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Posted on 01/11/2009 6:38:20 PM PST by T.L.Sink
Somali pirates released the Sirius Star, the Saudi supertanker seized in November. The U.S. Navy photographed the $3 million dollar ransom dropped onto the ship by a remote-controlled parachute. Did we try to apprehend the Somalis once they released the ship and its crew? No, we did not. We didn't? We didn't do anything to stop the perpetrators even though we were close enough to record the events on film. We should have captured or killed the Somalis instead of idly observing their chance drowning. Every pirate has now realized that the mightiest nation on earth has, by its own hand, made itself weak and ineffectual. This wasn't "restraint" - it was paralysis. And why should we care? Because every rogue leader, dictator, and autocrat has also watched events off the coast of Somalia and learned the same lesson. We may not deserve what happens next, but we should not be surprised when it occurs.
(Excerpt) Read more at commentarymagazine.com ...
The Saudi Navy also has blue water capabilities.
No kidding. Do we (and other civilized countries of the world) have submarines out there with numerous torpedoes, or do we not? Do pirates and their crafts deserve anything other than being sent directly to the bottom? I know, I know - the “international courts” would much rather pine about wanting to prosecute George Bush for his “war crimes”, but they could make themselves actually slightly useful to humanity by authorizing pulling the trigger on these dangerous idiots.
Was it truly a “chance drowning” would be my question.
At first I though I should discount the price if you brought your own guns but then I decided it would be more profitable to charge extra for letting people use their own guns and I could charge extra for ammo.
There will be a military discount available except for all you special forces guys, I'll have to charge you extra otherwise the Pirate Killing contest will be no fun for all the amateurs. All the Marines have to compete blindfolded, it's the only way to keep it fair for everyone else.
We'll have cool prizes, like the winners get to keep all the ransoms we find paid by the stupid countries to the dead pirates.
I figure I could make a killing off of FReepers alone.
It was the Karl Rove wave machine.
Will Chuck Norris be allowed to compete?
It was not a US freighter.We are not the world’s policeman. The only interest the US had was to get the ship returned. It was the ships owners decision to ransom ship, cargo and crew. We had no ownership authority on the freighter. If it was a US ship and the ship owners wanted the US to act, then there might be a difference. So far no US freighters have been attacked and hijacked.
It would have been satisfying to blow the pirates out of the water but we had no legal basis since it was not a US ship.
The pirates did have a big wave swamp one of their boats and several drowned along with their share of the ransom.
It’s annoying, but US forces should defend US interests. And I mean ONLY US interests.
We have to get it out of our heads that “defiance anywhere” = “anti-US defiance”. That’s a huge canard, OK?
Muzzie steals from Muzzie? GREAT!
Steal from me and you get the horns!
Sad to think the money went to the bottom.
I’m confused. Really confused. Why is it our responsibility to police the Somali Pirates?
How many American flagged, American interest vessels have the Pirates captured? How many American’s have been held for ransom?
How does it involve the U.S.? Why should we be spending our taxpayer dollars defending everybody else’s merchant vessels?
The “Barbary Pirates” of yore that Jefferson sent our Marines to eliminate were attacking our vessels, holding our seamen for ransom/tribute. We were justified to enter into aggressive actions against them.
Today we don’t have much if any Merchant Marine anymore, and not a single American I’ve read has been involved in the Pirate captures for ransom today.
Let those whom are at risk defend those foreign sea lanes they use themselves.
I for one am damned tired of the United States being accused of being the Father of the rest of the World’s bastards, and being held responsible for those bastards’ welfare.
Yeah, I’m Pissed off.
Well, o-k then. But will you supply the k-bars? Or how 'bout some old fashioned sabers?
I think freedom of commerce on the high seas and suppressing piracy is very much in our interest. Even Thomas Jefferson knew that in the early 19th century. We can’t stick our head in the sand and be isolationists. Those days are gone.
In my opinion, you’ve got too narrow a view of what is an attack on America’s interests. For example, you suggest that unless an American vessel is directly militarily attacked anything else that happens should be of no concern to us. This is an age where trade and commerce are geopolitical and international. What happens in Pittsburgh might affect the Japanese stock market. Likewise, those oil tankers that are held for ransom affect all petroleum prices. But I can’t believe that anyone can turn his back on piracy and hijacking of ships in the 21st century. This isn’t the end of the 16th century but the beginning of the 21st.
If one of OUR vessels was "Militarily attacked" is a completely different scenario to assault and capture for ransom by Pirates, therefore I suggested no such a thing.
I am saying to you and anybody else reading this post that we cannot, must not continue aggressively absorbing responsibility for every criminal action around the World. Not only because of the inherent result of such action, which is that we become, are then responsible for all such Worldly welfare, but also it's economically devastating to our Nation.
The rest of the World simply expects us to shed the blood, pay the price, and criticize us for not tending Abu in Yemen's ingrown toenail. That is a bunch of Bullshit American's shouldn't have to contend with.
"But I can’t believe that anyone can turn his back on piracy and hijacking of ships in the 21st century. This isn’t the end of the 16th century but the beginning of the 21st."
Why should we be responsible as the author of the article suggests we be?
There's a time and place to jump into a fight between others, and a time and place to stand off and let them resolve their own problems.
Our Nation's Politicians have taken on way more responsibility for Worldly woes than is necessary, and way more than our pocketbooks should have to handle.
I'm all for helping, but I'm totally against accepting upon ourselves the responsibility for every wrong in the World.
“Even Thomas Jefferson knew that in the early 19th century.”
T.L., as I said in my original post, the Barbary Pirates of yore were capturing our vessels, and our seamen, therefore the action Jefferson took was for our interests, our citizens, our vessels. We today are not being directly assaulted by the Pirates as then.
We have many other problems to take care of rather than getting involved in a conflagration with Pirates that can be, and is being addressed by those most directly involved with that matter.
I understand your position. However, the Barbary Pirates were not just attacking our ships but were (and this was equally important to Jefferson) attempting to control and monopolize Mediterranean commerce. I fail to see why you think only a direct physical attack on US is worthy of response. By attacking freedom of commerce and terrorizing ships engaged in legal commerce in international waters, they are vitally affecting American interests as well as that of our allies. An attack or assault on the freedom of others is an attack on ours. With all due respect, you seem to be adducing isolationist arguments. To me, the weakest argument is that we have “many other problems.” Of course, but when havn’t we had many other problems? That’s not a reason for not dealing with one that affects our economic interests, the freedom of commerce, AND to cease some Dark Age pirates from making fools us in the international community.
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