UN Authorizes attacks on Pirate Stongholds...

[M.Dancer]

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 16 -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize nations to conduct military raids, on land and by air, against pirates plying the waters off the Somalia coast even as two more ships were reportedly hijacked at sea.

Ban rejected Rice's proposal for a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Somalia, suggesting that conditions there were not secure enough. Instead, he asked the Security Council to increase funding for a financially strapped African Union force that has struggled to secure strategic sea and air ports.

Rice countered that it would be better to place the Africans under a U.N. flag, which would require the world body's 192 members to fund the operation. She urged the council to authorize a peacekeeping mission by the end of the year but said the United States was not yet prepared to present such a resolution to the council. "While the conditions may not be auspicious for peacekeeping, they will be less auspicious if chaos reigns in Somalia," she said. She voiced concern that Islamist extremists could take advantage of a breakdown in security to stage a return to power for the second time in three years.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...?hpid=sec-world

So what give? I thought If I remeber rightly that the US only intervenes if there is oil?

Anyway, the disappointment is that they urge nations to apprehend pirates on the high seas and prosecute them according to their own laws. This is disppointing because walking the plank, kell hauling and kissing the gunner daughter is no longer an option.

[OddSox]

So what give? I thought If I remeber rightly that the US only intervenes if there is oil?

Well, there is an oil tanker ship there somewhere...

[Oleg Bach]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...?hpid=sec-world

So what give? I thought If I remeber rightly that the US only intervenes if there is oil?

Anyway, the disappointment is that they urge nations to apprehend pirates on the high seas and prosecute them according to their own laws. This is disppointing because walking the plank, kell hauling and kissing the gunner daughter is no longer an option.

Put them in a long pipe with a hose pipe on them.....that UN if it did it's job would not have to authorize attacks on pirates...if they had been sincere and benevolent Somalia would be more prosperous and piracey would not have become an option for the desperate.

[moderateamericain]

So they have authorized attacks on somali pirates. Now what? The rest of the world sits around with there thumbs up there butts and waits for the US to free up a couple of submarines. While there armies sit and do nothing. America, taking care of other countries problems since 1775.

Edited December 18, 2008 by moderateamericain

[DogOnPorch]

China is sending some ships. Someone at the Chinese politburo must be losing some profits.

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Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy.

---Mao Tse-Tung

[Oleg Bach]

So they have authorized attacks on somali pirates. Now what? The rest of the world sits around with there thumbs up there butts and waits for the US to free up a couple of submarines. While there armies sit and do nothing. America, taking care of other countries problems since 1775.

Maybe the Americans can send in some "contractors" - like those Black Water fellows - they might need a break from the dusty trail and an ocean cruise may do them some good. You do know that some of these free lancers do good work and at a reasonalbe cost - and the blind eye policy is still in place.

[eyeball]

China is sending some ships.

Rice countered that it would be better to place the Africans under a U.N. flag

Better a UN flag than a Chinese?

I suppose a US flag might look a little thin and ragged all by itself, especially these days.

[Sulaco]

Maybe the Americans can send in some "contractors" - like those Black Water fellows - they might need a break from the dusty trail and an ocean cruise may do them some good. You do know that some of these free lancers do good work and at a reasonalbe cost - and the blind eye policy is still in place.

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/10/blackwater-well.html

"Security analysts and the Somali government are publicly flirting with the idea of hiring mercenaries to stop the pirates that are terrorizing east Africa. Now, the notorious guns-for-fire at Blackwater are responding to the call, with a resounding arrrr!!!!!"

[marcinmoka]

Maybe the Americans can send in some "contractors" - like those Black Water fellows

Not a bad idea. Q-Ships a la WWII could be another option. Furthermore, I do find it mildly amusing the (relative) level of cooperation between normally antagonistic nations in the Gulf of Aden, especially with the emergence these past few days of Iranians joining the effort.

The plus side about having such nations (i.e. Russia, China, Iran, etc) in the fold is that their rules of engagement may prove to be a little more "liberal" than our own.

[wulf42]

Not a bad idea. Q-Ships a la WWII could be another option. Furthermore, I do find it mildly amusing the (relative) level of cooperation between normally antagonistic nations in the Gulf of Aden, especially with the emergence these past few days of Iranians joining the effort.

The plus side about having such nations (i.e. Russia, China, Iran, etc) in the fold is that their rules of engagement may prove to be a little more "liberal" than our own.

I haven't figured out yet why they haven't armed cargo ships passing through Somalia! a simple solution really!

these pirates need to be made an example of...blow a few of the little bastards out water, they'll get the hint!

[ironstone]

Maybe the Americans can send in some "contractors" - like those Black Water fellows - they might need a break from the dusty trail and an ocean cruise may do them some good. You do know that some of these free lancers do good work and at a reasonalbe cost - and the blind eye policy is still in place.

Please enlighten us,what is the politically correct way to deal with these pirates?While I am no fan of socialism/communism I don't think the Russians and Chinese will tolerate too much of this.They may be inclined to ,wait for it......take military action!

The situation in Somalia is awful,but do they not deserve at least some of the blame?Too many warlords....