Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The troops will take part in the first such naval operation mounted by the 27-member EU, which involves warships and aircraft from several nations and aims to provide protection to ships delivering aid to Somalia and to civilian vessels.
A surge in attacks at sea this year in the busy Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean off Somalia has pushed up insurance costs, brought the gangs tens of millions of dollars in ransoms, and prompted a rush of foreign warships to the area.
There have been nearly 100 attacks in Somali waters this year, despite the presence of several foreign warships. Sea gangs are holding about a dozen ships and nearly 300 crew, among them a Saudi supertanker loaded with $100 million of crude oil.
The German lower house of parliament is set to vote on Berlin's commitment to the anti-piracy mission on December 19. The German frigate "Karlsruhe" is to be made available to the EU mission immediately afterwards.
Germany, the world's top exporter of goods, is dependent on safe seaways, with a large majority of its imports and exports being delivered by sea.
German forces currently serve at the Horn of Africa under the U.S.-led "Operation Enduring Freedom" and have come to the aid of ships which have been attacked. However, Germany's defence ministry says that mission only allows them to provide emergency assistance, not to directly target pirates.
Berlin has been seeking to expand its role in overseas missions in the last decade and currently has forces in countries including Afghanistan, Kosovo and Lebanon. But many Germans remain uneasy about the emergence of a strong army.
In October, the German parliament voted to increase Berlin's
participation in a NATO peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan, despite
strong voter opposition.
SOURCE: Reuters, Wednesday, December 10, 2008