Tuesday, April 14, 2009
We're not in Disneyland anymore Captain Phillips
Even Johnny Depp can't make pirates look good these days. Relieved by the heroic rescue of Captain Phillips, President Obama is considering a preemptive attempt to thwart piracy, by sending the U.S. Navy to patrol Somalia's coast as the country stabilizes.
International attention to fighting pirates is growing because the seafaring criminals are usurping more vessels each year. Pirate recruitment is easier in political unstable coastlines like Somalia, where locals are desperate for any basic needs like jobs and food. Likewise, punishing piracy and creating alternate career paths is harder for such ill-equipped legal and political systems.
But international law summons all nations to repress piracy as a state responsibility, and Somalia has proven incapable of this. When national systems fail, regional efforts could bolster defending the seas. Some have been successful, like China suppressed piracy by imprisoning the criminals in the 1990s. Under international piracy laws, the U.S. could have a greater impact on both East Africa's regional security and the safety of vessels in the area by helping Somalia build a strong democracy, education, and job opportunities.
International attention to fighting pirates is growing because the seafaring criminals are usurping more vessels each year. Pirate recruitment is easier in political unstable coastlines like Somalia, where locals are desperate for any basic needs like jobs and food. Likewise, punishing piracy and creating alternate career paths is harder for such ill-equipped legal and political systems.
But international law summons all nations to repress piracy as a state responsibility, and Somalia has proven incapable of this. When national systems fail, regional efforts could bolster defending the seas. Some have been successful, like China suppressed piracy by imprisoning the criminals in the 1990s. Under international piracy laws, the U.S. could have a greater impact on both East Africa's regional security and the safety of vessels in the area by helping Somalia build a strong democracy, education, and job opportunities.
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