Abhyankar, Jayant. “Maritime Fraud and Piracy.” Phil Williams and Dimitri Vlassis, eds. Special Issue on Combating Transnational Crime. Transnational Organized Crime. Vol. 4, Nos. 3&4, (Autumn/Winter 1998): 157-194.
Abstract: Comprehensive article documenting maritime crime and fraud involving a combination of criminal acts that ultimately results in the loss of money, goods, or the vessel itself. Those elaborated include documentary, charter party, and insurance frauds along with container crime, deviations, phantom ships, and piracy. Piracy is subdivided into six specific types varying by region, level of violence, and whether the cargo or the ship itself is the target.

Bergin, Anthony and Sam Bateman. Future unknown: The terrorist threat to Australia’s maritime security. Strategy paper. Barton, Australia: The Australian Strategy Policy Institute Limited, 2005.
Internet: http://www.aspi.org.au/publications/publication_details.aspx?ContentID=69&pubtype=5.
Abstract: Response to 9/11 and Bali terrorist attacks along with maritime attacks on the USS Cole and French tanker MV Limburg that identifies gaps in Australia’s institutional and operational maritime security arrangements. The authors point out that aviation security principles are not applicable to ports since, unlike airports, they differ greatly among themselves in physical attributes and governmental jurisdiction varies widely. While the Australian government pledged $102 million for maritime security over four years, identified gaps remain. These include coordination of efforts, the management of high consequence dangerous goods and the supply chain, and the sheer number of foreigners employed in the maritime industry. Good figures outlining responsibilities of agencies and the call-out process for a maritime terrorist attack.

Burnett, John S. Dangerous Waters: Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Inc., 2002. Call Number: G 535 .B87 2002
Abstract: Journalistic account by a former United Press International reporter who sailed the Malacca Straits aboard a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), a 300,000 ton vessel carrying two million barrels of crude oil. Based on his experience and other first hand accounts, the author chronicles the dangers faced by the crews of these ships every day due to piracy and maritime terrorism. Useful endnotes.

Davis, Gregory S. Piracy in Southeast Asia: A Growing Threat to the United States’ Vital Strategic and Commercial Interests. Thesis. Quantico, VA: U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, 2002. Internet: http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA403682.
Abstract: Based on Southeast Asia’s links to both piracy and Islamic fundamentalism, author claims it is only a matter of time before terrorist groups pirate a ship in that region with the intent to use it as a means to bring a floating suicide bomb to US shores. Detailed discussion is made of individual ethnic and religious fundamentalist groups and links to al Qaeda along with some mention of state-sponsored piracy by China. Interesting look at state-of-the-art netting and technology available through the Barracuda Corporation of Sweden which can camouflage all aspects of a ship’s signature to ten nautical miles. Conclusion advocates increasing US and allied naval presence in the region.

DoD USS Cole Commission. USS Cole Commission Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Defense, 2001. Internet: http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS8803.
Abstract: Report responding to the suicide bombing of the USS Cole in the Port of Aden, Yemen on 12 October 2000. The study confirms the importance of proactive versus defensive response to the threat to in-transit forces from maritime terrorism. Resulting recommendations include the need to improve the Unified Commander-in-Chief’s (CINC) Service Component Commander’s anti-terrorism/force protection (AT/FP) capability.

Eklöf, Stefan. Pirates in Paradise: A Modern History of Southeast Asia’s Maritime Marauders. Copenhagen, Denmark: NIAS Press, 2006. Call Number: DS526.7 .E35 2006
Abstract: Focuses on piracy in Southeast Asia over the last 25 years and seeks to understand the resurgence of piracy in that region. Investigation is made into the historical, social, political, and economic factors that contribute to piracy becoming the major security threat it is today. Of particular note are two chapters; the first, on the blurring of opportunistic and organized maritime criminal activities and the second, on piracy undertaken in the name of God by Islamic extremists as acts of fund-raising and terrorism.

Elliot, Robert. “Piracy on the High Seas.” Security Management. Vol. 51, No. 6 (June 2007): 40-42.
Abstract: Report indicating that, while the number of piracy attacks worldwide has declined, their level of violence has increased. The author emphasizes that attacks themselves will once again increase unless worldwide law enforcement pressure is maintained. Mention is made of unstable politics and economics as contributing factors.

Gottschalk, Jack A. and Brian P. Flanagan. Jolly Roger with an Uzi: The Rise and Threat of Modern Piracy. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2000. Call Number: HV6441 .G67 2000
Abstract: Covers a lot of ground concerning historical and modern day piracy around the globe. A good introductory overview of the many facets of the topic and one of the few works to document piracy’s global reach.

Greenberg, Michael D., et al. Maritime Terrorism: Risk and Liability. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Center for Terrorism Risk Management Policy, 2006. Call Number: VK203 .M38 2006
Abstract: Focuses primarily on ramifications of a maritime terrorist event targeting American interests and the issue of civil liability and assesses the threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences of various hypothetical scenarios targeting both passenger and container shipping vessels. The study notes that the post-9/11 vulnerability of sea-based versus landed targets and the increased capacity of terrorists both for acting alone and for contracting out to pirates along with the ability of the media via satellite communications to broadcast anywhere in the world are changing the appeal of maritime terrorism. The disruptive economic dimension of attacks on commercial shipping is seen as particularly appealing to al Qaeda. Useful listings of maritime-capable terrorist groups and high profile maritime terrorism incidents are provided. Concluding discussion challenges the perception that terrorists and piracy syndicates are collaborating and poses doubt that there is a high risk of terrorists sinking either a freight or cruise vessel.

Hympendahl, Klaus. Pirates Aboard!: 40 Cases of Piracy Toaday and what Bluewater Cruisers Can Do About It. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Sheridan House, Inc., 2003. Call Number: G535 .H9613 2003
Abstract: Written in response to the radical increase in concern about piracy by pleasure yachters in the late 1990s, the author has compiled a well-researched group of forty first-hand accounts of piracy against yachters around the globe, primarily during the period 1995-2001. He queries each about what they did right and wrong in the attack and for advice to other sailors.

International Maritime Bureau (IMB). Internet: http://www.icc-ccs.org/imb/overview.php.
Abstract: Based in the UK, the IMB is a specialized division of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) established in 1981 to fight maritime crime and fraud. It offers authentification services for a ship’s financial documents as well as offering expertise in the suppression of piracy. The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre was created in 1992 and is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The website offers weekly piracy alerts and a live piracy map listing actual and attempted attacks by year from 2001 to the present. The current publications section offers access to a free yearly piracy report.

International Maritime Organization (IMO). Internet: http://www.imo.org.
Abstract: Established through the 1948 Geneva Convention, the IMO first met in 1959 and is charged with developing and maintaining a comprehensive regulatory framework for the global shipping industry. Operating as a specialized agency under the auspices of the United Nations and based in the UK, one of its primary foci since 9/11 is maritime security. The website is a treasure trove of information—in particular, see the IMO Library Services section for a document entitled “Information Resources on Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea” which includes current IMO and other international publications on the topic as well as conference proceedings and video and internet resources.

Johnson, Derek and Mark Valencia, eds. Piracy in Southeast Asia: Status, Issues, and Responses. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2005. Call Number: DS 526.7 .P54 2005
Abstract: The first installment in a planned series by the Netherlands-based International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) and Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS). Contributions by seven authors provide a well-rounded reference work on piracy in this region. The historical background and official perspectives are discussed along with topics including the need for regional collaboration in counter-piracy and political barriers to such cooperation and the relative advantages and disadvantages of linking piracy and terrorism.

Kvashny, Karen. Modern Maritime Piracy in Asia: A Case Study of Transnational Organized Crime. Dissertation. Irvine, CA: University of California Irvine, 2003. Call Number: HV6252.5.A85 K92 2003
Abstract: Presents evidence that organized crime syndicates worldwide are using piracy to obtain large sums of money, control trade, and exploit weak states. Discusses the role of governments in hindering enforcement of piracy laws.

Langewiesche, William. The Outlaw Sea: A World of Freedom, Chaos, and Crime. New York, NY: North Point Press, 2004. Call Number: HE 570 .L36 2004
Abstract: Authored by a correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly, this work provides an eye-opening history to the use of “flags of convenience” by ships at sea, the reality of the meaninglessness of paperwork belonging to these ships even if the documents and inspections behind them are authentic, and the reasoning behind modern concepts of territorial waters and the right of “innocent passage.” It highlights various incidents of individuals and contraband cargo discovered in shipping containers and the problems of discovering these, given the nature of the container shipping industry, without very specific intelligence information. Despite the fact that increased Coast Guard inspections have better protected U.S. shores from a land-based or small-boat attack, the author contends that the U.S. is still very vulnerable to the threat of a heavy maritime attack—such as a large ship carrying a destructive weapon or which simply blows itself up in port.

Lehr, Peter, ed. Violence at Sea: Piracy in the Age of Global Terrorism. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, 2007. Call Number: G535 .V56 2007
Abstract: Edited work with eleven articles divided into three sections. The first looks at the primary location of the threat of piracy and the factors that offer an attractive window of opportunity for both its opportunistic and organized forms. The second covers the nature of modern piracy in terms of tactics, capabilities, and groups involved. The article on “compound piracy” is particularly interesting in its breakdown of a pirate attack into its tactical to operational-level pieces. The third section covers responses to piracy in the form of international law, politics, and tactics and considers why, in the face of these, it is still rampant in parts of the globe. A concluding piece offers an outlook for the threat of maritime terrorism for the post 9/11 world and suggests that, rather than simply increasing security spending, the root causes of piracy and terrorism must be addressed.

Maggio, Edward J. “Maritime Piracy.” Journal of Counter-Terrorism & Homeland Security International. Vol.13, No. 3 (Fall 2007): 12-16.
Abstract: Views piracy as a larger security issue. Notes the unpreparedness of the maritime industry in contrast to increased security in commercial aviation and cites cases of piracy by known terrorist groups. Particular attention is given to the potential for blocking shipping lanes and for the use of a tanker as an improvised explosive device. Not well edited.

Richardson, Michael. A Time Bomb for Global Trade: Maritime-related Terrorism in an Age of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) Publications, 2004. Call Number: HV6431 .R52 2004
Abstract: Focusing solely on contemporary maritime terrorism, this work looks at al Quaeda along with the two dozen or so violent groups that have received financing, training, and ideology from that group (including Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers, Singapore’s Jemaah Islamayah, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the Philippines.) It evaluates the threat they pose to seaborne trade and its land connections, particularly in terms of the detonation of a crude nuclear explosive device or a radiological bomb, and concludes the system is indeed vulnerable and that documents and other evidence indicate the intent and ability exist should those weapons become available to these groups. The author predicts that such an attack would cut the arteries of marine commerce and severely damage the global economy and he offers seven minimum recommendations for disaster prevention and recovery.

Romi-Levin, Rivka. Piracy at Sea: Bibliography. Haifa, Israel: Wydra Institute of Shipping and Aviation Research, July 2003. Call Number: JX444.A12 R66 2003
Abstract: Introduction describes definitions and types of piracy and current anti-piracy measures for vessels, including Secure-Ship and ShipLoc. Provides a 26-page bibliography and a 2003 International Maritime Organization (IMO) report that includes a list of reported attacks, by region, along with a number of useful tables and diagrams analyzing this data.

Rubin, Alfred P. The Law of Piracy. New York, NY: Transnational Publishers, Inc., 1998.
Call Number: K5277 .R83 1998
Abstract: Covers the origins and evolution of the concept of piracy and the subsequent enactment and application of statutes addressing it. Primarily a historical work, most of the analysis focuses on laws enacted prior to the middle of the twentieth century.

Stuart, Robert. In Search of Pirates: A Modern-Day Odyssey in the South China Sea.
Great Britain: Mainstream Publishing (Edinburgh) Ltd., 2002. Call Number: G535 .S824 2002
Abstract: A journalist’s personal experience in Indonesia in search of the truth behind the statistics on piracy and insights into the cultural and economic climate that fosters it.

Walters, Stephen. “Contemporary Maritime Piracy.” Crime & Justice International. Vol. 23, No. 96 (January/February 2007): 10-16.
Abstract: Looks at 2004 International Maritime Bureau (IMB) data on number, types of victimization, and weapons utilized in pirate attacks by region. The majority of pirate attacks were found to be by act-alone groups, while ships were at anchor, using low-tech weapons and with the most violent attacks occurring in Far/Southeast Asia. Concern is expressed regarding future pirate attacks in congested shipping lanes or pirating a ship as a weapon for terrorists.

Compiled by Dr. Robert J. Bunker and Pamela L. Bunker, 11/07