Posted on 12/15/2008 3:07:40 PM PST by george76
The United States lacks the intelligence needed to pursue the fight against pirates on Somali soil, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said .
His comments came days after the U.S. delegation at the United Nations circulated a draft resolution that would give countries the right to pursue pirates on land as well as at sea.
Analysts say that pursuing pirates on land is crucial to any military response to attacks that have targeted dozens of ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean in recent months.
Referring to media reports that "two to three clans or extended families" were behind the pirate attacks on ships off the Somali coast, Gates said: "If we can identify who those clans are then we can operate on land under the auspices of the United Nations and seek out ways to minimize collateral damage."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
/s
.
They lack something alright. Does any sane person think we cannot stop these third world thieves if we had the moral certainty we should have.
I guess we’ll just have to blow the ships out of the water instead ...
it’s easy, just look for the pirate flag.
USA lacks the grapefruits to do anything. A taste of Obama’s foreign policy 2 months early!
Well yeah, look at the PEBO
It’s real simple. fly some Marine Cobra’s over suspected Pirate villages,
if they shoot they’re pirates.
Robert GATES should speak for himself.
He is not an icon of intelligence but only a go-between with no real convictions....
Yet in 1801-05 Jefferson was able to dispatch the Marines and beat the Barbary pirates without any CIA, NSA or sophisticated electronic intelligence. Go figure.
We know where the pirate bases are. This is not complicated.
I am taking the title literally,,, and i agree.
I have a word for him... but not for use on FR.
LLS
We were a lot less worried about “collateral damage” and “world opinion” back then.
The problem is meddling lawyers.
It is to the point where we can have no limited war.
The tyranny of the lawyers will kill us
The US Military will have its hands tied behind its back after two years of Obama.
1. The military budget will be cut by at least 25% and possibly 50%, not including WOT outlays and cuts to SDI and Future Combat Systems/F-22/F-35 programs.
2. Personnel may go up initially, but will also be cut when funds dry up. If you can’t pay the soldiers, you can’t have them.
3. There will be heavy ROE restrictions. Commanders will need a lawyer to conduct operations, and will need to collect evidence like a cop. They will also be required to mirandize captured terrorists.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.