I think the only way you might get action in this administration would be to have a US sniper request authorization through Congress under the new healthcare plan to provide free forehead implants for all Somali pirates.

Q-ships wouldn't be effective against pirates. You need escorted convoys in the danger zone with strong aerial support. In other words, you need destroyers/frigates with multiple helicopters to make sure you always have a few choppers airborne at any time.

But the real solution can't come from the sea, it has to come from the shore. There needs to be a real government in Somalia to take care of their own problems. There are a lot of other poor African countries out there, but all of them except Somalia are at least able to keep their citizens from becoming pirates.

Sorry, we have beaten you to it. After the pirates attacking the German navy supply ship "Spessart" had been captured, they were handed over to Kenya today. A German government speaker today said that measurements had been undertaken that while being prisoners aboard the German warship "they would be better off than before " (quote), and that they have been given "nice blue overalls", "round-the-clock medical treatment, they had been assured that they would not need to fear the Germans, and to their religious needs special attention had been payed, so that they had not been given pork meat to eat. These are very religious criminal attackers, you know, believing in the religion of peace. Oh, btw, if they would steal not fromminfidel but Muslim ships, they would see their hands and feet chopped off.

Sounds to me like they bought off the pirates and as a result should stick to stealing boats that do not fly the German flag:hmmm:

Right. Like they did to the ones that hijacked that Saudi tanker...oh wait.

Sorry to interrupt this parade of ..well, whatever. But can someone point me to the time when Obama apologized for the capture of Americans or American interests? I'm really curious where we get our facts around here. Unless Neal is gospel, of course.

He's a Democrat and a liberal, therefore he must be soft on all things involving national defense. Only conservative Republicans are allowed to be strong.

At least that's the argument.

and pretty much true. Republicans wage war... democrats toss about a few pointless and arbitrary air strikes and call it a day.

Update... the Pirates still have the captain of the ship.

What happened to your sense of humor?? Somali pirates hijack it? :O:

yes... but he captured it back. :D

Not bad work for a liberal...

Actually... if we could just reclassify the pirates as corporate CEO's; I think he could fire them!

US Crew Retakes Maersk Alabama From Pirates.
 

I posted this on the Newsvine thread:

Here's the Yahoo link.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090409/ap_on_re_af/piracy

Huzzah and Hully Gee!

Yes, SIR!

Permission to think, sir?

Do not try to read this sientnece when you have just woken up with a slight hangover, Took me a while to realize that it was riggers not ni...

My brain needs a kickstart.

I've been at work for an hour already and this hangover isn't going away.

As long as you start thinking about your own country for a change. God knows Ireland could use the attention. :DL

Besides if you know your American history you'd know that when it comes to starting wars the Democrats have the Republicans beat by a wide margin.

Somehow the crew regained control of the ships yet the 'pirates' continue to hold the capitan hostage.

The US has sent a Destroyer to the area.

What a destroyer is going to do other than intimidate, its not like they are going to sink the merchant.

After failing to grasp the positives around the convoying system at the outset of both world wars.....surely now is the time to give it some serious thought.

We are not talking about U-boats or FAC hare....but medium size motor/speed boats at best.

Surely two frigate sized ships, each with a helicopter would suffice as an escort.

This all sounds well and good, however the costs would find themselves displaced into the goods being delivered at some point.

Dont know if its true or not but this ships cargo was listed as emergency food relief for Zambia.

Some more updates:

The captain is still being held hostage on a smaller boat which is now evidently out of gas.

The crew had a member of the 'pirates' held but gave him up in an attempt to free the captain which evidently failed.

Allegedly the captain gave himself up in order to 'free' the crew.