Vacant Chapter 14 Home

â€Å"Margie's been coming by every night to make sure I have food or whatever. We would talk for a little while.† Emily stops and looks toward the door. â€Å"I'm guessing she hasn't shown up tonight because she saw the car out front.† I yawn, but not because I'm bored. I could listen to Emily talk forever about the six days I missed out on. I'm exhausted though and the days I went without restful sleep are showing. â€Å"You are so tired, Ethan. We can do this tomorrow.† Her hand slides down my face as a warm smile takes over her features. I stand to head toward the bedroom, and she turns to make her bed on the couch. â€Å"Emily?† I question her. â€Å"I was hoping we could go to bed.† The, â€Å"well, duh,† look she gives me, and then returns to making her bed tells me she's not understanding my meaning. â€Å"No, ummm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Why am I so nervous to say this? I roll my eyes at myself. â€Å"Like, together,† I say as I step to the doorway of the bedroom, â€Å"in here.† Her eyes get huge, owl huge, and I realize my mistake. â€Å"No! Not like that. I just†¦.† I have messed up so much; I want to get something right, so I pause and collect my thoughts. â€Å"No more sleeping on the couch, Emily. We're adults who love each other. I don't want to be apart anymore. Come to bed with me and sleep. Nothing else.† I want her to understand that I'm not pushing. I want her close, but I don't want her to be uncomfortable. This is a monumental step forward for us. â€Å"You, me, pajamas, and sleeping†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I decide that perhaps a little lighthearted humor won't hurt. â€Å"And maybe a little more of the kissing.† I will behave. I put on full length pajama pants – over my boxers – and t-shirt. I get under the sheet, lie flat on my back and cross my hands over my stomach. I wait. Patiently? No. Emily enters the bedroom from the bathroom, and I can tell she's nervous. I'm not sure if her anxiety is because of the prospect of sleeping with me or that she is wearing a tank and panty set I'm pretty sure was intended for a toddler and not a full grown woman. I can see her nipples. And her†¦I'm definitely in trouble. Do I tell her? I have no idea what the protocol is for divulging sexual history to a prospective mate. Mate? I roll my eyes at myself again as images of Emily and me wrapped in fur coverings shoot through my mind. I'm running around with a spear shouting, â€Å"Me man, you woman.† It's totally ridiculous that I've reverted to a prehistoric mindset. If I were a caveman, I'd have an easier time with the subject at hand. I'd just grab Emily and shove my penis in her vagina with nothing more than grunts. Being without conversational language skills has its advantages; there's no way to explain everything. My thoughts have veered off course, and I need to focus on the woman crawling up the bed like a cat hunting a mouse. Even though I haven't admitted it to myself, this is one of the reasons I'm so afraid of this thing with Emily. Sex and the topic of sex have always been off the table with her. We have never discussed previous experiences. I'd always assumed Emily was a virgin, but maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part since she came to me at a young age. I'm not naive enough to think that teenage girls aren't having sex. I just didn't want Emily to be one of them. Being nervous about Emily's sexual experience, or lack thereof, isn't my only reason for pause. I don't know whether or not I should divulge my history. Part of me thinks it plays a huge part in things, while the other part of me says it doesn't matter. I'm torn and don't know which is right. I know honesty is the best policy, but will it do more harm than good in this case? â€Å"Ethan?† I look up and see those expressive eyes. She needs my comfort and acceptance. Even though I made it clear we are only sleeping tonight, it seems like she is still trying to persuade me to do more. How else would you explain the tiny underwear and feline-like movements? If I don't stop this dead in its tracks now, I know I won't. Things will go too far too fast. I open my arms in invitation, hoping she gets the message without hurt feelings. â€Å"Just lay down with me.† Why is she giggling? The haze from sleep is slowly lifting, and the morning sun shines through the window. I want to recap the events of last night before I open my eyes and look at the most important person in my life. â€Å"Ethan?† Emily whispers. â€Å"Hmmm,† I answer to let her know I'm awake. Her hand is on my stomach, under my shirt, where she strokes the hair just above my belly button. â€Å"Can I touch it?† Emily breathes in a hushed tone. My eyebrows furrow with my eyes still closed. â€Å"Touch what?† Another giggle. Emily's hand slides down a little further, and a finger dips inside the waist of my pajamas. Whoa! I grab her wrist to still her movement, but she tugs away. â€Å"I want this, Ethan. I want this with you. Please don't make me beg you.† The last thing I want is for Emily to connect negative feelings to sex with me, but I never came to a resolution last night. I am not sure how much to tell her, but I don't think dwelling on it any longer will help me decide. I'm going to have to throw a bone and see her response. â€Å"We need to talk, Emily.† â€Å"Later.† It's a bold statement on her part, but I can't deny her as her hand moves under my waistband. I'm ashamed to say that I've denied her touch for too long, and I don't want to wait for another second. Her lips move to mine, my mouth automatically opening. I want nothing more than to swallow her whole but settle for the caress of her tongue on mine. Her fingers play under my pants, flirting with the idea of moving lower. My hands have been flat against the mattress until now, but I can't stop their journey to her arms, then back. Knowing she is touching me intimately gives me the courage to do the same. My hand floats to the crest of her ass, gliding across her flesh. She moans, giving me the courage to extend my caress to her bare flesh beneath her panties. My touch is tentative because I want to get this right. â€Å"Yes,† comes her strangled plea. We continue kissing with nips and tugs of lips and teeth; my hand moves to the top of her thigh, then down to the dip where her ass meets her legs. She pushes toward me, her pussy opening to meet my waiting hand. I don't have to search far before encountering slick skin, eager for my attention. Her breath stutters as my fingers begin to move, stroking her. Her hand moves to touch me, her thumb rubbing my head, spreading the pre-cum. Her touch feels so good that I move my mouth away from hers, fearful I'll bite her. Instead, my teeth graze her jaw then continue to move lower. My mouth waters at the thought of tasting more of her. I've imagined what her nipples look like – taste like. I want to know that my fantasies don't compare, even a small portion, to the reality. But this is not a fantasy. This is someone I care about, dream about, someone who matters and this has to be right. I pull her tank down, exposing her breasts. My mouth immediately latches on, suckling and lapping at the darkened peak. My fingers massage while my tongue caresses, and in only a few seconds, Emily is panting and writhing. Her head falls to my chest as she stiffens in my arms. I've never felt so satisfied, despite not having my own release. But it doesn't matter, because I know that this is only the beginning. This is the first of many gifts I hope to give her. After I make her get dressed completely, we sit at the kitchen table for a much needed discussion. â€Å"So, you've never†¦.?† I start. â€Å"No.† While I'm deliriously happy Emily is a virgin, I also know the pain associated with the first time for a woman, and I'm not looking forward to inflicting that. I want to give her pleasure, not pain. â€Å"What about you?† Emily asks followed by a big gush of air. â€Å"Never mind; that's a stupid question. Of course you have. I mean, look at you.† I open my mouth to answer her, but she doesn't let me. â€Å"No, tell me. I want to know. How many?† And there lies the crux of my problem. I'm afraid to tell her, because if she knows, will she still trust me with her most precious gift?

Holden’s Passive and Unwillingness Essay

Holden is the protagonist in the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1945). Holden is a character who tries to seek for dignity, but he has some flaws holding him back. Holden is passive and unwilling to examine himself and seek his own dignity. Three reasons for his tragic flaw are: his craziness, his immaturity, and his phoniness and madman stuff. The first reason for Holden’s flaw is his craziness. He acts this way because he is not normal like others. Something that he repeats constantly throughout the novel is, â€Å"He is the biggest phony.† This quote shows how Holden thinks and acts towards others. Holden acts this way because who falls in love too quickly with Jane and Sally. He also thinks this way because Jane and Sally equal perfection and he isn’t perfect like them or anybody else. Finally his thoughts are what can he do to be perfect like everyone else because he seems to be the only that is crazy. Therefore, Holden acts and thinks differently from everyone else because he is insane. The second reason for Holden’s flaw is his immaturity. He acts this way because Holden is always alone and have no family to support him except his younger sister, Phoebe. Something that is repeated constantly throughout the novel is, â€Å"Jane keeping her kings in the back row.† This symbol shows that Holden cannot separate the past from the present time. Holden thinks this way because he was always necking with Jane when they were young. He also thinks this way because of his immaturity of always wanting to have sex and always wanting to be a kid instead of growing up to is an adult. Finally his thoughts always want to be with Jane, but because of his immaturity Jane doesn’t choose him. Therefore, Holden acts immature towards others because he has been expelled from four different schools and no one is there to teach him his manners and to discipline him. The third reason for Holden’s flaw is his phoniness and his madman stuff. He acts this way because he doesn’t want to get help. Something that Holden repeats constantly in the novel is, â€Å"I’m a madman.† This quote shows that he has some personal issues going on with him, but he doesn’t want to get help. He thinks this way because his other lover, Jane is going out with others, but not him because he is a jealous person. He also thinks like this because it shows his low-self esteem and his view towards women. Finally his thoughts are I’m a madman because he is inexperienced with women. Therefore, Holden is a madman because of his jealousy toward women and never did have a real relationship with any women before. In conclusion, Holden is passive and unwilling to examine himself and seek his own dignity. Three reasons for his tragic flaws are that he is crazy, he is immature, and his phoniness and his madman things. Holden acts crazy because he is not normal like others and isn’t perfect at everything. He acts immature because no one is there to teach him his manners and no one is there to also teach him his respect and manners. Holden also acts like a madman because he is jealous of Jane and Sally. He also acts like this because he doesn’t like the private schools that he goes to. Therefore, I think that Holden needs to go get some serious help to become a good and a better person.

Biography on a Classmate

He currently goes to Hicks High School, where his mother graduated from. His dad, however, did not go to Hicks, but instead went to a high school in Georgia. Besides his dad, his other family members have went and graduated from Hicks. He enjoys going to school at Hicks. He likes going to learn about new things from all of his teachers. While talking to some of his classmates about him, I have learned a few things. Some say that he a very quiet guy and that he should work as a security guard for Abercrombie amp; Finch. Others say he is a good friend and funny once you get him to talk to you. Joycelyn, however, said, â€Å"Jody is very quiet in class, but outside of school when he does talk he is very funny. He also never gives anyone any trouble, and is a very easy guy to get along with. Unlike most of the guys that out there. † So if you know him out of school, then you would say that Jody is a good guy to talk too, but in school he won’t talk to you very much. He likes to play sports at his school. Jody plays baseball and runs cross country. They are the two favorite sports that he likes to play. He likes to run cross country, so that by the time it gets to baseball season he will be in shape. He also likes to run cross country because it helps get some frustration and anger out of his system. The sport that he loves the most is and will always be baseball. Ever since he was able to pick up a baseball he has played. Throughout the years and with the guidance of his cousin Aaron, saying â€Å"he would never be as good of a baseball player as he was,† must have paid off. He and his team won the Class C State Championship for the thirteenth time in 2011. Whenever he and his team won the thirteenth Class C State Championship, they experienced the best feeling that they could have ever felt in life so far. The baseball team was pretty excited about playing in the championship game again, since the last time they played the got beat out in the semifinals. Early that morning some of the cheerleaders went and set up signs along highway 28, while the baseball team ate their game-day breakfast. These were signs wishing the boys good luck and to bring home the thirteenth title for our school. When they saw what the cheerleaders had done, they told us thank you and that it made them want the championship more than ever. On the way there, they got themselves pumped and ready to play some ball. Whenever the game started, some of the cheerleaders and fans were already pumped up and cheering them on. It must have help because in the first few innings they got a big lead against Family Christian Academy. Then they started to relax and act like they had the game in the bag already. Most teams would have given up if they were in Family Christians situation. Family Christian, however, wasn’t giving up that easily. Instead, they stayed calm and fought back. Top of the ninth, Hicks was still ahead. One of our guys on the field messed up and they scored one or two runs. That gave Family Christian some faith and energy to score more runs. Two outs this would be Family Christians last batter if Hicks could get the last out. With one of their better hitters up, he swung and missed. †Strike one,† says the umpire. Our pitcher takes a few breaths, and pitches again. â€Å"Ball one,† says the umpire. The count being 1-1, Coach Gary had to make a decision. Try to get the batter to chase after something, or to let our pitcher pitch his game and pitch another strike. â€Å"Ball two,† says the umpire, now they had no decision on whether or not to pitch a strike or ball. Here comes the pitch, swung and hit to third baseman, Ty Helton. With the game on the line, Ty fielded it without any bobbles and threw to toward first baseman, Ty Williams. Ty Williams barely could think straight, knowing that if he dropped this ball and they lost the game, his teammates and coach would be upset with him. Ty ended up catching the ball and getting the last out, to end the game 10-9. As a fan of that game, I would have loved to get a picture of all the players faces after getting the last out and being astonished that they had won the thirteenth state title for their school in Class C. Like always, at the end of the game Hicks did a dog pile in the middle of the field. The joy and astonishment that was in those players will never be forgotten by them. Last year, however, they didn’t do too well. They ended up losing out second round playoffs against Converse, 3-2. This year coming up should be an awesome year for them, and they should go far. Besides going to school and playing baseball, he likes to hunt, go four-wheeler riding, hang out with his friends, play video games and also spending time with his family. Over the summers Jody and his family have traveled to all of the states, except for Hawaii and Alaska. He hopes to one day be able to explore the other two states and see how much different their way of living and how their cultures and beliefs are different from the southern states. While he was growing up he loved spending time with his grandpa. I have never heard of anyone that reminds me of him. The reason why is because his grandpa has owned more than 50 trucks at most since he was born. I would definitely think that out of all of his family members his favorite three family members would be his mom, grandpa, and his cousin Keith. The reason I would say this is because Keith played in the National Football League and of course his mom because she has always been there for him. As for his other family members, he does appreciate having them and loves them very much. When he’s around them though, his true personality comes out. He goes from being shy and not talking very much, to him being very sociable and acting like he enjoys them being there for him and having them as company. Once he warms up to the strangers and starts to get to know them a little better he won’t be as shy. His future plans are to graduate from high school, but basically to live life every day to the fullest because you never know when you last day may come. After graduating from high school, he doesn’t know what he wants to do as far as the type of job that he may want or that he may be good at. He also plans to live in Hicks, Louisiana near his parents live. He hopes that one day he may get his dream car, which is a Roadrunner, with the money from whatever job he may get. Whatever other plans he may discover or think of after high school will enable him to obtain and succeed. If Jody would apply himself to things more in school or in life, like he does in baseball he will be able to succeed in the job area or profession that would suit him well and also allow him to make him a good bit of money.

The importance of implementing a Enterprise Resource Planning System Research Proposal

The importance of implementing a Enterprise Resource Planning System - Research Proposal Example The age of competition and globalization has necessitated the need for organizations to show flexibility in their attitude as the business climate is considered to be highly turbulent which requires constant changes in the business model of an organization. ERP packages help in providing solutions in manufacturing, supply chain, Customer Relationship Management and E-commerce. The popularity of ERP packages could be gauged from the fact that even public sector organizations have started implementing ERP solutions in their business processes (Nah, 2002, p.1). The figure above shows the integration of various business processes using ERP. ERP packages help in integrating the various functions or business processes of an organization. This helps organizations in aligning their business processes which helps in maximizing the efficiency of an organization. The enterprise mode considers an organization as a single system in which all its departments are its sub-systems. This helps every department to keep a track on what is happening in other departments. ERP focuses on three major aspects namely, relevancy, accuracy and timeliness. ERP packages attempt to authenticate that the information served is accurate and relevant for the decision making body of the organization. It also ensures that proper timing is maintained so that decision making is not delayed. Organizations implementing ERP in their business processes have ability to provide accurate and timely information to its customers or employees (Leon, 2007 p.5-8). Organizations like Wal -Mart have implemented ERP packages in supply chain management which has helped it to gain sustainable competitive advantage. ERP has helped Wal-Mart to access real time information of the stock of its products which in turn ensures that the shelves of its stores never run out of stock for a particular item or goods. ERP packages have also been implemented in the field of Human Resource

The Olympic Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Olympic Games - Essay Example However, there was not enough positive response from the delegates. That was actually devised for the study of amateur sports, he again voiced his view on the revival of the Olympic Games and was delighted when the other countries participating in the Congress agreed with him. Following this consensus, delegates decided to have Coubertin construct a committee, comprising members of various countries, to conduct the first Modern Olympics in Athens, Greece. That committee headed by Demetrious Vikelas from Greece oversaw the preparations for the games and that committee only became the later day and now functioning International Olympic Committee. So, Pierre de Coubertin is widely-acknowledged as the originator of the modern Olympic Games, along with Demetrios Vikelas. The three Latin words of Citius, Altius, and Fortius became the Olympic motto, with Coubertin himself proposing after having borrowed it from his friend Henri Didon, a Dominican priest who taught the sport to students. Th e games started at the Athens’ Panathenaic Stadium in a celebratory mood on 6th April 1896 and concluded on 15th April. â€Å"The modem games were inaugurated in style, with the ritual and fanfare that Coubertin felt was essential to their social purpose.† Competitors came from 14 nations, with around 245 athletes, all of whom were male. From those beginnings, the games continued to take place with increasing number of countries and athletes every four years, with the exception of the years during the World Wars.

EPR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

EPR - Essay Example The uniqueness of an ERP is that it can be implemented into large and small sized organizations alike. ERPs are divided into different modules like procurement, sales, marketing, etc. which makes it possible for an organization to implement only those modules that are descriptive of their business. Some of the widely known applications available off-the-shelf are my SAP by SAP, PeopleSoft by Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics by Microsoft and Sage ERP by Sage Group. Due to the popularity of 'free' technologies (paid by through advertisements), several open source ERP software are also available. ERPs have gained enormous popularity in the business world and are considered as a 'dream come true'. Thus by looking at the advantages it can be found out whether it is a good dream or not. (TechFaq, 2008) (Swartz and Orgill, 2001) A seller of cartons of steel nails gets an order through the customer service representative who forwards the request on the ERP system to the production department after checking all necessary customer information through the same ERP system. Procurement, Production and all other concerned departments see the same information and update it as its get completed. A route is created where the information is automatically sent to relevant departments who track it down till its completion and its sales to the customer through the Customer Relationship Management systems. The customer gets the carton of nails faster and with fewer errors while the company gets lower cost and tracking facility. Reality Check Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) appears to be a 'dream come true'. These commercial software packages promise the seamless integration of all the information flowing through a company. Mostly companies implement ERPs to try to integrate the financial and customer order information, standardize and improve organizational processes, reduce inventory and standardize HR information (Koch, 2008). However hidden costs such as training,

Compare and contrast WHY WE CAN'T WAIT to IF YOU WERE ONLY WHITE Essay

Compare and contrast WHY WE CAN'T WAIT to IF YOU WERE ONLY WHITE - Essay Example Why We Cant Wait primarily highlights the concerns of Martin Luther King Jr. for the black community in the United States; African Americans. The ultimate issue is the integration of the black community in the American society in terms of having their rights and freedoms observed. The year 1963 marked a critical time for the concerns spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. Specifically, Emancipation Proclamation was meant to mark a new beginning in accounting for equality between the whites and the blacks (Weatherford 81). The proclamation was meant to bring to an end years and years of slavery and segregation of African Americans. On the other hand, If You Were Only White highlights the experiences of a baseball player by the name Satchel Paige. Paige was an African American who had become a successful baseball player, climbing up the game ladder to outperform both white and black baseball players (Partridge 294). He too, just like the rest of the black community, suffered the impacts of segregation. Amid this, he stood out for what he believed was right and good for the society. His fame and performance along his career line had broken racial ties in the United States between 1920s and 1980s. While Martin Luther King Jr. and his associates pushed for Emancipation Proclamation, Satchel Paige was using his baseball career to try and unite the American people beyond racial limits. King felt that the freedom of the black community had been delayed for a hundred years if not more (Weatherford 137). As a result, he fought for the freedom of African Americans and advocated for equality in the society. Even with emancipation, the facts of the matter were yet to be operationalized in Birmingham and beyond. This aspect provides the reason why the blacks felt they could not wait any longer. For Satchel Paige, his influence in the American society has caught the attention of both whites and blacks. The context of the arguments made in If You Were Only White refers to a

Critical Film Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Film Analysis - Research Paper Example Therefore, reading the human mind is like going through a sea of feelings, emotions, behaviors and life styles developed at different point of time and age. Further, this correlates with the study of human behaviorism. As B. F. Skinner argues in his ‘Theory of Behaviorism’, human behaviors as demonstrated under different situations and circumstances, provide various learning perspectives for the individual in his developing years. These behaviors are shaped and developed while reflected by both internal and external environments of the individual eventually contributing to his cognitive development. This paper briefly addresses the various behavior patterns of the human mind as evolved with age and time. It mainly highlights a brief evaluation of the Freudian Psychology as well as the theory of behaviorism developed by Skinner while illustrating the behavior patterns and conflicting roles and life styles along with the character portrayal of Mickey from the movie Basketb all Diaries. Released in 1995 and directed by Scott Kalvert, the film is an American drama based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Jim Carroll, the high school basketball player who fell into the harrowing world of drug addiction to the extent of prostituting himself in order to afford his habit. The film portrays his early rise as the all-star basketball player, who loses himself in the dark world of drug addiction and eventually comes back as a survivor. Coming back to the notion of psychoanalysis, the predominant psychoanalytic theories can be grouped into several theoretical schools including Skinner and Carl Rogers. The most important psychological theory is the one developed by Freud. It adopts a systematic approach to address different developmental stages of the human mind. Psychoanalysis: Theories and issues With regard to describing the developmental phases of the human mind, Freud’s name comes to the forefront for his remarkable contribution to the s tudy of psychoanalysis. The Freudian psychoanalytic theory is primarily concerned with the psychological functioning and behavior patterns of the human mind. Freudian psychoanalysis discusses how the human mind develops, behaves and verbalizes thoughts including free associations, fantasies and dreams. Freud is more specifically concerned about analyzing the behavioral abnormalities of ‘confused’ and ‘lost’ adults. While explaining the behavioral patterns of abnormal adults, Freudian theory explores the connection between association of ideas and dreams. Freud’s psychoanalysis includes a wide range of themes and notions such as the following: ? Unconscious, repression and defense mechanisms ? Trauma, fixation, regression, sublimation ? Projection, ambivalence, identification ? Transference and the compulsion to repeat ? Psychosexual stages of development Skinner’s theory on behaviorism also focuses on the functioning of the human mind. Especia lly, his theory of radical behaviorism discusses behavior as a function of environmental histories of reinforcing consequences. External environment has a strong impact on the shaping of human behavior. In this context, Skinner offers operant conditioning dealing with behavior modification the two core tools of which being ‘reinforcement’ and ‘punishment’. The character of Mickey in Basketball Diaries is a perfect

Qualifying Exam Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Qualifying Exam Practice - Essay Example Recently, some certain theorists made focus upon the vast stands of the opposing paradigms in the ultimate pursuance of theoretical clarity in this matter of voter legislation. Nonetheless, it now appears as if it is a renewed matter in integrating and infusing social theories towards a more known and balanced paradigm (Bell, 1992). The article of voter legislation woes, does review some of these considerations that should be highlighted by the parliament, and hence encourage further inquiry and progression into the social theory models, especially as they link to the conflict in question, and its resolution application both locally and internationally. Moreover, certain key concepts would be proposed as a continuous step toward attaining this objective in the United States of America. The initial step relates to a theoretical widening of C. Wright’s concept of sociological imagination. The second step is postulated by George Ritzer’s interest in meta-theories and it ex plains the infusion of ideas from his Major levels of social analysis model. The last one concerns the exploration of new dimensions and entails the dynamics of the social cubism model by Sean (Bew, 1990). With the fall of communism and the Cold war geo[[political order, three interlinked tendencies surface namely, the growing disempowerment of ideologies based on modern rationality, the formation of a new transnational order with an integrated financial mechanism, standards and measures of production and consumption, and the relative fall of the centralized nation state, and modern territorial sovereignty. When viewed critically, all these had an effect on the current voter identification legislation issue of the United States of America. The rise of ethno political conflicts can be shaped by both indigenous aspects and global limitations. Levels of communal linkages shape such conflicts. For ethno political conflicts, both the relations and the international system that occur amon g the nations states must be taken into consideration. In the international system, the circulation of capital, ideologies, and the use of certain crucial powers affect the rise of conflict between and within states (Bell, 1992). The importance of micro-national problems state that structures brought ethno political conflict leading to micro and macro tensions and issues of stalemates. The state can be considered to be losing some aspects of its original power of a self-identity by itself, which is a common, and a self-governing legitimacy. Social and class identities, can be replaced in some scenarios with ethnic, religious, and affiliations having territorial origin. Moreover, the new identities try to portray self-determination, appreciate group definitions and norms, and bring about ethno territorial mobilization, ethno political issues, fragmenting of the state, and not forgetting regionalism around the globe. Globalization works to enforce these local certainties and relations hips in response to the economic identity created by the world markets in the transnational order (Bew, 1992). Nowadays, research on ethno territorial politics typically examines politics, and not forgetting economic structures, so as to emphasize the competing interests of groups, or tend to utilize a psychoanalytic method to emphasize the aspect of both cultural and psychological

The Virgin of Guadalupe Essay Example for Free

The Virgin of Guadalupe Essay It was clear to me that the Virgin of Guadalupe is a powerful cultural symbol of Mexican identity and nationhood. In colonial times the Virgin of Guadalupe was interpreted as a native, loving and forgiving mother, the intercessor to God the Father and his son, Jesus Christ. Today Guadalupe has been reinterpreted as an empowering symbol of liberation and action rather than as female passivity. In contemporary society the populist appeal of the image cuts across all sectors of Mexican life, and her image is displayed not only in churches, but can also be seen in taxis, buses, on tee-shirts, amulets and as tattoos. Chicano and other Latino societies helped establish the Virgin of Guadalupe as an archetypal emblem of mestizaje. Criollos interpreted Marys appearance that Mexico was a favored city. From reading I learned that the origin of the importance of the Virgin of Guadalupe can be traced back to the religious beliefs and ceremonies that animated the daily lives of pre-Hispanic people from birth to death. Even though the Spanish conquest imposed Christianity and colonialism on the original populations, the Catholic Church allowedsome say even encouragedthe association between specific locations and Aztec deities as a means to effect an easier transition from native religions to Christianity, resulting in the introduction of localized patron saints. Worship of the Virgin Mary was encouraged through a variety of manifestations, such as the Virgin of Remedios and the Immaculate Conception. After the conquest, the church destroyed shrines to indigenous gods and goddesses, and tried to stamp out the cult of Tonantzin, an Aztec virgin deity. Since manifestations of the Virgin had encouraged the conquistadors, many images of the Virgin Mary had made their way to the New World. Indians, mestizos, and criollos lent new meanings to the cult of the Virgin Mary. The devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe is a syncretic manifestation of Catholic and Aztec beliefs. The Virgin of Guadalupe continued to play an increasingly important role in the development of Mexican national identity. The criollos interpreted her appearance as a legitimization of their national aspirations and propagated the cult as part of a plan to build New Spain in Mexico. The campaign to legitimize the Virgin of Guadalupe began in 1648 with Miguel Sanchezs book which argued that Guadalupe was authentically American, emphasizing her appearance to a poor, humble native and stressing the Virgins use of Nahuatl to address Juan Diego. Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz wrote one known sonnet to the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1680, published in 1729, which retells the story of the apparition and reinforces Marys function as protectress of the Americas in her role as la Rosa Mejicana. A symbol of popular religiosity and a feminine metaphor in the comprehension of the divine, The Virgin of Guadalupe continues to convey a paradoxical message that can be manipulated for political purposes.

Preventing Piracy and Terrorism in Shipping Industry

Preventing Piracy and Terrorism in Shipping Industry Can the shipping industry overcome the challenges it faces with Piracy and Terrorism? Although many think that pirates went out of circulation with sailed ships and swords, piracy is becoming an increasingly serious global problem. These range from small thefts to complex hijacks, and while taking place globally, tend to be concentrated in a few geographically restricted shipping channels. The breadth and complexity of the piracy problem makes it almost impossible to address in simple terms. The first factor is the enormous scope of the shipping industry. An estimated 90% of world trade moves by sea, in over 50,000ships each supposedly governed by the laws of the nation whose flag it bears (Crawford 2004). There is no one place for information concerning piracy, nor any distinct entity to police the oceans. To further complicate the matter, piracy-type acts are now also committed by terrorists, either for political results or as a way to fund their operations. This research first undertakes a review of available literature on the piracy issue, including types and motives of piracy attacks, ahistorical and current summary of pirate activity, and a consideration of terrorist attacks on shipping concerns. Two particularly volatile areas of pirate activity are then reviewed, the Malacca Straights in Southeast Asia, and the waters off the coast of Nigeria, Africa. Combining best practise findings from the literature reviewed with these case studies then provides a foundation for recommendations on how the piracy issue can best be addressed, by individual shipping concerns, individual countries, and the international community. Countermeasures will be weighed and analysed on the basis of feasibility. Of particular focus in this research is addressing some of the underlying factors contributing to the rise in piracy, in addition to defensive and offensive measures. These are typically overlooked in studies of effective countermeasures to the maritime piracy / terrorist problem. It is anticipated that this research will reveal the need to address this complex issue holistically and internationally, with greater unity and coordination than currently exists in the maritime community. Hypothesis This study considers piracy as a result of other underlying issues, and considers countermeasures from a prevention rather than combative perspective, although all types of piracy countermeasures are addressed. Specifically, it is anticipated piracy will be found to be heavily influenced by economic, political, and ideological factors. Its further anticipated that a truly effective response to the growing piracy problem in international shipping will include measures to combat the causes of increased piracy, in addition to the pirates ’actions. Literature Review Piracy Defined One of the initial difficult factors in a study of piracy is the wide range of definitions. What constitutes piracy, what constitutes robbery, and what constitutes terrorism? National and international organisations disagree on the parameters of piracy, as opposed to thievery or terrorist activity, and all agree the lines between are blurring more and more (Langeweische 2003). The International Maritime Bureau (IMB), an organisation of the International Chamber of Commerce, has some responsibility for piracy and legal considerations on the high seas (that is, areas of the ocean not controlled by a particular country, typically more than twelve miles from the country’s coast)(Hawkes 2001). Therefore, where the attack occurred in relation to the coast is of high importance. This is reinforced by the United Nations ‘Law of the Sea, which has been ratified by almost every nation except the United States (Hawkes 2001). The IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, however, defines piracy as â€Å"any act of boarding an vessel with the intent to commit theft or any other crime and with the intent or capability to use force in the furtherance of that act† ((Liss 2003, 55). While only attacks that take place on the high seas are registered with the PRC, they continue to maintain a broader definition of piracy (Chalk 1998). Forth purpose of this research, attacks against shipping vessels at port, in national waters, and on the high seas will be considered piracy if committed with a primarily economic motive. Acts committed from apolitical or ideological motive will be considered terrorist activities. Most recently, an organisation called the Comate Maritime International (CMI), composed of a number of shipping and law enforcement organisations such as the IMB, The Baltic and International Maritime Council, and Interpol, drafted a Model National Law on Acts of Piracy and Maritime Violence, which expands the definition of piracy to include national waters and the high seas (Hawkes 2001). Types of Piracy Pirate attacks also can be categorised according to the location, scope and violence involved. Non-violent hit-and-run attacks are widespread and often unreported. According to Liss (2003)â€Å"the vast majority of pirate attacks today are simple hit-and-run robberies, committed by what can best be described as common sea-robbers† (59). This attack can occur while the ship is in harbour or at anchorage. The IMB would define these attacks as low-level armed robbery. These are usually quick, low sophistication attacks where thieves make off with cash and portable personal valuables. The average theft in this type of attacks between $5,000 and $15,000 US dollars (Chalk 1998). These pirates are typically groups of men from poor areas who have known each other for quite some time, and steal for economic reasons. Outside of ports, these pirates tend to target smaller vessels (Liss 2003). The men will speak on board a ship, usually at night, and take valuables, electronics, the ship’s equipment, or any other easily transportable and saleable item they can find. These raids often last less than thirty minutes, and rarely have any violence, except in the rare instance when a pirate is confronted by one of the crews (Liss 2003). Violent hit-and-run attacks typically target yachts and other smaller vessels on the open sea. These are typically a heavily-armed group with some planning and training involved. Attacks in territorial waters or on the high seas have a higher level of sophistication, and are categorised as medium-level armed robbery by the IMB (Chalk 1998). In these attacks the pirates board the ship and again take any valuable or saleable items. However, they are unafraid to confront the ship’s occupants or crew, and have injured or killed in a number of cases(Liss 2003). In neither of these two types of attacks is the pirate gang organised or sophisticated enough to also consider stealing the boat (Liss 2003). Ship-seizing attacks require a much higher level of planning and sophistication, including participation in some wider crime network in order to be able to move the ship’s cargo and the ship itself quickly. Not surprisingly, these types of attacks are usually carried out by professional pirates funded by syndicates (Liss 2003). In temporary seizures, the pirates board the ship and restrain the crew; on rare occasions they may also be held for ransom. The ship is diverted to safe location and its cargo off-loaded, after which the ship and crew are released (Liss 2003). Pirates in this type of attack typically work from a â€Å"mother ship,† and may also take portable personal valuables (Chalk 1998). In the most violent and sophisticated attacks, permanent seizures, the ship itself is hijacked at sea, considered a major criminal hijack byte IMB (Chalk 1998). The crew may be abandoned at sea, but in many of these instances they are simply killed. These attacks usually occur in busy narrow shipping channels, and often at night (Langeweische 2003). The ship is typically repainted and its name changed. It then becomes what is called a phantom ship, changing its name and flag regularly(Liss 2003). Permanent seizures occur almost exclusively in the FarEast (Liss 2003). The phantom ship may be used as a pirate ship, but is more often used for a sophisticated type of robbery (Liss 2003). The ship takes on aloud of cargo for a legitimate business, but both the ship and the cargo disappear. The legitimate business loses both its cargo and the shipping fees it invested, and the thieves sell the cargo on the black market, paint the ship and change its name, and repeat the process(Langeweische 2003). A convincing phantom ship can draw in shippers and reroute their cargo quickly, often making up to pounds 30 million a year (Lewis, M. 2004). A Historical Perspective When most people think of piracy, they do so from a historical perspective. Blackbeard, Captain Kidd and their compatriots, swashbuckling, sword-carrying figures aboard tall ships with patches over one eye, supposedly once looted and pillaged the high seas and buried their treasure on deserted islands. In reality, however, piracy has historically been tied to national political and economic concerns. There is evidence that this continues today (Langeweische2003). The â€Å"pirates† in Southeast Asia during the colonisation period, for example, typically undertook slave raiding and robbery activities to strengthen and with the support of their local chiefdoms or sultanates. What the colonising powers considered piracy was seen by locals as state-sponsored means of enriching the local community at foreign powers’ expense (Liss 2003). In the early 1800s, pirates in the Mediterranean were supported by the Barbary States of northern Africa, but primarily for economic gain Loft and Koran 2004). These pirates would typically take over merchant ships and demand ransom for their crews. The United States responded with the Barbary Wars, which eventually successfully addressed the piracy problem with military intervention (Loft and Koran 2004). In various times of economic downturn, particularly when the economic difficulties were localised in areas near popular shipping channels, piracy has historically increased. Piracy experienced a surge with the opening of the Americas, and later Australia (North 1968). On the Atlantic Ocean, these were typically rogue European ships operating for personal profits. However, local residents of Africa, South America, and Asia have also been historically inclined to piracy at various periods. The important historical conclusion from a study of such activity is that piracy rose substantially in and around areas experiencing economic difficulty and which cargo-laden ships passed through, and decreased with economic upturn (North 1968). In recent decades oil shipments have been an increased target of pirates, particularly during periods of high crude prices. For example, tankers were frequently attacked in the Strait of Hormuzduring the mid-1980s (Loft and Koran 2004). As shipments were rerouted and insurers began to pull out from ships in the area, global oil prices were effected. Shipping in the Persian Gulf dropped by almost twenty-five present, and was not restored until the United States intervened, sending military vessels to regain order in the region(Loft and Koran 2004). The decade of the 1990s was also a historical turning point in the piracy saga. Worldwide piracy tripled over the period, escalating from just over one hundred annually in the beginning of the decade to a high of 469 in 2000 (Halloran 2003). Geographically, piracy was high in the early 1990s in the Malacca Straights, but increased policing in the1993 to 1995 period reduced incidences there. The area again fell victim to a high number of attacks in the closing years of the decade(Anon 2005). Piracy also developed from its random, unorganised thievery practise in the late 1800s and much of the 1900s, to sophisticated and highly trained criminal activity, facilitated by the increased number in crime syndicates and terrorist groups becoming involved in piracy activities (Anon 2005b). Many pirates joined â€Å"organized crime syndicates comprising corrupt officials, port workers, hired thugs, and businessmen,† developing into sophisticated networks that could gain intelligence on particular ships, plan attacks, and dispose of the stolen property or ships (Loft and Koran 2004, 68). The problem was compounded by the gross underpayment of maritime security in high piracy (and typically economically depressed) areas throughout the 1990s, who become more susceptible to bribes and in some cases even took part in piracy attacks (Loft and Koran 2004). Piracy Today Piracy today is a global disaster. Statistics on piracy do not accurately paint the current picture. As many as half of attacks are estimated to go unreported (Anon 2005b). Ship owners are reluctant to detain their ships to participate in an investigation, as doing so costs them significant loss. Incidents of piracy can also make it more difficult for them to recruit high-quality crew members (Clark 2004). Reporting piracy would also cause an increase in their insurance premiums, often costing more in the long-term than simply absorbing the loss (Armstrong 2004). â€Å"Since many shipping companies do not report incidents of piracy, for fear of raising their insurance premiums and prompting protracted, time-consuming investigations, the precise extent of piracy is unknown â€Å" (Loft and Koran 2004, 64). Various international and shipping organisations make the attempt, however, and can at least document trends in piracy events that are reported. Both attacks and their violence are reported to be on theorise. International Maritime Bureau, in its annual piracy report, recorded 325 piracy attacks and thirty deaths in 2004, a decrease in attacks (from 445) but increase in deaths (from 21) in 2003 (Anon2005b). â€Å"The number of seafarers taken hostage last year almost doubled to 359, while 311 ships were boarded and 19 vessels hijacked†(Akbar 2004, 27). Armstrong (2004) similarly lists piracy as growing at twenty present annually. Armed attacks increased by nearly fifty present in 2003, with the death count more than doubled from 2002(Akbar 2004). 644 incidents of violence to crews were reported overall, including six on UK-flagged ships and twenty-one on vessels owned or managed from the UK (Akbar 2004). These attacks tend to be clustered in and near some of the busiest Third World ports, particularly off the shores of Indonesia, Malaysia and Nigeria(Mihailescu 2004, Halloran 2003). In two incidents receiving high media coverage in the UK, pirates executed Sir Peter Blake, the Greenpeace activist, off the coast of Brazil in 2002. Alan MacLean was similarly killed by pirates off the coast of Somalia during an adventure-related trip (Akbar 2004). The financial impacts are huge. Loft and Koran (2004) report a loss of ships, loss of cargo, and increased insurance costs the shipping industry in excess of sixteen billion US each year. This trainslates to a weekly cost of pounds 300m per week (Akbar 2004, Reynolds 2003). As much as 10 billion US of this loss is to the insurance industry alone, with the true amount being significantl y higher due to underreporting (Crawford 2004). Pirates today are additionally too broad a group to truly generalise. However, technological advances have allowed pirates to become better equipped and have greater information as to their targets, which contributes to an increased number of attacks on larger ships (Lewis. 2004). In addition, the end of the Cold War has reduced the number of sea patrols in certain areas of the world while simultaneously making a tremendous volume of weapons and munitions available on the black market, often at relatively inexpensive prices (Armstrong 2004). Meanwhile, exponential in global trade has greatly increased the amount of highly valuable and saleable goods moving across the seas. This combination of more to steal, less policing, and greater easy in theft has led to a significant rise in piracy activity (Liss 2003). Attempts to regulate shipping have led to the development of the flags of convenience problem. The practice began after World War II, but did not become widespread or a problem in the international maritime community until the 1990s (Langewiesche 2004). A number of impoverished countries, such as Malta, Panama, and Liberia, began to sell their flags for a fee, with little concern for the legitimacy of the ship’s owners (Loft and Koran 2004). This allowed ship owners to literally choose under which country’s laws they wanted to sail their ship, regardless of their home port of call (Liss 2003). Today, according to Langewiesche (2004), â€Å"no one pretends that a ship comes from the home port painted on its stern† (50). This has greatly facilitated the operation of phantom ships, previously described. The massive Tsunami that devastated much of the South Asian coast in December 2004 has had a particular impact on piracy. It is believed many pirate syndicates and individual pirate groups lost ships in the disaster, as did many legitimate ship owners. In addition, changes to the Malacca Straights have reduced shipping in the region and left piracy there almost non-existent (Bangs erg 2005). It will be of note to see if piracy rebounds as issues with passage through the Straights are resolved, or whether piracy increases in some other area or areas. Terrorism: The New Threat On top of all the above, groups operating from a political motive, terrorists, have entered the piracy trade. Following September 11,terrorism has become a worldwide concern. The maritime community had already experienced a number of terrorist actions and threats, such as when Islamic militants bombed the side of the Cole, an American warship, in 2000 (Anon 2004). Since 9/11, the Limburg, a French oil tanker, has been similarly bombed, while â€Å"Abu Soya, a terrorist outfit from the southern Philippines, claimed responsibility for bombing a ferry in Manila Bay earlier this year† (Anon 2004). While most countries can provide at least reasonable protection for land targets, â€Å"the super-extended energy umbilical cord that extends by sea to connect the West and the Asian economies with the Middle East is more vulnerable than ever† (Loft and Koran 2004, 64). Ninety perceptive the world’s trade is transported via ship, with 4,000 slow and difficult to defend tanker ships moving sixty present of the world oil supply. These ships have little or no protection, and are frequently alone on open water with nowhere to hide (Loft and Koran 2004). Current International Maritime Organization regulations prevent firearms on vessels, even for self-protection, leaving ships’ crews to face terrorist and pirate threats with spotlights and high-powered firehouses (Mihailescu 2004). Interestingly, Russian and Israeli ships ignore the IMO regulations, allowing their crewmembers to be armed, and subsequently have a lower incident of successfully attacks from either pirates or terrorists (Loft and Koran 2004). As Armstrong (2004) contends, â€Å"the world economy relies on the seamless delivery of trade via the worlds seaways† (7). This gives the terrorist threat immediate international implications. The international community has attempted to address terrorist concerns with acts such as the International Ship and Port Security Code, implemented in July 2004, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, and the Container Safety Initiative. However, the terrorist threat remains â€Å"a function of the terrorists will, the terrorist’s capability, and the targets perceived importance† (Armstrong 2004). Terrorists are separated from pirates by motive. While pirates attack for purely economic reasons, terrorist groups strike for political or ideological reasons, sometimes with economic considerations an additional cause (Anon 2005). â€Å"Unlike the pirates of old, whose sole objective was quick commercial gain, many of todays pirates are maritime terrorists with an ideological bent and a broad political agenda† (Loft and Koran 2004). There is, of course, a connection. Terrorists sometimes act as pirates, usually to finance their political or ideological activities. â€Å"Pirates claiming to be members of the Free Aceh Movement, who take ships crews hostage for ransom, have started to blur the lines between terror and piracy† (Hand 2004, 5). They show no interest in the ship or its cargo, but simultaneously achieve economic gains while embarrassing the government they oppose (Hand2005). In addition, as pirates become more sophisticated, they may be through their very success revealing to the terrorists where opportunities for successful destruction exist (Anon 2005). â€Å"Terrorism is imitative and adaptive, learning from other groups and wider trends† (Armstrong 2004,7). In addition, â€Å"the apparent lack of concrete evidence linking pirates and terrorism has not stopped senior Singapore government officials from publicly making this link on a number of occasions†(Hand 2004, 5). One possible terrorist target is blocking a major shipping lane. Six major shipping channels geographically lend themselves to such an attack (Armstrong 2004). The Malacca Straights are considered the most vulnerable, as the area suffers from lack of funds for policing by its littoral nations yet carries as much as one-third of the world’s total trade and one-half of the world’s oil supply (Anon 2005). â€Å"One ship sunk in a strategic right spot has the potential to block much of the Straight and cripple world trade† (Anon 2004, 37). Fourteen present of world trade moves through the Suez Canal, with the Panama Canal, thebe-el-Man dab, and the Strait of Gibraltar also carrying significant percentages of world trade. All are narrow, busy channels where well-planned terrorist strike could partially or completely block passage (Armstrong 2004). The Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, is only two kilometres at its most narrow point, yet accounts for over fifteen million barrels of oil transport daily(Loft and Koran 2004). One well-placed scuttle could physically block these channels, crippling trade, as could refusal of insurance carriers to cover vessels in the area, if the terrorist situation became too severe(Armstrong 2004). Either would have devastating global economic impact. Oil and raw materials would be blocked, soon crippling manufacturing and transportation industries. Targeting energy infrastructure is increasingly recognised as terrorist intention. â€Å"Indecent years, terrorists have targeted pipelines, refineries, pumping stations, and tankers in some of the worlds most important energy reservoirs, including Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen† (Loft 2004). â€Å"Given al-Qaedas understanding of the sensitivity of Western economies to the price of oil, the oil and gas industry represents particularly tempting target, where a single terrorist incident could have a huge ripple effect† (Armstrong 2004). The damage would be heightened by today’s just-in-time logistics systems. Companies reduced inventories and capital structures, made possible by international outsourcing and trade, would cause an almost immediate shortage of some goods (Armstrong 2004). This would be compounded if multiple attacks were to occur on vulnerable shipping conduits simultaneously. Terrorists could also hijack ships and make them into floating bombs, which in addition to closing a shipping lane could be deployed against ports, oil refineries, or other critical infrastructures (Anon 2004). Last year in Singapore, supposed pirates hijacked a chemical tanker in the Malacca Straights, and then abandoned the ship after only an hour, fuelling speculation that terrorists were practising for a just such an attack (Anon 2004). This could cause severe damage, also with global impact in the case of a major port of oil refinery, in addition to having a potential devastating environmental impact on the targeted area. The threats â€Å"posed by the environmental impact of a deliberate tanker spill or a gas or chemical tanker being used as a floating bombard sobering yet very real scenarios (Crawford 2004, 9). Case Study: The Malacca Straights The Malacca Straights will be considered in this case study in inspire-December 26, 2004 condition. The channel was devastated by the earthquake and Tsunamis in the region. Several thousand navigational aids have shifted out of position, and at least two deep areas of the channel have filled in dramatically, with one previously over 1,000metres deep now only thirty metres (Bangs erg 2005). Old wrecks were also shifted and joined by ships downed by the waves, which will all need to be charged, and possibly moved or salvaged. London’s International Maritime Organisation is partnering with the United States to re-chart the area and plan for any needed channel modifications, with complete re-charting and dredging where necessary expected to last at least a year (Bangs erg 2005). The Malacca Strait is to the south and west of Singapore and Malaysia, north of Indonesia. It is a narrow channel, approximately 900kilometres long; at one point it narrows to less than two kilometres wide. (Anon 2005, Anon 2004). Over twenty-five present of total world trade, half of the global oil transport, and nearly two-thirds of the international supply of liquefied natural gas pass through the Straight(Loft and Koran 2004). Last year the Straight recorded over 62,000passages, including 3,300 crude oil tankers and 3,280 natural gas carriers (Hand 2004). Other freighters carry a variety of deadly substances, such as nuclear waste from Japan headed for European reprocessing facilities. The majority of the raw materials for China’s extensive manufacturing activities and products for its growing economy move through the Straight (Loft and Koran 2004). According to the IMB, the Strait of Malacca is the most dangerous shipping passage in the world (Hand 2004). The Strait is â€Å"almost entirely made up of territorial waters belonging to the three littoral states† (Hand 2004). This has been a historical point of collapse in addressing piracy in the region, as only recently have these three countries been able to coordinate activities to address shipping safety. In addition, while Malaysia and Singapore are better of financially than Indonesia, none of the countries has the full range of resources needed to confront the problem (Anon 2004). The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been unable to promote cooperation and a common strategy to deal with piracy in the area, and Indonesia and Malaysia have strongly rejected offers from the United States to dispatch the US Navy to patrol the area (Halloran 2003, Anon2004, Lewis, L. 2004). Of the three countries, Indonesia has done the least to fight piracy. However, it is not surprising that in such an economically disadvantaged country piracy is far down on its list of priorities. â€Å"The vast majority of shipping it is being asked to protect provides noneconomic benefit for the country† (Hand 2004, 5). In addition, Indonesia has faced significant political turmoil. The simultaneous political and economic crises have left the country unable to address piracy adequately, even if it wanted to (Armstrong 2004). The Indonesian Navy was dispatched to combat piracy near Singapore at that country’s insistence, but in the long-term â€Å"Indonesia lacks both the resources and the political will to maintain security across the entire length of the strait; it is a poor country with deep economic and political problems† (Hand 2004). The Indonesian navy is nearly bankrupt and has, at best estimate, perhaps twenty seaworthy boats appropriate for use on patrol. With these resources they attempt to guard the waters surrounding nearly 17,000 islands (Anon 2004). Singapore and Indonesia attempted to work bilaterally on the problem in the 1990s, but coordination disintegrated (Chalk 1998). Malaysia has been more aggressive in addressing piracy. Pre-Tsunami, the government even planned to enhance security with a24-hour radar system covering its areas in the Straight (Anon 2005a). The IMB credits Malaysian vigilant policing and anti-piracy activities as directly leading to the drop in piracy at the western end of the Straight. In 2000, seventy-five attacks were reported in that area, but by 2002 the number had dropped to sixteen (Halloran 2003). Unfortunately this number was tempered by increased attacks in the eastern areas of the Straight, such as the area above the impoverished Indonesian Port Clang, where the sea lanes initially widen (Anon 2004). Following this success, Singapore joined with Malaysia to launch anoint offensive. Seventeen ships were dispatched by the two countries to hunt pirates and terrorists in the Malacca Straight. The countries-ordinated patrols, allowing suspect ships to be pursued across national sea boundaries (Lewis, L. 2004). This led to a further decrease in pirate activity throughout the Straight. However the Indonesian waters of the Straight continue to report the highest number of pirate attacks globally, although the number has dropped from 121 in 2003 to 93 in 2004 (Anon 2005b). Thesis more than twenty-five present of pirate activity worldwide (Anon2005b). Indonesians had recently joined with Malaysia and Singapore,pre-Tsunami, to address piracy. The countries have agreed to allow each other’s policing and patrol ships to pursue suspected pirates and terrorists into each other’s waters (Lewis, L. 2004). While each country remains responsible for its own section of the Straight, any reported pirate or terrorist activity will be immediately reported to cooperating the other countries, allowing for multi-national response where needed (Lewis, L. 2004). Armstrong (2004) points out that increases in piracy typically follow economic crises, and â€Å"flourish in a political / security vacuum†(7). â€Å"The growth in incidents in the Malacca Strait, for example, follows the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s† (Armstrong 2004,7). Ideologically, the Muslim religion remains prominent in the region. This has encouraged Muslim extremists to establish bases near the Straight, from which they attack ships for political or economic gain (Kokand 2004). The recent natural disasters in the region have only intensified economic and political problems. It is therefore unlikely that the Straight will remain pirate-free once the Tsunami effects on the shipping lanes are dealt with, unless the economic and political instabilities of the region, particularly in Indonesia, are addressed. Case Study: Nigeria The high seas and territorial waters off the coast of Nigeria are another hotbed of pirate and terrorist activity. The country is on the western coast of Africa, bordered to the north and west by Benin and Cameroon, and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea (Nigeria 2005). The river Niger flows through Nigeria to its delta in the gulf. The county is Africa’s most populous, but the vast majority of Nigerians live at below-poverty levels, surviving through subsistence farming (Anon2004b). Petroleum and petroleum products account for ninety-five present of the nation’s exports, making departing tankers a prime target for pirates and terrorist groups (Nigeria 2005). The Nigerian government has been going through massive changes. Constitution was enacted in 1999 following sixteen years of corrupt and poorly managed military rule (Nigeria 2005). Agricultural productivity has plummeted, causing what was once one of Africa’s leading agricultural producers to import food supplies. The economy has been allowed to become over-reliant on petroleum, without the creation of diverse economic interests or investment in infrastructure (Nigeria2005). Nigeria is home to over 250 ethnic people groups, leading to religious and ethnic dissention within the country (Nigeria 2005). While not having as high an incidence of strikes as the Malacca Straight, attacks in the region are significantly more violent (Clark2004). In the first half of 2004, Nigeria had thirteen attacks, compared with fif Preventing Piracy and Terrorism in Shipping Industry Preventing Piracy and Terrorism in Shipping Industry Can the shipping industry overcome the challenges it faces with Piracy and Terrorism? Although many think that pirates went out of circulation with sailed ships and swords, piracy is becoming an increasingly serious global problem. These range from small thefts to complex hijacks, and while taking place globally, tend to be concentrated in a few geographically restricted shipping channels. The breadth and complexity of the piracy problem makes it almost impossible to address in simple terms. The first factor is the enormous scope of the shipping industry. An estimated 90% of world trade moves by sea, in over 50,000ships each supposedly governed by the laws of the nation whose flag it bears (Crawford 2004). There is no one place for information concerning piracy, nor any distinct entity to police the oceans. To further complicate the matter, piracy-type acts are now also committed by terrorists, either for political results or as a way to fund their operations. This research first undertakes a review of available literature on the piracy issue, including types and motives of piracy attacks, ahistorical and current summary of pirate activity, and a consideration of terrorist attacks on shipping concerns. Two particularly volatile areas of pirate activity are then reviewed, the Malacca Straights in Southeast Asia, and the waters off the coast of Nigeria, Africa. Combining best practise findings from the literature reviewed with these case studies then provides a foundation for recommendations on how the piracy issue can best be addressed, by individual shipping concerns, individual countries, and the international community. Countermeasures will be weighed and analysed on the basis of feasibility. Of particular focus in this research is addressing some of the underlying factors contributing to the rise in piracy, in addition to defensive and offensive measures. These are typically overlooked in studies of effective countermeasures to the maritime piracy / terrorist problem. It is anticipated that this research will reveal the need to address this complex issue holistically and internationally, with greater unity and coordination than currently exists in the maritime community. Hypothesis This study considers piracy as a result of other underlying issues, and considers countermeasures from a prevention rather than combative perspective, although all types of piracy countermeasures are addressed. Specifically, it is anticipated piracy will be found to be heavily influenced by economic, political, and ideological factors. Its further anticipated that a truly effective response to the growing piracy problem in international shipping will include measures to combat the causes of increased piracy, in addition to the pirates ’actions. Literature Review Piracy Defined One of the initial difficult factors in a study of piracy is the wide range of definitions. What constitutes piracy, what constitutes robbery, and what constitutes terrorism? National and international organisations disagree on the parameters of piracy, as opposed to thievery or terrorist activity, and all agree the lines between are blurring more and more (Langeweische 2003). The International Maritime Bureau (IMB), an organisation of the International Chamber of Commerce, has some responsibility for piracy and legal considerations on the high seas (that is, areas of the ocean not controlled by a particular country, typically more than twelve miles from the country’s coast)(Hawkes 2001). Therefore, where the attack occurred in relation to the coast is of high importance. This is reinforced by the United Nations ‘Law of the Sea, which has been ratified by almost every nation except the United States (Hawkes 2001). The IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, however, defines piracy as â€Å"any act of boarding an vessel with the intent to commit theft or any other crime and with the intent or capability to use force in the furtherance of that act† ((Liss 2003, 55). While only attacks that take place on the high seas are registered with the PRC, they continue to maintain a broader definition of piracy (Chalk 1998). Forth purpose of this research, attacks against shipping vessels at port, in national waters, and on the high seas will be considered piracy if committed with a primarily economic motive. Acts committed from apolitical or ideological motive will be considered terrorist activities. Most recently, an organisation called the Comate Maritime International (CMI), composed of a number of shipping and law enforcement organisations such as the IMB, The Baltic and International Maritime Council, and Interpol, drafted a Model National Law on Acts of Piracy and Maritime Violence, which expands the definition of piracy to include national waters and the high seas (Hawkes 2001). Types of Piracy Pirate attacks also can be categorised according to the location, scope and violence involved. Non-violent hit-and-run attacks are widespread and often unreported. According to Liss (2003)â€Å"the vast majority of pirate attacks today are simple hit-and-run robberies, committed by what can best be described as common sea-robbers† (59). This attack can occur while the ship is in harbour or at anchorage. The IMB would define these attacks as low-level armed robbery. These are usually quick, low sophistication attacks where thieves make off with cash and portable personal valuables. The average theft in this type of attacks between $5,000 and $15,000 US dollars (Chalk 1998). These pirates are typically groups of men from poor areas who have known each other for quite some time, and steal for economic reasons. Outside of ports, these pirates tend to target smaller vessels (Liss 2003). The men will speak on board a ship, usually at night, and take valuables, electronics, the ship’s equipment, or any other easily transportable and saleable item they can find. These raids often last less than thirty minutes, and rarely have any violence, except in the rare instance when a pirate is confronted by one of the crews (Liss 2003). Violent hit-and-run attacks typically target yachts and other smaller vessels on the open sea. These are typically a heavily-armed group with some planning and training involved. Attacks in territorial waters or on the high seas have a higher level of sophistication, and are categorised as medium-level armed robbery by the IMB (Chalk 1998). In these attacks the pirates board the ship and again take any valuable or saleable items. However, they are unafraid to confront the ship’s occupants or crew, and have injured or killed in a number of cases(Liss 2003). In neither of these two types of attacks is the pirate gang organised or sophisticated enough to also consider stealing the boat (Liss 2003). Ship-seizing attacks require a much higher level of planning and sophistication, including participation in some wider crime network in order to be able to move the ship’s cargo and the ship itself quickly. Not surprisingly, these types of attacks are usually carried out by professional pirates funded by syndicates (Liss 2003). In temporary seizures, the pirates board the ship and restrain the crew; on rare occasions they may also be held for ransom. The ship is diverted to safe location and its cargo off-loaded, after which the ship and crew are released (Liss 2003). Pirates in this type of attack typically work from a â€Å"mother ship,† and may also take portable personal valuables (Chalk 1998). In the most violent and sophisticated attacks, permanent seizures, the ship itself is hijacked at sea, considered a major criminal hijack byte IMB (Chalk 1998). The crew may be abandoned at sea, but in many of these instances they are simply killed. These attacks usually occur in busy narrow shipping channels, and often at night (Langeweische 2003). The ship is typically repainted and its name changed. It then becomes what is called a phantom ship, changing its name and flag regularly(Liss 2003). Permanent seizures occur almost exclusively in the FarEast (Liss 2003). The phantom ship may be used as a pirate ship, but is more often used for a sophisticated type of robbery (Liss 2003). The ship takes on aloud of cargo for a legitimate business, but both the ship and the cargo disappear. The legitimate business loses both its cargo and the shipping fees it invested, and the thieves sell the cargo on the black market, paint the ship and change its name, and repeat the process(Langeweische 2003). A convincing phantom ship can draw in shippers and reroute their cargo quickly, often making up to pounds 30 million a year (Lewis, M. 2004). A Historical Perspective When most people think of piracy, they do so from a historical perspective. Blackbeard, Captain Kidd and their compatriots, swashbuckling, sword-carrying figures aboard tall ships with patches over one eye, supposedly once looted and pillaged the high seas and buried their treasure on deserted islands. In reality, however, piracy has historically been tied to national political and economic concerns. There is evidence that this continues today (Langeweische2003). The â€Å"pirates† in Southeast Asia during the colonisation period, for example, typically undertook slave raiding and robbery activities to strengthen and with the support of their local chiefdoms or sultanates. What the colonising powers considered piracy was seen by locals as state-sponsored means of enriching the local community at foreign powers’ expense (Liss 2003). In the early 1800s, pirates in the Mediterranean were supported by the Barbary States of northern Africa, but primarily for economic gain Loft and Koran 2004). These pirates would typically take over merchant ships and demand ransom for their crews. The United States responded with the Barbary Wars, which eventually successfully addressed the piracy problem with military intervention (Loft and Koran 2004). In various times of economic downturn, particularly when the economic difficulties were localised in areas near popular shipping channels, piracy has historically increased. Piracy experienced a surge with the opening of the Americas, and later Australia (North 1968). On the Atlantic Ocean, these were typically rogue European ships operating for personal profits. However, local residents of Africa, South America, and Asia have also been historically inclined to piracy at various periods. The important historical conclusion from a study of such activity is that piracy rose substantially in and around areas experiencing economic difficulty and which cargo-laden ships passed through, and decreased with economic upturn (North 1968). In recent decades oil shipments have been an increased target of pirates, particularly during periods of high crude prices. For example, tankers were frequently attacked in the Strait of Hormuzduring the mid-1980s (Loft and Koran 2004). As shipments were rerouted and insurers began to pull out from ships in the area, global oil prices were effected. Shipping in the Persian Gulf dropped by almost twenty-five present, and was not restored until the United States intervened, sending military vessels to regain order in the region(Loft and Koran 2004). The decade of the 1990s was also a historical turning point in the piracy saga. Worldwide piracy tripled over the period, escalating from just over one hundred annually in the beginning of the decade to a high of 469 in 2000 (Halloran 2003). Geographically, piracy was high in the early 1990s in the Malacca Straights, but increased policing in the1993 to 1995 period reduced incidences there. The area again fell victim to a high number of attacks in the closing years of the decade(Anon 2005). Piracy also developed from its random, unorganised thievery practise in the late 1800s and much of the 1900s, to sophisticated and highly trained criminal activity, facilitated by the increased number in crime syndicates and terrorist groups becoming involved in piracy activities (Anon 2005b). Many pirates joined â€Å"organized crime syndicates comprising corrupt officials, port workers, hired thugs, and businessmen,† developing into sophisticated networks that could gain intelligence on particular ships, plan attacks, and dispose of the stolen property or ships (Loft and Koran 2004, 68). The problem was compounded by the gross underpayment of maritime security in high piracy (and typically economically depressed) areas throughout the 1990s, who become more susceptible to bribes and in some cases even took part in piracy attacks (Loft and Koran 2004). Piracy Today Piracy today is a global disaster. Statistics on piracy do not accurately paint the current picture. As many as half of attacks are estimated to go unreported (Anon 2005b). Ship owners are reluctant to detain their ships to participate in an investigation, as doing so costs them significant loss. Incidents of piracy can also make it more difficult for them to recruit high-quality crew members (Clark 2004). Reporting piracy would also cause an increase in their insurance premiums, often costing more in the long-term than simply absorbing the loss (Armstrong 2004). â€Å"Since many shipping companies do not report incidents of piracy, for fear of raising their insurance premiums and prompting protracted, time-consuming investigations, the precise extent of piracy is unknown â€Å" (Loft and Koran 2004, 64). Various international and shipping organisations make the attempt, however, and can at least document trends in piracy events that are reported. Both attacks and their violence are reported to be on theorise. International Maritime Bureau, in its annual piracy report, recorded 325 piracy attacks and thirty deaths in 2004, a decrease in attacks (from 445) but increase in deaths (from 21) in 2003 (Anon2005b). â€Å"The number of seafarers taken hostage last year almost doubled to 359, while 311 ships were boarded and 19 vessels hijacked†(Akbar 2004, 27). Armstrong (2004) similarly lists piracy as growing at twenty present annually. Armed attacks increased by nearly fifty present in 2003, with the death count more than doubled from 2002(Akbar 2004). 644 incidents of violence to crews were reported overall, including six on UK-flagged ships and twenty-one on vessels owned or managed from the UK (Akbar 2004). These attacks tend to be clustered in and near some of the busiest Third World ports, particularly off the shores of Indonesia, Malaysia and Nigeria(Mihailescu 2004, Halloran 2003). In two incidents receiving high media coverage in the UK, pirates executed Sir Peter Blake, the Greenpeace activist, off the coast of Brazil in 2002. Alan MacLean was similarly killed by pirates off the coast of Somalia during an adventure-related trip (Akbar 2004). The financial impacts are huge. Loft and Koran (2004) report a loss of ships, loss of cargo, and increased insurance costs the shipping industry in excess of sixteen billion US each year. This trainslates to a weekly cost of pounds 300m per week (Akbar 2004, Reynolds 2003). As much as 10 billion US of this loss is to the insurance industry alone, with the true amount being significantl y higher due to underreporting (Crawford 2004). Pirates today are additionally too broad a group to truly generalise. However, technological advances have allowed pirates to become better equipped and have greater information as to their targets, which contributes to an increased number of attacks on larger ships (Lewis. 2004). In addition, the end of the Cold War has reduced the number of sea patrols in certain areas of the world while simultaneously making a tremendous volume of weapons and munitions available on the black market, often at relatively inexpensive prices (Armstrong 2004). Meanwhile, exponential in global trade has greatly increased the amount of highly valuable and saleable goods moving across the seas. This combination of more to steal, less policing, and greater easy in theft has led to a significant rise in piracy activity (Liss 2003). Attempts to regulate shipping have led to the development of the flags of convenience problem. The practice began after World War II, but did not become widespread or a problem in the international maritime community until the 1990s (Langewiesche 2004). A number of impoverished countries, such as Malta, Panama, and Liberia, began to sell their flags for a fee, with little concern for the legitimacy of the ship’s owners (Loft and Koran 2004). This allowed ship owners to literally choose under which country’s laws they wanted to sail their ship, regardless of their home port of call (Liss 2003). Today, according to Langewiesche (2004), â€Å"no one pretends that a ship comes from the home port painted on its stern† (50). This has greatly facilitated the operation of phantom ships, previously described. The massive Tsunami that devastated much of the South Asian coast in December 2004 has had a particular impact on piracy. It is believed many pirate syndicates and individual pirate groups lost ships in the disaster, as did many legitimate ship owners. In addition, changes to the Malacca Straights have reduced shipping in the region and left piracy there almost non-existent (Bangs erg 2005). It will be of note to see if piracy rebounds as issues with passage through the Straights are resolved, or whether piracy increases in some other area or areas. Terrorism: The New Threat On top of all the above, groups operating from a political motive, terrorists, have entered the piracy trade. Following September 11,terrorism has become a worldwide concern. The maritime community had already experienced a number of terrorist actions and threats, such as when Islamic militants bombed the side of the Cole, an American warship, in 2000 (Anon 2004). Since 9/11, the Limburg, a French oil tanker, has been similarly bombed, while â€Å"Abu Soya, a terrorist outfit from the southern Philippines, claimed responsibility for bombing a ferry in Manila Bay earlier this year† (Anon 2004). While most countries can provide at least reasonable protection for land targets, â€Å"the super-extended energy umbilical cord that extends by sea to connect the West and the Asian economies with the Middle East is more vulnerable than ever† (Loft and Koran 2004, 64). Ninety perceptive the world’s trade is transported via ship, with 4,000 slow and difficult to defend tanker ships moving sixty present of the world oil supply. These ships have little or no protection, and are frequently alone on open water with nowhere to hide (Loft and Koran 2004). Current International Maritime Organization regulations prevent firearms on vessels, even for self-protection, leaving ships’ crews to face terrorist and pirate threats with spotlights and high-powered firehouses (Mihailescu 2004). Interestingly, Russian and Israeli ships ignore the IMO regulations, allowing their crewmembers to be armed, and subsequently have a lower incident of successfully attacks from either pirates or terrorists (Loft and Koran 2004). As Armstrong (2004) contends, â€Å"the world economy relies on the seamless delivery of trade via the worlds seaways† (7). This gives the terrorist threat immediate international implications. The international community has attempted to address terrorist concerns with acts such as the International Ship and Port Security Code, implemented in July 2004, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, and the Container Safety Initiative. However, the terrorist threat remains â€Å"a function of the terrorists will, the terrorist’s capability, and the targets perceived importance† (Armstrong 2004). Terrorists are separated from pirates by motive. While pirates attack for purely economic reasons, terrorist groups strike for political or ideological reasons, sometimes with economic considerations an additional cause (Anon 2005). â€Å"Unlike the pirates of old, whose sole objective was quick commercial gain, many of todays pirates are maritime terrorists with an ideological bent and a broad political agenda† (Loft and Koran 2004). There is, of course, a connection. Terrorists sometimes act as pirates, usually to finance their political or ideological activities. â€Å"Pirates claiming to be members of the Free Aceh Movement, who take ships crews hostage for ransom, have started to blur the lines between terror and piracy† (Hand 2004, 5). They show no interest in the ship or its cargo, but simultaneously achieve economic gains while embarrassing the government they oppose (Hand2005). In addition, as pirates become more sophisticated, they may be through their very success revealing to the terrorists where opportunities for successful destruction exist (Anon 2005). â€Å"Terrorism is imitative and adaptive, learning from other groups and wider trends† (Armstrong 2004,7). In addition, â€Å"the apparent lack of concrete evidence linking pirates and terrorism has not stopped senior Singapore government officials from publicly making this link on a number of occasions†(Hand 2004, 5). One possible terrorist target is blocking a major shipping lane. Six major shipping channels geographically lend themselves to such an attack (Armstrong 2004). The Malacca Straights are considered the most vulnerable, as the area suffers from lack of funds for policing by its littoral nations yet carries as much as one-third of the world’s total trade and one-half of the world’s oil supply (Anon 2005). â€Å"One ship sunk in a strategic right spot has the potential to block much of the Straight and cripple world trade† (Anon 2004, 37). Fourteen present of world trade moves through the Suez Canal, with the Panama Canal, thebe-el-Man dab, and the Strait of Gibraltar also carrying significant percentages of world trade. All are narrow, busy channels where well-planned terrorist strike could partially or completely block passage (Armstrong 2004). The Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, is only two kilometres at its most narrow point, yet accounts for over fifteen million barrels of oil transport daily(Loft and Koran 2004). One well-placed scuttle could physically block these channels, crippling trade, as could refusal of insurance carriers to cover vessels in the area, if the terrorist situation became too severe(Armstrong 2004). Either would have devastating global economic impact. Oil and raw materials would be blocked, soon crippling manufacturing and transportation industries. Targeting energy infrastructure is increasingly recognised as terrorist intention. â€Å"Indecent years, terrorists have targeted pipelines, refineries, pumping stations, and tankers in some of the worlds most important energy reservoirs, including Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen† (Loft 2004). â€Å"Given al-Qaedas understanding of the sensitivity of Western economies to the price of oil, the oil and gas industry represents particularly tempting target, where a single terrorist incident could have a huge ripple effect† (Armstrong 2004). The damage would be heightened by today’s just-in-time logistics systems. Companies reduced inventories and capital structures, made possible by international outsourcing and trade, would cause an almost immediate shortage of some goods (Armstrong 2004). This would be compounded if multiple attacks were to occur on vulnerable shipping conduits simultaneously. Terrorists could also hijack ships and make them into floating bombs, which in addition to closing a shipping lane could be deployed against ports, oil refineries, or other critical infrastructures (Anon 2004). Last year in Singapore, supposed pirates hijacked a chemical tanker in the Malacca Straights, and then abandoned the ship after only an hour, fuelling speculation that terrorists were practising for a just such an attack (Anon 2004). This could cause severe damage, also with global impact in the case of a major port of oil refinery, in addition to having a potential devastating environmental impact on the targeted area. The threats â€Å"posed by the environmental impact of a deliberate tanker spill or a gas or chemical tanker being used as a floating bombard sobering yet very real scenarios (Crawford 2004, 9). Case Study: The Malacca Straights The Malacca Straights will be considered in this case study in inspire-December 26, 2004 condition. The channel was devastated by the earthquake and Tsunamis in the region. Several thousand navigational aids have shifted out of position, and at least two deep areas of the channel have filled in dramatically, with one previously over 1,000metres deep now only thirty metres (Bangs erg 2005). Old wrecks were also shifted and joined by ships downed by the waves, which will all need to be charged, and possibly moved or salvaged. London’s International Maritime Organisation is partnering with the United States to re-chart the area and plan for any needed channel modifications, with complete re-charting and dredging where necessary expected to last at least a year (Bangs erg 2005). The Malacca Strait is to the south and west of Singapore and Malaysia, north of Indonesia. It is a narrow channel, approximately 900kilometres long; at one point it narrows to less than two kilometres wide. (Anon 2005, Anon 2004). Over twenty-five present of total world trade, half of the global oil transport, and nearly two-thirds of the international supply of liquefied natural gas pass through the Straight(Loft and Koran 2004). Last year the Straight recorded over 62,000passages, including 3,300 crude oil tankers and 3,280 natural gas carriers (Hand 2004). Other freighters carry a variety of deadly substances, such as nuclear waste from Japan headed for European reprocessing facilities. The majority of the raw materials for China’s extensive manufacturing activities and products for its growing economy move through the Straight (Loft and Koran 2004). According to the IMB, the Strait of Malacca is the most dangerous shipping passage in the world (Hand 2004). The Strait is â€Å"almost entirely made up of territorial waters belonging to the three littoral states† (Hand 2004). This has been a historical point of collapse in addressing piracy in the region, as only recently have these three countries been able to coordinate activities to address shipping safety. In addition, while Malaysia and Singapore are better of financially than Indonesia, none of the countries has the full range of resources needed to confront the problem (Anon 2004). The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been unable to promote cooperation and a common strategy to deal with piracy in the area, and Indonesia and Malaysia have strongly rejected offers from the United States to dispatch the US Navy to patrol the area (Halloran 2003, Anon2004, Lewis, L. 2004). Of the three countries, Indonesia has done the least to fight piracy. However, it is not surprising that in such an economically disadvantaged country piracy is far down on its list of priorities. â€Å"The vast majority of shipping it is being asked to protect provides noneconomic benefit for the country† (Hand 2004, 5). In addition, Indonesia has faced significant political turmoil. The simultaneous political and economic crises have left the country unable to address piracy adequately, even if it wanted to (Armstrong 2004). The Indonesian Navy was dispatched to combat piracy near Singapore at that country’s insistence, but in the long-term â€Å"Indonesia lacks both the resources and the political will to maintain security across the entire length of the strait; it is a poor country with deep economic and political problems† (Hand 2004). The Indonesian navy is nearly bankrupt and has, at best estimate, perhaps twenty seaworthy boats appropriate for use on patrol. With these resources they attempt to guard the waters surrounding nearly 17,000 islands (Anon 2004). Singapore and Indonesia attempted to work bilaterally on the problem in the 1990s, but coordination disintegrated (Chalk 1998). Malaysia has been more aggressive in addressing piracy. Pre-Tsunami, the government even planned to enhance security with a24-hour radar system covering its areas in the Straight (Anon 2005a). The IMB credits Malaysian vigilant policing and anti-piracy activities as directly leading to the drop in piracy at the western end of the Straight. In 2000, seventy-five attacks were reported in that area, but by 2002 the number had dropped to sixteen (Halloran 2003). Unfortunately this number was tempered by increased attacks in the eastern areas of the Straight, such as the area above the impoverished Indonesian Port Clang, where the sea lanes initially widen (Anon 2004). Following this success, Singapore joined with Malaysia to launch anoint offensive. Seventeen ships were dispatched by the two countries to hunt pirates and terrorists in the Malacca Straight. The countries-ordinated patrols, allowing suspect ships to be pursued across national sea boundaries (Lewis, L. 2004). This led to a further decrease in pirate activity throughout the Straight. However the Indonesian waters of the Straight continue to report the highest number of pirate attacks globally, although the number has dropped from 121 in 2003 to 93 in 2004 (Anon 2005b). Thesis more than twenty-five present of pirate activity worldwide (Anon2005b). Indonesians had recently joined with Malaysia and Singapore,pre-Tsunami, to address piracy. The countries have agreed to allow each other’s policing and patrol ships to pursue suspected pirates and terrorists into each other’s waters (Lewis, L. 2004). While each country remains responsible for its own section of the Straight, any reported pirate or terrorist activity will be immediately reported to cooperating the other countries, allowing for multi-national response where needed (Lewis, L. 2004). Armstrong (2004) points out that increases in piracy typically follow economic crises, and â€Å"flourish in a political / security vacuum†(7). â€Å"The growth in incidents in the Malacca Strait, for example, follows the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s† (Armstrong 2004,7). Ideologically, the Muslim religion remains prominent in the region. This has encouraged Muslim extremists to establish bases near the Straight, from which they attack ships for political or economic gain (Kokand 2004). The recent natural disasters in the region have only intensified economic and political problems. It is therefore unlikely that the Straight will remain pirate-free once the Tsunami effects on the shipping lanes are dealt with, unless the economic and political instabilities of the region, particularly in Indonesia, are addressed. Case Study: Nigeria The high seas and territorial waters off the coast of Nigeria are another hotbed of pirate and terrorist activity. The country is on the western coast of Africa, bordered to the north and west by Benin and Cameroon, and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea (Nigeria 2005). The river Niger flows through Nigeria to its delta in the gulf. The county is Africa’s most populous, but the vast majority of Nigerians live at below-poverty levels, surviving through subsistence farming (Anon2004b). Petroleum and petroleum products account for ninety-five present of the nation’s exports, making departing tankers a prime target for pirates and terrorist groups (Nigeria 2005). The Nigerian government has been going through massive changes. Constitution was enacted in 1999 following sixteen years of corrupt and poorly managed military rule (Nigeria 2005). Agricultural productivity has plummeted, causing what was once one of Africa’s leading agricultural producers to import food supplies. The economy has been allowed to become over-reliant on petroleum, without the creation of diverse economic interests or investment in infrastructure (Nigeria2005). Nigeria is home to over 250 ethnic people groups, leading to religious and ethnic dissention within the country (Nigeria 2005). While not having as high an incidence of strikes as the Malacca Straight, attacks in the region are significantly more violent (Clark2004). In the first half of 2004, Nigeria had thirteen attacks, compared with fif