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UN gives OK to land, air attacks on Somali pirates

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-17 15:45

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice addresses a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to address piracy off the coast of Somalia at the UN headquarters in New York December 16, 2008. [Agencies]

He Yafei, China's vice minister for foreign affairs, told the Security Council that China is considering sending warships to the Gulf of Aden, where they would join ships from the US, Russia, Denmark, Italy and other countries.

Related readings: China 'seriously considering' naval mission in Somali Somali FM welcomes possible naval escort operations by China Somali pirates seize oil firm's tugboat off Yemen Kenya to impose sanctions on Somali president

Kenya's military chief, Gen. Jeremiah Kianga, said Tuesday his country will increase patrols along its own coast because the Somali piracy has made business at Kenya's main port more expensive. The Kenyan air force and navy will not enter Somali air space or waters, he said.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the Vienna, Austria-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said Tuesday that it is important for nations to jointly confront pirates.

"Regional cooperation is essential," Costa said. "A few years ago, piracy was a threat to the Straits of Malacca (in Southeast Asia). By working together, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand managed to cut the number of attacks by more than half since 2004."

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