The visit, along with a Russian warship’s visit to Venezuela and Nicaragua and passage through the Panama Canal earlier this month, comes in response to the announced American missile defense shield in Europe as well as the presence of American ships in the Black Sea during the recent conflict with Georgia.

Russia also announced that it plans to give 10 fighter jets to Lebanon as part of a defense cooperation deal, and is preparing to sell anti-aircraft missiles to Iran.

Christopher Sabatini, an expert on Latin America and senior director of policy for the Council of the Americas, speaks with Martin Savidge about the significance of the timing of the visit, Raul Castro’s proposed prisoner swap with the U.S. and potential changes to Cuba-U.S. relations under Barack Obama.

Shannon O’Neil, a specialist on Latin America at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Martin Savidge to discuss Chávez’s position, joint naval exercises between Russia and Venezuela and Obama’s approach to Venezuela going forward.

AUDIO: Jane Campbell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy’s fifth fleet stationed in Bahrain, discusses the situation in Somalia and the Navy’s role in protecting ships.

People flee the Somali capital of Mogadishu, where Islamist forces have launched attacks against the government.

On Saturday, pirates seized a Saudi supertanker holding $100 million in crude oil —  the largest vessel ever hijacked by pirates, reflecting their boldness and heightened ambitions.

On Tuesday, the ship anchored in Harardhere, a pirate stronghold in Somalia.

As the piracy threat escalates — costing the maritime industry billions and putting the lives of hostages in danger — bloggers around the world are assessing the causes and asking what the international community can do.

The surge in piracy stems in part from violence onshore, where Islamist forces continue to fight a Western-backed government.

The U.S. supported Ethiopia’s 2006 intervention in Somalia, which helped end Islamist rule, but Ethiopian troops who once supported the transitional Somali government are now withdrawing.

“The Nairobi Chronicle” blog expresses frustration that “the international community does not see the link between piracy in Somalia and the impotence of the transitional government,” and blames the Western powers that helped oust the Islamist government.

A writer at the “East Africa Forum” blog says that pirates seek a lucrative alternative to the poverty and violence onshore, asking “Why stay on land and fight Ethiopia’s occupying forces (and for what?) when one can rule the seas for riches?”

The “Justus for All” blog writes that international bodies can mitigate piracy by addressing Somalia’s onshore issues.

The Islamist forces claim they can stop piracy, as they attempted to do during the brief period of rule by the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in 2006.

David Axe of the “War is Boring” blog writes that given the current violence and piracy, some Somalis might welcome the return of Islamist control.

Frank Pope writes in an editorial for The Times Online that because shipowners see pirates as businessmen — with an emphasis on profit rather than violence — they are hesitant to arm guards, which could potentially lead to gun battles.

National governments, too, often prefer to pay pirates ransom. “The American Empire” blog argues that these governments and U.S. Navy act ”more like international lawyers than warriors” and argues that order can be restored through internationally coordinated military action — headed by China and the U.S., who both have interests in Africa.

The “Good Read” blog writes that international governments have been more successful in coordinating the fight against pirates in southeast Asia, urging swift resolution of military, legal and technical issues in Somalia.

For more on piracy and violence in Somalia, see our ongoing coverage.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user ISN Security Watch under a Creative Commons license.

A bombed boat in Berbera.

Sea piracy has doubled in the last six years, costing the maritime industry more than $16 billion each year.

Somali pirates have attacked more than 30 ships this year in the Gulf of Aden, making piracy a serious concern in the Horn of Africa. The U.S. Navy and its allies have thwarted some attacks.

“The Duck of Minerva” blog calls for targeted efforts in pirate hot spots (also off the coasts Nigeria and in South Asia). The blog also suggests that Western countries recognize the semi-autonomous Somaliland as a legitimate political entity in order to enforce laws within the region.

Blogger “TFS Magnum” is skeptical of the U.N.’s ability to deal with piracy.

“The Maritime” blog examines possible solutions to piracy and the difficult choice companies face in deciding to pay employee ransom or refusing to pay in order to deter future attacks.

After two French hostages were rescued from Somali pirates, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for an international effort to combat pirates.

RAND recently released a report stating that piracy and terrorism remain essentially separate issues, with the goals of each being financial and political, respectively.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user friendly-fire under a Creative Commons license.