YAARGH!

Piracy is alive and well in the Middle East

And I don’t mean the intellectual property type.

No, no… I’m talking about the saber-rattling, rope-swinging, “aye, aye cap’n” kind.

Granted, the Barbary pirates were already an anachronism when they reigned over the Mediterrean in the 18th and 19th centuries. And while the U.S. Marine’s song commemorates them in the line, “the shores of Tripoli,” many would be surprised to learn that the Barbary legacy lives on throughout North Africa and the Gulf.

Here’s a quick rundown of the latest pirate news for all you land-lovers:

Sept 4: Swashbucklers hijack a French ship off the Somali coast. A few hours later, they manage to seize an Egyptian one as well. They are holding French captives from the first assault for a $1 million ransom.

Sept 4: The Yemeni government announces it will host a regional center to combat piracy in October. They are expecting more than 20 countries to cooperate.

Sept 2: Both the European Union and the United Nations announce plans to release additional patrolling ships to protect trade in the region.
Sept 2: Pirates off the Horn of Africa capture four ships and hold them for $9.2 million.

Aug 30: A Malaysian tanker loaded with "chemicals that could endanger the environment" is overtaken by pirates.

Aug 29: Somali buccaneers finally release a fishing ship and its crew after seven (!) months of captivity.

Aug 27: Four mateys took hold of a $40 million dollar yacht in the Mediterranean and seized $200,000 worth of booty.
Aug 25: Well blow me down! Jack Nicholson, Giorgio Armani and Sean 'Diddy' Combs have a close encounter of the sea dog kind while sailng in the Mediterranean.
Aug 24: A group of scallywags were foiled (ppheeew!) in an attempt to hijack a Japanese-operated ship and then a Liberian cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden.

Aug 9: 20 sailors set out on a remake of an ancient Phoenician vessel to retrace Herodotus’ historic circumnavigation of Africa. Their main concern in undertaking this year-long voyage? Pirates!

And the list goes on and on. France’s Foreign Ministry reports that an astounding 260 acts of piracy were recorded last year. 30 of these took place off the coast of Somalia alone.

Jokes aside, the flourishing of piracy is a testament to the weak rule of law that plagues the entire region. The success of pirating in the Arab world and Africa has serious implications for trade, economic development, security and even terrorism - thereby reinforcing the need for comprehensive change at the government and societal level.