It's troubling to see that Somali pirates have ramped up their attacks on vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden and throughout the Indian Ocean. Perhaps now the proper motivation—an American ship attacked and a U.S. citizen held captive (luckily freed on Sunday)—is in place for the United States to effectively deal with this crisis.
Previously, ship owners have said it's not possible to carry onboard weapons since insurance premiums would triple. Bean counters made the calculated choice that it would be cheaper to roll the dice and simply pay the ransom when the pirates came calling.
Now with a tense hostage situation playing out, countries and corporations around the world may need to rethink their position on Somali pirates.
Vanity Fair magazine has published a fascinating article by reporter William Langewiesche recounting last spring's Somali pirate hijacking of French luxury yacht Le Ponant. This is a long article but it offers some good background so we may place this week's hijackings in perspective. —Andrea M. Rotondo
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