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LAEM CHABANG, Thailand – More than 44 Sailors from the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) visited students at the Ban Thung Krad Elementary School for a community service (COMSERV) project Aug. 9.  “It was a great time and I can’t wait to do it again,” said Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Ravi Sookram, a …

PATTAYA, Thailand – Eight culinary specialists from USS George Washington (CVN 73) competed in the Teppanyaki Cook-off at the Marriott Resort and Spa Hotel in Pattaya City, Thailand, Aug. 8.  “Our Culinary Specialists go through a lot of training and this is a great opportunity to demonstrate what they can do,” said Cmdr. Pat McClanahan, …

There should be a judicial mechanism in Kenya where perpetrators of violence in Somalia can be tried, the parliamentary committee on defence has said. The committee chairman Aden Keynan also called on the international community to establish safe havens for the Somali refugees to prevent them from entering Kenya. Keynan said the UN should come …

Puntland’s general director of counter-piracy, Abdirisaq Du’aysane, told Somalia Report that Somali pirates released 14 captive seamen late yesterday after local community elders in Dhanaane village, where the hostages were being held, secured their release after long negotiations with the pirates. The former hostages arrived this afternoon in Garowe, the administrative capital of the semi-autonomous …

For years, Somali pirates have been hijacking ships off the coast of Somalia. For years, the United States and what we credulously call “the international community” have not been able to figure out what to do about it. As a result, more and more vessels are being attacked over a widening expanse of ocean; violence …

Following a limited amnesty extended to armed groups by the President of Puntland State of Somalia, H.E. Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud (Farole), on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony for the Puntland Electoral Commission on 17 July, the Government of Puntland has initiated dialogue with the community of Galgala area (Al Medo Mountains). An initial meeting …

By CLIFFORD D. MAY For years, Somali pirates have been hijacking ships off the coast of Somalia. For years, the United States and what we credulously call “the international community” have not been able to figure out what to do about it. As a result, more and more vessels are being attacked over a widening …

Evan A. Laksmana, Jakarta As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) enters its seventh decade and as ASEAN consolidates its regional community building ahead of and beyond 2015, the bodies have much to learn from each other. For NATO, ASEAN will be increasingly critical for the future of Asian stability and order and would be …

The United States on Sunday condemned acts of “intimidation” in the South China Sea and called for greater international attention to resolve maritime disputes that threaten trade. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said a deal between China and Southeast Asian nations on guidelines for future negotiations over the South China Sea was just a …

ANDREW LUSZTYK The saga of Somali piracy drones on without end, perpetuated by periodical, sensational media stories of daring rescues, multimillion-dollar ransoms or shocking violence. The world watches, slightly bemused or confused, while the scale, number and brutality of the attacks steadily increase. They are now more frequent and violent than ever before. The international …