Pirates are not a law enforcement issue. They are enemies of humanity and deserving of destruction, not civil rights. True, LE techniques may pinpoint the villages they operate from, but you can't arrest them there, nor punish the village for supporting them. They bring in too mush wealth to a desperately poor land. One without a real govt.
Pirates at sea, though, you just sink them. That's not a LE job, that's military. Coast guard, navy, Mercs, I don't care.
just heard the update over there where the captain tried to escape by jumping over and they started shooting at him. somehow they recaptured him and is back on board the lifeboat. why wasn't the military keeping an eye on them with the bigeyes. now they have him tied up.
send the seals in and drill a hole in the life boat so it starts to sink and when they throw him overboard their there waiting.
It is clean. Televised head shots from our shooters. They're pirates. It's at sea. We're covered under International law for that action.
You think folks will be excited to pirate the next US flagged ship in that area after they realize their buddies got introduced to a .30 bullet of 172 grains loaded at Salt Lake Arsenal?
Um.....it's a hardcover mlb guys - no clear shot[s] possible.
However, once the ransom is paid and the hostage released....
That's how the Frogs handled one of their own situations with Somali pirates. Worked out pretty good 'cept the Frogs turned the pirates over to outside LE. Woulda' been better to simply have fed the fishes.
Didn't realize it was a covered boat. That'd be why I'm no longer doing rapid planning.
We still have plenty of options without paying a ransom though. In the end, they need to be treated as the law allows as soon as possible. That means their feet should never touch land again while they are alive.
My approach isn't about making people 'feel good.' It is about sending a clear message that we won't let US flagged vessels be pirated. Period. Anyone who complains, tough $h!t. We're covered under International law.
Temporarily, it's a stalemate. But long term, the pirates have already lost. It's now just a question of if they want to be spiteful and suicidal.
They will sit out there another 24 or 36 hours while this chews at their mind, then either give up or commit suicide.
Its a shame the captain made it out of the boat and got recaptured... the second he splashed, all &*^^ should have broken loose on that life raft, though that's no doubt easier said then done.
Yeah, it IS. The Navy is standing off so as not to antagonize the Somalis, but in any event don't have the small boat or the right guys to be in a position to rapid-react. Neither do they have helo assets configured and manned for this type of - dare I say it - LE mission.
Having said all that, the CG has ready-teams, with boat[s] and all their gear pre-staged on C130's that can be on-scene anywhere in the world within 24 hours. I'm guessing the Swabbies are too proud to put in a call to the 'Coasties. There's more than a little inter-service rivalry; typical don't step on my dick crap.
BTW, that's how the Cole got hit: the CG can dispatch Port Security teams to protect US warships anytime they put into risky port[s]. And these teams are seriously bad dudes who are just itching to shoot the crap outta somebody/something. They publicly inform local maritime authorities and operators, establish a security perimeter around the vessel and nothing enters that area unchallenged. However, they must be requested by the Navy ship's Captain or the US attache for the country/region involved. Neither did for the Cole. I believe, but am not absolutely sure, that the ship's Captain was disciplined and later retired.}
"IF" CinC is using the FBI Negotiators to buy time to get operators in place, I'm ok with that.
CinC also has the ability to quash the inter-service rivalry/redtape aspect, "IF" he so chooses.
Personally, doesn't matter to me who does the deed, CG/Navy/USMC/Other, just as long as the job gets done professionally & leaves no ambiguity that piracy of a US flagged vessel will not be tolerated.
My only problem with using the CG is that it gives one more indication to the pinheaded nations (and multinational corporations) of the world that they can rely on the US to be the world's policeman and not have to take care of their own business.
If its a US flagged ship...we take care of our own...but don't expect us to come running for every Dutch, Tunisian, Panamanian, Norwegian, or whatever countries' ships rescue. Especially when those counties spend bubkis on their own national defense.
The standard hostage deal is to negotiate as long as possible and most of the time you get the goods guys out unharmed. You try to be ready to go in hot if need be but it is hard to do that without killing the hostage. the longer you can make it last the more likly the bad guys will screw up and the more time you hvae to figure out a plan to get the hostage out alive. Time is usually in th egood guys favor but not always.
If this was political terroists you would likly do it differently.
and it sounds like kerry just wants some face time with the media. But just for giggles, I wonder what rights he may be speaking of? International waters from a country without a functioning government???? Surely he dosen't mean the rights of American citizens in the US.
I have a vision of 4 drones circling overhead with the names, in abut 24" letters, of each of the assholes and somehow letting them know that each of them is targeted
The moment their head pops out of that boat it's popped like a watermelon dropper from a building.
The only way for them to have any chance is for the hostage to leave first.
I love technology.
I now know how Michelle Obama felt for those many years she struggled to find a reason to be proud of her country. I think her problem is that the the ol man spends all his time apologizing.
Oh..and "Pirate reinforcements"??? The pirates are sending their rag tag fleet to rescue their mates on the life boat? And they are also hiding behind hostages? Sink them and pick up the survivors? Leave the pirates for fish food. Is this not an act of war? Lay war down on them!