Shippers face higher insurance as pirates run amok

LONDON ? Shipping your oil across the Gulf of Aden? Don't forget your piracy insurance.As a ragtag group of gunmen face off against the U.S. Navy near the coast of Somalia, industry-watchers say shipping companies already smarting from the global downturn are forced to pony up extra cash for steeper premiums to cover multimillion dollar ransoms or take the long way around African continent in the hope of dodging hijackers."The pirates were the only people who had a good year in 2008," said Crispian Cuss, a security consultant with the Dubai-based Olive Group.The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, is one of the busiest and most dangerous waterways in the world. As pirates have become more aggressive, the cost of insuring ships has gone