The threat to international security
Martin N. Murphy
Do piracy and maritime terrorism, individually or together, present a threat to international security, and what relationship if any exists between them?
Piracy may be a marginal problem in itself, but the connections between organised piracy and wider criminal networks and corruption on land make it an element of a phenomenon that can have a weakening effect on states and a destabilising one on the regions in which it is found. Furthermore, it is also an aspect of a broader problem of disorder at sea that, exacerbated by the increasing pressure on littoral waters from growing numbers of people and organisations seeking to exploit maritime resources, encourages maritime criminality and gives insurgents and terrorists the freedom to operate. In this context, maritime terrorism, though currently only a low-level threat, has the potential to spread and become more effective in the event of political change on land. It is only by addressing the issue of generalised maritime disorder that the problems of piracy and maritime terrorism may be controlled in the long term.
Martin N. Murphy, the author of the latest Adelphi Paper (AP 388) published on 9 July 2007, discusses Contemporary Piracy and Maritime Terrorism: The threat to international security with Dr Patrick Cronin, Director of Studies; Editor, Adelphi Papers. This report is of value for all naval and coast guard officers, policymakers and analysts, and those in the risk management and risk insurance industry. Click here for the stream (4 minutes).
