This year, when Somali pirates seized both a Saudi tanker toting $150 million in crude oil and a freighter full of Russian battle tanks, it was a vivid reminder not only of the perils of piracy but also the of kinds of threats that can spill over from failed states. Somalia, after all, is something of a poster child for failed states, having lacked a stable, functioning government for decades. Read the rest of this entry »

Nearly two centuries after the Barbary pirates stopped terrorizing European shippers, the once forgotten scourge of piracy is again a top concern for the world’s navies, shipping companies, and the firms that insure their cargo. Read the rest of this entry »

The attacks in Mumbai this winter shocked the counterterrorism community, not only for the brazen nature of the assault and its high death toll but also because of the low-tech manner in which such carnage was brought to the streets of the Indian city. It was yet another reminder of the ever evolving nature of the terrorist threat. Read the rest of this entry »