Swiss shipping operators confirm they employ armed security guards to protect their ships off Somalia & Gulf of Aden. Landlocked Switzerland plays a surprisingly prominent role in the commercial shipping scene. The Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company operates 422 vessels, accounting for 10.8 per cent of global shipping container capacity. Three years ago Swiss parliament voted not to take part in a European Union-sponsored security operation, called the Atalanta mission, designed to protect shipping, crews and cargo from increasing attacks by pirates in crucial commercial sea lanes, reports 'SwissInfo'. This decision did not affect the rights of ship owners and operators from hiring their own private security guards…
