Chalk up one for the good guys!!

[Shawn R. L.]

So relieved we actually kicked some pirate booty instead of playing nice. Hope there\'s more to come.


Thanks guys and thank you Obama for the green light.

 

[The Trooper]

....more like 3!!!

 

[Jericho]

I hear that somebody was firing mortars at an airplane containing a US Congressman. If rumors are true and this turns out to be the same group (allegedly financially linked to Al-Qaeda) then you can bet more pirate asses will be pwned by Navy Seals in the future. The same radio report I heard mentioned that many other merchant vessels in the region are being held for ransom.

Another note: I heard it was a decision made on the spot by some high-ranking Naval officer. From what I heard the nature of the situation didn\'t allow for Presidential authorization, but I hope that all the good guys involved here get the acknowledgment they deserve.

The captain held for hostage supposedly negotiated for the release of his entire crew, putting himself in harm\'s way to make sure everyone else got out safely. I\'m glad the Americans didn\'t let this genuinely heroic act end in tragedy.

 

[Jericho]

Taken from http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/04/obama_and_the_p.html

Obama gave the Navy \"shoot to kill\" orders against the pirates if Phillips appeared to be in imminent danger, and the situation seemed to be deteriorating when negotiations between the pirates broke down and turned aggressive. The Navy said three Special Forces snipers positioned at the stern of the USS Bainbridge -- a destroyer sent to the scene to negotiate for Phillips\' release -- killed all three of the pirates holding the captain at gunpoint.

...

Meanwhile, authorities confirm that the president has authorized the Pentagon to come up with a comprehensive plan to root out pirate havens along the Somali coastline. Helicopters once again flew over pirate bases near Eyl on the Somali coast overnight after Phillips\' rescue.

The Associated Press reports that the Justice Department is already reviewing evidence to determine whether to file criminal charges in US federal court against the captured Somali pirate. The administration is treating the matter as a criminal case because officials have found no direct ties between East African pirates and terror groups.

More than 250 hostages of many nationalities are still being held along the Somali coast by pirates who have seized dozens of vessels, from tankers to yachts, in recent months.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

Originally posted by Jericho
The same radio report I heard mentioned that many other merchant vessels in the region are being held for ransom.

From The Independant -
Since January, pirates have staged 66 attacks, and they are still holding 14 ships and 260 crew members as hostages, according to the International Maritime Bureau, a watchdog group based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Might get busy down there.

 

[sanctuary13]

 

[waghorn41]

As I see it there is no authoritative government in Somalia, just a lawless free for all. Time for some inserted force to resolve this situation.

 

[Jericho]

To an extent you are correct, Waghorn. But we all know how things tend to go when the US tries to enforce their will on an Eastern nation with ties to terrorist organizations... and I\'m pretty sure Obama would hate to do in Somalia what Bush did in Iraq.

There are some serious efforts to assist the Somalian government in training/equipping a force to fight these pirates. But since these are pirates and not the Somali government they can\'t just invade the country to deal with them. In Afghanistan and Iraq the government and the terrorists were in many ways inseparable. You couldn\'t deal one without the other, so you had to remove both at the same time. Here, it would be more like a collaborative effort to take down a criminal organization. It\'s not America\'s jurisdiction so they have to be very careful not to step on any toes and make a huge mess out of the situation.

In this case, there was an attack on an American vessel so it was sort of an act of self-defense. With the pirates attacking people of different nationalities on foreign soil, the U.S. really can\'t act on other nations\' behalf.

Sorry this is hard to summarize I support what they did, but it\'s not time for a posse to run around and string up anyone they don\'t like from a light post. That is a pretty dark chapter of recent and not-so-recent history, and one we should endeavor to avoid!

 

[hestan101]

Originally posted by waghorn41
As I see it there is no authoritative government in Somalia, just a lawless free for all. Time for some inserted force to resolve this situation.

to a extent this is true, but its only completely correct for the northern region the pirates came from

 

[airhead]

@ sanctuary13: This is a bit out of the CG\'s jurisdiction. Their charter is to patrol our own coastal waters.

USN is to protect our flagged vessels on the high seas.

Station a small squad of Uncle Sam\'s Misguided Children on each of our vessels going through that area. First time on of the pirate boats shows up and starts shooting, sink it.

@Jericho, why do they want to bring that 4th pirate back to the U.S. for trial? Let him get a trial by sea under Maritime Law.

My old Capt\'n used to say \"In port, I have one superior. At sea, I am god.\"

 

[Monkeysplitters]

Time for some inserted force to resolve this situation

The U.N. tried that in 1993, but Clinton wussied out. So I gotta give Obama props for having some testicular fortitude. Especially since it was 4 friggin pirates in like a dingy. Honestly, the U.S. ship had over 20 crew members. so If they have a few weapons on board they prob could have avoided this whole situation entirely. Since the pirates only kidnap sailors and generally dont kill them since hey just want the easy money. Arm the merchant ships and you would prob stem the prob outright.

Ok, rant over. God bless those Seals.

 

[airhead]

Originally posted by Monkeysplitters
The U.N. tried that in 1993, but Clinton wussied out.

I don\'t completely understand that statement (I do, but I\'m just makeing sure we are tracking on the same wavelength...)
Clinton was/is not the U.N. and the U.N. is not us.

 

[wiccanpony]

I wouldn’t ask the UN for a bandage!

 

[Legacy Account]

Push people to the edge and this is what you get.

There\'s also the fact that the pirates get paid out on a regular basis. 50 million US last year by all accounts, so it\'s working for them. The answer is not to pay them out and to arm merchant shipping in the area.

The Somali coastguard has launches, but the government can\'t afford to send them out more than a couple of times a month. When they catch \'pirates\' there\'s never any evidence to prosecute them as the weapons go into the sea.

Yet another country/people who have an axe to grind against the west.

 

[airhead]

Originally posted by Spacemunkie
Push people to the edge and this is what you get.

There\'s also the fact that the pirates get paid out on a regular basis. 50 million US last year by all accounts, so it\'s working for them. The answer is not to pay them out and to arm merchant shipping in the area.

The Somali coastguard has launches, but the government can\'t afford to send them out more than a couple of times a month. When they catch \'pirates\' there\'s never any evidence to prosecute them as the weapons go into the sea.

Yet another country/people who have an axe to grind against the west.

What axe?

I didn\'t make their country shite. If they don\'t like the government, do something about it. None of the Western countries got where they were by sitting around whining that there are no jobs or it is someone else\'s fault. Get off their collective duffs and do something.

Oh, wait. They did, they went out and hijacked commercial shipping vessels and got paid millions in ransom. Where\'d the money go? Worked so well that they just kept doing it. Nobody gets hurt, just a big game. Nothing wrong with that. The west has people just rolling in money and they should ship it over there in containers just because.

Of all the money that they have received in ransom, where is it? Why are they not rich and powerful?

 

[chaos877]

Originally posted by airhead

Originally posted by Spacemunkie
Push people to the edge and this is what you get.

There\'s also the fact that the pirates get paid out on a regular basis. 50 million US last year by all accounts, so it\'s working for them. The answer is not to pay them out and to arm merchant shipping in the area.

The Somali coastguard has launches, but the government can\'t afford to send them out more than a couple of times a month. When they catch \'pirates\' there\'s never any evidence to prosecute them as the weapons go into the sea.

Yet another country/people who have an axe to grind against the west.

What axe?

I didn\'t make their country shite. If they don\'t like the government, do something about it. None of the Western countries got where they were by sitting around whining that there are no jobs or it is someone else\'s fault. Get off their collective duffs and do something.

Oh, wait. They did, they went out and hijacked commercial shipping vessels and got paid millions in ransom. Where\'d the money go? Worked so well that they just kept doing it. Nobody gets hurt, just a big game. Nothing wrong with that. The west has people just rolling in money and they should ship it over there in containers just because.

Of all the money that they have received in ransom, where is it? Why are they not rich and powerful?

I\'ve heard that the pirates generally put the money towards getting better/faster boats, weapons and ammunition. Somalia is really just ruled by whichever gang is most powerful, so the pirates could have affiliations with these gangs, and they get some small cut of the wealth to keep for themselves. I mean, if you lived in a lawless wasteland, impoverished to no end, and someone asked you if you want to be rich/powerful, you\'d do it.

I think what really needs to be done, is the UN needs to get together and either donate some escort ships, or put together a concentrated effort to kill the pirates at their home bases. The somalian pirates are a bit like a hydra. If you just keep cutting off its heads at sea, more will sprout up. If you destroy the heart, It\'ll die.

 

[Legacy Account]

Originally posted by airhead

What axe?

I didn\'t make their country shite. If they don\'t like the government, do something about it. None of the Western countries got where they were by sitting around whining that there are no jobs or it is someone else\'s fault. Get off their collective duffs and do something.

Oh, wait. They did, they went out and hijacked commercial shipping vessels and got paid millions in ransom. Where\'d the money go? Worked so well that they just kept doing it. Nobody gets hurt, just a big game. Nothing wrong with that. The west has people just rolling in money and they should ship it over there in containers just because.

Of all the money that they have received in ransom, where is it? Why are they not rich and powerful?

And you wonder why a goodly portion of the world thinks the US is ignorant....

 

[Monkeysplitters]

quote:Originally posted by Monkeysplitters The U.N. tried that in 1993, but Clinton wussied out. I don\'t completely understand that statement (I do, but I\'m just makeing sure we are tracking on the same wavelength...) Clinton was/is not the U.N. and the U.N. is not us.

Yeah, that was a shortened internet version of The United States was in Somalia in 1993 under the U.N. peace keeping force, but as we (the U.S.) took some casualties the president decided it best for the U.S. forces to leave the country. and again I give props to Obama for not letting politics lead to military paralysis.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

Originally posted by Spacemunkie
And you wonder why a goodly portion of the world thinks the US is ignorant....

I\'ll flip that one around and say that a goodly portion of us stupid Americans are of the opinion that many Europeans think a little too highly of themselves...... While much of Europe were all busy being \'wise\' they got THEMSELVES in a whole lotta trouble more than once and we saved their asses. The next time Europe falls flat on their faces there\'s a goodly portion of us dumb Americans who wouldn\'t mind, , sitting back, making a bowl of popcorn and watch the \'wise\' get shellacked.

 

[Legacy Account]

Originally posted by Shawn R. L.

I\'ll flip that one around and say that a goodly portion of us stupid Americans are of the opinion that many Europeans think a little too highly of themselves...... While much of Europe were all busy being \'wise\' they got THEMSELVES in a whole lotta trouble more than once and we saved their asses. The next time Europe falls flat on their faces there\'s a goodly portion of us dumb Americans who wouldn\'t mind, , sitting back, making a bowl of popcorn and watch the \'wise\' get shellacked.

I rest my case.

I\'d also like to know how this sort of sentiment dovetails with a supposed Christian belief system...