ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the multinational fight against Somali piracy emanated largely from Western powers preoccupation with 9/11 and the fateful global 'War on Terror', and that non-Western navies supported the anti-piracy movement simply as a means of furthering their own self-interests. The Security Council adopted a number of resolutions against piracy to facilitate international efforts against the threat to international shipping that was occurring first in the Gulf of Aden, then in the so called Somali Basin. The increased threat perception from criminal nuisance to formidable strategic threat resulted in swifter, stronger responses to the problem including Operation Atalanta, Operation Ocean Shield, and Combined Task Force 151 (CTF). In the opinion of this chapter, it is undeniable that, just as on other occasions, the Security Council resolutions were used more or less as convenient tools for the furthering of national interests if and when they were seen as affected by events.
