Maritime Piracy And Terrorism Essay

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, increased speculation of terrorist attacks connected to maritime piracy has occurred in social media and national government discourse (Young & Valencia, 2003). Young and Valencia (2003) provide a valuable contribution to the issues concerning maritime piracy and terrorism by defining the differences and similarities between these two types of crimes. The similarities between terrorism and maritime piracy are that the underlying environmental conditions are the same: e.g. national poverty and political instability as well as the violent nature of the tactics used in both acts (Young & Valencia, 2003). In contrast, the primary difference between maritime piracy and terrorism is the fundamental objective. The purpose of the pirate is economic gain. Conversely, the ultimate goal of the terrorist, beyond the violent act of hostage taking or seizure, is a political or religious ideology (Young & Valencia, 2003).
The chart in Figure 5 graphically depicts the similarities and differences between maritime piracy and terrorism. Furthermore, Figure 5 provides a delineation of maritime piracy into …show more content…
The impact from an economic perspective can include the creation or adjustment of trade barriers, lifecycle costs of goods, supply chain disruption, and potential risk of human or environment disaster. The Office of the United States Trade Representative tracks relevant data through their National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (Office of the United States Trade Representative, 2015). The Office reports that an increase of maritime piracy is expected to increase costs of global trade. There is evidence to support a positive correlation between maritime piracy and the costs of global trade. Both the correlation and the cost impact deserve further