VOA标准英语10月-NATO Launches Anti-Piracy Operation for Horn of A
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NATO warships1 have launched an anti-piracy2 operation off the coast of Somalia by escorting one ship to port with plans for a similar operation on Tuesday. Lisa Bryant has more from Paris.The NATO operation aims to help calm the situation off Somalia's coast, which has witnessed a sharp rise in pirate attacks in recent months. The 26-member alliance has authorized3 its ships to join an international effort to combat the piracy in the Gulf4 of Aden area, which is one of the world's busiest shipping5 regions connecting Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
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| NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop6 Scheffer (file photo) |
At a press conference in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the first operation escorting a boat on had gone well.
"The present state of play is that one NATO ship just finished escorting a ship that was bringing in supplies for the Burundi battalion7 for [the AU peacekeeping mission] in Somalia," he said. "If I am well informed, a ship is on its way and will dock on the 28th of October escorting a WFP ship."
The second NATO mission Tuesday aims to safeguard aid being brought into Somalia by the U.N. World Food Program. The east-African country has been wracked by warfare8 and has no functioning government - much less a navy to patrol its shores.
Pirates have hijacked9 a number of ships off Somalia's coast this year, asking huge amounts of money in ransom10. The most brazen11 act of piracy took place a month ago when a Ukrainian cargo12 ship was seized laden13 with arms. It remains14 in pirates' hands, despite being surrounded by U.S. forces as negotiations15 continue over ransom demands and handing over its passengers and cargo.
Several other countries have announced they would also dispatch ships to the region, including the European Union, in a bid to reduce pirate attacks.
