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Last April, Somali pirates hijacked the French luxury yacht Le Ponant in the Gulf of Aden. After a three-day standoff, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France dispatched the Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN), which is considered to be Europe¡¯s top special-forces unit. The president also had the yacht¡¯s owner send a ransom in the amount of US$2.0 million to the pirates. Once the 30 hostages were released, 50 members of the special-forces unit swooped in by helicopter and recovered the money, as well as capturing six pirates to take back to France for trial.
Located along the route of a crude-oil pipeline connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and with Somalia itself racked by civil war, the Somali coastline has become one of the world¡¯s top places for piracy. Over 1,000 pirates have hijacked vessels from foreign nations and taken more than US$30 million in ransom. The money has been used to purchase satellite phones, minitracks, automatic weapons and bazookas. This year, more than 30 vessels have been hijacked.
We are no exception. The Dongwon, with eight Korean sailors aboard, was seized by force and released after 117 days. Other hijackings occurred last May and October. A North Korean ship has managed to fend of the pirates with gunfire. France, Canada and Malaysia have arrived at the decision to provide naval escorts for their ships when passing through the area. The French GIGN rescued two French hostages ? a husband and wife ? in a raid that took ten minutes.
When the Bright Ruby, with a crew of eight aboard, was hijacked on the 10th, there was talk of sending Korean naval ships to the area. At a meeting on the 22nd, however, the Ministry of Defense indicated it was not considering any such action. If Korea were to send a ship, it would likely be a 5,500 ton, Yi Sunshin?class destroyer. The three ships in this class are second in size only to Aegis King Sejong?class destroyers. Each can load two helicopters, Harpoon ship-to-ship missiles, SM-2 ship-to-air missiles, and 280 people.
If a destroyer is dispatched, it is expected it would need to be rotated out every three to six months. The destroyer would escort Korean ships, and in the event of a hijacking, a special-forces UDTs or marines would be deployed with helicopters and high-speed boats. The government has been criticized for its inaction in protecting its citizens against piracy. Even if it does not agree to the expense of sending a destroyer, the government must demonstrate its strong determination to send a message to the pirates, as President Sarkozy did personally in leading the endeavors to free the French hostages.
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