Apparently it will take the full power of an International military assault on Somalia to halt their criminal acts upon the high seas. These seagoing thieves have stepped up attacks since their recent loss of the Maersk Alabama and its Captain. What, short of a full-scale, International military invasion, can be done to reduce the attacks on shipping in International waters?
A very expensive solution would be to increase the number of battle-ready naval ships in the Indian Ocean/Gulf of Aden. Although the sailors and marines aboard these ships are being paid for their service 24-7, keeping a ship in motion takes a lot of expensive fuel.
Another possible solution would definitely be a money-saver ... interrupt all foreign and humanitarian aid from the USA to African nations for as long as there is piracy in the area. This would put the recipients of the humanitarian aid in the position of having to deal with the pirate problem. Our Government is borrowing money so we can afford to give away food, clothing and medical supplies to other countries! I'm sorry, but where is the sense in that? If we don't have the cash we should just say "NO!"
I could be wrong about this... but I'm not!
Showing posts with label Somalia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Somalia. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Somali Pirates - Part III - "Learn From Your Mistakes"
We have an old saying in the United States - "There's no such thing as a free lunch." What that means is there is a cost for everything one does - even earning an honest living! Working for wages to acquire the things you and your family need (or just want) requires a forfeiture of family time. Threatening innocent, unarmed people at gunpoint to get that which you desire is considered a supreme act of cowardice. But then, the Somalis are well-known for their cowardly acts!
On October 3rd, 1993, Somali cowards killed 18 American soldiers and wounded 73 - American soldiers who were there on a mission of mercy! Deployed to bring food to starving Somalis, they were greeted with hostility and small arms fire.
Piracy has become big business for Somalians, who are currently hiding 17 ships of various nations, and holding over 200 seamen from those ships as hostages. Where is the International pressure? Where is the International cooperation? Where is the Toothless Tiger of the United Nations? Why is this criminal practice of piracy allowed to continue? Why have the nations whose ships have been captured, not banded together to present a united military front, telling the Somalis, "Release our ships and our people today, or tomorrow will be your last day." Where is it written that the world must coddle thieves, thugs, terrorists and other assorted ne'er do wells?
In closing, I have only this to say... Somali cowards, learn from your mistake. If you feel like a free lunch don't look for it on board a ship flying the American flag... the cost is too dear!
On October 3rd, 1993, Somali cowards killed 18 American soldiers and wounded 73 - American soldiers who were there on a mission of mercy! Deployed to bring food to starving Somalis, they were greeted with hostility and small arms fire.
Piracy has become big business for Somalians, who are currently hiding 17 ships of various nations, and holding over 200 seamen from those ships as hostages. Where is the International pressure? Where is the International cooperation? Where is the Toothless Tiger of the United Nations? Why is this criminal practice of piracy allowed to continue? Why have the nations whose ships have been captured, not banded together to present a united military front, telling the Somalis, "Release our ships and our people today, or tomorrow will be your last day." Where is it written that the world must coddle thieves, thugs, terrorists and other assorted ne'er do wells?
In closing, I have only this to say... Somali cowards, learn from your mistake. If you feel like a free lunch don't look for it on board a ship flying the American flag... the cost is too dear!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Somali Pirates - Part II
The Somali Pirates are not a baseball team... they aren't even a romanticized version of swashbuckling seamen on deck beneath billowing sails... but rather, they are thieves and thugs! Their successes should be an embarrassment to the shipping countries of the entire world, and to the naval forces of those countries patrolling the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean.
The gravity of the situation was compounded by the thugs' use of the Maersk Alabama's Captain as a bargaining chip for both financial reward and freedom. There are several problems arising from this single act of piracy:
1. Piracy itself is a violation of the United Nations Maritime Law (International Maritime Law) which was signed by 150 nations.
2. Merchant vessels are currently prohibited from arming themselves, which makes them relatively easy targets for the Somali sea thieves.
3. Although 150 nations signed the UN's Maritime Law in 1982, there are only about a dozen countries providing naval patrols along the shipping routes. Another fine example of the effectiveness of the United Nations. This extremely limited response should be a major embarrassment to the United Nations.
4. Four Somali thieves - with a hostage in a lifeboat - are holding a ship of the line from the United States Navy at bay, while the thugs try to negotiate their way out of the problem they have created for themselves. This must be an embarrassment for the US Navy, if not for your doesn't-have-a-clue President! There are a couple of ways of looking at it:
a. The USS Bainbridge and the USS Halyburton have been instructed not to attempt a rescue of the freighter's Captain for humanitarian reasons. These would include bringing the power of a US Naval Destroyer to bear on four ingnorant, thieving natives in a lifeboat, or accepting that the pirates would, as threatened, kill their hostage should any rescue attempt be made.
b. These four Somali thugs are extremely threatening to the US Navy combat vessels, and the ship's Captains are afraid that the thugs will sink their ships ... yeah - right.
c. The entire standoff is to preserve the life of the Maersk Alabama's Captain. This one is my personal choice - simply because if it were not for his presence on that lifeboat, it would have already been converted to a deathboat!
My suggestion would be to send 5 Navy Seals over the side after dark, and simply have them kill the pirates, and rescue the hostage, in one single synchronized movement. End of standoff, and everybody except the bad guys goes on about their business. But, perhaps that's an oversimplification of how to deal with thugs.
I could be wrong about this... but not as wrong as choosing to let this standoff go on for an extended period. Kill 'em all, and let God sort 'em out!
The gravity of the situation was compounded by the thugs' use of the Maersk Alabama's Captain as a bargaining chip for both financial reward and freedom. There are several problems arising from this single act of piracy:
1. Piracy itself is a violation of the United Nations Maritime Law (International Maritime Law) which was signed by 150 nations.
2. Merchant vessels are currently prohibited from arming themselves, which makes them relatively easy targets for the Somali sea thieves.
3. Although 150 nations signed the UN's Maritime Law in 1982, there are only about a dozen countries providing naval patrols along the shipping routes. Another fine example of the effectiveness of the United Nations. This extremely limited response should be a major embarrassment to the United Nations.
4. Four Somali thieves - with a hostage in a lifeboat - are holding a ship of the line from the United States Navy at bay, while the thugs try to negotiate their way out of the problem they have created for themselves. This must be an embarrassment for the US Navy, if not for your doesn't-have-a-clue President! There are a couple of ways of looking at it:
a. The USS Bainbridge and the USS Halyburton have been instructed not to attempt a rescue of the freighter's Captain for humanitarian reasons. These would include bringing the power of a US Naval Destroyer to bear on four ingnorant, thieving natives in a lifeboat, or accepting that the pirates would, as threatened, kill their hostage should any rescue attempt be made.
b. These four Somali thugs are extremely threatening to the US Navy combat vessels, and the ship's Captains are afraid that the thugs will sink their ships ... yeah - right.
c. The entire standoff is to preserve the life of the Maersk Alabama's Captain. This one is my personal choice - simply because if it were not for his presence on that lifeboat, it would have already been converted to a deathboat!
My suggestion would be to send 5 Navy Seals over the side after dark, and simply have them kill the pirates, and rescue the hostage, in one single synchronized movement. End of standoff, and everybody except the bad guys goes on about their business. But, perhaps that's an oversimplification of how to deal with thugs.
I could be wrong about this... but not as wrong as choosing to let this standoff go on for an extended period. Kill 'em all, and let God sort 'em out!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Somali Pirates Operating Unchecked By International Naval Forces
A very confusing day in the media - "Pirates Capture US Freighter" ... oops, correction: "American Crew Retakes Freighter From Pirates" ... no, wait a minute: "American Freighter Captain Held By Pirates". There must be a story there somewhere, although the media has done an excellent job of obscuring it.
So, what's new about this particular story of piracy on the high seas? Nothing really. The Somali pirates "attacked" the huge freighter with their little rubber boats. Why were they able to do so, successfully? Because on their little rubber boats they had fully automatic assault weapons, RPGs and rocket launchers. Little did they know that the fearless crew of the ship they were attacking had been trained to defend themselves against pirate attacks at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy... using fire hoses! Now, I don't know about you folks, but if I were forced to confront armed pirates, a fire hose would not be my weapon of choice! What do you call a man who brings a fire hose to a gunfight? The loser!
I don't suppose anybody has considered narrowing the shipping lanes to a manageable width, like say ... 10 miles wide, and then have ships of the international naval contingency every 25 miles (or so) along that Indian Ocean route beginning about 400 miles outside Somali waters?
Or, alternatively, arm those merchant ships to the point that an attack would be foolish beyond belief! Twin .50s fore, aft and amidships, with shoulder-launched heat-seeking missiles at each station. Perhaps that would inspire the pirates to have second thoughts about their chosen field of endeavor.
I could be wrong about this, but it's highly unlikely!
So, what's new about this particular story of piracy on the high seas? Nothing really. The Somali pirates "attacked" the huge freighter with their little rubber boats. Why were they able to do so, successfully? Because on their little rubber boats they had fully automatic assault weapons, RPGs and rocket launchers. Little did they know that the fearless crew of the ship they were attacking had been trained to defend themselves against pirate attacks at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy... using fire hoses! Now, I don't know about you folks, but if I were forced to confront armed pirates, a fire hose would not be my weapon of choice! What do you call a man who brings a fire hose to a gunfight? The loser!
I don't suppose anybody has considered narrowing the shipping lanes to a manageable width, like say ... 10 miles wide, and then have ships of the international naval contingency every 25 miles (or so) along that Indian Ocean route beginning about 400 miles outside Somali waters?
Or, alternatively, arm those merchant ships to the point that an attack would be foolish beyond belief! Twin .50s fore, aft and amidships, with shoulder-launched heat-seeking missiles at each station. Perhaps that would inspire the pirates to have second thoughts about their chosen field of endeavor.
I could be wrong about this, but it's highly unlikely!
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