Once a p...

... middle of paper ...

...al. Piracy needs to be stopped and the US should do it the right way by using the strategy of targeting networks.

Works Cited

Kelly, Thomas. "The U.S. Government's Approach to Countering Somali Piracy."U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, 25 Oct. 2012. Web. 05 May 2014.

Martime, Dryad. "Somali Pirates Driven Off in First Attack of 2014." Insurance Journal News. Insurance Journal, 21 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 May 2014.

Marzooqah, Mv. "Somali Pirates Hijack First Ship since 2012." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 17 Dec. 0032. Web. 06 May 2014.

Mukundan, Pottengal. "News." Somali Pirate Clampdown Caused Drop in Global Piracy, IMB Reveals. Commercial Crime Services, 15 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

Valdiserri, Francesco. "Somali Piracy: Is Taking the Fight to Land the Solution?" Fair Observer°. Fair Observer, 25 July 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.

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