To stop pirates at sea: Address the lawlessness on shore in Somalia

After several anxious days watching a tense standoff at sea, Americans are overjoyed by the rescue of captain Richard Phillips and the crew of the Maersk Alabama. The bravery and resolve of Phillips and his crew are admirable, as are the resolute actions taken by the Navy SEALs and others responsible for the successful resolution to the hostage-taking.Now, though, we must step back and look at the bigger picture. Why has piracy, which until recently was more likely to appear in movies than on the news, increased off the coast of Africa over the past couple of years.In addition to the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama, there have been many other recent hijackings in the waters off what's known as the Horn of Africa on the continent's eastern coast. The increase in pirate attacks is a symptom of a much larger and more dangerous problem on shore: the absence of a functioning government in Somalia, which has made that country an ideal base for piracy operations and a fertile ground for terrorist organizations.Somalia isn't just home to pirates; it's also a safe haven for terrorists, including al-Shabaab, an organization with ties to al-Qaida. With so many threats emanating from Somalia, we can't afford to just treat the symptoms; we need to address the central problem. To do that, the United States must make stabilizing Somalia a top priority.

Without an effective central government, Somalia is in a desperate situation, made even worse by neighboring Ethiopia recently sending troops into that country. Many observers have labeled Somalia the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. According to a local human rights group, an estimated 16,000 people have been killed since the start of 2007, with more than 28,000 people wounded and more than 1 million displaced. USAID has estimated that 3.2 million people, about half of the population, are in need of emergency assistance, including hundreds of thousands of refugees in neighboring countries.

Given these grim conditions, it is not surprising - though still inexcusable - that some Somalis have turned to piracy or extremism. There is no known relationship between the pirates and terrorist groups like al-Shabaab yet, but they are both outgrowths of Somalia's instability, and they both threaten our security..more..http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/43060052.html