Among my e-mails today was one calling my attention to an interview (by someone I’m not familiar with, if you’ll forgive the dangling preposition) with Columbia’s Thomas Smith about the pirates. A sample:
TUSR: Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he was stunned
by the pirates’ reach. I was taken aback by Mullen’s surprise—the reach
has been well-documented in all manner of media, even a lengthy feature
in National Geographic this year that somewhat romanticized the
pirates. So why is an admiral stunned?
SMITH: Admiral
Mullen was ‘stunned’ by the pirate attack taking place so far from the
coast, about 450 miles offshore. The attack in fact was a bit
surprising. It was bold, very risky for the attackers, and much farther
out into the so-called ‘blue water’ than previous attacks we’ve seen by
similar bands in recent history.Now, I’ve since seen a few
bloggers and others criticizing the admiral for his remarks –
suggesting that no true fighting admiral would say such – and perhaps
‘stunned’ was a less-than-stellar word choice. But the admiral is a
professional Naval officer, not a politician. And so I say, it’s easy
for those who have never been to war or to sea—and have no frame of
reference for an appreciation of just how vast and unforgiving the sea
can be—to criticize.
And as long as I’m on the subject, there was a nice piece in the WSJ Saturday drawing some parallels to the Barbary Pirates. I sort of knew the outline of all of that, being a history major who sorta kinda concentrated on that period, but I learned at least one interesting fact from the piece I don’t remember having known before:
By the 1790s, the U.S. was depositing an astonishing 20% of its federal income into North African coffers…
We finally decided maybe it would be better to build a Navy, and deal with the problem. Trying to buy off the pirates just encouraged piracy — which sort of stands to reason, if you think about it.
Anyway, the piece further encouraged a notion I’ve been kicking around, which might turn into a column: The idea that the Somali pirates actually pose an opportunity to President Obama once he’s in office. It’s a chance to show the willingness to use force in the defense of international peace and security, with a ready-made multinational coalition to dramatically demonstrate his unBushness:
Of course, the world is a vastly more complicated place than it was two
centuries ago and America’s role in it, once peripheral, is now
preeminent. Still, in the post-9/11 period, America would be
ill-advised to act unilaterally against the pirates. The good news is:
It does not have to. In contrast to the refusal to unite with America
during the Barbary Wars, or more recently the Iraq War, the European
states today share America’s interest in restoring peace to the seas.
Moreover, they have expressed a willingness to cooperate with American
military measures against the Somali bandits. Unlike Washington and
Jefferson, George W. Bush and Barack Obama need not stand alone.
Related Posts
Did you see Admiral Mullen on television?
He chose his words very carefully, and talked like an Ensign serving as PR officer. Totally unaware of the situation, no fire, timid, sounding like a desk driver.
Where is Elmo Zumwalt when we need him?
Weren’t you the guy in the other posting (basically about this same subject) who stated that the Navy already was doing all it could do to deal with the pirate situation? In light of Admiral Mullen’s response, are we to accept that was your typical, kneejerk defense of the current administration’s military ops (or lack thereof) and, in particular, the US Navy?
Or did you have a similar epiphany in light of so much information on the subject right in front of you and all this time?
Several of us posted that the US Navy is patrolling the area and stopping piracy. No one claimed that our Navy is “doing all it can do”. Obviously, one carrier is capable of obliterating every harbor on the Somali coast in a few hours.
I was basing my comments on first-hand knowledge, from my business in the region, and conversations with ship officers. I also posted some links to British, French and Italian navy successes in stopping pirate attacks.
But why I am even answering “Capital A”, a person who likes pirates attacking “Big Oil”.
My comment was directed to Warthime, not to you, Ele Ulmler. I should have known that your mad, almost crackheadian rush to be the first post for every thread would have necessitated my need for specificity as to which audience I was addresssing.
Warthime’s own words were: “Folks, the U.S. Navy IS working hard on the piracy problem, along with the Brits, the French, Italy, Canada, Greece and Denmark. And, obviously, the Indians.” I think this latest posting proves little to less attention has been given by the current administration regarding the serious threat of piracy.
Ele Ulmer, for someone who claims to be so well versed in almost every subject of this blog, I cannot understand how your omnipotence led you to the belief that I supported piracy, especially when every comment I have posted on the subject has been the exact opposite of the sentiment you ascribed to me.
In that way, I suspect you may be the physical manifestation of the force that humanity has come to know as Stupidity: You’re everywhere at once, almost always wrong and the exact opposite of what folks should aspire to be.
They let schizophrenics ply the waters of the Arabian Sea do they?
Cap A
My comment was at Lee Muller, not you.
Just to let you know.
Thanks, marconi. Great invention by the way! Guard it closely or Ele Ulmelr will find a way to claim your Nobel Prize as his own.
Democrats are pirates. The fight among themselves, but get together to rob honest people and divide the spoils. I guess that is why Obamanites might be interested in this pirate news.
What about the pirates in the USA? I’m talking about the finance company and hedge fund execs who have hijacked our economy and run off with billions in booty, at the cost of tens of millions of citizens’ homes and life savings.
These criminals are destroying lives at a much larger scale. And the American people have no champion to rescue them. Bush appointed Hank Paulson, the equivalent of Blackbeard, to suggest the “bailout” which looks more and more like a massive keelhauling of the economy. And Obama has appointed another fellow pirate– Geithner– to take the treasury and swing the citizenry by the yardarm.
The fact is, the financial system throughout the world has been taken over by pirates– rip-off artists who have invented new ways to finagle billions out of the hands of the people and into the hands of the few.
It seems Democrats AND Republicans are equally eager to help THESE pirates to come up with new ways to maintain their pirate ways, to keep the pirate “system” going.
Democrats are pirates.
Democrats as pirates, huh? I never thought of that one before.
Although now that you mention it, Bill Clinton did get a lot of booty…
For those who don’t know anything about the Middle East on a first hand basis, keep posting your ignorance.
Pirates have been operating in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden for centuries. The Somolian pirates are among the best and piracy has always been a “cottage industry” in the region.
When you go off about the US Navy not doing enough, your profound ignorance is on display for all to witness.
Yes, the US Navy could become more involved but then the same people on this blog raising hell about our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan would raise even more because we involved ourselves with a regional problem which is exactly what it actually is.
Could we do as Lee states and take one destroyer and blast them to hell and back with one relentless sweep? Not hardly because there are so many of them and they are generally well organized because they have been at it for so long. It is only recently that they have moved to larger prey. Yet, we haven’t heard much about the Russian freighter loaded with weapons, tanks, and ammunition have we. But, when it comes to oil, even Iranian oil, the world press jumps all over it. I’m a little more concerned with the Somolian government getting their hands on the weapons than a ransom for a tanker full of oil.
By the way, most oil companies and other businesses allow for pay offs to pirates and local bandits in most Middle Eastern countries just like the Palestinian tax imposed on every gallon or liter of gas and every barrel sold by Middle Eastern countries. At least the tax is noted on gas pumps in the ME. Maybe we should acknowledge the same thing here.
And how do I have knowledge of these few facts? Simple, I worked in the ME and actually spent time learning as much as I could about culture and tradition as I could. Not an expert by any means like some on this blog try to be but learned enough to recognize BS artists when I read their posts.
Seriously Bart, do you really believe that if a concerted, international effort were to be waged against these pirates they couldn’t be shut down within a couple of months? We have the resources and, with some diplomacy, the international support to wage a successful effort in this regard. If our navy, along with many allies, can’t defeat these thugs then we really have fallen a long way as a nation. Read about the naval warfare in the vast expanse of the Pacific ocean sometime to see how the U.S. Navy using 1940s technology completely anhialated the Japanese. And the Pacific Ocean is a whole lot bigger than the Persian Gulf area.
Bart, I guess the rest of us “experts” were waiting for you to come along and set us straight. You’re a Thanksgiving prayer answered since I haven’t purchased a turkey yet.
The problem is not regional by any means, as the area is important to sea trade and traffic. That much seems obvious, but sometimes the experts miss the basics, I guess.
The Iraq debacle and this problem are mutually exclusive. One was a concerted effort to deceive the American public into financially backing an oil grab, while this is a real and credible threat. You do know the difference between imagination and reality, don’t you?
In fact, those of us who rightly opposed Bushbaby’s War are, in fact, frustrated that monumental resource drain potentially has hamstrung our ability to react to verifiable and growing crises like the one in the Gulf of Aden. See also: Hurricane Katrina. We can’t bear all the cost of this action, however, and I hope the incoming administration can muster our allies much better than the previous did.
Visiting an area doesn’t make you an expert on that place, either. I once had a layover in St. Louis, Missouri, and I still can’t tell you where to get the best barbecue there. Your attempt at being “Ele Ulmler-Lite, Almost-As-Omnipotent Force” does not add credence to your post, especially in light of your ignorance of the simplest facts.
As has been mentioned before, Thomas Jefferson, my favorite and the most paradoxical president, had methods for dealing with the ancestral scum of these pirates. I say it’s time we dealt out a history lesson and close the books on this problem for the foreseeable future.
“Iraq debacle?” LOL!!
The Democrats dropped Iraq as their number one issue back in the summer, when it became obvious that we were mopping up the remnants of the terrorists, and turning control of 1/3 of the country over to the Iraqis.
Let’s see what what boy wonder, Obama, does with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia. He doesn’t have a clue.
Bart,
I was not saying that the US should use its nuclear or other arsenals to obliterate the entire coast of Somalia, just that we do have the power to do so.
Some ships now are doing the same thing merchant ships have always done – arm themselves. Several freighters have used .50 BMG and 20mm cannons to hold off or sink pirate ships. Most of these pirates are using 300m range RPG-7 rocket launchers. A good .30-caliber weapon can riddle them at 800 yards.
Sometimes one inadvertently does a good deed for one of God’s creatures. Thanks to my comments about piracy in the Gulf of Aden, Capital A has no need to look for a turkey this Thanksgiving. Now, because of my selfless sacrifice, a poor turkey has been spared the ignominious distinction of facing a humiliating end by spending its last moments on earth on Capital A’s Thanksgiving table.
Can you imagine the sheer horror of knowing your last act on earth would be to lay face up on Capital A’s table, with the final realization that Leatherface incarnate would shortly rain sheer terror down on you while wielding an electric carving knife, slowly slicing away the flesh, allowing it to fall away from the body. Then knowing that what surely follows will constitute the wanton devouring of innocent flesh and children and adults with weak stomachs should stay away at all costs lest they be haunted with nightmares and sleepless nights after witnessing the entry of a poor turkey’s carcass into that endless chasm known as Capital A’s mouth. Oh, the humanity of it all!!
However, allowing for the fact that A actually stands for (insert your own), turkeys beware.
Just got this from the author of the Smith interview:
Take it from Kay Day on the grammar – she runs several web sites to help aspiring authors and poets.
Sorry I missed this thread while out of the country.
Looks like Mr. Warthen is trying to backdoor a gradual campaign to rehabilitate
a fabulist. Mr. Warthen always was a sucker for Thomas Smith’s nonsense. When I emailed Mr. Warthen months ago about Mr. Smith being revealed as a fraud, he claimed ignorance.
Looks like it won’t be long before Mr. Warthen puts the fraud that is Mr. Smith back on The State’s op-ed page.