Maritime Proposal a Proposal for Research Paper

As our research warns, piracy is today a mode for undermining industrial shipping nations such as the U.S. and, as a result, connects closely with the political imperatives for undermining U.S. foreign policies that drive many terrorist groups. And as we find in our readings, piracy and terrorism have increasingly worked to common ends. Indeed, "despite the romantic image of pirates, the violent seizure of merchantmen on the high seas is a growing problem; in 2001, 335 incidents occurred, a figure that rose the following year to 370. In the first six months of 2003, 234 attacks against merchantmen were recorded, with the waters of the Indonesian archipelago being regarded as the most dangerous." (Daly, 1) the danger of this pattern is reinforced by the events which actually preceded and served as portent to September 11th. When terrorists bombed the U.S.S. Cole, a battleship at port in Yemen, they demonstrated in no uncertain terms that the United States naval resources were highly porous and susceptible to attack.

Since that time, most sources consulted in our research will demonstrate, our practical regulations and general security orientation toward our ships and ports has not advanced nearly enough in the decade since these attacks first surfaced. As a result, there is sufficient reason for us to speculate that a major and devastating terrorist attack might certainly target our ships and ports in the future. For the United States, security concerns should center on improving the protection of ships moving through international shipping lanes and for dramatically improving the screening of all vessels and their haul as they make port.

Works Cited:

Daly, J.C.K. (2003). Al Qaeda and Maritime Terrorism, Part I. The Jamestown Foundation.

Graffagnini, M.J. (2004). A practical proposal for maritime security. MONDAQ…