Piracy: Crime or Terrorism or Both?

                         Captain Scarfield  (Howard Pyle’s Book of Pirates 1921)

It is strange that piracy once almost extinct in the 19th and 20th centuries, has come back to haunt us in the 21st century. Theft, kidnapping and more on the high seas or costal waters is again part of the landscape. The most common instances of piracy are found around Somalia in Africa and the area around the Malacca strait. Twenty countries in Southeast Asia  have joined in an anti-piracy coalition, while others have cooperated to create safe maritime passage around Africa. The question is are the developed nations doing enough? Can piracy or the causes of piracy be eliminated?  Do we need to call piracy a form of terrorism and bring all our resources to bear, or are current efforts enough? Please log in and let us know your opinion on this matter.