I wrote last week on the problem of the Somali pirates. Michael B. Oren, via the WSJ, has done an excellent job of documenting the history of the pirate problem in the Jeffersonian period and how we dealt with it then…and how that applies to today’s situation.
Read it here.
In my prior diary, one of our intrepid readers implied that I was suggesting that the US take unilateral action. I was not. Oren addresses this question:
Still, in the post-9/11 period, America would be ill-advised to act unilaterally against the pirates. The good news is: It does not have to. In contrast to the refusal to unite with America during the Barbary Wars, or more recently the Iraq War, the European states today share America’s interest in restoring peace to the seas. Moreover, they have expressed a willingness to cooperate with American military measures against the Somali bandits. Unlike Washington and Jefferson, George W. Bush and Barack Obama need not stand alone.
And this is accurate. Where there is no obvious (direct) impact on American interests, we should tread lightly on unilateral action. I made light of the UK’s reluctance to act because of international law. There is some attention to be paid to this issue, but I suspect that most of the nations directly impacted by the actions of the pirates are willing to forgo their concerns about it at this point.
Oren’s assertion is that the affected nations will be (and probably are) seeking US cooperation in addressing this situation. His conclusion is that we should be prepared to take military action against the piracy. I agree, in particular because of the implications of not addressing it and knuckling under to their demands.
In spite of the potential pitfalls, an America-led campaign against the pirates is warranted. Though the Somali pirates do not yet endanger American trade, they will be emboldened by a lack of forceful response. Any attempt to bargain with them and to pay the modern equivalent of tribute will beget more piracy. Now, as then, the only effective response to piracy is a coercive one. “We shall offer them liberal and enlightened terms,” declared Commodore Decatur, “dictated at the mouths of our cannons.” Or, as William Eaton, commander of the Marines’ march to Tripoli, more poignantly put it: “There is but one language that can be held to these people, and this is terror.”
Note his quote from William Eaton. I previously made this point as well. These “pirates” are terrorists, and their “language of hate” (to twist Gary Smalley a bit) is terror. The connection between “terror” and “piracy” cannot be understated.
Daniel Horowitz
Neil Stevens
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Jake Walker
Excellent diary.
mbecker908 (Diary) Saturday, November 22nd at 2:03PM EST (link)I’ve long held that terrorism can be stopped. The critical element in stopping it is that “we” must act in a manner that those who would consider using terrorism as a tool do so with the absolute certainty that they will be hunted down and killed. Preferably killed in their family home so we can get the whole damn clan at the same time.
The penultimate statement in dealing with terrorists was Golda Meir sending hit teams to kill the people who planned and executed the Munich massacre. I’ve always thought the two biggest mistakes Ronald Reagan made were: 1-not allowing the US Marines to flatten Lebanon after the bombing that killed 241 Marines, Navy and Army personnel; 2-stopping the Israelis from killing the PLO down to the last man – including Arafat – when they had them bottled up in Beirut.
I really wish we’d purge the phrase “bring them to justice” and substitute the phrase “kill the lowlife bastards”. We shouldn’t ever again have to deal with a “Gitmo” issue. If we take prisoners they should aggressively questioned and, if determined to be on the side of the terrorists, they should be summarily executed. And if their bodies happen to be recovered and a “celebration of their marytrhood” like we’ve seen in the West Bank happens at their funeral, drop napalm on the gathering.
Bottom line, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, I don’t give a hoot if they like us or respect us as long as they REALLY fear us.
Good assessment
Kudzu (Diary) Saturday, November 22nd at 2:20PM EST (link)Commerce to our new born republic was essential and we needed to assert our ability to defend our interests. Today, the piracy issue is marginal but affects certain segments of the global economy. The EU and NATO have already taken steps to protect ships transiting the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea so it seems that there is little need for us to send in the Navy and do it proper.
Here’s an article from the UK on the EU armada, Operation ATALANTA
It always did take two of you to take down one of me. – Jo Bob Priddy, North Dallas Forty.
Now on at http://kudzu630.wordpress.com/
Thanks for the link
Bill S (Diary) Saturday, November 22nd at 2:26PM EST (link)Good article. I happen to agree with the Russians – something more than a sea-based effort will be needed, and going after the pirate base of operations seems logical. Again, however, the US should stay out of it until/unless we get attacked directly. The Russians are already in it…however, I think the freighter full of tanks is Ukranian, so that particular nuance is curious.
“It’s such a fine line between stupid, and clever.” – David St. Hubbins
The ultimate solution
Jeff Woehrle Saturday, November 22nd at 2:47PM EST (link)There is but one solution to the problem of pirates: Kill them.
Alas, this will be yet another problem over-thought by folks who insist on exploring reasons why ‘they hate us’ rather than formulating concrete answers and direct actions.
Perhaps a congressional study is in order! At the very least we need to manufacture some similar excuse for sitting on our hands for a year or three.
Agree, mbecker908
Jeff Woehrle Saturday, November 22nd at 3:04PM EST (link)I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment that we need terrorists (or, to focus on this article, pirates) to fear us rather than respect or understand us.
A fine example is one of certain terrorists’ fear of pork products and their assumption that dallying in same will result in their promised reward of cavorting with virgins being usurped.
For that reason alone, any terrorists killed by our forces should be bathed in pork blood and wrapped in bacon…and make sure word of that is well known.
These degenerate bastards already hate us. Let’s make sure that their emotions also include fear when they reference Americans.
Hate may be at the root of their attacks, but fear will surely stand in the way of their turning their hate into action.
Oh the Russians
Kudzu (Diary) Saturday, November 22nd at 3:15PM EST (link)Russia will do what is always best for the Motherland and not necessarily what is in the best interest of international stability. I view the Russian proposal for a land operation in Somalia with some skepticism and that comes from being in the intelligence community and reading traffic regarding the Russians over the years. We support Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti by brokering peace/trade deals and our operations at CJTF-Horn of Africa. Russia hasn’t been in that area in quite some time and helped turn it into a mess.
Any invasion of Somali territory in the northern portion of the “country” will be bad for the entire region. Somalis went thousands of years without a centralized society or government and any foreign invasion counters their standing culture. Russia coming back into the region with a significant land force would create more problems for the West because we have more at stake (European and American interests are all over that area).
Russia seeks influence (e.g. Estonia, Georgia, Poland, etc…) and Africa is a good place to prove it can project its power. So I applaud the Russians sending a ship to join in with the armada but I’m very wary of them doing anything ashore. Also take notice that we have a fleet already in the area that is nearly double the size of the proposed EU armada and considerably more powerful. But we’re retasking individual squadrons to assist in the operations there. We’re in place to do anything should it be asked of us but President Bush is being wise and giving Obama some wiggle room when he takes office.
On the Ukrainian tanks… they weren’t made in the Ukraine, they were made in Russia
Irony at best.
It always did take two of you to take down one of me. – Jo Bob Priddy, North Dallas Forty.
Now on at http://kudzu630.wordpress.com/
I like the idea of a Congressional Study.
mbecker908 (Diary) Saturday, November 22nd at 4:17PM EST (link)We should send a contingent of House Members and Senators to meet with the pirates. Preferably aboard a pirated vessel.
After I responded to you...
Bill S (Diary) Saturday, November 22nd at 4:29PM EST (link)I started thinking about the strategic significance of Russia having a stake in the ground in a geographically-important location such as Somalia. That wouldn’t be so hot.
Actually, what I meant was: generically, going after the pirates’ stronghold makes sense. I didn’t really mean to imply it was a good idea to have the Russians in there, but someone ought to be working that angle. Preferably not them – but someone.
“It’s such a fine line between stupid, and clever.” – David St. Hubbins
Does the situation warrant
Uma Richie (Diary) Saturday, November 22nd at 4:56PM EST (link)a land attack at this point? I see that the pirates are gaining in sophistication, but I don’t think that the shipping community has exhausted all of its resources yet, particularly in terms of security on board the ships. The pirates still appear to be attacking targets of opportunity.
As a Maritime Advisory points out:
I am also very skeptical of the emergence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden as a front page issue now that the price of oil has fallen precipitously. I don’t want to be a conspiracy theorist, but at the same time, if Saudi Arabia is putting out 10 million bbl/day, and the price of oil went up just one dollar per barrel as a result of the Sirius Star’s hijacking, they’d recoup the full value of the ship’s cargo within 10 days.
I understand
Kudzu (Diary) Saturday, November 22nd at 5:25PM EST (link)I gathered that you weren’t advocating the Russians actually do it. I was more or less commenting on that it was the Russians that talk about conducting a ground offensive to deny them a base to operate from. This would undoubtedly cause some of the GIFs (good idea fairies) to crop up somewhere. We know DL Obama wants to increase American presence in Africa… I wonder if this could be another attempt at nation building without cause in the making?
No conspiracy theorist here either but they aren’t called “bleeding hearts” for nothing.
It always did take two of you to take down one of me. – Jo Bob Priddy, North Dallas Forty.
Now on at http://kudzu630.wordpress.com/
Not yet
Kudzu (Diary) Saturday, November 22nd at 5:33PM EST (link)I don’t see the need to have ground forces remove the pirates from operating when an isolated and secured shipping channel could do the trick. Problem is, as you alluded to, there is considerable media attention to this issue and its likely to stay the course until someone does something.
It always did take two of you to take down one of me. – Jo Bob Priddy, North Dallas Forty.
Now on at http://kudzu630.wordpress.com/
Patrolled channel
Uma Richie (Diary) Sunday, November 23rd at 9:05AM EST (link)I can’t say whether it is a secured channel, but here are the details from a previous advisory: