New Piracy resource coming online

For those monitoring piracy, a new resource is coming online: Global Marine Piracy Magazine. Their mission is to…

provide the world’s best and most comprehensiveinformation on marine piracy … clearly, the most significant threat
to the world economy today. While "briefcase" nuclear devices are often
in the news … the international media seldom reports piracy unless
it’s a major event. The typical pirate is an armed robber, but the ease
with which armed bandits can commandeer large merchant vessels is
well-know to terrorist organizations which thrive on chaos. A single
terrorist incident involving a bulk carrier in a major port can exceed
the damages caused to the World Trade Center in the 9/11 attacks.   

If you’re like me and see brown and blue water issues becoming more important (with or without media attention), this may become a useful resource. National navies are growing…

  • South Africa is taking delivery of sub made in Germany
  • Israel is posturing to include "overseas targets"
  • China is a concern in the QDR (and here)
  • Indonesia is considering buying subs
  • plus others…

The two resources on piracy are the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre’s Weekly Piracy Report and the daily The Cargo Letter. Piracy happens in more places than off the Horn of Africa, the media just  doesn’t pick up those stories. 

Side note: Interested in more from the naval side? Read this War Room post on Naval Supremacy between India and China and read Dr Barnett’s message to the Indian Navy (published in 2000 however) linked there.

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