Monday's news reports were mainly filled with stories about the pirate standoff that ended with NAVY seal snipers. In case you had not heard, last week some Somali Pirates took over an American ship. The crew fought off the pirates, but when they left the ship they left with the captain as a hostage. For a few days three pirates and their hostage floated along in a small lifeboat. Then some NAVY Seal snipers were dropped in. It was said that they parachuted into the ocean and were plucked from the water by a Navy warship. It was some real be all you can be stuff. So once the snipers arrived, they assumed the position and waited until the shot was clear. All three pirates were taken out simultaneously saving the captain.
It is great to hear the captain was rescued. The issue of piracy is really starting to take off. Reports began late last year when pirates siezed a ship carrying Russian weapons and tanks. Reports are that the U.S. is planning to send money and weapons(including military trainers) to Somalia so that they can train their own Coast Guard who can battle/contain the pirates. There are even talks of taking military actions against pirate bases in Africa. The first sounds plausible while the latter not. A bombing would only be a sign of war mongering. Similar attacks by former President Bill Clinton led to the 9/11 attacks. An attack on Somali soil by the American Empire would only give Al Qaeda more room to grow.
Back to our first option. Sending more aid to Somalia to train them. Now I know everyone's first reaction is going to be, why send more aid to a county we were once fighting in. I am not going to tell you why. I am going to tell you what form we should send the aid in. We should send them trainers from our Navy and Coast Guard to help them and show them. By way of equipment, I would send little to none. Work with what they have. Lets just show them how to work with it.
In further news, the brand new New York Mets Stadium opened on Monday night. And who better to sponsor the new stadium than Citi Bank. CNN value's the deal at $400 million. Of course, Citi Group has been the recipient of bail out funds. So since we the taxpayer are partially paying for this, I think they should have a free ticket night.
And to end on the best note of all, the Dodgers smashed the Giants in their home opener. Newly acquired Orlando Hudson hit for the cycle in the 11-1 trouncing. Go Dodgers!
Your solution to the pirate problem off the Somali coast is less than comprehensive. Yes their may be problems as there are in most of the undeveloped world, with getting the equipment into the hands of the right people and seeing that it stays there. That does not mean that any trained coast guard in Somalia will not need new equipment. The Seals were able to free the captain not just because their training was superior to that of the pirates, but because the equipment they used, and the logistical and tactical support they had was superior to the pirates. It is in America's interest to see that the Indian ocean is free of pirates. To that end we need a phased plan that begins with a larger US Navy presence, trains multiple East African Nations in coastal defense, and eventually leads to a transition from solely US patrols in international waters, to joint coordinated operations between US patrols in international waters, and coastal patrols, by all the various nations on Africa's Indian Ocean coast. Training Somalis only will not end the problems in the region with piracy, because they can just operate farther out to sea, or off the Egyptian, or Ethiopian, or the Kenyan coasts. Some of the work needed to make all of the things happen that will make life so difficult for pirates to operate, is not just about Naval training, and equipment, but is a diplomatic mission, to see that all parties are on board with a regional plan, to fight piracy, and that our various African partners are invested in the end of piracy, in the region to stay for the long haul. There is a lot of work to do, to see that East Africa, has the capability to defend it seas from pirates. this will not be done in a few days as the captains rescue was accomplished but will be the hard work of many people over many years, to end the scourge of pirates, off of the Somali coast.
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