Thursday, April 16, 2009

Pirates Are Testing My Patience...


Up until a few months ago, we sort of romanticized Pirates and their sailing the seven seas. We pictured them with a peg leg, patched eye and parrot on shoulder. Swinging from ropes onto ships they were about to loot for the booty. Their ship sailing a black skull and cross bones flag. You know the Pirates of the Caribbean kind of pirate.

Now we have a group of lawless Somali thugs sailing the Gulf of Aden and Indian ocean while illegally boarding and ransoming maritime shipping. These Somali nutcases currently hold 17 ships and over 300 hostages. Most of the shipping companies are willing to pay the ransoms to free their ships. That was until this past Sunday, when our Navy S.E.A.L snipers ended a week-long standoff with three dead, one captured and one in custody. I don't think that we should bring this degenerate back to the U.S. to be tried. If they did this more pirates would want to be captured for a free trip to the states for the benefits of food, clothing and shelter while awaiting trial. And in some cases may even be released to become government dependents.

Killing the three emboldened the rest of the pirate community. They indicated that they would kill any American that they take captive. They attempted to board another U.S. flagged ship today. So far only the French and the U.S. have taken the bold steps of using force against this lawlessness. Results are 5 dead hijackers and unfortunately one French hostage as well as 12 taken into custody.

It is estimated that the Somali pirates have raked in over $150 million since beginning operation in November of last year. That is pretty good as a start up enterprise. Now "Easy Button" Hillary Clinton had some tough words for the pirates. "These pirates are criminals, they are armed gangs on the sea. And those plotting attacks must be stopped." Now those are some fighting words and I am shaking in my shorts. All the while these fools have attempted to hijack another U.S. flagged ship. I guess they were not listening to the Easy Button.

Now for the whopper coming from Obama's Secretary of Status Now. We are going to seek 'diplomatic efforts to freeze the assets' of these pirates. Now what kind of stupid do they take us for? These are just rhetorical words. Last I checked Captain Jack Sparrow buried his booty in the ground not in the Bank of London. So what assets does she seek to freeze? While she did not commit to military action she did mention that we may go after their bases. My problem with this statement is the word "may". That is just a "NO" in lay-a-way. It took her boss several days to give the rules of engagement and authorization of force against those who held Captain Phillips hostage. She also wants to call for immediate meetings of international counterpiracy task force to expand naval coordination. More words that mean hurry up and wait.

I realize the Gulf of Aden as well as the Indian Ocean is a vast area to cover with our blue water navy but don't we track Al Quaeda terrorist with predator drones. Flying is faster than sailing. Put eyes in the sky and be ready to shoot the boats out of the water upon any threat of piracy. Clean up the seas by force. Soon these delays and shipping stoppages will affect our way of life on goods that travel on these ships coming to America.

End it now. Not with words but with definitive action. Capture, destruction or death!

That's my Word! Please post yours!

6 comments:

Clifton B said...

I too wonder why Europe, who first encountered the problem, did not band together and just start sinking ships. Clealy if the element of certain distruction was introduced into the equation, that $150 million operation would be far less attractive to the pirates.

Clearly, Europe is waiting for us to do the dirty work again (and they wonder why we are so dismissive of them). If Obama wants to be a true leader of he world, he would demand Europe cough up some subs to add to ours so that we all can do a join search and distroy mission.

Ron B said...

@Clifton
"IF" such a big word with few letters. You know that he is not a true leader.

Marvin said...

"Clean up the seas by force." I agree, Ron

Julie said...

I have always been shocked we didn't show force from day one. Why let them play this game. I am glad they are stopping with the messing around.

Ron B said...

@Marvin
Thanks for the comment.

Ron B said...

@Julie
With this administration of day to day policy changes the rescue of Capt. Phillips may have been a one time occurrence. I agree that force should have been shown on day one but I gotta give it to them placing a huge destroyer next to a life boat is a strong show of force. So kudos for that but no negotiations should be allowed.