The American Spectator

Teleprompter Messiah| 4.10.09 @ 1:57PM

Jefferson just followed the example of Pompey the Great. Pompey was way more successful in his efforts, but Roman rules of engagement were not very restrictive.

Too bad Lightworker isn't much of a student of history.

Tim| 4.10.09 @ 4:11PM

How about another lesson from history: Q-Ships.

Tim| 4.10.09 @ 4:20PM

We also have the spectacle of a high tech warship, USS Bainbridge that could have singlehandedly sunk the entire Japanese Navy in 1941, facing off with a gang of goons armed with AKs and grenades.
All those missles and radars aren't going to do a damn thing. We need ships in the area suited to the mission, ships with old fashioned cannons, and Marines.
No, I am not calling for scrapping AEGIS ships, but we need to maintain a range of ships for a range of missions. Recall how in the late 80's Iran was mining the Persian Gulf from speedboats and we had no seaworthy minesweepers left? This situation has a lot in common.
Too bad we took the Pegasus class hydrofoils out of service. A squadron of fast gunboats would be really useful here.

pirates aaaaaarrrggghhhh| 4.10.09 @ 7:35PM

the REAL story behind the pirates!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjreRSFNLTI

Chemman| 4.10.09 @ 7:45PM

How about 24/7 saturation bombing of all Somalian ports. No ships needed just some of the still flying Buffs.

Bob| 4.11.09 @ 6:42AM

While I'm all in favor of bombing these pirates into oblivion, it doesn't seem quite that easy. First, these are gangs, not government activities as there is no government in Somalia. Would you bomb Los Angeles because the crips and bloods live there? Secondly, they don't have "bases" like we do -- they are dispersed much like other terrorist groups and are mobile. You'd have to bomb hundreds of locations and they would just quickly move to another. I heard on the news last night that they use captured ships as headquarters just like the Islamic militants use schools and hospitals. Are you going to bomb the ships of other countries including their crews?

I like the sentiment of this general, but I don't see how you can do it successfully. He's a major general and should know. Perhaps he can explain it to us.

In the meantime, let's use our Navy Seals, and like the French, attack them. By the way, this is the first time our country has been involved as this is the first American flagged ship to be attacked.

Marc Jeric| 4.11.09 @ 7:51AM

When that ship captain jumped into the see - if he Navy sharpshooters had held those 4 gunmen in their sights, as they should have, the affair would have been over. But it seems to me that the Navy is expecting White House instructions, probably by Rahm Emanuel, that considers "political implications" of any Navy moves. Shades of Carter directing the freeing of the American Embassy hostages in Iran!

WendyG| 4.11.09 @ 10:08AM

>>>>Shades of Carter directing the freeing of the American Embassy hostages in Iran!

Absolutely! In so many ways, Obama is Carter II. Very bad news for Israel. And the USA. But the American people had no real investment in Carter, nor did the press. So he was outta there after four years. But the MSM media and liberals are slavishly devoted to Obama. There is no telling the extent to which they will cover for him, and how much damage will be done to nation by it.

Bob| 4.11.09 @ 11:25AM

"There is no telling the extent to which they will cover for him, and how much damage will be done to nation by it."

Wendy, as much damage as George Bush and the Republican led Congress? To be truthful, I don't know the involvement of Obama in this. I know Patraeus is personally managing this and I think he is a pretty good general. Rather than jumping to conclusions, let's see how this plays out.

And please get off this MSM nonsense. Fox News is the number one cable news channel and conservatives practically own the radio. Newspapers are going down the tubes and conservative internet sites like this one are readily available.

By the way, isn't the right "slavishly" devoted to Reagan's memory?

Ran| 4.11.09 @ 11:17PM

Mr Klein,
I'm completely with Wilkerson. That would mean victory however... can't have any more of that, now that America is no longer anyone's enemy.

Methinks the administration is more likely to go after real criminal piracy... you know, kids who swap U2 mp3's.

Siegfried X| 4.12.09 @ 7:25AM

The pirates are reported to be in a COVERED lifeboat, so snipers can't see them in order to shoot. The military said that the captain was re-captured within a few seconds. That means he didn't get far enough from the ship that it could have been safely exploded.

We will eventually have to go into Somalia, but it won't be easy. One problem with bombing is that the pirates have hundreds of foreign hostages, and are using them as human shields. They are also spread out among the population, not sitting in pirate building with a skull & crossbones painted on the roof, waiting to be bombed.

Siegfried X| 4.12.09 @ 7:35AM

A more realistic option would be a naval blockade of Somalia. No ships sailing = no pirates. One of the problems now is that there is no way to tell a pirate mother ship from a fishing boat, until it launches an attack.

So we stop them from fishing or launching any ships. Not only would that shut down the pirate revenue, but it would affect the general population enough to turn them against piracy.

Ran| 4.12.09 @ 7:50AM

Siggy,
Really man. A slap on the wrist is not how one deals with bullies. "Blockade." No: Something dramatic such as heavy bombing of the harbors, one at a time, something destructive, fearful and expensive to them... just for starters. Pirates, bullies and tyrants understand only fear, yes? It will be a lesson learned too, then, by other potential pirates. If we don't display an aggressive will to protect our own, we are toast.

As for Cart- Obama... this whole affair stinks of the Teheran Embassy debacle.

Crusader| 4.12.09 @ 12:33PM

Why, we've been running "hearts and minds" ops out of neighboring Djibouti for years. Why do they still hate us?

(Sarcasm off)

Crusader| 4.12.09 @ 12:37PM

I have been full of radical ideas as of late, I know, so here's another one.

ARM THE FRIGGING BOATS!!!!! Do you think these pirates are brave? They're MUSLIM for crap's sake. AFRICAN muslims, so that is 2 things working against them--naturally lazy and indoctrinated in cowardice. They attack when only when they know they can win. ARM the boats. Shoot the pirates. Problem solved.

Troll Hunter| 4.12.09 @ 1:59PM

Problem? Crusader, but that's such a stupid post. Any other useless stereotypes you'd care to indulge? Get a grip, man. You sound like an hysterical bigot, a liberal.

Siegfried X| 4.12.09 @ 2:07PM

Shock & awe bombing is not enough. It's the eternal fantasy that if we just bomb an enemy hard enough, they'll roll over and give up. e.g. Vietnam and "we're going to bomb them back into the stone age".

Clinton's bombing in Bosnia came the closest to winning by air alone. In reality there was a heavy involvement of ground forces too. The success of the Bosnia bombing came by causing sustained discomfort to the civilian population, like by shutting off electricity and heat; it was not because of any one massive bombardment.

Siegfried X| 4.12.09 @ 2:13PM

USA USA USA!

An American ship captain was freed unharmed Sunday in a swift firefight that killed three of the four Somali pirates who had been holding him for days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa, the ship's owner said and a U.S. official said

Bob| 4.12.09 @ 4:11PM

Where are the comparisons now between Obama and Carter? They suddenly have seemed to disappear. As I said previously, this was in the hands of Patraeus and he's a pretty good guy. Most of leadership is finding the right person to handle the job and then letting him do it.

MT| 4.12.09 @ 5:14PM

Bush's Military!! Great job, Navy Seals!!

Siegfried X| 4.12.09 @ 6:57PM

The bad news is that Obama gave the troops the bare minimum authority he could, that they could 0nly take action if the captain's life was in "imminent danger". In other words he tied their hands to do nothing until the captain was about ready to be shot. As the admiral said at the press conference, their goal was to settle this peacefully, by negotiations.

The admiral also said that one of the pirates had his rifle pointed at the captain's back, which was what allowed our military to take action.

Angel| 4.12.09 @ 7:27PM

I'm just thankful that we have such a great country and a kick-@ss military special ops group of courageous American Men! Bravo!

Crusader| 4.12.09 @ 7:43PM

Ahh troll hunter, a typical wussy-lib response. Guess what libtard, the real world is a lot different than your make-believe, can't-we-all-just-get-along fantasy.

Read the Koran and spend some time in East Africa. You do that and you will almost be ready to talk to me about this subject.

MT| 4.12.09 @ 8:20PM

Pathetic liberals--anyone who points out reality is a racist to them. Stupid fools.