November 18, 2005: There are apparently two "mother ships", for pirate gangs, operating off the Somali coast. Eyewitness reports say that at least one ship has a derrick on board for putting smaller speed boats in the water. The smaller boats go off and make the attacks. The U.S. and other major naval powers are under pressure to send in warships to shut the pirates down. At the moment, three cargo ships, three fishing boats and two dhows are being held for ransom by the pirates.
No. Not the piracy itself. That goes on all over the world. What disturbs me is that one, even with pressure applied to us we aren't acting; and two, we are being pressured to "shut them down."
Whatever happened to the age when all civilized nations agreed that pirates should simply be killed, and when US Navy ships would simply sink any pirate vessels we spotted without any outside encouragement?
I bet piracy would decline a whole lot if pirate vessels were dealt with via Harpoons with rescue boats too far away to get to the spot before there is only an oil slick at the strike site.
When thugs haven't evolved beyond brute force, it is foolish for the civilized nations to rely on treaties and courts.
