Japan considering sending warship to tackle pirates off Somalia

TOKYO — Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Thursday that the government is considering dispatching a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer to waters off Somalia to protect Japanese ships from increasing piracy activities.If realized, it would be the first such dispatch overseas on policing activities in the sea under the Self-Defense Forces Law.
A growing number of nations are sending navy ships to fight pirates near the lawless East African country, more http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/japan-considering-sending-warship-to-tackle-pirates-off-somalia

German warship thwarts hijack by Somali pirates
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Quick action by a German warship halted an attack on an Egyptian bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday by Somali pirates trying to hijack it, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said.
The rescue was a sign that the foreign navies patrolling the key shipping lane linking Europe and Asia were adopting more effective tactics against the surge in piracy in waters off Somalia this year, the Kuala Lumpur-based IMB said.
"Despite the increased naval presence, the attacks are still mounting," IMB official Noel Choong told Reuters. "They (the warships) can't be everywhere, but quick action today by the German warship helped and is very encouraging."
The rise in attacks on shipping prompted NATO ships to begin anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast in October, joined by other nations such as China and India.
The Egyptian bulk carrier, with 31 crew, was sailing to Asia when Somali pirates surrounded it, firing automatic weapens and wounding one crew member, said Choong, who did not have the name or port of origin of the ship.
"The German warship was the first to the scene, responding to the Egyptian ship's distress signals, and managed to chase away the Somali pirates with its helicopter," he said. more..http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KLR105225.htm

Backgrounder: International community's response to piracy off Somalia
http://www.undpi.org/World-News/Backgrounder-International-community-s-response-to-piracy-off-Somalia.html

German navy foils Somali pirates

The German navy says it has foiled an attempt by pirates to hijack an Egyptian cargo vessel off Somalia. Six Somali pirates were captured by sailors of the frigate Karlsruhe in the Gulf of Aden.
However, the pirates were immediately released on the orders of the German government, officials said. Separately, three Chinese naval ships were due to leave their home

MORE..http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7799796.stm
China sends warships to join patrols off Somalia
Reporting from Guangzhou, China -- Chinese warships headed toward Somalia on Friday to combat piracy, the first time Beijing has sent its navy on a mission that could involve fighting so far beyond territorial waters.The deployment to the Gulf of Aden, which has been plagued by increasingly bold pirate attacks, is a major step in the navy's evolution from mostly guarding China's coasts to patrolling far from home. MORE,,http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fg-china-pirates27-2008dec27,1,5048660.story