Yesterday’s update from ORBAT.
The Indian missile destroyer came to the aid of an Ethiopian merchantman under attack by pirates. Indian naval commandos dropped by helicopter responded to the SOS. The pirates are evenly divided between Yemenis and Somalis; as far as we are concerned, this is not a good sign that the Yemenis have also decided to join the game. The Mysore replaced the frigate Tabar on anti-piracy patrol. Several pirates escaped, indicating this lot of bandits was prepared for a fight. The prisoners will be delivered to the “appropriate authorities”. We say the proper authority is King Neptune.
As far as we know, the Thai businessperson who claimed the pirate mother ship Tabar had sunk was his innocent fishing trawler is out of the news.
Question: why are other navies not being as aggressive as the Indians in pursuing the pirates? The Indian Navy has had one warship on station for the past two months but has already whacked a bunch of pirates.
Meanwhile, US Secretary Defense says the individuals who are pirate leaders must be identified before they can be targeted. So here we are, back again to the high-tech videogames to which the American military has become addicted. Guys, guys, what about getting your feet wet and doing some fighting in person? This taking out individuals is not going to work. It has to be a secondary tactic.
This can be stopped so easily...I must be missing something.
The Blackwater guys have offerred to supply by contract small well-armed crews on merchant ships...I am sure all this pirate nonsense would end in about two-months if the pirates started bobbing face-down around the Indian Ocean.