Does anyone fear America anymore?

I mean really? The Somali pirates are gathering reinforcements. All these big guns and ships, yet the pirates are threatening to kill the captain if they are not given free passage and $2 million. Even the french have shown more spine than us in this piracy saga. General Pershing must be rolling over in his grave.

dp

then we could gather up the pirates when they wake up and then they walk the plank

:evilgrin:

Then they could be sunk before they get close enough to take hostages?

We can deal with the pirates after he is safe

incident is getting any attention is because the ship belongs to a Defense Industry Contractor. I don't know if you are aware of the 200 or so other ships that have been seized by Somalians, or how many other hostages are being held prior to this event. Nor if you are aware of the extent of the United States intervention in Somalia. The only thing the United States has is it's military..and I'm not so sure that doesn't belong to the multi-national corporations it serves.

Once this conflict is over, we need to start hunting all of these pirates throughout the sea, and if need be, we should go back in to Somalia. Just like Afghanistan, Somalia's failed state is effecting our freedom.

How many dead Americans is this one worth to you?


America's interests in Somalia:
Four major U.S. oil companies are sitting on a prospective fortune in exclusive concessions
http://www.globalresearch.ca/i, January 3, 2007

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/North_Africa/Somalia_US_OilCorp_Fortune.html

The Long and Hidden History of the U.S in Somalia
by Stephen Zunes
AlterNet, January 21, 2002

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/North_Africa/Hx_US_Somalia.html



Somalia: Hidden Catastrophe, Hidden Agenda
by Media Lens
www.dissidentvoice.org/, May 14th, 2008
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/North_Africa/Somalia_Hidden_Agenda.html


Somalia: Another CIA-Backed Coup Blows Up
by Mike Whitney
www.informationclearinghouse.info/, December 2, 2008

Up until a month ago, no one in the Bush administration showed the least bit of interest in the incidents of piracy off the coast of Somalia. Now that's all changed and there's talk of sending in the Navy to patrol the waters off the Horn of Africa and clean up the pirates hideouts. Why the sudden about-face? Could it have something to do with the fact that the Ethiopian army is planning to withdrawal all of its troops from Mogadishu by the end of the year, thus, ending the failed two year US-backed occupation of Somalia?
The United States has lost the ground war in Somalia, but that doesn't mean its geopolitical objectives have changed one iota. The US intends to stay in the region for years to come and use its naval power to control the critical shipping lanes from the Gulf of Aden. The growing strength of the Somali national resistance is a set-back, but it doesn't change the basic game-plan. The pirates are actually a blessing in disguise. They provide an excuse for the administration to beef up it's military presence and put down roots. Every crisis is an opportunity.






http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Africa/MoreBloodOil_Somalia.html

More Blood For Oil

by Carl Bloise
www.zmag.org, January 16, 2007

mark targets and kill them with air dropped weapons, repeat. Cheaper, easier, no reason to put guys on the ground to kill the problem.

instead of killing people just for the fuck of it.

We need to teach the pirates to steer clear of us, not the other way around. These criminals have extorted $150 million dollars from companies since November, caused the death of at least one french citizen, and generally terrorize the sea. No buddy, once we start blowing them out of the water they will learn a new trade.

How many years of infantry duty have you put in?

Myself, twelve.

2nd Battallian 25th Marines. Been there, done that. If the economy gets any worse, I might have to do it again, lol.

We have enough problems at home.

to initiate a coordinated effort with the French, Chinese, Russians, and all other countries who see these pirates as a threat. I don't want America to be the world police, but if we do not act, these people will continue to be a threat to us. It is unfortunate that Bush sucked us in to Iraqi. The lawlessness of the horn of Africa is much more of a threat to our national security than Iraq ever was.

In terms of putting boots on the ground, we already have Marines running ops (I think) in Djibouti. What is to stop us from sending a Battalion to the coast of Somalia to wipe out their base of operations?

and go in and blow their shit up.

As long as US battalions go in to do the job, there will never be a coordinated effort and we will continue to be the policeman of the world.

From my recollection, we killed a whole lot of them with a very small force. Unfortunately, we did not have the political will to stay the course.

filled country? Nothing happened. We lost people, they lost lots more. Adid died and the man who ran that war retired the next day.

Nothing that really prevents us from using air power to stack bodies this time around. Guys on the ground, not needed. 500lb bombs would cover the problem if they kill this man. How much fear is needed to kill catfish?

Fear is not a judgment of capability.

10th Mountain went in and extracted the Rangers.

About 20 Rangers got killed. About 300 Somalians got killed.

What's your point?

Are you insinuating that they kicked our ass?

LOL.

And I think the Somalis are painfully aware that they've landed themselves between a rock and a hard place and are doing the crazy just to keep from being killed. In their eyes they have nothing to lose. Not to long ago the French Navy 'negotiated' with them to release quite a few hostages only to kill them after the release even though they said they wouldn't.

What do you propose?

Tell FBI and lawyers to go home. Put a SPEC OPS officer in command and let our boys do what they do best.

Where is Jack Bauer when we really need him? :sarcasm:

Or whatever illegal actions you might be proposing.

I am not sure one American is worth all that. But of course Americans are worth so much more than Canadians or South Africans or whatever. :sarcasm:

Better to force foreign fishing boats from raping the ocean near there so those people can have something to eat and not resort to piracy in the first place.

300 miles from their coast? The real issue is that Somali is a poor and lawless country. This is the only way they can make money. While I empathize with poor people, once they start taking violent and illegal actions to further enrich themselves they then get no more sympathy from me.

themselves" That is rich. You have a lot of nerve.

They are trained to take on opponents their own size... When we get into the game of having them fighting against a few guys with AK's and a lifeboat, its new territory. I'm not saying they shouldn't be thinking about asymmetrical warfare, but we have to realize when asymmetrical warfare means asymmetrical budgets, like $1000 for rifles and a boat to a multi-million dollar military response, we've lost the battle before its even begun.

and dump their dead bodies in the ocean. It's a game of chess. Right now, everyone is moving their pieces. Let the military do their job.

They went from non-violent pirates to threatening to kill the captain in a matter of a day. I am hopeful that we can have this resolved by the end of the weekend. The longer this last, the weaker we look.

I do have a question. If we take the Somali's alive, what do we do with them?

Since when is trying to save lives in a hostage situation a sign of weakness?

waterboard?

decisions, decisions.


cracker?
dp

sorry, hairball.

dp

You must always try to be careful, 'cause it takes only one to get you

;)

i buried it in the yardarm.

dp

Whar's the rum? That'll help yar hairball

I still wish I could get the fuck out of here.

Even with the BFEE gang out of power

The RW are gonna cause big bad shit

Wish the hell I wasn't gonna have to be here for it

I'll probably be forced to kill a few of them

Yeah - though there is hope Obama can get it under control.