I'm with you. Who's with us?
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Originally Posted by
Tom Odom
I heard the elders will control things in 1984 on the ground and I heard it again in 1992 as we spun up to go in for Restore Hope. Somali culture is not Arab and the elders are not sheikhs. The fracture of the traditional lines of authority is near complete. The pirates started with the fishing community but expanded after they started making millions. Big surprise that.
Dunno about 1984 but in 1992, the Clan leaders (okay, not always elders. Bad choice of words on my part. No excuse. :( ) were in charge and if there was any thing that screwed things up then it was Jonathan Howe emphasizing Bill's order to "get Aideed" followed by less than stellar military planning on the part of many. So yeah, fractured but always willing to reassert itself...
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Destroying boats as a tactic is fine; recognize that the Somalis will buy, steal, or build more.
Of course they will. They'll also build Dummies. Mt point is that our technology is touted as the saving grace -- let's see how good it is... ;)
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Afloat or ashore, some Somalis are going to get shot if this surge in piracy is to end...And yes I know times are different. That does not mean that we have to mistake stupidity for civility. Civility without firepower in Somalia is truly stupid because they merely see it as an opportunity.
I totally agree with you on all that. The question or problem is how many shakers and movers in the USG and other western capitals agree with thee and me? ;)
Warships blamed for Somali piracy
An odd headline by the BBC, attached to a comment by a Puntland minister: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8043285.stm
Another way of saying "We can solve this, give us the $". Look a flying pirate!
davidbfpo
What to do about the pirates?
From Brookings - The Convoy Solution to Combating Piracy
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Before long, terrorists are likely to take note of the opportunity to seize Western hostages through similar acts of piracy—and their willingness to release any such hostages unharmed is open to serious doubt.
By nipping this problem in the bud, we can deter future acts of commercial piracy and prevent the nightmare scenario of an American crew in the hands of an Osama bin Laden devotee.
The right policy has three specific elements::
(1) We need to deal with pirates more firmly.
(2) We need to beef up our naval picket in the Gulf of Aden.
(3) Along the Somali coast, on the approach to Mombassa, Kenya, we should establish World War II-style convoys.
Much more at the link
This seems a reasonable, moderate proposal ...
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(from the link)
The right policy has three specific elements::
(1) We need to deal with pirates more firmly. That means being willing to detain and try them, rather than release them back on African shores. It also means being willing to shoot at them as they approach commercial ships, once a reasonable keep-out zone is penetrated. A United Nations Security Council resolution should explicitly authorize this.
(2) We need to beef up our naval picket in the Gulf of Aden. The number of ships there is clearly not adequate to the challenge. Because distances are modest and traffic is heavy, maintaining such a naval picket is probably the most efficient approach. Where possible, vessels should be equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles, some possibly armed, to improve coverage and enhance our rapidity of response.
(3) Along the Somali coast, on the approach to Mombassa, Kenya, we should establish World War II-style convoys. Here, in contrast to the Gulf of Aden, sea traffic is light and distances are long. So convoys make the most sense
The "capture and try, or kill if necessary" program (which could apply to all 3 suggested elements) would require a UN resolution to clarify the ROEs - that resolution would, I believe, pass here; but at the UN ?
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We guarantee that you will experience at least two hijacking attempts by pirates or we will refund half your money back, including gun rental charges and any unused ammo (mini gun charges not included).
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