Arab News has a summary of news concerning the Sirius Star, the Saudi supertanker seized by pirates in the Indian Ocean. It reports no change in the ransom demand, which remains at $25 million. The pirates warn against any acts to recover the ship by force and note that they change its location regularly. The Saudi Cabinet of Ministers talked about ways to curb piracy while the Arab League talked about forming a joint Arab naval force. The last is perhaps useful if it can get Arab navies to seriously cooperate, but as it’s an Arab League initiative, I doubt that it will lead to anything.

Cabinet vows to curb surge in pirate attacks
Samir Al-Saadi I Arab News

JEDDAH: The Council of Ministers yesterday expressed deep concern over the surge in pirate attacks along the coast of Somalia. It was reacting to the hijacking of Saudi Aramco supertanker, the Sirius Star, by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean on Nov. 15.

“The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, discussed various measures to curb such criminal activities,” Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani told the Saudi Press Agency.

In Cairo, Arab League chief Amr Moussa took a similar line. He said Arab countries should deploy their own naval forces to fight the escalating piracy in the Horn of Africa.

“There should be a joint Arab force based on the letter and spirit of the Arab conventions,” Moussa told reporters, referring to the Arab League’s defense pact. “Piracy is affecting the Arab countries’ security, interests and their economies.”
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