Pirates preparing a comeback?

Wondered why those pirates have dropped out of the news lately? Could be little more than the bad weather, says the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) patrolling the Somali coast. And now, good weather is on the way. The international forces offshore are warning of “an anticipated increase in piracy incidents when the southwest monsoon ends ...

By , International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Colombia.
583067_090727_pirates12.jpg
583067_090727_pirates12.jpg

Wondered why those pirates have dropped out of the news lately? Could be little more than the bad weather, says the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) patrolling the Somali coast. And now, good weather is on the way. The international forces offshore are warning of “an anticipated increase in piracy incidents when the southwest monsoon ends in the coming weeks.”

Really? Bad weather is what’s winning even with “30 ships and aircraft from 16 nations” fighting the pirates?? Believe it. Fighting pirates takes the kind of whollistic assault that only a monsoon can bring and the military will struggle to — no matter how many ships.

The root of the trouble is still on land, and there’s no good news to report there, either. So pirates are in our future for a while yet. But at least with the launching of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet Facebook page, you’ll be able to watch it unfold in living color… 

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Eric L. Beauregard/Released

Elizabeth Dickinson is International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Colombia.

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