Excerpts: Peres praises Saudi's Abdullah.Dealing with rampant
piracy.November 14, 2008

+++JORDAN TIMES 14 Nov,'08:"Israeli president praises Saudi king"
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Israel's president had rare praise for Saudi Arabia's
king at a UN interfaith conference Nov12, saying his initiative to end the
Arab-Israeli conflict inspired hope that all countries in the Middle East
could live in peace.
Speaking to hundreds of influential people in the General Assembly chamber,
where Israel has often been attacked and villified by its Arab neighbours,
Israel's Shimon Peres appealed to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to maintain
his leadership in the Arab world during the difficult process of achieving a
peace settlement.
Minutes earlier, King Abdullah said it was "high time" the world learned the
harsh lesson of history - that differences between followers of different
religions and cultures "engendered intolerance, causing devastating wars and
considerable bloodshed without any sound logical or ideological
justification.. . .

+++JORDAN TIMES 14 Nov.'08:"Spmali pirates risk choking key world trade
route"
Somali pirates are causing havoc in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's
busiest shipping lanes, which connects Europe to Asia and the Middle East
via the Suez Canal.
Piracy off the Horn of Africa has been a problem for years, but daily
attacks are now forcing shippers to seek alternative routes. Pirates have
been exacting big ransoms from ship owners, threatening humanitarian
supplies, firing on laden oil and gas carriers and pushing insurance costs
sky high.
Here are some facts about how the wave of attacks is threatening
international seaborne trade.
What is the impact?
Major operators of the world's merchant fleet - carrying some 90 per cent of
the world's traded goods by volume - are seriously considering by-passing
the Gulf of Aden and Suez Canal altogether.
- Industry experts say the alternative trade route, round South Africa's
Cape of Good Hope, would add some three weeks or more to a typical journey,
pushing up costs for goods.
- Two well-known shipping firms, one that specialises in gas and the other
the world's largest tug operator Svitzer, are already routing their vessels
via the Cape of Good Hope.
- Millions of tonnes of crude oil, petroleum products, gas and dry
commodities like grains, iron ore and coal, as well as containerised goods
from Hi-Fis to toys are ferried through the Gulf of Aden and Suez Canal
every month.
Where is the Gulf
of Aden?
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Middle East with Yemen to the north,
Somalia to the south and the Arabian Sea to the east. It is connected to the
Red Sea by the Bab El Mandab Strait. Somalia has been stuck in civil
conflict for 17 years.
What passes through?
Exports from the Gulf and Asia to the West must pass through Bab El Mandab
before entering the Suez Canal. Nearly 20,000 ships pass through the Gulf of
Aden each year, heading to and from the Suez Canal.
. . .- Around 30 per cent of Europe's oil goes through the Gulf of Aden
and Red Sea.
- Liquefied natural gas exports from Qatar and Algeria pass through the Gulf
of Aden en route to consumers in the West and in Asia. The largest class of
gas carrier transiting the area carries enough gas to heat 4.5 million
British homes.
- The Gulf of Aden and Suez Canal are the main trade routes for dry
commodities and containerised cargo - manufactured goods - between Asia,
Europe and the Americas.
- The Suez Canal is the third major source of income for Egypt.
Regional security:
Intelligence sources say three suspicious trawlers are now in the Gulf of
Aden and are believed to be pirate mother vessels looking to attack and
hijack ships.
- The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said a total of 199 incidents of
piracy or attempted piracy were reported worldwide during January-September,
of which 63 were in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast.
- Recent attacks have brought the anti-terrorist Combined Task Force 150
into action. The multinational unit, part of Washington's Operation Enduring
Freedom, is based in Djibouti and has come to the aid of many ships attacked
by pirates.
- In late August, it announced a string of waypoints marking a Maritime
Security Patrol Area or safe corridor, which warships will patrol while
coalition aircraft fly overhead.
- While there is no formal agreement between the coalition and other navies,
they have been communicating with each other and sharing information to more
effectively patrol the area.
- The British navy killed two pirates this week after the attempted
hijacking of a Danish vessel. Britain's HMS Cumberland was joined in action
by a Russian frigate. French ships have also engaged pirates in recent
months, killing some, capturing others and freeing hostages.
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Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA