Oceans and seas have a great strategic importance, whether because they are important waterways between continents and countries, or because they control trade routes and economic pathways, and also as they hold in their depths oil and gas pipelines and fiber optics cables (estimated to have a length of 14 thousand kilometers, especially those surrounding the African continent). In truth, the apparent importance of what lies above the ocean and sea surfaces, inside them and on the bays, straits and shores, may shy in comparison to the wealth these seas and oceans hold in their depths, including oil and gas, and also precious metals, and hence the bid of the major countries to seize these resources after the Arctic and Antarctic ices melt. Control of the seas has always been a major issue in the history of major states, ever since man first ventured into the sea to expand his trade. Meanwhile, piracy, which seems to have not yet ended, is one of the indicators of the importance of the sea, in particular near Bab el-Mandeb and the coast of Somalia, in addition to the hijacking of oil tankers or the targeting of others in the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian ocean. Another example also is the coast of Gaza, and the blockade imposed on this part of Palestine. In 2009, for instance, 406 acts of piracy were recorded worldwide, an increase of 38.5 percent from 2008. The number of targeted ships amounted to 153, of which 49 were seized. Also, the Somali pirates alone targeted 217 ships for financial purposes. In terms of the worrying signs taking place in the strategic locations of the oceans and seas, the importance of the naval fleets of the major powers is further emphasized. According to the estimates of 2002, there are nearly 1240 navy warships in the world, 14 percent of which belong to the United States, 24 to NATO members, 11 to China, 26 to other Asian countries, and 7 to Russia. In truth, oceans are laden with underlying economic causes that are expected to engender crises, led by prospecting for minerals, oil and gas, or those may cause pressure on governments to achieve economic gains. Meanwhile, countries that share coastal lengths may become a real threat to their neighbors, and may behave no differently than pirates who seize ships, as they violate international law and forcibly seize their neighbors' resources, such as the case with Israel. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is an international agreement reached after the Third Conference of the United Nations on the Law of the Sea between 1973 and 1982, failed to bring together the UN member states to coordinate security issues among themselves. While there are 43 countries that have no access to any seas or oceans, many large countries with a large maritime border refuse to comply with the majority of countries. The Law of the Sea sets out the rights and responsibilities of states in exploiting oceans, and the guidelines for commercial endeavors, the environment, and the management of maritime resources. The convention came in force in 1994, a year after it was signed by 60 countries, which since then have increased to 157 countries including the European Union countries. In 2007, the U.S President George W. Bush said that joining the agreement serves U.S national security interests, and advances U.S interests when it comes to ensuring the quality of the ocean environment…and secures a seat for the United States at the negotiation table when extremely important rights are discussed and interpreted in the U.S's favor. Despite this statement, the United States did not join the convention, even when the U.S had also declaredly concluded that [the convention] specifies the areas that fall within the scope of each country's control, and places restrictions on them and sets out laws regarding their exploitation. For example, the Convention mentions that “Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles (19.3 Km).” However, there are other provisions related to freedoms in the open sea that guarantee the security of each country. The convention also allows each country with access to the sea 200 miles (322 Km) called an economic zone where this country is sovereign, including over the resources lying within the zone. Hence, this economic zone is a maritime region where the country concerned has special rights in exploiting its marine resources. The exploitation of deep sea regions was allowed as of February 2001, with the signature of 15-year licenses to Russia, to a consortium (Bulgaria, Cuba, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Russia), and then to South Korea, China, Japan, France, India and Germany. Until May 2009, 74 countries moved to demarcate their continental shelves or exclusive economic zones, with the exception of United States, Ecuador, Nigeria, Liberia, and Israel as these countries did not sign the convention. In truth, the later poses a security threat to Lebanon, which is seeking to demarcate its maritime borders and the continental shelf otherwise known as the high seas, which runs 200 miles parallel to its territorial waters. This is because Israel is seeking to exploit the entire deep water resources off its coasts and also off the coasts of its neighbors. As such, Israel is seeking to pass a law on maritime zones, and to declare its exclusive economic zone; however, it fears repercussions. The question then is, can small countries exploit their own undersea resources, or will international agreements continue to be in favor of strong countries and in favor of ‘pirate-states'?
