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So far Saint Barack has ignored the situation. He is only the CIC and is leaving the whole thing to those naval commanders on the scene. I guess that is kind of hiding under the cover of the housing problem.
What exactly do you expect him to do? Fly there and take out the pirates himself?
LOL... the Somalis have been hijacking since the start of the Bush presidency but it's Obama's fault... thanks for the laugh.
No pirates have attacked an American ship since Thomas Jefferson took the Marines and Navy to Tripoli to smack the Barbary Pirates down. They have all known that the American policy is to strike them down in order to protect our commercial shipping.
Now what will Obama do? So far he has failed three times in one press conference to address the situation. I guess we just saw one more American policy go down the drain.
PS: You do know about when Jefferson was our President, I hope.
Here are some non-political facts on a discussion in NPR this morning:
- the sea area we are talking about is huge - about 4 times the size of Texas
- there are only 20 international naval ships on active guard. It took the US navy 5 hrs to reach the currently hijacked ship.
- rate of successful pirate attacks has gone down from 1 in 3 to 1 in 7. Still, the total number of successful attacks has gone up. Over 30,000 trips by commercial ships are made yearly in that area
- insurance companies do not want crew to use lethal force and feel it is too dangerous (I guess it is ok for some the crew to be killed as long as the ship does not need repairs). Ships are taking precautions such as pulling up the ladders hanging on the sides, using barbed wire, etc.
- Somalia even allows the international community to enter their land to chase the porates - but no one has done so
I can just see it now at Obama's morning breakfast briefing with Robert Gates and Hillary Clinton:
Hillary: "Mr. President, the Somali pirates have hijacked an American-flagged ship with twenty American crewmen as hostages.
Robert Gates: "Mr. President, we can't let this situation go unpunished or we will lose the respect of world nations for being too timid in our dealings with piracy, inviting terrorists to act with immunity"
Barack Obama: "Damnit, can't I just eat my waffle and vote "present"?
Well, we'll see.
I hate to say this but I agree with you completely. So far his excuse for not attending to this event is the housing problem. Now what is more important, the life of a sea captain or millions of people losing their houses because they tried to buy more than they could afford? I say the latter but it is more important for pirates to realize that attacking US flagged ships is a sure death penalty.
What exactly do you expect him to do? Fly there and take out the pirates himself?
I expect him to act like the Commander in Chief of the military and give orders to the Navy to take those four pirates on the disabled life boat prisoner or kill them whichever they choose.
He has talked about being the CIC and is failing to act like one at his first opportunity to do so.
I just had another brain fart for a way to elimate this threat. On each ship a squad of heavily armed special forces with surface to surface missles and other assorted state of the art arms. Put em aboard while at sea b4 entering indian country and pick em up while at sea on the back end. Let the insurance companies, shipping companies and so forth pay the tab.
Then let the priates come on, problem solved and it is farrrrrr more affordable than a carrier task force.
By golly, Mule I think you have it. You have taken care of the problems that all nations have concerning arming of commercial ships by putting the troops on board at sea and getting them off before they land. I'm not sure that all people are as honest as you and I and they may not trust that kind of thing. Maybe we leave 10 or so heavily armed troops onboard so they can attack the next port of call.
We know this will work but I don't think Obama created enough trust among other nations when he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia the other day. Maybe the naval answer is the best one until he gets everybody to trusting us.
You know, I read the posts of the crybaby America-hating monstrosity that took over the Party I have voted for and supported all my adult life, including the last Administration. I listen to America declared dead, the Constitution declared a thing of the past, how our freedoms are no more, how our economy and our way of life are gone forever, and I think, "Who are these wretched pukes, and what are they doing in our America?" Well let me tell everyone of you lazy selfish whining crying sad sacks, you are not what America is about. The crew of this ship is what America is about, and you belong on your knees thanking them and every other loyal American who has defended your right to come on CD and make a hateful ass of yourself.
Golly, chance I thought these men were merchant seamen and you are making it sound like they are members of the US Navy. Please look into the situtation so you won't make them fighting sailors who are out to protect us.
Also, lets get it on the forum that those pirates who are on the disabled(its engine is out of fuel) lifeboat also are accompanied by the captain of the ship. He is an American citizen whose home is Vermont. You know the last state to make those weird marriages legal?
I hate to say this but I agree with you completely. So far his excuse for not attending to this event is the housing problem. Now what is more important, the life of a sea captain or millions of people losing their houses because they tried to buy more than they could afford? I say the latter but it is more important for pirates to realize that attacking US flagged ships is a sure death penalty.
The media says that Obama is doing no better than the previous administration in thwarting piracy. Looks like he's doing worse. This is the first American-flagged ship to be taken by the pirates, and it could be a test of the administration's resolve, or lack thereof. The secretary of state, and other spokespersons for the administration indicate the administration is watching closely, but that about it.
This is an act of agression and should be treated as such. Indecision is Obama's enemy, and his refusal to act swiftly may cost the lives of future merchant seamen.
So far Saint Barack has ignored the situation. He is only the CIC and is leaving the whole thing to those naval commanders on the scene. I guess that is kind of hiding under the cover of the housing problem.
Were I a Commander at Sea I would expect the CIC to tell me the objective and get the hell out of my way so I could do do MY job. Leadership entails in having good people and trusting them to do their job, not micro-managing them.
I just had another brain fart for a way to elimate this threat. On each ship a squad of heavily armed special forces with surface to surface missles and other assorted state of the art arms. Put em aboard while at sea b4 entering indian country and pick em up while at sea on the back end. Let the insurance companies, shipping companies and so forth pay the tab.
Then let the priates come on, problem solved and it is farrrrrr more affordable than a carrier task force.
Well Obama's got the FBI's top hostage negotiators working on the pirates. The pirates are in a lifeboat out of fuel, with our Destroyer Bainbridge looking down on them. There are commando troops on the Destroyer and there is continuous surveillance of the area by an Orion P-3 spy plane. The Captain gave himself to them as a hostage to avoid exposing his crew to more danger. The Leader of Somalia told the pirates they are "playing with fire" in tangling with the US military. In this type of a situation they usually wait them out. Hunger, thirst, and a hot sun work wonders.
FBI joins effort in hostage standoff with pirates (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090409/ap_on_re_af/piracy - broken link)
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