Now that the captain is safe, there seems to be a bit of a call in the United States to try to stop this kind of activity once and for all. The question that I have is this:

 

What course of action is best? Do we go it alone, or do we try to engage other nations in a concerted action against the pirate threat?

 

They obviously have no threat to us as a nation, nor any other developed country for that matter. However as far as I am concerned the most important function of a government is to protect its people from outside threats. As such any American at sea in this area is under potential outside threat. How do we respond and how do we handle this?

There is a threat now.

 

(CNN) -- Two pirates in Somalia vowed revenge Monday, after the U.S. military killed three pirates and freed a U.S. ship captain who had been held hostage for several days.

Crew members of the Maersk Alabama celebrate after hearing the Navy had rescued their captain from pirates.

 

The pirates told a Somali journalist that they were angered by the U.S. action, as well as a French raid Friday that killed two pirates and one hostage and freed four hostages.

 

"We have decided to kill U.S. and French sailors if they happen to be among our future hostages," said Abdullahi Ahmed, a member of a pirate group based at Harardhere, a coastal town in central Somalia.

 

 

Read More

We could put a couple of subs in the water, but they would not be able to cover the entire area. Could we put an aircraft carrier in the area and take care of the problems with jets?

Well my extended family thinks that we should go destroy an entire Somalian village, innocents, children, and all, to send a message. I felt like Alabama Larry quoting bible verses to them, but my more immediate relatives and I could not convince them otherwise. Really was a strange conversation to have immediately following Easter mass.

There is a threat now.

 

(CNN) -- Two pirates in Somalia vowed revenge Monday, after the U.S. military killed three pirates and freed a U.S. ship captain who had been held hostage for several days.

Crew members of the Maersk Alabama celebrate after hearing the Navy had rescued their captain from pirates.

 

The pirates told a Somali journalist that they were angered by the U.S. action, as well as a French raid Friday that killed two pirates and one hostage and freed four hostages.

 

"We have decided to kill U.S. and French sailors if they happen to be among our future hostages," said Abdullahi Ahmed, a member of a pirate group based at Harardhere, a coastal town in central Somalia.

 

 

Read More

 

 

OK, so just go find Abdullahi Ahmed and take care of him.

We could put a couple of subs in the water, but they would not be able to cover the entire area. Could we put an aircraft carrier in the area and take care of the problems with jets?

 

A Navy man can answer this better than I but most Aircraft carriers are part of a task force/battle group. That would mean we would be dedicating more than just one ship to this but a large group. That would be costly and perhaps not the best use for our most important navy groups.

A Navy man can answer this better than I but most Aircraft carriers are part of a task force/battle group. That would mean we would be dedicating more than just one ship to this but a large group. That would be costly and perhaps not the best use for our most important navy groups.

 

If that's the case, I say avoid that strategy. Perhaps a better strategy is to send a boatload of NAVY SEALS in a disguised boat - then take of business.

Now that the captain is safe, there seems to be a bit of a call in the United States to try to stop this kind of activity once and for all. The question that I have is this:

 

What course of action is best? Do we go it alone, or do we try to engage other nations in a concerted action against the pirate threat?

 

They obviously have no threat to us as a nation, nor any other developed country for that matter. However as far as I am concerned the most important function of a government is to protect its people from outside threats. As such any American at sea in this area is under potential outside threat. How do we respond and how do we handle this?

 

Would it make sense to find out who these pirates deal with to make their money and approach it from that end? They steal items that they or their nation can't afford to turn into wealth so can we find out who they "fence" them through and put the pressure to them? If you take away the market, the piracy acts will be less.

 

Another would be to "attack" their safe harbors. This was used in the past in the Caribbean and in the Tripoli wars of the early 19th century.

Blow every Pirate ship out of the water every time they venture into the seas.

If that's the case, I say avoid that strategy. Perhaps a better strategy is to send a boatload of NAVY SEALS in a disguised boat - then take of business.

 

That's the best one I heard on the earlier thread. That will take care of this pirate crew or that one, but to me they will still make that up. The source of safety and lucrative pay out is the way to go.

Mine all of their ports. (I thought PepRock would like that idea.)

If we can find the people making the threats now we should. I'm not sure what I would suggest doing to them.

 

If they ever take anther of our ships hostage, we should use the same methods of eliminating the threat.

 

Well my extended family thinks that we should go destroy an entire Somalian village, innocents, children, and all, to send a message. I felt like Alabama Larry quoting bible verses to them, but my more immediate relatives and I could not convince them otherwise. Really was a strange conversation to have immediately following Easter mass.

 

That last time we went into Somalia didn't work out too well for us. Whether we should have done that or done it differently, or should do it now is another question.

 

I think we might eventually end up in Somalia chasing al-queda

That last time we went into Somalia didn't work out too well for us. Whether we should have done that or done it differently, or should do it now is another question.

 

I think we might eventually end up in Somalia chasing al-queda

 

I heard/read something that one of the groups in Somalia are tied to an al-queda group and there was some thought that the piracy is helping fund terrorists.

 

This is going to be Obama's first foreign relations test.

Would it make sense to find out who these pirates deal with to make their money and approach it from that end? They steal items that they or their nation can't afford to turn into wealth so can we find out who they "fence" them through and put the pressure to them? If you take away the market, the piracy acts will be less.

 

Another would be to "attack" their safe harbors. This was used in the past in the Caribbean and in the Tripoli wars of the early 19th century.

 

Everything I have read seems to indicate that the hostage taking and ransoming of said hostages is their primary business venture. It is far less difficult to get money that way than to find people to sell the stolen goods through.

 

I agree on the attacking their safe harbors, but we have to find them first. Hence the need for a considerable reconnaissance element in the area. When it comes to that aircraft and satellites are second to none.