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Combating "Maritime Terrorism" off the Coast of Somalia

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  • Anja Shortland
  • Marc Vothknecht

Abstract

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the international naval mission in the Gulf of Aden from 2008-2010, both in terms of its counter-piracy and its counter-terrorism objectives. We draw on arguments developed in the literature of law and economics, detailed statistical analyses and a large number of in depth interviews. Counter-piracy operations are a qualified success: their main effects are the stabilisation of attacks at a high level and the substitution between the relatively well protected transit corridor in the Gulf of Aden and the open sea. However, the counter-piracy measures appear to deter pirates from forming alliances with Islamist movements and may therefore make a major contribution to international security.

Suggested Citation

  • Anja Shortland & Marc Vothknecht, 2011. "Combating "Maritime Terrorism" off the Coast of Somalia," Economics of Security Working Paper Series 47, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diweos:diweos47
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    Cited by:

    1. Jennifer Murtazashvili & Ilia Murtazashvili, 2020. "Wealth-destroying states," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 182(3), pages 353-371, March.
    2. Andra Filote & Niklas Potrafke & Heinrich Ursprung, 2016. "Suicide attacks and religious cleavages," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 3-28, January.
    3. Alfredo Burlando & Anca D. Cristea & Logan M. Lee, 2015. "The Trade Consequences of Maritime Insecurity: Evidence from Somali Piracy," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 525-557, August.
    4. Olaf J. de Groot & Matthew D. Rablen & Anja Shortland, 2011. "Gov-aargh-nance - "even criminals need law and order"," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 11-01, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
    5. Bellais Renaud, 2013. "Fighting Piracy and International Public Goods: The Atalanta Experiment in the Horn of Africa V3," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(1), pages 73-101, April.
    6. Singh Currun & Bedi Arjun Singh, 2013. "Regional Dimensions of Somali Piracy and Militant Islamism: Anthropological and Econometric Evidence," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(3), pages 369-380, December.
    7. Christian Schubert & Leonhard K. Lades, 2014. "Fighting maritime piracy: three lessons from pompeius magnus," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(5), pages 481-497, October.
    8. Shortland Anja & Percy Sarah, 2013. "Governance, Naval Intervention and Piracy in Somalia," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(2), pages 275-283, August.
    9. Kenneth McDonagh, 2015. "‘Talking the Talk or Walking the Walk’: Understanding the EU's Security Identity," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 627-641, May.
    10. Elio Marchione & Shane D Johnson & Alan Wilson, 2014. "Modelling Maritime Piracy: A Spatial Approach," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 17(2), pages 1-9.
    11. Anja Shortland, 2010. "The Business of Piracy in Somalia," Weekly Report, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 6(23), pages 182-186.
    12. Olaf J. de Groot & Marc Vothknecht, 2011. "What Can Be Done to Reduce the Occurrence of Piracy in the Short and Long Run?," EUSECON Policy Briefing 2, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    13. Michael Brzoska & Raphael Bossong & Eric van Um, 2011. "Security Economics in the European Context: Implications of the EUSECON Project," Economics of Security Working Paper Series 58, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    14. Singh, C. & Bedi, A.S., 2012. "‘War on piracy’: the conflation of Somali piracy with terrorism in discourse, tactic and law," ISS Working Papers - General Series 543, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    15. Paul Hallwood & Thomas J. Miceli, 2013. "An Economic Analysis of Maritime Piracy and its Control," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 60(4), pages 343-359, September.
    16. Sara McLaughlin Mitchell & Cody J Schmidt, 2024. "Insecure fisheries: How illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing affects piracy," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 41(3), pages 313-338, May.
    17. Jablonski, Ryan S. & Oliver, Steven, 2013. "The political economy of plunder: economic opportunity and modern piracy," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 50451, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Piracy; Somalia; counter-terrorism; law and economics; deterrence; naval intervention;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • F19 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Other

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