U.S. military considers options to deal with Somali pirates

The Pentagon is looking at options, but there are no plans for U.S. forces to go ashore in pursuit of pirates in Somalia, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday. A French frigate, center, escorts ships off the coast of Djibouti to protect them from piracy last month. Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently asked the military to look at "what options and alternatives are available from a purely military perspective" to deal with piracy off the coast of Somalia, Capt. John Kirby told CNN. Pentagon officials are shying away from a direct endorsement of a proposal the United States is circulating at the U.N. Security Council that calls for countries to "take all necessary measures ashore in Somalia, including in its airspace," to counter piracy. However, Kirby said the Pentagon is not doing any current planning to launch attacks against pirates on land or in the air. "We are not looking at how to implement the resolution," Kirby said. Pirate attacks in the waters off Somalia have shot up this year, with pirates staging increasingly bolder attacks on ever-bigger targets. So far this year, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast and successfully hijacked nearly 40, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Freight and cargo ships, cruise liners and private yachts have all come under attack. In many hijackings, pirates take the crew and passengers hostage while they demand a ransom. more..http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/12/13/usmilitary.piracy/index.html
U.S. Military Tells Condi 'Not So Fast' on Launching Land Attacks on Somali Pirates
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,466364,00.html

Kenya FM Called for Global Coordination to Tackle GrowingPiracy Menace

Kenya's Foreign Minister called for a globally coordinated effort to tackle the growing menace of piracy off Somalia's lawless coast, as an international conference on the issue wrapped up in Nairobi on Thursday.Kenya Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula: "Anybody who has a contribution to make in the fight against piracy is welcome, as long as, and I emphasise what I've always said: coordination! Because if we are uncoordinated, we will not win this war."
The two-day conference, sponsored by the United Nations and hosted by the Kenyan government, brought together officials from more than 40 countries, as well as representatives from regional and international organisations.Moses Wetangula said regulating armed guards on board ships and establishing a common policy to discourage ransom payments, were two of the proposals suggested at the conference.
Kenya signs deal to try Somali pirate suspects

Britain and Kenya are reported to have signed a bilateral deal enabling Kenya to become the final port of call for captured Somali pirates. According to the UK’s Financial Times, the deal came about after Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula and UK’s security minister Lord West met on the sidelines of a piracy conference in Nairobi.The deal comes in the same week that the United States formally asked the United Nations for permission to pursue pirates on land in Somalia if necessary. Step forwardIt also follows the arrival of a European Union naval force, which began patrolling waters off Somalia under the British naval command. more..http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/501544/-/u0l38x/-/index.html
Somalia: Ethiopia Out, and the US In?http://agonist.org/alex_thurston/20081212/somalia_ethiopia_out_and_the_us_in

Africa: Another anti-terrorism front

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/12/africa/mali.php
U.S. Helps African States Fend Off Militants http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/13/world/africa/13mali.html?pagewanted=2&hp
Somali pirates must be stopped
http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/511254.htmlssengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/511254.html
Kenya, Mixed Views of U.S.' Somalia Invasion Talk
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/12/us-wants-to-hit.htmlom/defense/2008/12/us-wants-to-hit.html
Revive traditional justice: String up Somali pirates
http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/dec/13/revive_traditional_justice_string_up_som64947/
Somali pirates free Greek tanker: official
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/13/2445729.htm
Merchant captains decry 'route of terror'
http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.prnt_article?e=C&f=&t=01&m=A10&aa=2
Sink the pirates
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/archive/s_602717.html