WASHINGTON, April 1 (UPI) -- Ransom undermines judicial efforts to curtail the threat from pirates in shipping lanes off the Horn of Africa, U.S. officials said in Washington.
International efforts are under way to tackle the threat from pirates operating in key shipping areas near the Gulf of Aden off the Yemeni and Somali coasts.
The Panamanian-flagged MV Iceberg1, owned by Iceberg International Ltd., was hijacked Monday about 10 miles off the port of Aden, Yemen, with 24 crew members aboard.
Ransoms aren't uncommon for hijacked vessels. Andrew Shapiro, the U.S. assistance secretary for political-military affairs, said during a symposium on counter-piracy policy in Washington that promise of ransom undermined deterrence efforts.
Shapiro said building judicial capacity in the region was seen as a way to thwart piracy while strengthening legal systems in countries in the Horn of Africa.
"This is simultaneously an effort to effectively prosecute pirates and therefore deter future acts of piracy and to make a positive contribution toward strengthening the rule of law in the region," he said.
Shapiro singled out Kenyan initiatives in prosecuting pirates, saying it served as a regional model.
"We have intensified a crackdown on terrorism and the borders are well-secured," Kenyan Internal Secretary Francis Kimemia told the Kenyan Broadcasting Co.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy reported Thursday the USS Nicholas captured suspected pirates in international waters west of the Seychelles.
The Navy said it took fire shortly after midnight Wednesday, confiscating "a suspected mother ship" following a brief pursuit.
