United Nations, New York City-? The efforts by the United States on Wednesday to circulate a draft petition at the United Nations is likely to be one of the Bush Administration?s final International efforts. It is an effort to get all members of the UN Security council to grant International authorization to hunt Somali pirates both at sea and on land with the permission and cooperation of the government of Somalia.
The Government of Somalia is weak, but it is one that is backed by the United Nations, and this current effort by the Bush Administration is an effort to put some teeth in the hunt for pirates. Pirates have began to be a major issue, disrupting shipping along the Somalia coast and at times even seizing ships belonging to other nations and holding them for ransom.
The Bush Administration is trying to make the pursuit of these pirates an international, United Nations sponsored effort, rather than trying to use the US Military in an isolated effort with the United States going it alone.
By getting the members of the UN Security council to sign, it will give legitimacy to any efforts to track, seize and bring to justice members of the criminal piracy group that is operating with abandon off the Somali coast.