Navy says it can do little to stop future pirate attacks

Yahoo via McClatchy News ^ | Mon Apr 13, 8:17 pm ET | Nancy A. Youssef and Shashank Bengali, McClatchy Newspapers Nancy A. Youssef And Shashank Bengali,

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

MOMBASA, Kenya — A day after the U.S. military killed three pirates and rescued an American sea captain, Somali pirates threatened to retaliate by killing captured U.S. seamen and the Pentagon said there's little it can do to stop future attacks.

Crewmembers of the freighter Maersk Alabama, in their first formal remarks to reporters, gathered at the dockside in Mombasa Monday and called on President Barack Obama to take a lead role in fighting piracy. The president called for an international effort, but he offered no specifics on how to address the problem.

"We would like to implore President Obama to use all his resources to increase the commitment to ending this Somali pirate scourge," said Shane Murphy , 33, the ship's first mate. "It's time for us to step in and put an end to this crisis. This crew was lucky to be out of it with every one of us alive. We're not going to be that lucky again."

They had reason for concern. In Somalia , members of pirate groups appeared to agree on one thing the day after the U.S. military assault: They'd fight back.

[Centurion2000]

... then they won't need to be pirates".

Solution offered by a 20-something college student I was talking to at a bar a couple days ago. What can you say to that?

A bottle to the side of the head for being so fisking stupid.

And then after he gets up off the floor bleeding and dazed, ask him what he's going to give you to so you don't feel the need to be a brigand using him as a victim.

[Cicero]

Yes, I don’t disagree with you. If the rest of the world wants to support the pirates in their accustomed lifestyle by freely paying ransom, and if the rest of the world runs most of the shipping, and if the rest of the world is only going to get angry with us for acting like imperialists, then the problem is best left to them.

But there are other considerations. For instance, if piracy pays so nicely in Somalia, what’s to stop it from happening elsewhere. In the Carribean, for instance, or off Central America? What happens when they start going after American yachts and deep sea fishing boats and cruise ships?

I agree that there’s not much point if the rest of the world is unwilling to cooperate, but the consequences may continue to get worse.

[Charles Henrickson]

DUmmie FUnnies 04-14-09 (Of Pirates and Patriotism: A DUmmie Dilemma)

SOMALIAN PIRATES
Tune: "Lincoln Park Pirates"

In Somalia where I live, there's a, there's an outfit that'd hijack almost anything on the sea. But they deal mostly with ships, and we call 'em, "Somalian Pirates. . . ."

The vessels are out on the ocean tonight
The calm sea makes nary a splash
The merchants are haulin'
The trawlers are trawlin'
But somebody's fishin' for cash

Yes, those crewmen are mindin' their business, he said
But we got work of our own
So hijack their boats
And we'll write ransom notes
And we'll see who will float us a loan

To me, way, hey, make 'em all pay
Somalian Pirates are we
We plunder the nations
It's called reparations
We're spreadin' the wealth 'round, you see

To me, way, hey, make 'em all pay
We're not doin' anything new
When ships want to sail out
We make 'em our bailout
Somalis need stimulus too

Obama's a brother from Kenya
A leader who's canny and wise
He will softly and smooth "yes we can" ya
And rob you in front of your eyes

So we've taken a page from his playbook
And we're changin' the words that we use
No longer we'll call it a "ransom"
"Investment's" the term that we choose

To me, way, hey, make 'em all pay
Somalian Pirates are we
We plunder the nations
It's called reparations
We're spreadin' the wealth 'round, you see

To me, way, hey, make 'em all pay
We're not doin' anything new
When ships want to sail out
We make 'em our bailout
Somalis need stimulus too

And when all the ships have been boarded
And all of their owners are broke
Then we'll have to do like Barack Obama
And find some new suckers to soak

'Cause even with all of the ransoms
There's millions more dollars we need
Now for money supply it's
The Washington Pirates
Obama, Pelosi, and Reid

To me, way, hey, make 'em all pay
Somalian Pirates are we
We plunder the nations
It's called reparations
We're spreadin' the wealth 'round, you see

To me, way, hey, make 'em all pay
Now soon we'll be done with the sea
No more brazen attacks
We'll just raise the tax
Let's join the thieves in DC!

[Marine_Uncle]

You made some very interesting points. And your final analysis why Zero went along with killing the pirates if the scene showed the captain was in grave danger is probably correct as well.

[AFreeBird]

They just need the order, and a commander with some grit.

Let me modify this for you: They just need the order., and a commander with some grit.

I'm sure we have Admirals and Commanders with enough grit, they just need the order, and a reasonable ROE.

[Thunder90]

You may not like the results of Somali nation building by Obama. Obama will empower the Islamic coalition and let them rule Somalia. The main problem with this is that the Islamic coalition backs and harbors Al Qaeda and other radical terrorist groups.

[AFreeBird]

How hard is it to install twin .50s on these ships?

Is that called a Ma Deuce Deuce?

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Tell him to lead the way by dropping out of school, donating everything he owns, and heading over to lead the humanitarian efforts. Oh, what’s that? He thinks it should be done, but by someone else. Very typical.

[AFreeBird]

I would seriously hope that our sensor technology has advanced considerably since 1987.

I never heard of a story about an F14 back in WWI, but I did see "The Final Countdown" about the Nimitz going back to WWII - pre Pearl Harbor. I think someone did a study that the Nimitz could have taken out the entire Jap fleet, and the attack, in short order. It would have been shorter, but they [the planes] would have had to come back to re-arm.

As for steering clear of Somalia; easier said than done if you're transiting the Red Sea.

[marron]

I'm sure we have Admirals and Commanders with enough grit, they just need the order, and a reasonable ROE.

No doubt. I was referring to their commander in chief, but point taken.

[gandalftb]

Somalia is very similar to Afghanistan and any nation building would occur in garrisoned cities protected by us with the country generally held by insurgents.

The problem is that there are two major tribes that control the coast and neither wants ot work with us as long as they get rich stealing from each other, piracy, and tariffs/rent on al Qaeda and any other jihadist group that wants to set up camp.

We are working on a nation-building strategy and have wargamed it several times.

[hinckley buzzard]

...the Pentagon said there's little it can do to stop future attacks.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates still thinks he needs to get approval from the Faculty Senate.

[hinckley buzzard]

What can you say to that?

I say they will never find a job "Building a community" that is as exciting and pays as well as being a pirate. Your 20 year-old friend is a child who doesn't get it yet.

[jackibutterfly]

So, how is the Maersk getting home? What if this happens to them AGAIN???

[Billthedrill]

Tell the kid he's right - I mean, look how welfare solved the crime problem in the United States.

Then when he's thinking about it hit him over the head with an empty pitcher. Don't use a full one - that would be alcohol abuse.

[DeLaine]

They’ll fight BACK?? I do believe they are the ones that instigate this, so that’s not fighting BACK. We are fighting BACK.
and btw, gee, I’m so sorry we don’t lie down and let you kidnap and murder our countrymen. How rude of us, of course the somalis are angry at us.

[SMARTY]

Maybe. If our Navy can't defend itself then I have to assume it's a leadership/intelligence failure. It has already been proved that no one at the CIA knows the price of a cup of coffee in Tehran.. and of course we KNOW who is at the helm in DC

[zeebee]

I can’t see 0bama going to war against his own.

[Little Ray]

More like “not allowed.”

I can think of a couple things that would stifle piracy in that area altogether (and outrage various ‘Human Rights’ organizations).

[Little Ray]

I saw a map of pirate attacks, successful and otherwise, and it looks like they’ll attack targets right on the Yemeni coast!