NATO ships to join antipiracy effort

At the request of the United Nations, NATO Defense Ministers, who have been meeting in Budapest, agreed that NATO will provide a number of ships from the Alliance's Standing Naval Maritime Group to patrol the waters off the coast of Somalia to deter piracy and escort ships carrying food supplies for the World Food Program.

In this mission, NATO will also coordinate with other organizations, including the European Union.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told a press conference that the ships would arrive off Somalia in about two weeks. He said the decision was "good news for the people of Somalia and bad news for the pirates."