TOKYO, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Japan's defense minister Wednesday called for measures to be taken to counter the ongoing piracy threat off the coast of Somalia.
Yasukazu Hamada, Japanese minister of defense, called the violence committed by pirates in the Gulf of Aden a threat to Japan and the international community, the Japanese Ministry of Defense reported.
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Hamada Wednesday said the pirate threat needed to be addressed immediately. He issued an order to the commander in chief of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to begin preparing for counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.
According to an announcement, Hamada "plans to issue an order for maritime security operations as an emergency measure," the release said.
