Stormbringer on the Pirate situation..........

Let us review of the immediate situation in the Indian Ocean: 1X lifeboat with 4 pirates + 1 US hostage vs. US Navy destroyer USS Bainbridge and now guided missile frigate USS Halyburton (with compliment of helicopters). Latest sitreps indicate the pirates’ allies are moving other commandeered merchant vessels (the previously hijacked 20,000-tonne German container vessel Hansa Stavanger and possibly three others) into the area to further complicate the scenario. A USN P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft is keeping close tabs on the situation.

In a separate incident, French special forces stormed and freed a yacht held by pirates; during the course of the assault operation one hostage was killed and four others were freed.

The suggestions I’ve seen to date in the media only seem to address the immediate situation, i.e. “have some snipers take out the pirates in the lifeboat”, and “put private security contractors on the ships passing through the area”.

Both these themes are reactive in nature, and both of them seem to miss the big picture.

The situation at sea will resolve itself one way or the other; I will refrain from armchair quarterbacking the guys who have eyes-on at this time – there are any number of factors that complicate the sniper plan. At this time all I can do is pray for Captain Richard Phillips, who it seems offered himself as hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew. The man is a hero, and he certainly deserves more regard from his President, who declined discussing the issue with journalists for the second day in a row on Thursday.

What strikes me as odd is the fact that, despite all the comparisons by media wonks regarding America’s first foreign policy crisis - the wars with the Barbary Pirates (1801–1805, 1815) – nobody seems to grasp the big picture here.

Suggestion, Mr. Obama:

#1. Give the pirates in the lifeboat anything and everything they are asking for. To date, the pirates have demonstrated good faith in dealing with ransom-paying governments, and the two million dollar ransom is chump change compared to keeping the current naval presence afloat on standby.

#2. As soon as Captain Phillips has been returned to safety, and BEFORE the next situation arises, announce that: A) piracy on the high seas will no longer be tolerated and B) any remaining hostages being held either at sea or in the pirate strongholds in Somalia be released immediately.

Mr. Obama is a basketball player; in basketball the only way to win is to take the ball into enemy territory and make the other side play defense, a.k.a. Full Court Press. The way to play out this strategy here is to announce that all known pirate dwellings (they live in palaces, apparently) will be destroyed within 48 hours. To prove we are serious, one of the palaces chosen at random will be destroyed within 24 hours. Then - whether or not any remaining hostages are released - blow the pirate palaces to smithereens. Take them apart brick by brick, right down to the foundation stones. An AC-130 Spectre gunship flown out of our bases in the Horn of Africa should be able to accomplish this task overnight.

The Chinese word for ‘Crisis’ breaks down into = ‘Danger + Opportunity’








This is Obama’s opportunity to demonstrate decisive leadership, to honorably emerge from this high seas dilemma. Piracy is the scourge of civilization; combating pirates in the most brutal manner possible has propelled leaders from Julius Caesar to Thomas Jefferson to greatness and glory. If Barack Hussein were to take this decisive step, the United States will be respected by law-abiding people everywhere, and feared by criminals and terrorists anywhere.


Of course, Barack Hussein Obama will not do this, any more than William Jefferson Clinton had the testicular fortitude to do so to the lawless Somali thugs immediately following the Battle of Mogadishu in October of 1993. If he had done so, it is quite possible the civilized rule of law might be more prevalent in the Horn of Africa than the current set of circumstances.




STORMBRINGER SENDS

Editors note:

STORMBRINGER is the pseudonym of a US Army (retired) Special Forces Combat Diver NCO, still serving in other capacities