Maintaining international partnerships to fight piracy off the Horn of Africa could also help stabilize shifting global relations and support U.S. security interests.
Much has been written over the past months on maritime counterpiracy operations off the Horn of Africa. Many have questioned the effectiveness of the two major maritime forces in the region. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently told the Senate: “The international naval flotilla working to curtail piracy in the western Indian Ocean is failing to solve the problem; the naval ships that have been involved from . . . more than 20 nations just have not been willing to really put themselves out.” Clinton continued, “They’re happy to patrol, and they’re happy to say they are, and then kind of count themselves as part of the Coalition. But when push comes to shove, they’re not really producing.”
