DW: EU, NATO Helpless Against Piracy as Hijacks Become More Daring

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EU, NATO Helpless Against Piracy as Hijacks Become More Daring

Efforts by the European Union and NATO to fight pirates off the coast of Somalia have proven futile. With a limited mandate, their ships cannot keep armed bandits from seizing merchant vessels and taking hostages. Pirates off the coast of Somalia captured another ship on Wednesday, Nov. 19. It is the third vessel since the spectacular hijacking of the Saudi supertanker "Sirius Star" last weekend. Although NATO, European and US vessels are stationed in the region, they are helpless in effectively battling the increasing problem of piracy -- though single operations are sometimes successful.

Note EU-Digest: the EU and Nato should follow the recent action of the Indian Navy by destroying pirate crafts or even doing a special combat mission to the area and clean out the pirates stronghold. The Sudan Government is too weak to do it themselves. Right now it seems the naval forces of Russia, the EU and the US are being held ransom by rag-tag pirates - this is ridiculous to say the least