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 ...
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.
More from Foreign Policy


Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America
The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.


The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense
If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.


Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War
Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.


How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests
And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.