Pirate attacks are down in 2012
<p><span word="Sea">Sea</span> <span word="piracy">piracy</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="fallen">fallen</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="lowest">lowest</span> <span word="level">level</span> <span word="since">since</span> 2008, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sharp">sharp</span> <span word="decline">decline</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="coast">coast</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Somalia">Somalia</span>. <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="International">International</span> <span word="Maritime">Maritime</span> <span word="Bureau">Bureau</span> <span word="warns">warns</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Gulf">Gulf</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Guinea">Guinea</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="increasingly">increasingly</span> <span word="risky">risky</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="shipping">shipping</span>.</p><p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> 233 <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="pirate">pirate</span> <span word="attacks">attacks</span> <span word="worldwide">worldwide</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="nine">nine</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 350 <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span>.</p><p><span word="Pottengal">Pottengal</span> <span word="Mukundan">Mukundan</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="director">director</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="International">International</span> <span word="Maritime">Maritime</span> <span word="Bureau">Bureau</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="runs">runs</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Piracy">Piracy</span> <span word="Reporting">Reporting</span> <span word="Center">Center</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="said">said</span>, “<span word="The">The</span> <span word="numbers">numbers</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="years">years</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="particularly">particularly</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Somalia">Somalia</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="careful">careful</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="wait">wait</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span>-<span word="year">year</span> <span word="statistics">statistics</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sustained">sustained</span> <span word="trend">trend</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="far">far</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="numbers">numbers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="encouraging">encouraging</span>.”</p><p><span word="Usually">Usually</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="June">June</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="September">September</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="pirate">pirate</span> <span word="attacks">attacks</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Somali">Somali</span> <span word="coast">coast</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="due">due</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="monsoons">monsoons</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="sailing">sailing</span> <span word="treacherous">treacherous</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pirate">pirate</span> <span word="vessels">vessels</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="attacks">attacks</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="attempted">attempted</span> <span word="hijackings">hijackings</span> <span word="generally">generally</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="toward">toward</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="September">September</span>.</p><p>“<span word="We">We</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="pick">pick</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="quite">quite</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="picked">picked</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="years">years</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="reports">reports</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="sightings">sightings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="pirate">pirate</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="skiffs">skiffs</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="northeast">northeast</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Arabian">Arabian</span> <span word="Sea">Sea</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Somali">Somali</span> <span word="Basin">Basin</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="there">there</span>,” <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="despite">despite</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="monsoons">monsoons</span>, <span word="international">international</span> <span word="naval">naval</span> <span word="patrols">patrols</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Somali">Somali</span> <span word="coast">coast</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="credit">credit</span>.</p><p>“<span word="The">The</span> <span word="role">role</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="navies">navies</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="critical">critical</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="bringing">bringing</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="attacks">attacks</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="neither">neither</span> <span word="private">private</span> <span word="armed">armed</span> <span word="security">security</span> <span word="nor">nor</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ship">ship</span> <span word="owners">owners</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="do">do</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mother">mother</span> <span word="ships">ships</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="board">board</span> <span word="them">them</span>; <span word="remove">remove</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="weapons">weapons</span>; <span word="remove">remove</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="equipment">equipment</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="position">position</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="pose">pose</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="threat">threat</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="merchant">merchant</span> <span word="ships">ships</span>. <span word="There">There</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="incident">incident</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="navies">navies</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="action">action</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="logistics">logistics</span> <span word="base">base</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pirates">pirates</span>’ <span word="shore">shore</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Somalia">Somalia</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="beach">beach</span>,” <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p>
页:
[1]