Somalia, the New Barbary? : Piracy and Islam in the Horn of Africa

by Murphy, Martin N.

• ISBN13: 9780231701549
• ISBN10: 0231701543
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-02-17
• Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr

Summary

Somali piracy is repeatedly associated with the historical specter of Barbary. Indeed, piracy off the Horn of Africa has matched the spread of conflict and chaos that allow criminal elites to assume power. The world now fears Somalia has become too much of a safe haven for terrorists who wish to wreck havoc on the developed world. Western policy towards Somalia focuses solely on the country's poverty-stricken Islamic population, which, with its proximity to the Arabian peninsula, seems to be a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism, and ripe for Islamist exploitation.Martin Murphy, author of the difinitive guide to modern maritime piracy and terrorism, examines whether state failure is a useful and accurate explanation for Somali piracy and whether violent Islamism might exploit modern piracy for its own gain. Murphy employs his critically-acclaimed approach to review the history, motivation, organization, criminal methods, and operational tactics of Somali piracy from its initial manifestation in the mid-1990s to today. He links their activities and fortunes to the rise and fall of Somalia's political groups; explains how and why violent Islamists operate within Somalia; and follows the extent to which they might exploit maritime dimensions in the future. In conclusion, Murphy considers whether the various political and military solutions being used to meet these challenges will effectively resolve them.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. ix
List of Abbreviations	p. xi
Map	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Somalia: A Failed State?	p. 5
Somali Piracy: 1989-2006	p. 11
Piracy and Fishing	p. 17
The Principal Piracy Groups: 1996-2006	p. 29
The Attack on the Seabourn Spirit and its Consequences	p. 37
A Clan-based Society	p. 39
The Barre Dictatorship and its Aftermath	p. 43
The Rise and Fall of the TNG and the Rise of the TFG	p. 49
Economic Motivation for Turmoil	p. 51
Puntland: The Pirate Sanctuary?	p. 55
Somalia: Without a Government but not Ungoverned	p. 61
The Growth of Political Islam	p. 65
The Link to Terrorism	p. 71
The Rise of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU)	p. 75
The ICU Come to Power	p. 79
The ICU's Fall	p. 83
The Return of the Pirate Gangs	p. 91
The Consequences of Reward	p. 111
Why Piracy Became so Virulent: the Political Dimension	p. 115
Why Piracy Became so Profitable: the Organizational Dimension	p. 119
Legal Measures	p. 123
The Naval Response	p. 129
Somali Piracy and Terrorism	p. 139
The Further Fall of a Fallen State	p. 145
Al-Shabaab and the Growth of Islamism in Southern Somalia	p. 149
Somalia and Barbary	p. 157
Conclusions	p. 163
Notes	p. 181
Index	p. 265
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