US Can't Abandon Ship On Piracy Policies

By Scott Neuberger
The Blue Print
on Foreign Affairs:

The United States has the capability and responsibility to smash piracy in Somali waters. In 2008, a total of 111 attacks took place near the Horn of Africa, an astounding number that more than doubled since the previous year. Yet in only the first quarter of 2009, the number of attacks is already greater than in 2008.

One option the conservative officials of the US government are taking into consideration is the idea of employing naval forces to patrol the region and establish order along the Horn of Africa.

Liberals are not in favor of using violence to diminish piracy, but instead want to implement diplomacy to better our relations by providing economic aid to improve the economy in the hope that piracy will decrease.

Instead of using our military forces to patrol the waters, liberals propose that the US government consider sending weapons and ammunition to Transitional Federal Government to help discourage and prevent al-Shabaab, allies of Somali pirates, from funding these actions. This will stabilize the surrounding waters of Somalia and increase trade in the region.

Both parties believe that bettering the governments of the nations around pirated waters will allow these countries to take control of the situation for themselves.

The question that the Foreign Affairs committee must now consider is whether the money being used to provide protection, sprout the economy, give ammunition, or assist the Somali government is even worth giving. Piracy costs maritime industries 1$-16$ billion dollars every year. Yet, controlling piracy in any way will aid countries such as Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia.

Displaying military action in the area will affect our relations with the surrounding countries, and display a false image of US control in the region. A diplomatic approach assisted by government-funded relief for the economies of these countries is a logical approach and can make piracy a less profitable display of action decreasing piracy.

The sudden increase in piracy must be controlled and destroyed for the Horn of Africa’s government and to stabilize economy.