Piracy Update
‘3 Rounds, 3 Dead Bodies’ – Scott Wilson, Ann Scott Tyson and Stephanie McCrummen, Washington Post. Three deft sniper shots ended a drama that appeared initially as another example of a muscle-bound US military unable to adapt to today’s unpredictable security threats. In the end, US Special Operations Forces easily defeated lightly armed, untrained men in a battle that US officials say will not end piracy.
Moment to Shoot Somali Pirates Had Come – Julian Barnes and Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times. Even as details about the daring rescue were still emerging, US national security officials were trying to assess whether it might lead to an escalation in violent tactics along the Somali coast, and were warning that a surge in pirate activity would be difficult to bring under control. President Obama, in his first public remarks on the rescue, pledged Monday to mount a sustained campaign against the escalating attacks on ships off Somalia.
Obama Signals More Active Response to Piracy – Peter Baker, New York Times. President Obama vowed Monday to “halt the rise of piracy” off the coast of Africa following the dramatic rescue of an American merchant captain, foreshadowing a longer and potentially more treacherous struggle ahead as he weighs a series of problematic options.
US Weighs Tough Action on Pirates – Bryan Bender, Boston Globe. A day after the dramatic rescue of an American sea captain held captive by Somali pirates, US officials said yesterday that they are considering launching attacks on the staging areas from which pirates have hijacked a rising number of international merchant vessels.
Rescue at Sea Sparks Calls for Firepower – Chip Cummins and John Miller, Wall Street Journal. Naval officials and seafaring organizations braced Monday for reprisals from Somali pirates, a day after the US Navy killed three in a high-seas hostage rescue in the Indian Ocean. But many maritime officials said they were encouraged by the military action Sunday, and are pushing governments to send more firepower to the Gulf of Aden and the waters along the east coast of Africa.
Will Pirates Join Forces with Islamist Militias in Somalia? – Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor. The four-day hostage ordeal, with Somali pirates holding a US merchant ship captain in a lifeboat, ended in a hail of sniper fire Sunday and the safe return of the captain to his crew. But the twin rescues this past week by the French and American navies off Somalia are unlikely to end the problem of piracy. Quite the opposite, say analysts. The pirates, they say, are likely to increase their use of violence, and that could lead them into the arms of Somalia’s small but powerful Islamist militias for protection and support.
A Solution for Somalia – Washington Post editorial. President Obama said in a statement Sunday that “we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for those crimes.” Those actions are certainly necessary, and they speak for themselves. But they don’t begin to address the underlying problem, which is Somalia’s long-standing status as a failed state and the desperation and extremism growing among its Muslim population.
Saving Captain Phillips – Wall Street Journal editorial. The Easter Sunday rescue of cargo ship Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates is a tribute to his personal bravery and the skill and steel nerves of the US Navy. Now the Obama Administration has an obligation to punish and deter these lawless raiders so they’ll never again risk taking a US-flagged ship or an American crew.
Killing Pirates – Washington Times editorial. The Navy’s bold actions were in sharp contrast to the instinctive waffling of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who promised that the Obama administration was seeking “an appropriate 21st-century response” to the pirates who seized a US-flagged vessel and took its American captain hostage. Thankfully, Vice Admiral William E. Gortney, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, gets it. He made it clear that “The United States government’s policy is to not negotiate.” Such a clear statement of resolve was a refreshing change from President Obama’s usual “let’s talk about it” approach.
The Price of Piracy – Los Angeles Times editorial. First off, it just has to be said: Nice shooting, SEALs. Simultaneously hitting and instantly killing three partly obscured pirates who were holding guns on an American hostage — and doing it after nightfall, from the deck of a ship in choppy seas — is a remarkable feat, making us very glad these highly trained and immensely capable naval troops are on our side. Yet, though there’s ample reason to celebrate the rescue Sunday of container-ship Capt. Richard Phillips after a five-day standoff with pirates off the coast of Somalia, it comes with recognition that the aggressive US response risks escalating the piracy threat and endangering the lives of more merchant ships’ crews.
Securing the Seas – Philadelphia Inquirer editorial. An ultimate solution to piracy, as outlined in a recent paper by Naval War College professor James Kraska and senior Navy lawyer Brian Wilson, requires international cooperation. The United States can’t do it alone. Through the United Nations, naval efforts can be coordinated and countries can work together to track down, prosecute, and jail pirates. Until pirates fear justice, they will continue to terrorize the oceans.
Rescue Takes Fight to Somali Pirates – Miami Herald editorial. The US Navy’s rescue of ship captain Richard Phillips on Sunday morning put a face and an identity to what heretofore had been brazen but obscure attacks by Somali pirates on merchant ships in the Indian Ocean. The rescue is a turning point in the long-running standoff with pirates who have made shipping channels near Somalia the most dangerous in the world. The fight is now personal, and America is ready to lead the charge.
Convoys Are an Answer to Piracy – Peter Zimmerman, Wall Street Journal opinion. Pirates, like the Nazi submarines of World War II, do not hunt for their targets; they lie across the sea lanes where ships are likely to travel and simply wait for a victim to come over the horizon. And the same tactic which defeated the U-boats can put an end to the majority of pirate attacks. Merchant ships can be ordered to form convoys for their own protection.
How to Solve the Pirate Problem – Jonah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times opinion. Piracy is still a small problem in the scheme of things, but that makes things easier. Cannibalistic serial killers are relatively rare too. That hardly means there’s a great mystery about what should be done with them. What remains to be seen is whether this problem was solved despite Obama’s instincts or because of them. The SEALs solved a hostage crisis by shooting three pirates. The question is whether Obama will prevent a pirate crisis from emerging by making it easier to shoot even more pirates.
World Needs US ‘Goliath’ – Rich Lowry, New York Post opinion. President Obama approved negotiations with the Somali pirates holding Phillips, but authorized force should Phillips appear to be in imminent danger. When one of the pirates pointed his AK-47 at Phillips’ back, snipers aboard the nearby USS Bainbridge took out the three pirates with three shots — not a bullet wasted. Suddenly, the headline The New York Times had run about the spectacle didn’t seem so apt: “Standoff With Pirates Shows US Power Has Limits.”
The Audacity of Rope – Ralph Peters, New York Post opinion. Will our president behave as Clinton did with al Qaeda, simply hoping the problem will disappear? Despite the blessed rescue of Capt, Richard Phillips, the indicators aren’t encouraging. It’s time for real audacity, Mr. President. But this one takes rope, not hope. Pirates must hang.
Kill the Pirates – Fred Ickle, Washington Post opinion. With the rescue of American Richard Phillips from the hands of pirates yesterday, there was a blip of good news from the Indian Ocean, but it remains a scandal that Somali pirates continue to routinely defeat the world’s naval powers. And worse than this ongoing demonstration of cowardice is the financing of terrorists that results from the huge ransom payments these pirates are allowed to collect.
To the Shores of Tripoli – Harlan Ullman, Washington Times opinion. What appears to have been a highly professional dispatch of three Somali thugs and the capture of a fourth was hailed as a major win for the Obama administration. For those who advocate hitting these pirates hard ashore, as the Leathernecks did in 1804, or at sea, this incident provided more evidence for strong action. However, as the US Navy noted, the rescue of brave Capt. Phillips could provoke a greater response by Somali pirates, who number in the thousands. So what should be done to take on this long-standing scourge of the high seas and coastal waters?
Millions for Tribute but not One Cent for Defense? – Information Dissemination. With the rescue of Captain Phillips many people are ready to move on to the business of killing pirates already, or at least do something. Clearly we have arrived at a moment where policy has changed, but before we start down that road, perhaps we should ask why policy has changed?
Admiral Allen on the Worlds Piracy Threat (and opinion) – USNI Blog. And short of having hired security on these vessels, this does indeed seem the norm. ADM Allen’s answer was the to take the legal road if viable, which on all accounts one should agree with. However, there also needs to be more drastic measures taken to protect not only US general/cargo vessels transiting high piracy areas, but to sway those from doing this to any nations vessel. My solution? Well, I don’t have one. With that being said, we could continue to flex our muscles as we did yesterday by using our Special Ops community to secure the area on a case by case basis. Oh, you didn’t hear (that’s what happens when living under a rock)?
