Gulf Of Eden Pros And Cons
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen and Somalia. The waterway is part of the important Suez Canal shipping route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Sea with 21,000 ships crossing the gulf annually. The Gulf of Aden is a vital waterway for shipping, especially for Persian Gulf oil, making it an integral waterway in the world economy.
The Gulf of Aden is an area known for acts of piracy, earning it the nickname “Pirate Alley”, and making its waters dangerous for transport. The main cause of piracy in the gulf is the lack of any viable government in Somalia which has been defined by the state of civil war since 1991. The International Maritime Bureau reported over two dozen actual and attempted attacks in …show more content…
2007 in the gulf off the coast of Somalia.
In order to deter piracy, the Maritime Security Patrol Area, a specified patrol zone in the Gulf, was established on 22 September 2008 by the Combined Task Force 150, a multinational, coalition naval task force in order to deter de-stabilizing activities, including piracy. Its borders are unmarked, but are a narrow, rectangular corridor between Somalia and Yemen. The establishment of the MSPA was directed by the Commander, United States Naval Central Command.
The United States Navy's Combined Task Force 151 caught the first pirate in 50 years in the Gulf of Aden on Feb. 11, 2009. The actions by the United States Navy were authorized by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff via a Counter Piracy Execute Order.
In January 2012, American commandos raced into Somalia and rescued two aid workers, an American woman and a Danish man, after a shootout with Somali pirates who had been holding them captive for months. The American forces swooped in and killed nine pirates before spiriting away the hostages, who were not harmed.
The next area of concern is the Strait of Hormuz- a narrow, strategically important strait between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf.
On 18 April 1988, the U.S. Navy waged a battle against Iranian forces in and around the strait, which was launched in retaliation for the 14 April mining of the USS Samuel B. Roberts by Iran.
In response, Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet stationed in Bahrain warned that such an action by Iran would be considered an act of war, and that the U.S. would not allow Iran to effectively hold hostage nearly a third of the world's oil supply.
In December 2011, Iranian Vice President Rahimi threatened to cut off oil supply from the Strait of Hormuz should economic sanctions limit, or cut off, Iranian oil exports.
Despite an initial 2% rise in oil prices, oil markets ultimately did not react significantly to the Iranian threat. In fact, Iran threatened to take action if the U.S. Navy moves an aircraft carrier back into the Persian Gulf. However, On 9 January 2012, the Iranian Defense Minister denied that Iran had ever claimed that it would close the Strait of Hormuz, which would create a global conflict as about 90% of the oil exports from the Persian Gulf transit the Strait of Hormuz each day.
Many presume that it would be relatively easy for an attacker to "close the strait." How hard would it be, using modern military equipment and a trained, professional force? What political and military steps could countries like the United States take to remedy the situation?
An analysis reveals that the bottom line is that oil supplies are more secure than many people seem to believe. While there is a clear role for the United States military in protecting the freedom of the seas and contributing to energy security, the threat is not so dire that the U.S. forces need to take a "hair-trigger"
posture.
If Iran were able to properly link its warfare capabilities, it could halt or impede traffic in the Strait of Hormuz for a month or more. U.S. attempts to reopen the waterway would escalate into large-scale air and naval operations during which Iran could impose significant economic and military costs on the United States.
In conclusion, shutting the Strait of Hormuz would make oil prices skyrocket at a time when many western economies are wobbly, thus making this a highly explosive situation that should preferably be defused sooner rather than later.
The Gulf of Aden is an area known for acts of piracy, earning it the nickname “Pirate Alley”, and making its waters dangerous for transport. The main cause of piracy in the gulf is the lack of any viable government in Somalia which has been defined by the state of civil war since 1991. The International Maritime Bureau reported over two dozen actual and attempted attacks in …show more content…
2007 in the gulf off the coast of Somalia.
In order to deter piracy, the Maritime Security Patrol Area, a specified patrol zone in the Gulf, was established on 22 September 2008 by the Combined Task Force 150, a multinational, coalition naval task force in order to deter de-stabilizing activities, including piracy. Its borders are unmarked, but are a narrow, rectangular corridor between Somalia and Yemen. The establishment of the MSPA was directed by the Commander, United States Naval Central Command.
The United States Navy's Combined Task Force 151 caught the first pirate in 50 years in the Gulf of Aden on Feb. 11, 2009. The actions by the United States Navy were authorized by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff via a Counter Piracy Execute Order.
In January 2012, American commandos raced into Somalia and rescued two aid workers, an American woman and a Danish man, after a shootout with Somali pirates who had been holding them captive for months. The American forces swooped in and killed nine pirates before spiriting away the hostages, who were not harmed.
The next area of concern is the Strait of Hormuz- a narrow, strategically important strait between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf.
On 18 April 1988, the U.S. Navy waged a battle against Iranian forces in and around the strait, which was launched in retaliation for the 14 April mining of the USS Samuel B. Roberts by Iran.
In response, Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet stationed in Bahrain warned that such an action by Iran would be considered an act of war, and that the U.S. would not allow Iran to effectively hold hostage nearly a third of the world's oil supply.
In December 2011, Iranian Vice President Rahimi threatened to cut off oil supply from the Strait of Hormuz should economic sanctions limit, or cut off, Iranian oil exports.
Despite an initial 2% rise in oil prices, oil markets ultimately did not react significantly to the Iranian threat. In fact, Iran threatened to take action if the U.S. Navy moves an aircraft carrier back into the Persian Gulf. However, On 9 January 2012, the Iranian Defense Minister denied that Iran had ever claimed that it would close the Strait of Hormuz, which would create a global conflict as about 90% of the oil exports from the Persian Gulf transit the Strait of Hormuz each day.
Many presume that it would be relatively easy for an attacker to "close the strait." How hard would it be, using modern military equipment and a trained, professional force? What political and military steps could countries like the United States take to remedy the situation?
An analysis reveals that the bottom line is that oil supplies are more secure than many people seem to believe. While there is a clear role for the United States military in protecting the freedom of the seas and contributing to energy security, the threat is not so dire that the U.S. forces need to take a "hair-trigger"
posture.
If Iran were able to properly link its warfare capabilities, it could halt or impede traffic in the Strait of Hormuz for a month or more. U.S. attempts to reopen the waterway would escalate into large-scale air and naval operations during which Iran could impose significant economic and military costs on the United States.
In conclusion, shutting the Strait of Hormuz would make oil prices skyrocket at a time when many western economies are wobbly, thus making this a highly explosive situation that should preferably be defused sooner rather than later.