Introduction to International Politics
Foreign Event Analysis
| Locale | ![[]](http://www.kvasaheim.com/flags/flag15-in.png "Flag of India") | India |
|---|---|---|
| Title |
India Sinks a Pirate ‘Mothership’
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| Summary |
An Indian Navy frigate sank a Somali pirate ‘mothership’ which was carrying pirates and weapons in the Gulf of Aden. Supposedly, the pirate ship threatened to blow up the Indian warship. After opening fire on the Indian ship, the pirate ship was sunk. One small boat was able to flee the scene. The number of pirate deaths is undetermined. This event is a continuation of the success of the Indian Navy against the Somali pirates. Before this encounter, they stopped the pirates from hijacking two merchant ships belonging to India and Saudi Arabia.
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| Analysis |
The Somali pirates have gotten so powerful that other states are treating this band of pirates as a state. Currently, the pirates still hold 17 ships that they have hijacked. The pirates have such great power because of the approximately 300 innocent crew members still onboard the ships. States cannot just simply blow up these pirates because it would also involve killing the crew members. States are also having trouble deterring future ship hijackings because of the large size of the Gulf of Aden. Many merchant ships are passing through the Gulf every day, and there is no way to protect every single one.
This band of pirates has destroyed the sense of security that ships in the Gulf of Aden once had. These actions are hurting the economies of many states. The owners of the hijacked ships are losing money by not being able to trade the goods onboard the ships. These actions may also be deterring some states from sending merchant ships through the Gulf of Aden. The Somali pirates are gaining economic power with each ship they hijack.
According to reports from New Zealand, the Somali pirates are heavily armed and have several grenade launchers. By having these weapons, they are easily able to take control of a merchant ship. In accordance with many instances in history, weaponry is a symbol of power. The first move that needs to be taken is to cut off their weapon supply and then deal with the weaponry that the Somali pirates already own.
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| Perspective |  | Realist |
| In-Region URL | ||
| Out-of-Region URL | ||
| Submitted | November 21, 2008 at 10:15 am | |
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