A job well done: The Indian Ocean pirate situation

[12voltman59]

Whatever or however one feels about the US, our military and all of that----you do have to hand it to those on scene in this situation with the American captain having been held hostage by the Somali pirates--the actions taken by our naval personnel to deal with it was nothing less than stellar.

Even though the conditions on those seas have been rather calm---the environment on the high seas is always a hard one to work in or on.

That they were able to "take out" those three pirates simultaneously, while not harming the hostage, under the conditions of being on the sea--was just something. It does show the degree of training and expertise our people have attained.

As far as that situation is concerned----in the short term--we are going to have to up the ante---use as many combat capable US Navy and Coast Guard vessels we can spare, and as many as the multinational group operating there can muster as well and for a time-----set up exclusion zones in which---any ship or plane not cleared to be there--can expect to be shot down or sunk---we have to make it the case--that for those who decide to go out and attack commercial ships--- they can have a reasonable expectation----"they will kill me if I am caught being out there!"

I know that the situation in Somalia must be desperate----it is a failed state to be sure---and things are pretty much lawless and hopeless there---in the long term--that is something the world, the other nations of the African continent along with those nations near Africa, need to deal with as quickly as they can to the degree they can.

The only real way to stop this activity on the part of the Somalians is to change their situation on land. It is not going to be easy, but we have to at least make the effort to change it, otherwise--this sort of thing is going to be just a part of doing business there, and not just near Somalia, but in many places all over the world.

[nudeorphic]

Now we need to send in the Marines and clean up that coast. Just like the times of the Barbary pirates.

[Doggie_Wood]

Now we need to send in the Marines and clean up that coast. Just like the times of the Barbary pirates.

History may just very well be on the verge of repetition. And damn well time for it too.

:2cents: Doggie :doggie:

[jem_is_bi]

It is great for such a success for the US. Further, it would be nice if a permanent solution was so easy. But, only the establisment and enforcement of law and order on land and sea bring an end to problems such as this.

[(m)ichClosetcraver]

It's obvious that the Somalis' situation may be desperate, at best. But even still, they'll never be mistaken for the brightest people in the world. With the U.S.'s successful operation as well as a French rescue and killing of 4 more pirates, word has it that they have hijacked 4 more ships today. Obviously they haven't thought this through-- don't they realize the training, technology, and firepower HAVE to be far more superior to what they have.

When you can shoot and kill 3 men (with ONE shot each !), without hurting the captain held captive, from several hundred yards away, in the dark, on choppy waters, into a COVERED boat, AWESOME!!........ i'm thinking any other of these pirates would think twice before hijacking a U.S. ship again !!... but, like mentioned before, they're not the brightest !!

And weather you're democratic or republican, I say you got to tip your cap to Obama.... nice move... never tipped his hand in how he was gonna approach this situation, he just ordered it, and they went in and got the job done !!! And these pirates now say we're their 'enemy #1'... i say- Go ahead, bring it on.... we've got more where that came from !!!!.....(for you country fans, you probably know this one, but i think it applies any time Americans are done wrong ANYWHERE !..........

http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/toby-keith/courtesy-of-the-red-white-and-blue-the-angry-american--2158187 ..."We'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way !!!"

[FalconAngel]

Well, this subject is up on another forum that I am on and there were some very good and very bad ideas, ranging from using water cannons that feed from the ship's waste and bilge to indescriminately attacking the villages and ships.

First thing to do is to re-institute the program that the British and Americans did in WWI and WWII; "Q" ships (also called "Mystery" ships).
Here's the link for those that don't know what a Q ship was: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship

Then we (US, UK, Germany, Israel, other allied nations) execute a hostage extraction mission on the ships that are currently holding hostages. This would be handled by units such as Mossaad, Navy SEALs, SBS and similar naval based counter-terrorist/Spec Ops units.

Immediately after retrieving the hostages, an air strike on the ships identified as Pirate vessels will be sunk and destroyed.

Then we wait for 1 hour after the ships have been sunk and tell them that our next act will be to destroy any villages that are a safe haven for pirates. That they need to turn over any and all pirates to international authorities for trial and they have 2 hours to begin compliance or we will strike those villages.

We also let them know that, after that day, we will destroy any village that lends aid or support to pirates. Then we follow through on that threat.

All of this will also run concurrent with an international Naval blockade of their waters, redirection of all shipping away from their waters. Boarding and inspection of all ships trying to enter or leave their waters and sinking any vessels that belong to the pirates; confiscation of all cargo that are combat support for the pirates and military escort of all international relief ships to safe harbor within their waters.

A single assault ship and support vessels plus a few ships from each of our other allies can do the job quite nicely.


It's a simple philosophy;

He puts one of yours in the hospital, you put 2 of his in the morgue.
He cuts you with a knife, you shoot him with a gun.
He brings a gun, you bomb him out of existence.


It is a gruesome and oppressive philosophy when used against law abiding people, but with criminals, it is very effective.

If the Somali government will not protect international shipping within their waters, then the international community can and will do it for them.

[hudson9]

If the Somali government will not protect international shipping within their waters, then the international community can and will do it for them.

Unfortunately, in your last line you refer to a premise that is based on a falsehood -- there is no Somali government in any real, practical sense. It is a country in anarchy. Your premise that, if we demonstrate vicious overwhelming force and then present an ultimatum, assumes that the country is operating under some kind of unified coherent structure. Each of the many bands of pirates are an operation unto themselves. -- The Crips aren't going to stop their mayhem if we threaten to crush the Bloods. Heck, some would probably welcome the onslaught if they thought they had better hiding places than the others -- we'd be helping get rid of their competition! Meanwhile, further destruction of what little remains of the country will only increase the conditions that gave rise to the situation in the first place.

As seductive as the Rambo solution seems, it really only works in the movies. At best it provides only a temporary respite, and at worse it compounds the long-term problems.

I am NOT saying that use of force has no place in the solution, just that relying on overwhelming, indiscriminate, brute force is both simplistic and ultimately counter-productive.

[nudeorphic]

http://images.scotsman.com/2002/07/04/en0207b52b.jpg

Let there be arc light!