The Somali Pirates

[Bill Mattocks]

From what I understand, the commander of the task force was under orders to shoot only if the captain's life was in danger. The pirates put an AK-47 up against his head, and then they shot.

My question is, if they had this capability the whole time, why didn't they take it earlier? What was the purpose/necessity of negotiating with people they did not have to?

Direct orders from the CiC, President Obama.

http://www.slate.com/id/2216003/

President Obama had given standing orders for the Navy to take action if the captain's life was in danger, and as the situation seemed to grow tenser by the minute, Cmdr. Frank Castellano decided he had no choice and gave permission to fire.

With sniper activity, you have to have two things - a green light and the opportunity. Apparently they had the green light subject to certain conditions. As soon as those conditions were achieved, when they had all three remaining pirates clear, the Commander gave the order, and the President's order was fulfilled.

Let no one doubt that sniping is difficult. Sniping from a ship to another ship is amazingly difficult. Waiting for three head shots to present themselves cleanly AND the prisoner to be threatened at that moment - wow.

 

[astrobiologist]

Like I said, thumbs up to the U.S. Navy SEALS who sniped those d-bags out!

I cannot stand the idea of negotiating with pirates (or terrorists or bank robbers or any criminals).

 

[MA-Caver]

Well getting pwned by Navy Seals doesn't seem to do the trick for these guys.

Somali pirates hijack 4 ships, take 60 hostages

By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY, Associated Press Writer Elizabeth A. Kennedy, Associated Press Writer – 10 mins ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/piracyMOMBASA, Kenya – Somali pirates captured four ships and took more than 60 crew members hostage in a brazen hijacking spree, while the American captain freed from their grip planned to reunite with his crew and fly home Wednesday to the United States.
Capt. Richard Phillips and his 19-man crew will reunite in the Kenyan port of Mombasa on Wednesday and fly from there to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on a chartered flight, according to the shipping company Maersk. They will be reunited with loved ones at Andrews in a private reception area.
Phillips, who offered himself up as a hostage to save the crew of the Maersk Alabama, was rescued Sunday when U.S. Navy SEALs shot three pirates dead after a five-day standoff.
Pirates have vowed to retaliate for those deaths and two others slain by French forces in a separate rescue last week.
"Our latest hijackings were meant to show that no one can deter us from protecting our waters from the enemy because we believe in dying for our land," Omar Dahir Idle, a pirate based in the coastal town of Harardhere, told The Associated Press by telephone. "The recent American operation, French navy attack on our colleagues or any other operation mean nothing to us."

Hey, if they're willing to die for their lands... then lets start blowing them outta the water... and I mean blow them and their ships outta the waters. Less pirates and less ships/boats to do pirating from.
These guys are going to keep going on until they get their way...
Question now is how to rescue 60 people in one piece... not to mention dozens of others still being held hostage/captive by these cutthroats.

 

[Gordon Nore]

Because, for some reason, doing the right thing is never enough for the US, we also have to look like "NICE PEOPLE" when we do the right thing.
IMHO, we'd be better served with a reputation as those you do NOT want to piss off... Kinda like the treatment Islam gets in Europe...

Sigh.

Maybe, just maybe, this is not because of some liberal, do-gooder philosophy. Maybe it is preferable to begin with a negotiation -- or simply waiting them out -- because once the operation escalates to use of force, it's difficult (say, impossible) to return to a negotiating posture.

Maybe that was a really tricky shot those SEAL sharpshooters pulled off, in less than perfect visability from the back of a Navy vessel through a small window of a lifeboat, and it could have gone through the captain's skull.

Just sayin'.

 

[arnisador]

Well getting pwned by Navy Seals doesn't seem to do the trick for these guys.

They're not organized. They may not even know.

Hey, if they're willing to die for their lands...

They're dying for their next meal. Somalia is a political fiction.

 

[CoryKS]

I like a dead pirate as well as the next guy, but as a Pastafarian I am compelled to point out that President Obama's reckless actions come at a terribly high price - the hastening of the global warming crisis. Killing pirates make baby Al Gore cry.

http://www.americanthinker.com/piratesarecool4.jpg

/ramen

 

[arnisador]

Seen on FMAT:

 

[redantstyle]

awesome ^

My question is, if they had this capability the whole time, why didn't they take it earlier? What was the purpose/necessity of negotiating with people they did not have to?

occurs to me it betters the odds if you can get one guy off the boat.

 

[5-0 Kenpo]

I certainly understand negotiations being a viable tactic. Hell, shoot one guy and tell them that if anything happens to the Captain, the same thing will happen to them. It's not like they were in this for the ideology. Then, at least, I could understand that.

I just believe that if the opportunity might have presented itself prior to this, but without the specific threat to the Captain, why wouldn't we have taken it?

 

[matt.m]

Man, if I was still serving in the Corps I would have been court martialed for sure. Look, imminent domain man. First and foremost is never let the ship get boarded under any circumstances. That was so stupid. Look the rules of engagement clearly state "Use of force when necessary". That means if gloom and doom are coming then do what you need to send gloom and doom packing.

This is why not everyone is meant to be a Marine, a S.E.A.L, Ranger, whatever. If you can't pull the trigger without hesitation for what is necessary then for the love of god don't do anything to go into harms way.

 

[kaizasosei]

I too have wondered how on earth it is still possible, in this day and age, to pirate the seas in such a way. Even if the area is vast, i was stunned to see the western world putting up with piracy issue in that they were not invading or setting up major security operations.

Most likely, these pirates don't just fall off the couch, get together and decide to go out pirating. There are probably, warlords that are responsible. Not saying this is the case with all the incidents, but i'm guessing there is a strategic aspect to these occurances rather than merely a desperate cry for attention. As we know that many of the terrorists are often, if not completely brainwashed, people that have lost much. That means, some losing their family or their home. These are pissed off people and they are probably more than eager to die at the hands of the west. Being eager to kill always at least slightly questionable and one needs to wonder what the repercussions would be to your karma, your concience or more importantly your family as well as your general interests.
Furthermore, some already have had a taste of blood and are aware of what they're up against. So that means, they don't care the odds are against them. They're hungry and envious if not indignant about the state of world affairs.
Also, one has to try and stop this problem at the source because the pirates that carry out the seiges are expendable and chances are there are hords and hords of wouldbe new pirates ready to rock.

What baffles me is that with all the technology we have, i can imagine a number of ways to deal with this problem many of which are relatively nonviolent or at least not in such a position to be scrutinized.

Hey, have you guys ever seen american ninja 1. I know this is silly but you need to examine the storyline of that oscarwinner(not).
Here's some lines from the movie....
'We've got a touchy situation with these rebels. We're understanding orders not to provoke any incidents. There was nothing in that convoy Worth protecting.'

Keep in mind, it is not easy detetcting pirates, because they can easily see to it that they have countless unarmed squads roaming around for the single purpose of creating confusion and misdirection. So that means, that by the time they hoist the jolly roger, it's already too late.

j

 

[kaizasosei]

Sorry for double posting.

Hold them horses jeeves!
I just was told by a friend of mine that the reason for this piracy issue and why it exists in the first place is that the huge commercial fishing liners have emptied out the sea of fish. The fishermen who are poor to begin with, turn to piracy because it is an easy buisiness to get into and the potential profit is high.
So they aren't really pirates at all. They are angry and desperate fishermen as far as i have been told.

Sure it doesn't justify their actions, but apparently they first started targeting the foreign fishing vessels and when they saw how profitable piracy can be, they expanded. It's not just the pirates. The millions that they have extorted has been disperesed throughout the area, so that many people are now actually living of the pirated loot and consequently produce more pressure to continue the pirating and bring forth more pirates.



j




j

 

[redantstyle]

"hungry people dont stay hungry for long"