Clinton unveils initiative to combat 'scourge of piracy'

Clinton unveils initiative to combat 'scourge of piracy'

www.cnn.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday unveiled a diplomatic initiative to thwart attacks on ships off Somalia's coast and combat what she called the "scourge of piracy."

Clinton said the State Department will "explore ways to track and freeze pirate assets," similar to measures used against drug traffickers and terrorists.

Noting that the pirates have been buying more sophisticated vessels with the ransom money they have been collecting, Clinton said it could be possible to stop boat-building companies from doing business with pirates.

"These pirates are criminals. They are armed gangs on the sea. And those plotting attacks must be stopped, and those who have carried them out must be brought to justice," she told reporters after a meeting with Haitian Prime Minister Michele Duvivier Pierre-Louis.

The United States also will work with shippers and insurers to strengthen their defenses against pirates and will and call for immediate meetings of an international counterpiracy task force to expand naval cooperation, Clinton said.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I personally find this piracy topic laughable. Some of the richest nations in the world cannot control uneducated pirates in tiny skiffs from hijacking their massive billion dollar cargo ships.

Can these nations not afford to place armed security on these vessels at the least? I don't care if they are using the ransom money collected to buy better boats and weapons, the pirates cannot possibly compete with any nations if those nations had the will to do something about it. The USA could recon the area with drones for pete sakes and blow them out of the water.

Now in comes Clinton with a plan to stop or curb the piracy by discussing it with other nations.

Although she did not suggest the use of military force, she mentioned "going after" pirate land bases in Somalia, which is authorized in a U.N. Security Council resolution passed last December.

Ahh, I see, dont attack the pirates in the water, lets go after their bases in somalia. Great, it worked out well for the US last time they were in Somalia.

www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I agree with everything you say. I laugh everytime I see these massive ships and they say they have been taken over by some Somalians in boats...do they think we are stupid? The only reason they are making this an issue is for the oil.

America would have to resort to radical means to quell the threat of piracy....drape the side of each ship sailing through the Mediterranean with an enormous photograph showing Clinton naked and making out with Nancy Pelosi complete with the song "You sexy thing." playing over a bull-horn. If that doesn't keep the pirates at bay? I don't know what will.

Seriously though. Clinton is saying "lets go after" the pirates on their home turf--Somalia. While the OP is bringing up a good idea--Place armed security on board the ships.

At the same time the contract-sales-reps at places like "Blackwater" are watching the news coverage on Somali pirates and they are all looking like this...

Originally posted by sueloujo
I agree with everything you say. I laugh everytime I see these massive ships and they say they have been taken over by some Somalians in boats...do they think we are stupid? The only reason they are making this an issue is for the oil.

Keeping the propaganda machine well-oiled. That's all there is to it in a nutshell.

[edit on 4/15/09 by Marked One]

what is this?

Ron Paul vs. Clinton LMAO

Clinton is a complete idiot

he should read a book every now and then

Originally posted by Marked One
America would have to resort to radical means to quell the threat of piracy....drape the side of each ship sailing through the Mediterranean with an enormous photograph showing Clinton naked and making out with Nancy Pelosi complete with the song "You sexy thing." playing over a bull-horn. If that doesn't keep the pirates at bay? I don't know what will.

Good greef, I couldn't even finish reading your reply. I was to busy ROFL.


Then I got a visual in my head.

Sorry to the mods for a useless post, but it was damn funny.

reply to post by sueloujo


Interesting that even my husband is wondering about that point also.

When you actually see this big ships compare to the ragtag boats that the pirates used it just makes you wonder.

And lest no forget the amount of people in the big cargo ships compare to the ratag in the boats.

War On Piracy? The MPAA and the RIAA must be so very excited! Like every other war we've fought lately we'll fail miserably, a few fat cats will get rich and we'll be a little worse off in the end.

Hey. Assuming Blackwater or any other commercial security entity hasn't already jumped aboard the "military-industrial-complex-bandwagon" or in this case "pirate-bait-cash-boat" (which I'm kinda sure they already did) and started soliciting contracts for security to the shipping firms operating vessels in the Mediterranean??? (Because they got their hands full handling most of the middle-east??? o.O)

Well...assuming there's room for one more person to get a slice of that money pie?

...I want in!

Because...I myself work as a security sales-rep as a side job. (Seriously. I'm not joking.)

reply to post by Marked One


Some of you may just be right. Keep it fresh in the press, make it look like a big problem, and then let the private security companies move in and here come the profits. Seems so logical I don't know how it hasn't come up before.

reply to post by FreeSpeaker

Some of the richest nations in the world cannot control uneducated pirates in tiny skiffs from hijacking their massive billion dollar cargo ships.

What the hell's so funny or surprising about that?

America can't wrest control over a country the size of Texas from a bunch of uneducated, teenagers with AK-47's or RPG's.

Nor can it exercise complete control over a country smaller than Burma from a bunch of goat-herding, opium growing Afghani pastoralists.

Never underestimate the dirt-poor, down trodden and those with nothing to live for.

When you come from the dirt, you don't any better and you've never experienced anything greater, hence you have nothing to loose and everything to gain in warfare.

When you come from a privileged, educated, and wealthy position in the world, you never, ever want to step down from that.

[edit on 15/4/09 by The Godfather of Conspira]

reply to post by FreeSpeaker


I sure hope she uses sweet language and doesn't hurt anyone's feelings here. There should be plenty of meaningful dialogue, lots of sit down dinners, lots of neutral words, lots of respect, lots of "pleases and thank you's" and "would you mind awfully".

If those protocols aren't observed - well the international courts will take a very dim view of her efforts.

reply to post by The Godfather of Conspira


I will admit there is truth to what you say about the poor and uneducated's ability to wage war, I've read some history. The problem is the poor cannot possibly have a hope in hell against a true concerted effort to demolish them from somehting like the USA. Its just not possible if a first world nation provides all the funds and military arms needed to get the task done.

The USA does nothing unless it nets them profit..

..and Europe isn't any different. This has been the
case for quite a while, all wars in modern history
have been waged to create profit. The two world
wars aren't any different, in both wars, all the sides
were funded by the same group, and while most
countries were ruined, that group gained massive
profits, it's been the same for all wars ever since,
and it is the same deal in the current wars.

Western society does absolutely nothing unless it
nets them considerable profit. Money and power is
king now. One group and their associates in the
governments wage destruction on our planet, just
for monetary gain.

[edit on (15/4/09) by Wehali]

Originally posted by Wehali
The USA does nothing unless it nets them profit..

..and Europe isn't any different. This has been the
case for quite a while, all wars in modern history
have been waged to create profit. The two world
wars aren't any different, in both wars, all the sides
were funded by the same group, and while most
countries were ruined, that group gained massive
profits, it's been the same for all wars ever since,
and it is the same deal in the current wars.

Western society does absolutely nothing unless it
nets them considerable profit. Money and power is
king now. One group and their associates in the
governments wage destruction on our planet, just
for monetary gain.

[edit on (15/4/09) by Wehali]

Basically. It's like a deadly game of Blackjack. And this 'group' is the dealer.

Maritime experts say military force alone cannot solve the problem because the pirates operate in an area so vast as to render the flotilla of international warships largely ineffective. And with ships legally unable to carry arms in many ports, the world has struggled to end the scourge.

Pirates threaten Americans; France fights back

I don't believe this for a second. Ships can sail in armed convoys, monitored by navy warships the entire time if they put in the effort. The US has all kinds of tracking and monitoring equipment, plus the weapons to deal with this problem. As some have said, maybe Blackwater and others are just waiting for thier ships to be delivered so they can take private security contracts for escorting merchant ships.

I would be embarrassed if I was the most powerful navy in the world and my civilian leaders came out and said I can't handle tiny power boats armed with AK47's and RPG's. Pathetic!

Also, if its illegal for ships to be armed in some ports, are there not non-lethal weapons like the new focused directional sound transmmiters that can blow your ear drums out? If they work on land, they will work at sea. I have also heard many cruise ships are now armed with this technology and have successfully fought off pirates with it already.

reply to post by FreeSpeaker


Dont be silly..there cant be an easy remedy to this...not yet! they need to keep the problem with Somalia BIG news.Just like they cant find Osama after all these years...even with all the technology they have because they need the bogie man. They sure as hell found Saddam in his little rabbit warren...when the time was right.

way i see this is its the clinton legacy of what bill should have done in the wake of mogadishu.

this is what happens when you cut bait and run, someone shoots back at you

now someone else has to clean it up and it sure as chit wont be obama.

the somalis think they kicked americas ass but i ask you 18 american deaths? when how many somalis died? 1000 or so wasnt it?


to the poster said paraphrasing a little -little boats taking over monstrous cargo vessels. the do have rpgs along side those ak-47s friend. and rpgs can do damage.
a well place shot or shots beneath the water line or rudders and take out a com tower and you completely disable the ship.

no to mention any damage done to a ship is the responsibilty of that ships captain and it would come out of his pocket insurance or not.

the solution to the piracy is hard and cold and violence( ie going and killing those responsible ) and its nothing that current america wants to deal with



[edit on 18-4-2009 by neo67]