Congratulations Seals, Captain - and President

Well, the President, too, sort of.

We can be proud of our nation and all who participated in the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from the Islamic Somali pirates. The Seals performed flawlessly. The Captain served as a parable of the Easter season in his self-sacrifice and subsequent rescue. The President ordered what needed to be done (after early attempts at tying the hands of those in the best position to take action in the field). We celebrate this victory while we mull over both the consequences and what we do next.

I agree with John Bolton, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, who argues that we need to go after the ports and home bases of the Somali pirates militarily. I agree with him that it is a mistake for our response to revert to some sort of reactive police action - an after the fact attempt to rescue ships and people from tyranny on the seas. That approach allows piracy to continue for years to come. I agree that we need the cooperation of other nations. But we must not allow our mission to be driven or subverted by other nations.

Now there are folks who call for "nation-building" of places like Somalia to solve problems of bad behavior. Yes, once the nation is built, that tends to reduce this sort of irresponsible behavior. But that certainly requires multi-national involvement and not primarily by the United States. And it typically takes decades to achieve.

In the meantime, the big stick approach, and using it, is the thing we must do. Consequences, yes. Criticism from others, yes. Loss of innocent lives. Probably. They live in a bad neighborhood. For those who believe in evolution; the survival of the fittest: that will occur here. For those who believe in divine mercy, pray for those people. Once the bad behavior stops, nation building becomes more likely. But piracy is not Somalias only "bad behavior." There is much for them to overcome, including their addiction to violent Islamic teaching and tribal anarchy.

If they respect nothing else, they respect power adminstered with a clear and resolute hand. Residents of Harardhere, a port and pirate stronghold, were gathering in the streets after news of the captain's release, saying they fear pirates may now retaliate against some of the 200 hostages they still hold.

Here is the Somali reaction: "We fear more that any revenge taken by the pirates against foreign nationals could bring more attacks from the foreign navies, perhaps on our villages," Abdullahi Haji Jama, who owns a clothes store in Harardhere, told The Associated Press by telephone.

That is a very good fear. They must understand what we mean by "Don't Tread on Me."

Somalia: Islamic backwater...

...best known for Black Hawk Down and Pirates.

How much do you know about Somalia? Two web sites are enlightening:

CIA Fact Book
Wiki (sponsored by pro-Somalians)

Here is an interesting example of "spin". The pro-Somalian Wiki site, under the category of "health" states "Somalia has one of the lowest HIV infection rates in all of Africa. This is attributed to the Muslim nature of Somali society and adherence of Somalis to Islamic morals.[52]" That all it says under Health.

The CIA site lists a variety of facts including "death rate" and "major infectious diseases". The death rate is 20th from the highest out of 224 nations. This probably results from the Islamic morals killing off the gay Somalians to keep the aids rate low.

"Black Hawk Down" is more specifically the Battle of Mogadishu (capitol and largest city with 2 million) in 1993. In short, the US had good intentions, but the whole sordid affair is appropriately filed under the heading "no good deed goes unpunished."

Several understated "lessons learned" include:

The Somalian folks are different from us in numerous ways
They have a different morality
They have a different form of government (tribal anarchy)
Their communication systems, while nearly stone age except for the requisite number of cell phones used for rallying the folks and blowing up things, achieves their animalistic objectives.
They gather and fight like wolf-packs.

And they are Muslim.

Piracy is their other claim to fame. It began during their civil war in the early 1990's and really came to world attention only within the past two years. And now with the first US-flagged ship to be pirated in 200 years - wait, here is breaking news from a press conference now taking place at the White House. I'll quote what I hear - the President is speaking...

"and, mmm, this is the tenth time in three days you folks have asked me about the pirates. Look. And this is all I will say. We are in discussion with our friends in Somalia. That's it. Back to the economy. As I was saying..."

Yes, a President sympathetic to Muslims, declining to confront an Islamic nation in the face of an ongoing atrocity. I hope I'm wrong, but I see another bailout about to occur. Billions to AIG - why not two million to Somali pirates?

Some current news suggests that the pirates might back down and simply agree with the release of the Captain of the Alabama and free passage of the group of four pirates without holding out for ransom. That would be nice, but would not end the ongoing national Somalian pastime. The reason I am not President of the US is shortly after all our folks have been safely retrieved, I would pound the tar out of every port and mother (f-----g) ship the Somalians were ever known to use. And if our folks are not immediately returned or are harmed, I would do the same thing and probably more.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration is still deliberating. They are wondering whether a preemptive strike is warranted. Officials say that U.S. intelligence has no evidence it is planning attacks outside Somalia. WHAT? Another intelligence failure? This "failure of intelligence" this time is of both types: Information gathering and common sense. On-going state-sponsored piracy in international waters isn't an attack outside Somalia?

Another twilight zone moment.

Capt. of US Ship Held Hostage by Somali Pirates

...and Obama negotiates.

First time in 200 years an American ship has been pirated - just like it is the first time an American President bowed to a Muslim king.

Solution...

Since Obama feels it is his duty to chat with our enemies, repel him down from Helo 1 onto the lifeboat to negotiate with his new found Somalian buds.

Am I being too cynical?

French Committ Atrocities Against Somali Fishermen

The French navy committed crimes of the sea when they kidnapped a number of innocent Black African fisherman trying to eak out their frugal living in their humble fishing careers.

This distortion of the "French warship captures 19 Somali pirates" news story is as disingenuous as the French condemning Israel for going after the "peaceloving" Islamic Gazi's. Get a grip, France.