Pirates in the Gulf of Aden

In several articles that I've seen lately have mentioned the recent increase in pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden region. According to CNN.com five attacks were repelled Tuesday alone. A question that comes to me is how many were not repelled on Tuesday? The CNN article states that there have been at least 60 attacks this year. However, that is just the number of reported attacks. In an article on Forbes.com pirates have captured a Ukrainian ship with a cargo of Russian tanks and other weapons. They are now holding the ship ransom for $35 million.

Since the end of the Cold War many have felt that the need for a large military force is unnecessary. Because of this our Navy has been reduced to a very small number. With less military naval ships of both the US and the former USSR piracy has been on the incline. To me there is need of a solution. Because of piracy insurance for these big cargo ships has gone up between $900 to $9,000.

One solution, and I think it is a good idea, is that of private military contractors. Blackwater Worldwide has announced that they will begin to offer a service to protect ships as they go through the Gulf of Aden. I think that this is a good idea however, there is a chance that if it goes unchecked the solution could become a problem.