The growing Piracy problem in Somalia

****  Update at bottom

Over the past few years, pirates off the coast of Somalia have been getting bolder and bolder in their attacks.  the latest one was the taking of a Saudi tanker. The Malaccan Straights I still think is the pirate capitol of the world, but the coast of Somalia is coming up fast. Earlier This year, a ship containing who knows what, was captured by the pirates off the coast, and many died of unknown causes.  Russia, India, and the United States all have a naval presence in the area, but the piracy continues.

It is no wonder that the pirates are coming from the part of Somalia controlled by the Islamic Courts Union, an affiliate with Al Queda.  Obama and the next administration are going to have to deal with this.   This is disrupting trade, along with piracy off the coast of India.

Today’s pirates are no  different than the Pirates of the Caribbean or the Asians of the past.  They are in it for themselves and to get the most out of whatever they steal from the ships they take over.   This is going to have to have help from all over the world.  Just as the eradication of the pirates in their hay day.

US Admiral ‘stunned’ by pirates’ reach

The top US military officer said Monday he was “stunned” by the reach of the Somali pirates who seized a Saudi supertanker off the east coast of Africa, calling piracy a growing problem that needs to be addressed.

But Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there were limits to what the world’s navies could do once a ship has been captured because national governments often preferred to pay pirates ransom.

“I’m stunned by the range of it, less so than I am the size,” Mullen said of the seizure of the Sirius Star Sunday by armed men.

The huge, oil laden prize, which is three times the size of a US aircraft carrier, was some 450 miles east of Kenya when it was boarded, he said.

That is the farthest out at sea that a ship has been seized in the latest surge of piracies, according to Mullen.

The pirates, he said, are “very good at what they do. They’re very well armed. Tactically, they are very good.”—BREITBART

Some Drudge Report Headlines:

HONG KONG CARGO SHIP HIJACKED BY PIRATES... DEVELOPING...

Danish oil ship briefly seized off Nigeria... Developing...

PIRATES CAPTURE SUPERTANKER WITH $100 MILLION CARGO...

Open negotiations...

Saudis brand pirates 'terrorists' ...call for international action

US Admiral 'stunned' by pirates' reach...

Here is a live map of all the reported incidents of piracy courtesy of Right Truth