Arthur Frommer Calls For Strong Action Against Piracy

The navies of the world’s maritime nations could easily stop piracy off the east coast of Africa, writes Arthur Frommer, and their failure to do it is astonishing.

Freighters have long come under attack by pirates based in Somalia, and the threat is spreading to cruise ships. On Nov. 28 a German naval vessel chased pirates away from a German cruise ship in the Gulf of Aden, and two days later a luxury cruise ship outran two pirate skiffs that were firing on it.

Other cruise lines are rerouting ships or even flying passengers over pirate-infested waters. Sailors on private yachts have been forming convoys.

Some nations have been getting more aggressive, including India, which captured 23 suspected pirates last week. The Bush administration is pressing the United Nations for permission to pursue pirates onto land.

Frommer suggests that travelers and the cruise industry agitate for action against this threat to travelers and voice their concerns to Congress and the incoming Obama administration.

Video: The Highway To Hana

A few months ago, the husband and I drove the Highway to Hana on the gorgeous Hawaiian island of Maui. Or, rather, he drove, as you will see in this video: