Representatives from states bordering the Red Sea met in Cairo last week to forge a common policy against the threat of maritime piracy

The stepped-up presence of foreign navies, supposedly here to protect international shipping lanes from piracy, could pose a danger to Arab national security

In recent months, incidents of maritime piracy have suddenly proliferated, particularly in and around the Gulf of Aden off the coast of war-torn Somalia

This year alone, more than 80 ships have been attacked by pirates in the area

Even before the recent rash of piracy, foreign naval forces have had a significant presence in the area

Transit fees from the vital waterway, which accounts for roughly 7.5 percent of annual global maritime traffic, represent one of Egypt's chief sources of foreign currency

Piracy is a symptom of the real crisis, which is the disintegration of Somalia since 1991

The solution isn't to send foreign navies to combat piracy, but to end the long-standing civil war in that country