| | |  | Terrorism | Home » » Somalia: The New Barbary?: Piracy and Islam in the Horn of Africa (Columbia/Hurst) | | | | | | | Description: | | Somali piracy is repeatedly associated with the historical specter of barbary. The world now fears Somalia has taken on its mantle by becoming a safe haven for terrorists wishing to wreak havoc on civilized societies. Western policy towards Somalia focuses on the country's poverty-stricken Islamic population, but are these efforts misdirected? Is an aggressive naval solution to the piracy problem adequate? Is the failure of the Somali state a useful explanation for piracy and will violent Islamism exploit modern piracy for its own ends? Martin Murphy, author of the definitive guide to modern maritime piracy and terrorism, employs his critically-acclaimed approach to review the history, motivation, organization, criminal methods, and operational tactics of Somali piracy, from its initial manifestation in the early-1990s to today. He links their activities and fortunes to the rise and fall of Somalia's political groups; explains how and why violent Islamists operate within Somalia; and outlines the extent to which they may exploit maritime dimensions in the future. He concludes with a consideration of the various political and military solutions being used to meet these challenges and whether they will resolve them effectively. (10/14/10) | | | Product Details: | | | Average Customer Rating:
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5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Somali piracy explainedMar 19, 2011
By Dennis L. Bryant
"Dennis Bryant - Maritime Consultant"
Martin Murphy speaks with authority as he explains the complex history of modern piracy as practiced by groups of mostly clan-based criminals in Somalia. He places the principal actors in their various roles with specificity, while using numerous footnotes to avoid losing the attention of the reader. He demystifies the relationships between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Al-Shabaab, Puntland, and Somaliland, as well as the parts played by the United Nations, the African Union, and the various naval forces now operating off the coast of Somalia in a futile effort to halt the continuing pirate attacks on merchant vessels. If there is any shortcoming in this masterful work, it is the minimal attention given to the numerous merchant vessels being held for ransom off the coast of Somalia and the hardships being experienced by the hundreds of merchant mariners being held hostage by the Somali pirates. Dennis L. Bryant, Bryant's Maritime Consulting.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Murphy's "...Piracy..." - a cogent analysisDec 07, 2011
By John Mittleman
Martin Murphy, who established his credentials with his authoritative work, "Small Boats, Weak States, Dirty Money", now sets the stage for compelling arguments with an historical tour de force that leaves no doubt as to the depth of research involved. That, however, is leg work. Murphy's contribution to analysis is in the latter chapters, where he assembles disconnected dimensions of piracy, as a business set in the context of collusion, corruption, and a vacuum of international resolve, to explain the rational logic of Somalian piracy's virulence and profitability. But what matters more is Murphy's contribution to the current debate: what to do? Piracy, in his sharp-elbowed concluding remarks, draws the web closed around the rightful roles of the world's great navies; those have as much to do with political and strategic influence to promote governance, ashore and at sea, as with fighting each other in blue-water battles.
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