[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 61 (Friday, April 24, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S4718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SOMALI PIRACY

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I was glad earlier this week to join 
Senator Leahy in passing a resolution commending Captain Richard 
Phillips for his brave conduct, and those members of our armed 
services, particularly members of the Navy and Navy SEAL teams, who 
rescued Captain Phillips. I also commend the leadership of the 
President and the efforts of many U.S. Government departments and 
agencies in their response to this crisis. These many acts of bravery 
and leadership are deeply inspiring, and we should recognize them.
  However, while the episode involving the Maersk Alabama was resolved, 
we are likely to see more such episodes if we do not take comprehensive 
measures to address not only piracy on the waters but also conditions 
on land that enable it. We cannot ignore the fact that piracy off the 
coast of Somalia is an outgrowth of the state collapse, lawlessness, 
and humanitarian crisis that have plagued the country for over a 
decade. In recent congressional testimony, both Director of National 
Intelligence Blair and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Army LTG 
Michael Maples cited lawlessness and economic problems on land as the 
cause of the rise in piracy at sea. Until we address those conditions, 
we will be relying on stopgap measures, at best, to deter this piracy 
problem and we are unlikely to succeed in reversing the growing violent 
extremism in Somalia.
  For years I have been calling for the development of a comprehensive, 
interagency strategy to help establish stability, the rule of law, and 
functional, inclusive governance in Somalia. This is the only sure and 
sustainable solution to address the problem of piracy--and the 
instability in Somalia--over the long term. Moreover, I am convinced 
that we have a unique window of opportunity for progress as a result of 
the Ethiopian troop withdrawal earlier this year and the establishment 
of a new unity Government relocated back to Mogadishu. This Government 
has the potential to unite Somalia if it demonstrates a genuine 
commitment to inclusion and begins to make a real difference in 
people's lives--in terms of security and basic services, such as 
protection, trash collection and job creation. Helping the Government 
to find tangible solutions to expand effective and inclusive governance 
must be a central part of our overall strategy to stabilize Somalia and 
address the threats of piracy and terrorism.
  To that end, I continue to urge the Obama administration, as it 
develops its response to piracy, to make it a priority to engage at a 
high level with the new Somali Government. I have written to President 
Obama, asking him to personally call Somali President Sheik Sharif and 
indicate a clear commitment to work with his Government not just on 
maritime insecurity but also on establishing security and governance 
within the country. We have been engaging with President Sharif at the 
ambassadorial level for quite some time now, and I met the President in 
Djibouti in December. In addition, there needs to be a stronger and 
more sustained diplomatic push to engage with a wide range of actors 
within Somalia and stakeholders in the wider region--both in the Horn 
of Africa and the Middle East--if we are going to address the 
underlying problems that have contributed to piracy and rising 
extremism.
  The events with the Maersk Alabama earlier this month have finally 
brought increased attention to the problem of piracy in Somalia's 
waters. But it will be insufficient if our response only deals with the 
symptoms and not Somalia's central problems. I urge my colleagues and 
the different committees who will examine this issue over the coming 
weeks and months to take this seriously. For if we do not finally deal 
with Somalia's lawlessness and instability, we will continue to see 
them manifest themselves in activities--be they acts of piracy or 
terrorism--that threaten U.S. and international security.

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