Quote:On the same day Somali gunmen seized two more ships, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize nations to conduct land and air attacks on pirate bases on the coast of the Horn of Africa country.


The council authorized nations to use "all necessary measures that are appropriate in Somalia" to stop anyone using Somali territory to plan or carry out piracy in the nearby waters traversed each year by thousands of cargo ships sailing between Asia and the Suez Canal.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/arti...wD9543HV00

The UN stopped finally stopped being the worthless pile of crap it is and starting doing something about this stupidity. Time to start kicking ass and taking names.

.

Finally !!!!!!!!!!

.

Maybe the shipping companies should just say FU to the regulations and have the damn balls to arm their ships for protection....No...That would require that they actually decided operate in a free market and not seek protection from governments using the extraction of funds from "the fruits of labor" of people that just are trying to provide for their families.

I totally oppose any US military intervention into this problem. I have no problem paying the passed on cost of private "shipping protection" in the goods that I purchase that come from this region. I know damn well that that cost will be TINY compared to the cost of the military intervention.

Its time that the free market be allowed to function. That includes the property protection.

Please feel free to dispute that private protection of shipping would not solve this problem both easily and most cost effectively in this situation.

.

Since the U.N. gave the nod to this Fo, I honestly don't think the Military will be used all that much after things get further along and Companies like Blackwater and others can do this Job.

I mean all those guys are Ex-Mil/Law Enforcement anyway.

That is the Trend I see .... just like me when I worked for the DOD .... we were Contracted thru the Fed's and had the Exact Same Authority to use whatever force we needed to use, but we did not wear the same Uniform of the Military, Customs, or Coast Guard yet we had All the Exact Same Powers and Authority.

And we also did High Profile Personal Protection with a SWAT Like Team that were Specially Trained. I mean we all had tons of Training from Years Before, but Training and the associated Certificates are always good - - keeps you current and sharp.

I see Contract Firms after Guidelines are in place.

.

Fo Shizzle Wrote:I totally oppose any US military intervention into this problem. I have no problem paying the passed on cost of private "shipping protection" in the goods that I purchase that come from this region.

Depending on your definition of intervention we are already paying the cost of protection with our tax funded military who are already out there trying to provide protection. Private protection might work but can you imagine how loud the bleeding hearts will scream the minute one of those guys shoots a pirate and kills him? The NY Times will put a picture of the pirate's now fatherless and starving kid on the front page with headlines calling the security team war criminals and the ensuing lawsuits will be endless. At least the military will require some sort of rules of engagement whereas the private security might shoot questions first and ask questions later - not that I'm against that given the history of the pirates but it does give a reason for an ambulance chasing lawyer to sport a woody.

Tripster Wrote:.

Since the U.N. gave the nod to this Fo, I honestly don't think the Military will be used all that much after things get further along and Companies like Blackwater and others can do this Job.

I mean all those guys are Ex-Mil/Law Enforcement anyway.

That is the Trend I see .... just like me when I worked for the DOD .... we were Contracted thru the Fed's and had the Exact Same Authority to use whatever force we needed to use, but we did not wear the same Uniform of the Military, Customs, or Coast Guard yet we had All the Exact Same Powers and Authority.

And we also did High Profile Personal Protection with a SWAT Like Team that were Specially Trained. I mean we all had tons of Training from Years Before, but Training and the associated Certificates are always good - - keeps you current and sharp.

I see Contract Firms after Guidelines are in place.

.

I don't know.... a "mysterious explosion" from a "bomb" or a Tomahawk very close to a Somali Pirate Town may be needed to convey the full meaning of the UN Resolution.

You'd think it would be fairly easy to track these guys. Find the port where they are taking the ships. Put a camera into the sky. Wahlaaa...............

Machiavelli Wrote:You'd think it would be fairly easy to track these guys. Find the port where they are taking the ships. Put a camera into the sky. Wahlaaa...............

Mach, you can get 1 meter resolution commercial recon sat photos of the Somlai town of Eyl anywhere.

There are 4 merchies anchored about 1/4 mile offshore.

Problem is that until today nobody had the authority to strike the bases.

And I bet today the captured crews that were held onboard have been transferred ashore, so you have the "Human Shield" factor to deal with.

I took a class on Remote Viewing from NASA at The John Glenn facility in Cleveland a couple of summers ago. They wanted my class to take surface temperature readings and cloud and snow cover to calibrate satellites. I asked a couple of questions about resolution and the NASA guy said the military had 2 in. resolution in the 60's but today's resolution is classified. If they had 2inches in the 60's imagine what they have today.

Machiavelli Wrote:I took a class on Remote Viewing from NASA at The John Glenn facility in Cleveland a couple of summers ago. They wanted my class to take surface temperature readings and cloud and snow cover to calibrate satellites. I asked a couple of questions about resolution and the NASA guy said the military had 2 in. resolution in the 60's but today's resolution is classified. If they had 2inches in the 60's imagine what they have today.

WMD Owl Wrote:Problem is that until today nobody had the authority to strike the bases.

See that's the real problem with all of this.

I think it boils down to a simple division. Some people feel they first need to ask government to give them permission before they do anything. Other people feel government should only get involved when there is a clear need.

Ships should have been allowed to arm themselves from the beginning. They shouldn't have to seek "authority" for this...it's an innate human right.

Wouldn't this be the absolute perfect opportunity for states in Africa and the Middle East to patrol, fight and solve a local issue?

Jeeze, fighting pirates in wooden go-fasts should be like shooting fish in barrel.

DrTorch Wrote:

WMD Owl Wrote:Problem is that until today nobody had the authority to strike the bases.

See that's the real problem with all of this.

I think it boils down to a simple division. Some people feel they first need to ask government to give them permission before they do anything. Other people feel government should only get involved when there is a clear need.

Ships should have been allowed to arm themselves from the beginning. They shouldn't have to seek "authority" for this...it's an innate human right.

+1 protection of private property is indeed a natural right and should not need permission.

So the UN moves to "save the cargo" of these companies, but when it comes to saving the lives of people being murdered, they sit on their hands.

F_UCK the UN. Abolish it. Useless.

.

People with Commons Sense have been trying abolish the U.N. for decades now.

It has become more of place to take a New York vacation at, than to accomplish any real world aid.

I can see the premise the U.N. was created on, but the doo doo running downhill under the U.N.'s Foundation as eroded the Concrete and it is Sliding into the Hudson.

And that will be one LARGE MOUNTAIN of DOO DOO boy !!!!!!

I don't think even "THE" New York sewer system can handle that much Bull Shyte at one time ......

.

Lord Stanley Wrote:Wouldn't this be the absolute perfect opportunity for states in Africa and the Middle East to patrol, fight and solve a local issue?

Jeeze, fighting pirates in wooden go-fasts should be like shooting fish in barrel.

I applaud India for jumping into action and having a few pirating Muslims get to meet Allah execpectedly early.

SumOfAllFears Wrote:So the UN moves to "save the cargo" of these companies, but when it comes to saving the lives of people being murdered, they sit on their hands.

F_UCK the UN. Abolish it. Useless.

I'm in your boat on this voyage. ..In its current state as a do nothing bureaucratic bunch of intellectuals that have NO clue what the REAL world is about...The UN is USELESS.

I'd like to see the UN kicked out of the US and moved to any country in Europe and then...I'd like to see the US say FU to the UN.

Just heard China might send a few ships to help out with the pirates. Perhaps a little military interaction with them along with a common goal is a good thing.