If the pirates retaliate by killing Americans, you can bet that Obama will say, “See??? This is why we should not be using force against these people.”
If we are going to be afraid of retaliation, we might as well withdraw from the world and become insular - where our ONLY fear will be from our OWN Marxist-Islamist administration and bended knee, submissive bowing Oba-Hussein-Khomeini to others outside the USA but fearless “commander” of his own Million Person Obama Brown Shirts.
This comment is like asking a boxer in the ring not to hit his opponent in case he gets hit back. That's what he's there for. Our fear of retaliation is purely perceived weakness and fanning of a fear in an arena where we are in fact very strong and capable - if allowed to be our true selves. And I do not mean aberrant Obama/ACORN type of true self.