Finally, we stand up to thugs

[CTL]

Kudos to the great work of the US Navy.  The way they handled the Somalian pirates and rescued the captain of the Maersk-Alabama was spectacular. 

[bl825]

I'm just glad that the captain made it through unharmed.

And still no long-term solution on the horizon.  Troubling.

[CTL]

I'm just glad that the captain made it through unharmed.

And still no long-term solution on the horizon.  Troubling.

Yea, it was great work on the part of the Navy, but now global leaders have to step up.  It's too bad that Somalia is such an utter mess, but it is a clear threat to global security and is a crisis that the international community needs to address sooner rather than later. 

[bl825]

I'm just glad that the captain made it through unharmed.

And still no long-term solution on the horizon.  Troubling.

Yea, it was great work on the part of the Navy, but now global leaders have to step up.  It's too bad that Somalia is such an utter mess, but it is a clear threat to global security and is a crisis that the international community needs to address sooner rather than later. 

It's a threat to global security how?

[CTL]

Seriously? 

Somalia is a safe-haven for piracy, presumably terrorists, and despotic warlords.  International trade is disrupted frequently and crews of international vessels are in harms way every time they pass through the Gulf of Ayden.  Piracy is only a sypmtom of the larger problem - Somalia's lack of a functioning government.

[bl825]

Seriously? 

Somalia is a safe-haven for piracy, presumably terrorists, and despotic warlords.  International trade is disrupted frequently and crews of international vessels are in harms way every time they pass through the Gulf of Ayden.  Piracy is only a sypmtom of the larger problem - Somalia's lack of a functioning government.

Piracy and despotic warlords don't really rise to the level of a threat to global security.  They're more of a regional problem.  I'll give you their potential for becoming a safe-haven for terrorists, but they're not exactly the focal point for those problems at the moment.

[Chivas]

There have been some great articles, one I think is called "You are being lied to about pirates," that explain the history of these pirates and why they are supported by the people.

Apparantly, there are people in Somalia, whether or not we call them pirates or something else, who have guarded their waters from people fishing and dumping waste illegally. European countries have been the main culprit, even dumping nuclear waste (which washed ashore during the tsunami, leading to illness and death). Some of these people (the proto-pirates) began actually taking bribes to allow dumping and fishing. Others turned to outright piracy.

The articles dont excuse illegal actions, and differentiate between the pirates and "somalia coast guard"

[CTL]

There have been some great articles, one I think is called "You are being lied to about pirates," that explain the history of these pirates and why they are supported by the people.

Apparantly, there are people in Somalia, whether or not we call them pirates or something else, who have guarded their waters from people fishing and dumping waste illegally. European countries have been the main culprit, even dumping nuclear waste (which washed ashore during the tsunami, leading to illness and death). Some of these people (the proto-pirates) began actually taking bribes to allow dumping and fishing. Others turned to outright piracy.

The articles dont excuse illegal actions, and differentiate between the pirates and "somalia coast guard"

This is true, but a functioning government would do a much better job enforcing maritime law than vigilantes with financial interests as well.

[Chivas]

No doubt. it is the lack of gov't that allowed the fishing and dumping in the first place.

[bl825]

There have been some great articles, one I think is called "You are being lied to about pirates," that explain the history of these pirates and why they are supported by the people.

Apparantly, there are people in Somalia, whether or not we call them pirates or something else, who have guarded their waters from people fishing and dumping waste illegally. European countries have been the main culprit, even dumping nuclear waste (which washed ashore during the tsunami, leading to illness and death). Some of these people (the proto-pirates) began actually taking bribes to allow dumping and fishing. Others turned to outright piracy.

The articles dont excuse illegal actions, and differentiate between the pirates and "somalia coast guard"

This is true, but a functioning government would do a much better job enforcing maritime law than vigilantes with financial interests as well.

What's the difference between a functioning government and vigilantes with financial interests?