Terror on the seas: assessing the threat of modern day piracy

Maritime piracy is a major post-Cold War challenge to U.S. and international security. While the Greater Gulf of Aden represents the face of modern maritime piracy, the threat is larger than just the Puntland region of Somalia and the Bab el-Mandeb waterway. Nearly 60 percent of all littoral states have experienced piracy over the past decade. State weakness and economic dislocation both drive maritime piracy, and while increased naval strength in the Gulf of Aden may have finally reduced attacks off the coast of Somalia, it is likely that counter-piracy efforts need to focus more attention on institution-building and poverty reduction on land to eradicate this security threat.