Summary: Off of the coast of Nigeria in the Gulf of Guinea, two American citizens were recently kidnapped by Nigerian pirates. The two men, who were the Captain and Engineer of the ship, were captured from the C Retriever, a ship owned and operated by Edison Chouest Offshore, which is based out of Louisiana. The two men are currently still being held hostage as search and rescue efforts by both the Nigerian, and American, governments continue in their efforts. A US Navy ship nearby monitored the entire situation and claims that the closest military ship was a Dutch Ship in the Gulf of Guinea. US forces were nearby conducting training exercises for 90 members of the USMC. Even though the two governments are both set on finding and rescuing the two men, there has been no official word on whether or not the two militaries are working together. The spokesman of the company that owns the ship refused any and all phone calls and emails sent in search of information. With piracy continuing to be an epidemic in African waters, the US government is continuing their efforts to work with African nations in order to maintain the problem of pirates in this area.
Analysis:
The reoccurring problem in these waters clearly seems to be a problem that needs looking in to. More of these acts are happening, and the issue needs to be addressed. The main goal behind these attacks is not to cause harm or chaos, they are for money. The poverty stricken regions of Africa such as Nigeria and Somalia seem to leave residence with no place else to turn for income, other than crime. These crimes effect more than just the people involved, these attacks call for very high political awareness from all governments involved. The US seems to be aware of the issue that is plaguing these area's and has taken notice. In a documentary on National Geographic, it was revealed that fleets of US ships have been strategically placed in areas of high trade such as the Gulf of Aden, which is located along Somalia's northern shore. These acts towards piracy are effective where they are placed, however in areas where they are not, the crime still continues.
Posted on October 25, 2013 at 4:43 pm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/pirates-kidnap-2-mariners-from-commercial-ship-off-nigeria-defense-official-says/2013/10/24/385509d0-3cb8-11e3-b0e7-716179a2c2c7_story.html
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