The U.S. (Navy) Returns to Somalia

The transitional government of Somalia announced yesterday that it has agreed to allow U.S. Navy vessels to enter Somali waters to pursue and capture pirates seeking refuge there. Last month, such pirates seized a South Korean fishing vessel and crew and escaped a joint U.S.-Dutch naval force by heading for Somalia.

Given the rather anarchic nature of Somalia, it is amazing that the U.S. government found a Somali government with which it could sign this agreement. More to the point, it is interesting that the U.S. government bothered to get permission before heading into Somali waters, given that Somalia doesn’t have a navy or coast guard (or really even a government).

One possible explanation: any pirates captured in Somali waters probably could not be prosecuted without permission from Somalia. Hence, any captures would not lead to any punishments. So sometimes legal formalism reigns.