i have a 'silver bullet' for the piracy problem...we have ONE of the pirates from the Alabama crew, yes? tie him with a good sturdy rope, put him in a pt sized boat, with armed guards of course, and TOSS HIM OVERBOARD. THEN go fast. This all should take place in INTERNATIONAL WATERS so as not to fall afoul of any country's territorial waters, thereby avoiding breaking any country's laws. Do this with a FEW of them, and the rest will get the idea.
On Apr 15, 8:06 am, dick thompson <[email protected]> wrote: > * Home <http://www.boston.com/> / > * Globe <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe> / > * Opinion <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion> / > * Op-ed <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped> > > Charles R. Stith > The Boston Globe <http://www.boston.com/news/globe/> > > No silver bullet for Somalia problems > > By Charles R. Stith > <http://search.boston.com/local/Search.do?s.sm.query=Charles+R.+Stith&;...> > April 15, 2009 > > * Email > > <javascript:openWindow('http://tools.boston.com/pass-it-on?story_url=http://www.boston.com/bo...>| > * Print > > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...>| > * Single Page > > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...>| > * Yahoo! Buzz > > <http://buzz.yahoo.com/article/bostoncom751/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.bos...>| > * ShareThis <javascript:void(0)> > > Text size -- + > > SEA CAPTAIN Richard Phillips' heroic sacrifice to surrender himself to > Somali pirates to save his crew, as well as the sharp-shooting Navy > Seals who took out his captors, is the stuff of Hollywood dramas. > Unfortunately, the circumstances that precipitated this crisis reflect > the real-world problems the United States has on the foreign front. We > should not be deluded into thinking there is a silver-bullet solution to > problems in the troubled waters off the coast of Somalia. > > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > Discuss > COMMENTS (4) > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > From the perspective of several African leaders I spoke with during a > recent trip to the continent, the hostage-taking of an American was > fairly predictable. Likewise, the sorts of strategies that are needed to > prevent this from happening again are also obvious. > > First, the United States has got to get in the game. As critical as it > is for us to pay attention to Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and the Middle > East, Africa is no less important. Attention from either the president > or the secretary of state would help reinforce that we understand the > valuable strategic interests in Africa as well as the volatility of the > region. One way to demonstrate the seriousness with which we take > Africa's problems is to quickly confirm Johnnie Carson as the assistant > secretary of state for African affairs. > > Carson has been US ambassador to several African nations. I met him when > he was ambassador to Kenya and I was the top US envoy to Tanzania, just > after the bombings of both embassies. Carson is one of the most able > career diplomats in the service, well respected in the State Department > and, more important, in Africa. Getting him on the job is the best > chance to put us on a path to get our hands around regional problems. > > Another issue that came up in conversations about Somalia is that > engaging regional leadership is critical. The United States must make an > "investment" in our allies in the region so that they can increase their > capacity to counter such threats. This is another part of the world > where there are no "go it alone" options to deal with imminent threats. > Engaging regional leadership means supporting regionally originated > solutions to respond to the deeply rooted problems of the area. It means > increasing our allies' capacity to deal with security problems on land > as well as on the sea. > > Moreover, the Africa Strategic Command, which was launched during the > Bush administration, must be fully embraced and given new marching > orders by the Obama administration. Although the key to our engagement > in the region must be diplomatic, there is clearly a military aspect to > some the challenges. While AFRICOM has met some resistance, this latest > hostage-taking involving an American might be just the opportunity to > jump-start conversations about how AFRICOM might be more effectively > engaged. > > Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a front-burner issue in Africa > for some time. It has endangered and slowed commerce and has had a > significant adverse impact on East Africa. Many leaders want to resolve, > or at least contain, the problem. It presents a clear opportunity to > further bilateral cooperation on the military front in the region. > > Given the excellent way the Navy deployed special-services personnel to > end the hostage crisis, there were clearly some lessons learned on how > to defuse future similar situations. But the real lesson we should take > from this situation is that if we are going to effectively deal with the > problem of "pirates gone wild" and the instability of the region, we > need a comprehensive policy agenda rather than just stellar police action. > > /Charles R. Stith, a former US ambassador to Tanzania, is director of > the African Presidential Archives and Research Center at Boston > University. / > > © Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. > READER COMMENTS (4) > > Report item as: (required) X > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > Comment (optional): > <http://www.pluck.com> > User Image > <http://www.boston.com/community/persona.html?UID=bf5e1d92e1868bb547af...> > > rick1954 > <http://www.boston.com/community/persona.html?UID=bf5e1d92e1868bb547af...> > wrote: > Increased "stellar" police action may not be all that is needed Mr > Smith, but as you say, it is a great way to start. > > If the world's merchant transport ships can't get some sort of reliable > escort ( 3 hours away is not reliable), then they need to arm themselves > and machine gun every pirate boarding vessel that comes within a 100 > yards. That's all these vermin understand. Continue to make piracy easy > and profitable and it will never cease. Sink a few of their boarding > vessels, kill a few dozen of them, knock out a few of the rat-hole > villages and the problem will stop. THEN we can worry about sending more > humanitarian aid. > 4/15/2009 7:52 AM EDT > Recommend > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > Report abuse > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > Permalink > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > User Image > <http://www.boston.com/community/persona.html?UID=0ab98983a289d14db7b7...> > > Moszna > <http://www.boston.com/community/persona.html?UID=0ab98983a289d14db7b7...> > wrote: > Nothing will change until Somalia is cured of its KHAT problem. The use > of the drug is endemic there and rather than support a national > government Somalis are content to let their land flounder in medieval > and tribal khat-induced anarchy. They are so into khat that they'd > rather sit on their duffs and do nothing and complain that their only > economic choice is to commandeer foreign ships and kidnap their crews. > We're dealing with drug-dependent medieval thinking people. > 4/15/2009 8:52 AM EDT > Recommend > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > Report abuse > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > Permalink > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > User Image > <http://www.boston.com/community/persona.html?UID=7350532dc228420a8006...> > > Celticpole > <http://www.boston.com/community/persona.html?UID=7350532dc228420a8006...> > wrote: > Ron Paul, that wild and crazy guy that many people dismiss as being a > bit bonkers, has once again come up with a "Constitutionaly correct" > solution that might be of assistance. I'm impressed just because he's > actually READ the whole frakking Constitution of the United States of > America. He probably reads all the bills that he's asked to vote on as > well. In his opinion, in our Constitution, there is language dealing > with "letters of marque" - a term familiar to those of us who remember > Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power and Basil Rathebone swashbuckling their > way, Hollywood style, across the Carribean to have their way with Olivia > DeHavilland. > Simply put, this would create "legalized" bounty hunters acting as > agents of the US government on the open sea - again. Mr. Paul says that > not only would we save on man/womanpower and overall costs (10% less), > but it would be indisputible by the world community. The language has > been there for 233 years and is now available again to provide an 18th > century answer to an 18th century problem. It appears that Mr. Paul's > suggestion has the additional advantage of allowing us to distance > ourselves should the "agents" become too creative in their methodology > Don't want too many Edward Teach or William Kidd on the loose after the > hunt's over - if that will ever be accomplished. Because this has ALWAYS > been about humans and (in the non-sexual sense) b$o$o$t$y. > 4/15/2009 9:13 AM EDT > Recommend > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > Report abuse > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > Permalink > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > User Image > <http://www.boston.com/community/persona.html?UID=badde263a58db2fc93f3...> > > CanSen > <http://www.boston.com/community/persona.html?UID=badde263a58db2fc93f3...> > wrote: > A comprehensive policy agenda has to provide other sources of income for > these unfortunate people. We can not cure the cause by treating symptoms > as we always try to. Wherever there is poverty you can find Britain or > France there stealing the country's minerals. Somalia is not an exception. > 4/15/2009 10:43 AM EDT > Recommend > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > Report abuse > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > Permalink > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > View all 4 comments > > <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/200...> > > LOG IN TO COMMENT > > Sorry, we could not find your e-mail or password. > Please try again, or click here > <http://members.boston.com/reg/forgetPwd.do?dispatch=view> to retrieve > your password. > > *Existing users* > *E-mail: > > *Password: > > *Screen name: > > (* fields are required) > > Login <javascript:bcSubmitLogin();> > > Forgot your password? > <http://members.boston.com/reg/forgetPwd.do?dispatch=view> > > *New users* > Please take a minute to register. 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