The Somali pirates have struck again – except this time they’ve seized a ship with an American crew.
The Maersk Alabama, a Danish-owned ship with 21 Americans aboard, has reportedly been hijacked in the Indian Ocean 400 miles off the coast of Mogadishu, Somalia.
From Reuters:
The pirates typically use speed boats launched from “mother ships”, which means they can sometimes evade foreign navies patrolling the busy shipping lanes and strike far out to sea.
They take captured vessels to remote coastal village bases in Somalia, where they have usually treated their hostages well in anticipation of a sizeable ransom payment.
Pirates stunned the shipping industry last year when they seized a Saudi supertanker loaded with $100 million worth of crude oil. The Sirius Star and its 25 crew were freed in January after $3 million was parachuted onto its deck.
Last September, they also grabbed world headlines seizing a Ukrainian cargo ship carrying 33 Soviet-era T-72 tanks. It was released in February, reportedly for a $3.2 million ransom.
Frankly, the fact that a bunch of third-world thugs in motor boats have been allowed to get this “big-time” highlights the weakness of the U.S. Navy – which we’ve noted previously.
These pirates are making bank by terrorizing international waters, and they’re using that cash to fund additional, more sophisticated terrorist activities.
Meanwhile, America has sat on its fat, “imperialist” ass and “monitored the situation.”
Will the fact that Americans have now been victimized change that?
We’ll see … President Barack Obama is no doubt crafting some “tough talk” right now (which may also blame the situation on his predecessor), but will America “walk the walk?”
First of all, the erosion of American military prowess we’re currently witnessing never should have been permitted to happen.
The Cold War’s over, you say? Who gives a rat’s rear end. There are very few things we think government should do, but kicking ass and taking names around the world are two of those things.
Say it with us, people … law enforcement and a strong national defense are core functions of the American government.
Bailing out every government agency under the sun for their own bad decisions? Not so much …
Anyway, if we we were President, this would be a very simple process. We would send a carrier group (or two) into the Gulf of Aden and blow anything that looked at us funny out of the water.
Seriously, suspicious ships would get one call to identify themselves and a second call as a warning.
The third call would be an explosion.
Also, when a ship of any nationality is hijacked, we’d launch a hundred Tomahawk cruise missiles into Mogadishu.
And God forbid they hijack an American ship, because in that case we’d launch a thousand.
Assuming it has the strength to do so, America needs to stop pussyfooting with these pirates.
UPDATE – Whoa! Check this out. America has gone from “monitoring the situation” to “closely monitoring the situation.” C’mon everybody … USA!! USA!!
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By Earl Capps April 8, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Will, there are many people who dislike this country because what we see as standing up for our security interests they see as imperalism and brute force.
In response to such types, it is important to note that history teaches us we seldom win over our enemies, short of situations like Iraq, Germany and Japan where we toppled the governing regimes. It also teaches us that in cases where we opt not to regime-change their asses, highly visible examples of brute force will make them leave us alone.
As such, I would concur with your detailed and well-planned proposal for how we can best act to rectify this situation.
By fitsnews April 8, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Glad you see it our way, Earl. We’d hate for “The Beneve” to have to launch a Tomahawk down your sinkhole.
-FITS
By gary April 8, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Wow! I it sounds like the crew didn’t want to wait around for a “sternly-worded warning” by Team Obama “condeming” the hi-jacking…
By Looch April 8, 2009 at 3:33 pm
This Danish owned, American flagged – instrument of our ready reserve fleet must be rescued
I wonder how many rocket launchers the pirates kept from the tank and arms vessel they ransomed off
By News Review April 8, 2009 at 4:47 pm
It has been long since I have heard a news about pirates.. Anyway, hope that the crews would remain safe and that the reports would soon be consistent that the ship has been retaken by the crews.. All we can do today is to pray for the safety of the crews..
By sonja April 8, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Hmmm…300 miles off the coast of Africa…Somehow the picture of poor dudes in wooden boats with hand-cranked motors doesn’t seem quite right…I wonder if Iranian state-sponsored terrorists played a role? I mean, when was the last time the Chinese or Ruskies were hi-jacked off Africa?
By Bashir Mursal April 11, 2009 at 11:58 am
Come on, let us get real here. Who is the at fault hare? 300 or 400 miles of the coast, near or far it does not really matter. There is no permit allowing these greedy looters roaming round the Indian Ocean stealing Somali fish and subsequently dumping rubbish and unwanted dangerous toxic waster on poor Somali coast. The fishermen(now called Pirots) are heroes and they should use any possible force necessary to capture cargo ships and make filthy rich shipping companies to pay back some long over due taxes. To this day, you do not hear anyone killed by these poor people who are simply protecting their fisheries and coastal waalth. But, you hear French army coming to Somalia and killing or capturing so-called Pirots. Obviously, it’s clear is who is hijicking or terrorising the Indian Ocean and the people who live there. There are no Pirots in Somalia, these guys are heroes……………………
By Steve April 12, 2009 at 9:58 pm
I say we nuke the whole coastline and pave it over and make a few storage areas..a few new ports and anyone alive can work there for minimum wage. Yep that would be just fine by me…its what they want really..in fact thier begging for it.Why risk American lives in combat these guys arent worth it..yeah nuke em its cheaper..more effective and plus its quite an attention getter.