Foreign Policy Blogs

An Imperfect Storm in the Gulf of Aden

Is piracy in the Gulf of Aden helping to create the (im?)perfect storm leading to one of Barack Obama's first serious crises upon taking office? It sure seems that way. Shipping firms, which are suffering some of the worst losses at the hands of the Somali brigands, are demanding action. India's navy is stepping up its presence in the gulf. And the economic and political instability that created and enabled piracy in the first place shows no sign of improving. In short, this is not a story that seems likely to fade any time soon and it will almost certainly draw the attention of an Obama administration fairly early.

 

Author

Derek Catsam

Derek Catsam is a Professor of history and Kathlyn Cosper Dunagan Professor in the Humanities at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. He is also Senior Research Associate at Rhodes University. Derek writes about race and politics in the United States and Africa, sports, and terrorism. He is currently working on books on bus boycotts in the United States and South Africa in the 1940s and 1950s and on the 1981 South African Springbok rugby team's tour to the US. He is the author of three books, dozens of scholarly articles and reviews, and has published widely on current affairs in African, American, and European publications. He has lived, worked, and travelled extensively throughout southern Africa. He writes about politics, sports, travel, pop culture, and just about anything else that comes to mind.

Areas of Focus:
Africa; Zimbabwe; South Africa; Apartheid

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