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So far Obama is passing this test .
The test I'm talking about is the attempted hijacking of the Maersk Alabama,an American flagged ship, by jihadists pirates.
So far hijacking off the Somali coast has been a pretty good business. Nations have paid ransom (tribute) to retrieve vessels to the tune of $150 million from 150 ships in 2008. But a US ship had not been the target. The first thing that was different this time was that the unarmed crew fought back capturing one of the pirates and making him their prisoner .(arming the crew of a commercial ship is discouraged by international law)The next thing that was different was that the captain of the Maersk Alabama ;Richard Phillips,showed courage and honor ,traded his safety by offered himself up as a prisoner to save the crew. The pirates renaged on a swap deal and Phillips is still a prisoner.Ken Quinn, the second mate on the ship, told CNN. They eventually released the pirate in an attempted hostage exchange. “We returned him but they didn't return the captain.” The Maersk Alabama had been bound for the Kenyan port of Mombasa and was carrying food and other agricultural materials for the World Food Program, a United Nations agency, and other clients, including the United States Agency for International Development. The pirates put Phillips on a dinghy and fled until their boat ran out of fuel . The President's response so far has been strong. He has not gone crying to the UN . He instead ordered the USS Bainbridge to go after them . The guided-missile frigate USS Haliburton is also on hand .He has FBI hostage negotiators there telling the pirates that their only chance of survival is to release Phillips. No ransoms; no bargains, no surrender is on the table. The threat of force is real and credible. If there are to be negotiations they will be conducted from a position of strength . He has not held phony gratuitous press conferences and has refused to answer reporter's questions. The U.S. military has been defending civilian shipping from pirates since the Barbary Wars two centuries ago, and one of its missions is to keep the sea lanes open for U.S. flagged vessels. I pray for success but what is clear is that jihadists pirates ,terrorists,dictators will have to consider our actions in this situation in their future calculations . The President must continue his strong response and not weaken. |
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If there are to be negotiations they will be conducted from a position of strength .
Stratmando, I can envision a few Seals overtaking them from underneath the vessel. |
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Originally Posted by tomder55
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That was speak softly... the oft quoted proverb by Teddy Roosevelt explaining his foreign policy. As you know ,there was a big emphasis on the stick part of Teddy's thinking .
This is ongoing and so far the President has not taken a misstep . I can't say the same for his Sec State Evita , "I think Morocco was the very first country that recognized us, going back a long time. We worked to end piracy off the coast of Morocco all those years ago. And we are going to work together to end that kind of criminal activity anywhere on the high seas" CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Hillary Clinton « - Blogs from CNN.com Her cackling response is goofy . We took unilateral action to defeat the Barbary pirates ,and taking unilateral action is what is called for now. Or the goofball in the Senate John Kerry who has been walking and speaking today in a more typical Democrat way. "These acts of piracy off of Somalia's coastline may seem surreal, but they're all too real and a thorough policy debate is long overdue," TheHill.com - Kerry calls for pirate hearings as drama continues What is to debate ? As for the President . I will be less than satisfied if these pirates are alive at the end of this . |
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You have to understand something .This is the type of response I was expecting :
Good evening. As you know, early yesterday, Somali-based pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama, a freighter carrying relief supplies to Kenya. While we do not yet know all the details, the Alabama's crew re-took control of the vessel and forced the pirates off the ship.
Since the pirates are still holding the captain, I have sent FBI negotiators to facilitate his safe and speedy release. I assure his friends and family that I will not stop until this man-made disaster is resolved in a peaceful, tolerant and ecologically-sound manner. Obviously, this incident has raised many concerns among Americans. There have been calls for justice and even violence against the misguided perpetrators. But such an emotional reaction has led to the disparagement of entire groups with which we are unfamiliar. We have seen this throughout history. For too long, America has been too dismissive of the proud culture and invaluable contributions of the Pirate Community. Whether it is their pioneering work with prosthetics, husbandry of tropical birds or fanciful fashion sense, America owes a deep debt to Pirates. The past eight years have shown a failure to appreciate the historic role of these noble seafarers. Instead of celebrating their entreprenuerial spirit and seeking to partner with them to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive. Some of us wonder if our current Overseas Contingency Operation would even be needed had the last administration not been so quick to label Pirates as "thieves," "terrorists" and worse. Such swashbucklaphobia can lead to tragic results, as we have seen this week. To address this issue, I have instructed Vice President Joe Biden to create a cabinet-level Czar of Pirate Outreach and Buccaneer Interrelation. In addition, June 1-7 has been designated as Pirate Awareness Week, during which all federal buildings will fly the Jolly Roger and sponsor sensitivity training. Thankfully, my American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will fund free grog and hard tack for all attendees. Finally, to all pirates listening to international broadcasts, shortwave services and ship-to-shore radio, let me say this: Ahoy, me regret arr relationship has set sail in a scurvy manner. Arr people share many mutual 'alues and concerns on t' raging main. Perchance, could ye handsomely release the cap'n o' the ship and I assure that no harm will come t' ye or ye hearties. Let us smite t' reset button and launch our seabond on a new pegleg. Savvy? Godspeed t' ye and t' ye beauties. Aye, me parrot concurs. |
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Please answer this one: YouTube - Clinton: World must end 'scourge' of piracy Why is Hillary laughing punch drunk, when there were 21 lives at stake, as she talks about this? I thought that lefties were so concerned about even one life being lost at war and here she is laughing on the topic of these Americans being hijacked. :eek: |
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The waters off Somalia are well known for it's pirates. Pirates have been using those waters for years. Unfortunately it is against the law for cargo ships to be armed with anything larger than a bread knife. The crews are left literally defenseless to these kinds of boardings and take overs. Lately there has not been much sea traffic of ships going anywhere. Most ships are either in harbors, anchored out somewhere, or they are either empty or stuck with loads they cannot get rid of as the shipment was cancelled after they were underway. The specific area in question was traveled the day before by a good sized cargo vessel owned by a friend of mine. He observed these same guys and immediately clocked them to be amateurs as they did not give back the appropriate hand signal that he gave. They were more afraid of him on deck with his dreadlocks and waving a machete in the air then he was of them. He's experienced in repelling pirates. Not too long ago the ship successfully fended off at least 6 pirate attempts within a 8 month period. That area off Somalia and areas near Thailand and Cambodia are some of the worst pirate infested waters you could want. Apparently the captain and crew did not use any anti-pirate methods against an attack such as electric deck fence (works great I'm told) or the use of high powered water hoses. Pirates can be repelled but you need to know the techniques involved to legally do it. I hope there is a happy resolution to this horrible mess and the captain is unharmed. |
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I also hear that a sonic blast from a "long-range acoustic device" is very effective . But that would be torture I guess.
Part of the reason the crew was successful to a degree was that this was an American crew. Often freigter crews are a mixed nationality ,recruited from nations like the Philippines,Thailand etc . A Chinese crew recently repelled an attack using molotov coctails. But I think to defeat the pirates ;like 200 years ago when the marines marched to the Tripoli city of Derna... and Lieutenant Stephen Decatur led the marines in the captured of the USS Intrepid ;the battle has to be taken to the pirate land bases. |
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Why is Hillary laughing punch drunk, when there were 21 lives at stake, as she talks about this?
She is also plain wrong about the facts. Barbary Pirates were defeated by Thomas Jefferson who refused to pay tribute to them. "Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute" was the slogan that Robert Goodloe Harper ,Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means said at the time. Pirates weren't considered "criminals " .Pirates were considered enemies and terrorists to be defeated and hung if captured.Piracy is not "criminal activity " it is war . |
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I don't like most righties either but I don't see them revising history to the point it doesn't make sense. I don't see righties demanding that lefties go to jail or be kicked out of office for their misdeeds. All you have to do is look at all the righties that got the book thrown at them for doing less than William Jefferson or the sex scandals of the politians. Who gets off with a slap on the wrist and who gets media bashing them endlessly? I was against much of what Bush did. I did not even care for Bush. |
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I believe the reason my friend's cargo vessel was not boarded was due to the fact they were not flying an American flag and an African person was on deck clashing two machetes together above his head. Most crewmembers on cargo ships are from many different lands. Russian, Japanese, Chinese, European, African, Jamaican, and some Americans are the usual crew make up. They are not all strictly one nationality or another as just about any nationality are seamen. There is a growing need for the shipping industry to revamp their maritime laws to protect the seamen from pirates. Pirates can and will be dispatched into the sea and a lot of times without benefit of a life vest or raft or boat of any sort for the sharks to have fun with. There is much less shipping going on due to the economy now and the pirates are coming out of the woodwork to prey upon the ships. Most pirates just overtake a vessel and dispatch the crew over the side into the water without life vest or boat. Holding vessels for ransom is a stupid way of making money. As I said before, those pirates are strict amateurs or this is a staged piracy act as real pirates do not bother ransoming a vessel. They just steal the vessel, have it repainted (the name part that is) and then use it for themselves to carry cargo. They also get new ownership paperwork issued as well on the vessel. It's done every day. That whole incident is wrong in too many ways to be legit. |
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That means you have not been following the news off the Somali coast . This has been a thing going on for a few years and the pattern there is not the same as what is typical say in the Malacca Straits.
This link has a partial list of only the biggest vessels being held hostage in the city of Eyl . FOXNews.com - Somali Pirates Keep Hundreds of Hostages in Pirate City of Eyl - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News YouTube - The Pirates Of Somalia - Somalia As I pointed out in my posting last year $150million was paid in ransom so it may be strictly amateurish as you say ;but it is lucrative. I fault the so called "international communities " ineffectiveness for the lame response . As ususal the US will have to take the lead... although the French yesterday did the right thing yesterday in freeing a yacht. French free sailboat from pirates near Somalia; one hostage dies | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Headline | International News |
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In past times, attack against an American ship was an act of WAR. As of just a few minutes ago, Obama has not hinted at what his response will be. This is a BIGGIE for him. What I mean is even though we have ships there, it seems no promise or ultamatum has been given. We await and pray for this brave captain. |
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While the President peruses useful DVDs to show during his pizza parties he should rent John Milius's 1975 "Wind and the Lion"... loosely based on the capture of American Ion Perdicaris by Ahmed er Raisuli"the last of the Barbary pirates" . It is a useful illustration of what Teddy Roosevelt would do("We want Pedicaris alive or Raisuni dead" ).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...nt_cartoon.jpg When I was in the ME I was told that in hostage situations the hostages were considered to be already dead. This removed constraint of action from whoever was involved in hostage negotiations .The primary goal was to discourage further rogue adventurism rather than hostage release . If it should also result in the safe release of hostages, so much the better. Obama's choice is clear... send a message that no quarter will be paid to pirates or watch four uneducated jihadist thugs stand off a US Navy Destroyer task force . What use is a blue water Navy if we can't take down a handful of thugs in a dingy? |
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