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  Saudi VLCC Hijacked by Somali Pirates
"..The seizure of an Aramco oil tanker, the Sirius Star, brings home to many people the extent of both the scourge and the dangers it poses for the Kingdom’s well-being if not confronted. This part of the world has always lived on trade, maritime trade in particular. Oil has not changed that. It has magnified it. These pirates, unless stopped, will continue their murderous, pillaging ways. This will not be the only tanker seized. There will be others. With cargoes around two million barrels, the pickings are just too tempting.."
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 Security Cooperation in the Gulf: Actions -- Rather than Words and Good Intentions - Anthony Cordesman
"..The Southern Gulf states and the U.S. must make major changes in their national security posture over the next few years. U.S. withdrawals from Iraq, the rising potential threat from Iran, and the need to meet new security challenges all require substantial changes in the security posture and forces of each Gulf country and in the size, structure, and deployment of U.S. forces in the Gulf. Cooperation between the Gulf states is only one aspect of these force shifts but it is a critical one. The Burke Chair at CSIS has developed a new briefing on such cooperation that strongly challenges the idea that Iran is an emerging hegemon in the region. It draws on a briefing prepared for the 17th annual policymakers conference of the National Council on US-Arab Relations.."
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