AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Adam K Christensen for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Political Science, History, and Anthropology presented on May 12, 2011. Title: Modern Piracy: Regional Cooperative Security: Southeast Asia and the Middle East Abstract approved: ______________________________________________________ David A. Bernell Over the past ten years, reports of piracy and other forms of maritime violence have been dramatically on the rise. As these reports increase, so too does international attention toward how to solve this. This thesis examines the development of cooperative maritime security efforts in both Southeast Asia and the Middle East, paying particular attention to the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden region, as they pertain to turning the tide of violence in their respective maritime domains. Recent regional efforts to combat maritime security threats in the Gulf of Aden, and maritime piracy in particular, have drawn comparisons to similar efforts undertaken in the Straits of Malacca in the early parts of the past decade. However, such comparisons fail to address the unique nature of the politics and history of security cooperation in the Horn of Africa, particularly the way states in the region tend to rely upon external security support from more powerful nations, such as the United States and Japan. Additionally, often times these experts fail to discuss the cultural idiosyncrasies of the various nations. Despite some similarities shared between the two regions, the states of the Horn of Africa must deal with issues of prioritization, regional animosities, and external dependence before they can attempt to develop cooperative maritime security arrangements akin to those existing in Southeast Asia. Success will require a concerted effort by states in the region and realization by the United States of its role in supporting effective security cooperation in the region. ©Copyright by Adam K Christensen May 12, 2011 All Rights Reserved Modern Piracy: Regional Cooperative Security: Southeast Asia and the Middle East by Adam K Christensen A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies Presented May 12, 2011 Commencement June 2011 Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies thesis of Adam K Christensen presented on May 12, 2011. APPROVED: ________________________________________________________________ Major Professor, representing Political Science ________________________________________________________________ Director of Interdisciplinary Studies Program ________________________________________________________________ Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request. ________________________________________________________________ Adam K Christensen, Author ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I have so many people to thank for their efforts during this long and arduous process. First and foremost I‘d like to thank my wife Mehgan, without whom none of this would have been possible. Your encouragement and support throughout this entire process has been instrumental in my finally finishing. I couldn‘t have done it without you. Captain Campbell, Commander Volpe, thank you for helping me to manage my schedule to help fit this time consuming degree program in on top of maintaining my job within the unit. To the students of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps thank you for listening, many of you have helped me bounce ideas time and time again, and I‘m sure many of you have heard far more about piracy then you ever wished to. To Dr. Bernell thank you so much for everything you have done, your knowledge and assistance has been crucial to my success to date. No matter what happened I could always count on you for guidance or a swift kick when need be. Lastly to Dr‘s. Hamblin and McMurray, thank you for always being there for me, guiding me when I needed it or just being a sounding board, I couldn‘t have gotten here without your help and guidance. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 Problem: .................................................................................................................................... 4 What can be done: ....................................................................................................................... 7 Importance: .................................................................................................................................. 8 II. Literature Review ................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter Introduction: ................................................................................................................ 12 The Quest for Answers Begins: .................................................................................................. 13 The Theory of Cooperative Security: ......................................................................................... 15 The “Model” of Southeast Asia: ................................................................................................. 19 Security Cooperation in the Middle East: .................................................................................. 29 Response to the Obstacles: ........................................................................................................ 34 Chapter Summary: ..................................................................................................................... 35 III. Piracy in Southeast Asia ..................................................................................................... 36 Chapter Introduction: ................................................................................................................ 36 History of Piracy in Southeast Asia: ........................................................................................... 37 Unilateral Efforts at Counter-piracy: .......................................................................................... 40 Singapore: .............................................................................................................................. 42 Malaysia: ................................................................................................................................ 44 Indonesia: ............................................................................................................................... 47 Bilateral Cooperation and National Sovereignty: ...................................................................... 50 The Role of Foreign Government Interaction: ........................................................................... 53 1. Japan .............................................................................................................................. 54 2. The United States of America: .......................................................................................... 54 Regional Response to Increased International Attention .......................................................... 55 Multilateral Maritime Security Cooperation: ............................................................................ 57 1. Malacca Straits Coordinated Patrols (MALSINDO) ........................................................ 58 2. ReCAAP and the Information Sharing Center ................................................................ 58 3. Joint Coordinating Council – MALSINDO Revamped: .................................................... 60 Chapter Summary: ..................................................................................................................... 62 IV. Counter-piracy in the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden ..................................................... 66 Chapter Introduction: ................................................................................................................ 66 Unilateral Efforts at Counter-Piracy: .......................................................................................... 67 1. Somaliland .......................................................................................................................... 68 2. Puntland ............................................................................................................................. 69 4. Transitional Federal Government of Somalia ................................................................ 72 5. Yemen ............................................................................................................................ 74 Bilateral Cooperation in the Gulf of Aden: ................................................................................ 77 International Attempts at Regional Maritime Security: ............................................................ 80 2. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): .................................................................. 83 3. U.S. Responses and Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151): ................................................ 84 4. United Nation Contact Group on Piracy off Somalia (CGPCS): .......................................... 86 5. Additional International Actions: ......................................................................................