Middle East Politics.Net » piracy http://middleeastpolitics.net Facts, News, Trends, Analysis Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:56:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Chinese To Join Other Navies in Gulf of Aden http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/25/chinese-join-other-navies-in-gulf-of-aden/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/25/chinese-join-other-navies-in-gulf-of-aden/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2008 06:20:30 +0000 davidhulme http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/25/chinese-join-other-navies-in-gulf-of-aden/ According to the NYT Dec 26, 2008, “The Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said Friday that 110 ships have been attacked in the gulf [of Aden] this year, and 42 have been hijacked. Fourteen ships are still being held for ransom.” This is part of the reason that China is sending warships to protect Chinese vessels carrying 60% of its oil imports and also raw materials from Africa. Both kinds of cargo cross the Gulf of Aden, the area suffering most from Somali pirate infestation. Chinese warships have not ventured outside of the Chinese region since the 15th century. They will join international efforts by other navies against this current form of piracy.

David Hulme

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/25/chinese-join-other-navies-in-gulf-of-aden/feed/ 0 Egypt Shows No Sign of Military Response to Piracy http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/25/egypt-shows-no-signs-of-military-response-to-piracy/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/25/egypt-shows-no-signs-of-military-response-to-piracy/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:26:25 +0000 aljoaan http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=2861 The Indian Ocean faces a serious threat from marauding pirates who operate out of Somalia, and who have attacked the ancient sea trade routes linking East with West. Egypt has showed no immediate response to the problem, and has not opted to join the international community in fighting this growing menace. According to Reuters, the Egyptian government does not consider the issue to be important to it. One Egyptian Defense Ministry source told Reuters that ” that piracy was an international problem and had to be solved in an international framework.” This probably sums up the Egyptian government’s stance on the issue.

The Egyptian government does have the military capability to fight the piracy threat, but according to some analysts its concern is directed at keeping piracy out of the Red Sea, which it considers traditionally to be within its sphere of influence.

Ahmad Aljoaan

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/25/egypt-shows-no-signs-of-military-response-to-piracy/feed/ 0 Yemen Takes Steps to Combat Piracy http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/09/11/yemen-takes-steps-to-combat-piracy/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/09/11/yemen-takes-steps-to-combat-piracy/#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:32:18 +0000 hootstei http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=272 In light of recent attacks, it was announced September 10, that Yemen will be launching a regional center to combat piracy. The center will provide assistance and support to ships and vessels that are attacked in the Gulf of Aden. The announcement was made by Khalid Al Wazir, Yemen’s Transport Minister.

The center will be a collaborative effort between Yemen and 20 other countries as well as the International Maritime Organization. The participating countries will sign a memorandum of understanding pledging cooperation to fight piracy. Yemen will also be taking a particularly active role by hosting a week-long regional meeting on the subject October 23-30, 2008.

Yemen has also teamed up with the United States in regards to the problem. On Sunday September 7, 2008, Yemen’s Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed met with Admiral Philip Greene, commander of the United States task force in the Horn of Africa. The meeting discussed ways to developed “bilateral military relations between the armies of the two countries, particularly in fighting terrorism and sea piracy.”

These steps to deal with the situation followed two very recent attacks in the Gulf of Aden. First, on August 19, a Malaysian tanker with 39 passengers on board was hijacked. Ten days later, a second Malaysian vessel with a crew of 41 was hijacked in the same waters while en route from Saudi Arabia to Singapore.

Yemen’s active stance in fighting piracy illustrates how the country is able to successfully collaborate with other nations-especially Western countries like the US. This case exemplifies how despite their differences in culture or ideology nations can at times successfully work together to create policy. Yemen’s stance on piracy illustrates how differences can be overcome to work for good and to prevent injustice.

Jenna Hootstein

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/09/11/yemen-takes-steps-to-combat-piracy/feed/ 0 Piracy an Issue for Yemen http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/09/09/piracy-an-issue-for-yemen/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/09/09/piracy-an-issue-for-yemen/#comments Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:28:14 +0000 bkeenan http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=182 There have been many recent piracy attacks on trade ships that have been in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden.  Piracy has always been a problem in the Gulf and it is only recently receiving attention because many oil tankers use these waters.  The United States has also been looking at the problem because much of its oil is transported through the Gulf.

On September 7, 2008 the Yemen Coast Guard had to rescue a Saudi Arabian ship from Somalian pirates.

Since the attack, the Defense Minister of Yemen has begun talks with the United States in order help protect the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

Brad Keenan

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