The Coalition of the Swilling

Yes... paying these criminals will really teach them a lesson. Whatever. I hope they are ready for more pirates in the waters off the coast of Africa, because after this that is exactly what they are going to get!

Exactly, Kerri. They're creating a growth industry.

Well, this is a form of wealth redistribution. So it's in line with the next administration.

I don't understand why they don't take a helicopter like they use in the California wildfires and cover the thing with Chloroform! Or get a crop duster for God's sake and dust 'em with Anthrax!

I'd prefer something more to the point, Greg, but I understand your intent.

Talk about using a sledgehammer... What about the innocent sailors on board - should they be exterminated as well to make a point? Too late for this ship

The solution to this pirate problem is simple - run convoys as they did in WWII. Ships gather at a waiting point at one end, battleships meet them, they pass through together. The battleships meet waiting ships on the other end and escort them on the return voyage. Simple, effective, and this method would allow thinly stretched navies to protect many ships in each runs across the area. At this point the sledgehammer is an effective tool... Sink all ships that come near the convoy.

They have to go ashore with the boodle. Follow them, then sink every vessel in whichever harbor they go to. Follow them some more, and raze the village they go to.

THAT'S a message.

Turn Ukrainian-operated into Ukrainian-armed and operated vessel. Put regular military or "private security" forces on these tubs. Like Liberia,Panama or Greece are in a position to complain that their ships are now armed. These small boarding parties are not in a position to cause any serious damage.

"The solution to this pirate problem is simple - run convoys as they did in WWII. Ships gather at a waiting point at one end, battleships meet them, they pass through together."

Let's see, what are the problems with that? Well, first, there ARE no battleships left in service, though that's beside the point since they didn't serve as WWII merchant escorts either. Second, the world's overall shipping tonnage is orders of magnitude larger than it was then but the world's navies are vastly smaller.

The solution to piracy is the same solution that cut it from a flood to a trickle between 1700 and 1750: all pirates should be executed by whoever gets their hands on them (there's universal jurisdiction to punish piracy as a crime against the law of nations), and then people will do the cost-benefit analysis and decide they no longer want to risk the downside of becoming pirates.

"Turn Ukrainian-operated into Ukrainian-armed and operated vessel. Put regular military or "private security" forces on these tubs."

You can't legally arm a merchant vessel, but that aside, as a practical matter, who exactly would you suggest is going to pay for this? The shipping companies? The marine insurance underwriters? Governments, i.e., taxpayers? And where exactly are you going to put these people? Modern freighters have quite small crews and don't have the facilities to house and feed large numbers of passengers.

loads of neanderthal blow the sky high thinking in here. When your family is starving and there is no government or a coastal guard to protect the rich tuna laden somali waters from foreigners then it's only natural for the pirates to how do the americans and bush say, take the fight to them.

any ship that passes the suez canal has to pay tax to the egyptian government.

so any ship that passess in somali waters has to pay a tax too. Since there ain't any government in somalia or a navy then the pirates are the coastal guards of somalia.

"When your family is starving and there is no government or a coastal guard to protect the rich tuna laden somali waters from foreigners..."

These incidents haven't been in Somali waters. They've been in international waters. Piracy on the high seas has been recognized as a crime since the beginning of history, and pirates as universal outlaws.

"...it's only natural for the pirates to how do the americans and bush say, take the fight to them."

Take the fight to who? To unarmed merchant vessels carrying the world's commerce? How is that "taking the fight" to anyone in any sane or meaningful way?

MZJmbi