Pirates: No Diplomacy, No Warning Shots, Just Sinkem!

No Mercy for Somali Pirates - Sink the jerks! I am having a hard time understanding why Somali pirate vessels are not being engaged with immediate lethal force. These are criminals, attacking innocents for financial gain. They are not politicians and they are not operating with a political agenda. They are vicious outlaws who have demonstrated a complete disregard for decency. The only life they value is their own and they are costing the international community a great deal of money and resources.

If we know anything about Somali militants, whether on the sea or land, it's that they are savage and cruel. They do not value human life. They do not respect the rights of others, and they do not recognize any form of justice. According to a recent article by the Associated Press, the frequency of pirate attacks on merchant ships has more than doubled since 2003, and that in four months there have been 111 incidents compared to a total of 79 in all of 2008.

Yet solutions proposed by NATO and the international community lack the only thing these criminals will understand. Swift and lethal response to any and every act of piracy.

I was disappointed in U.S Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton when she suggested that a possible solution to this problem would be to track and seize pirate assets. Of course, I understand that the Clintons have always been anti military. But give me a break. Even Hillary should be capable of understanding that Somali pirates are conducting criminal activity and that the rules of engagement require something other than financial restrictions. If Clinton truly wants to make a diplomatic statement the Somali government will comprehend, it should be in the form of cutting off all humanitarian aid immediately and indefinitely.

I am not a politician, nor do I have a background in foreign affairs, but I hardly think an education in international relations is what is required to deal with this problem. We are dealing with lawless people, from a lawless country. They are clearly not concerned with maritime law, and therefore should not be protected by it either. They understand violence, terrorism, and fear. Response to their actions should be violent, terrifying, and fearsome. Naval vessels patrolling waters in which these savages operate should have unrestricted clearance to engage pirate vessels with deadly force. The captains of warships conducting anti-pirate operations should also be given the understanding that warning shots are a waste of ammunition.

Whatever sorry excuse for a government that exists in Somalia should be given the understanding that citizens of their country participating in acts of piracy have forfeited any right to legal protection and will be engaged with lethal military force.

The Somali government should subsequently be held responsible for the bodies of dead pirates littering international waters.

In another article by the Associated Press, a Somali pirate stated that they will seek out American ships, and that if Americans are captured they will be slaughtered. This sounds like an open invitation to war. I personally think we should accept and attend the event with enthusiasm. Unfortunately, given the nature of America's current administration, it is doubtful that appropriate action will be taken until these pirates are sailing up the Mississippi river. If Clinton's idea for a solution is any indication of America's next move, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they get invited to the White House for dinner and a Stevie Wonder Concert.