NATO to Join Anti-Piracy Fight Near Somalia
By VOA News
09 October 2008
NATO defense ministers have agreed to send seven military ships to waters off the coast of Somalia to help combat the growing threat of pirates.
A NATO spokesman says the ministers agreed at a meeting in Hungary Thursday to dispatch the military ships to the region within weeks. He said the vessels will help escort United Nations World Food Program aid shipments and help patrol the largely lawless waters.
The spokesman says NATO will coordinate closely with other organizations, including the European Union, to address the piracy problem.
Pirates have attacked more than 60 ships off the coast of Somalia this year and are currently holding several vessels and their crews hostage.
Officials Thursday said Somali pirates freed a Japanese-owned tanker, the MT Irene, that was seized nearly two months ago, and released all 19 crewmen - including 15 Philippine nationals.
The MT Irene was hijacked on August 21 off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden. Philippine officials say the crewmen appear to be "safe and sound," despite their ordeal. They are now on their way to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
Somalia does not have an effective central government to combat piracy. An international maritime coalition has been patrolling the area, but is largely ineffective.
One of the ships being held is a Ukrainian-operated vessel seized two weeks ago as it was bound for Kenya. The tanker is carrying 33 Soviet-era T-72 tanks and other heavy weapons. The pirates have demanded a $20 million ransom for release of the MV Faina and its 20 crew members.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
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