Christoper L. Daniels.
Reviewed By John Hoist.
Christopher L. Daniels’s timely book on piracy and terrorism in the Horn of Africa provides detailed, valuable information on a poorly understood and under-studied region that is attracting growing international attention. Analysts and policy makers will undoubtedly find this to be a very useful book. Unlike many authors, who are reluctant to make explicit policy recommendations, Daniels is overt in his support for U.S. and international anti-terrorist and anti-piracy operations in Somalia, and ends the book with a clear prescription for greater international aid for the sake of “truly eradicating the terrorist threat worldwide”….The author does an excellent job of accurately and carefully synthesizing the latest journalistic accounts and UN documents on the Horn of Africa…Daniels has provided a valuable resource for those seeking an orientation to the subject and a timely contribution to the body of literature on the civil war in Somalia.
A well-informed and authoritative account of the origins and magnitude of the threat of Somali piracy and terrorism plaguing the waters of the Horn of Africa. The author explains how the collapse of the Somali state and the ensuing chaos and anarchy created the environment for piracy and terrorism to proliferate and become major threats – embodied in the rise of terrorist groups such as al Shabaab and sharp spike in pirate attacks off the Somali coast. The author concludes with a critique of the measures employed to mitigate such security threats and offers a series of recommendations, such as establishing an all-inclusive reconciliation process, increased funding for peacekeeping operations, port security, eliminating ransom payments, challenging the religious legitimacy of terrorist organisations, monitoring and countering the internet propaganda by terrorist organisations, and developing other long-term strategies. The appendices include a timeline of major events in Somalia, a listing of the country’s clans, key people and institutions, and definitions of terms and acronyms.
