Piracy

A lot of attention has been given lately to the piracy taking place in the Gulf of Aden.  Recently a US flagged merchant ship was attacked.  The crew were unarmed and unable to repel borders.  The US Government has taken a very measured approach to the situation with White House advisors indicating that POTUS is following the situation closely.

Hmm… there is something fundamentaly wrong with that message.  I harken back to Theodore Roosevelt and his famous quote, “Speak softly but, carry a big stick”.  It seems the current POTUS speaks loudly (with help of his telepromter (TOTUS)) and carries no stick.

Over at “From my position…On the way“, Chuck breaks down the scenario a bit differently and demostrates that from time to time, it is okay to remind people that there is a big stick that can and should be wielded.  The pertinent part is below.

“President Chuck, Somali pirates just attacked a US-flagged vessel and took American citizens hostage. What should we do?”

Prez Chuck: First, I want an MEU launched in 4 hours to those waters, alert seal team six I want them airborne in two. Park a carrier group off the Somali coast within sight of the coast, with orders to search all non-commercial or suspect vessels. ROE: Any vessel not heaving to- for search will be sunk. No warning shots. Any vessel carrying arms related to pirate activity (RPG, AKs, etc.) will also be sunk. Floaters will not be picked up.

Tell the Somali government they have one hour to affect the release of our citizen, or the port we believe the pirates operate from will be destroyed.

Seal team six is ordered to find and secure the hostage, and eliminate the pirates. All US intelligence assets are available to the Team Commander to accomplish this mission. If the hostage is killed before they arrive, they are to locate the pirates and eliminate the pirates, their friends, families, and acquaintances.

Once all hostages are free, the Carrier Group will escort the relief supplies into the bay where they were to be delivered, and the containers carrying relief supplies will be dumped overboard. Cut a check to the companies that owned the containers. Cut all diplomatic ties to Somalia, place it on the list of countries who don’t do dick about terrorists operating in their borders, pull the credentials from their embassy and UN personnel, and drop them off the Somali coast in a lifeboat.

Submarine and Brown-Water assets will patrol off the coast of Somalia sinking any vessel larger than a canoe that operates within 5 miles of the coast, for the next year.

In my mind, if the world wants the US to be a police force then they need to accept that sometimes we will act swiftly and harshly.  Which is meant as a deterence to others, as well as a direct response to direct action.  In this case, an attack against a US flagged merchant vessel… the gloves come off.  You attack a US Embassy, a US Ship, a US Aircraft, a US Citizen the consequences should be clear, swift, and decisive.