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Terrorists Say They Will Battle Somali Pirates
An offer we can refuse.
The Barbary pirates (also called the Ottoman Corsairs) were hijacking ships off Northern Africa from around the Crusades to the 19th Century. In 1784 they took the first American flagged vessel. For many years tributes were paid, but the Congress of the day would not authorize enough money to buy the safety of American ships sailing the Mediterranean. Thus, the hijacking continued.
In 1786, Thomas Jefferson, then the ambassador to France, and John Adams, then the ambassador to Britain, met in London with Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja, the ambassador to Britain from Tripoli. The Americans asked Adja why his government was hostile to American ships, even though there had been no provocation. The ambassador’s response was reported to the Continental Congress:
It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every mussulman who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise. He said, also, that the man who was the first to board a vessel had one slave over and above his share, and that when they sprang to the deck of an enemy’s ship, every sailor held a dagger in each hand and a third in his mouth; which usually struck such terror into the foe that they cried out for quarter at once.
The short version of this story is eventually the U.S. Navy was founded, along with the Marines, who took the battle to the Muslim pirates, did what U.S. Marines do best, then took names. Hence the line in the Marine Corps Hymn.
Allegations of collusion between the pirates and the Islamists have been tossed about and denied.
In the southern port city of Kismayo, the spokesman of the city’s Shabab-led administration, Hassan Yacub, denies western allegations the militants are colluding with pirates and benefiting from ransom payments. He told VOA the Islamists will stamp out piracy if they regain power in Somalia.
It’s about time. A U.S. cruise ship with a thousand people aboard was just attacked by pirates this week. Whether this points to complete insanity or supreme confidence on the part of the buccaneers is up for debate, but I am wagering the former is the case. To believe oneself capable of overcoming a ship with a thousand people aboard using, as these pirates did, six men aboard two speed boats is incomprehensibly stupid.
But it does paint an entertaining picture in one’s mind to think of guys in little speedboats pulling alongside a large cruise ship capable of holding a thousand people and yelling something like “You will stop your ship in the name of Mohamed the Prophet and yield to our mighty pirate fleet, infidel.” It would be kind of like watching a miniature horse stallion attempt to mount a Clydesdale mare. You gotta admire the pluck, but you just know it isn’t going to happen.
Meanwhile, the owners of the Sirius Star are negotiating with the pirates. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, said, “We do not like to negotiate with either terrorists or hijackers, but the owners of the tanker are the owners of the tanker, and they are the final arbiters of what happens there.” How this will all work out remains to be seen, but the promise of an Islamic Somalia stamping out piracy is not to be believed. Stamping out piracy against other Muslims, however, is certainly a believable goal of an Islamic Somalia.
Piracy off the African coast has been a lucrative job recently. In the last year alone pirates around the Horn of Africa have netted about 150 million dollars, which of course emboldens them and causes piracy to go up. If there’s one thing we have learned in this world (or at least those of us who can think logically), it’s one does not reward bad behavior. It is high time to gather a coalition of nations together to put these pirates down once and for all. The international force patrolling the Gulf of Aden and other flash points for pirates to strike is insufficient to do the job. I only call for a larger coalition because, remember, it’s bad when the U.S. acts like “imperialists” (which means doing what we do and taking matters into our own hands). Much better to build a “consensus” of allies and act “multilaterally.”
The U.S. Navy could very well handle the problem of piracy off the coast of Africa, but hasn’t really stepped into the fight yet other than to increase patrols. It probably won’t until these guys have the temerity to snatch an American flagged ship and demand some ransom. At that point, all I will have to say is “From the halls of Saddam’s palaces to the old Somali shore.”
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Kender Macgowan is a snarky conservative and CEO of WAR Radio. He blogs at Kenders’ Musings.
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38 Comments
1. Gozer the Carpathian:*Shrugs*
I think this is yet another example of what happens in the world when American keeps it’s nose out of it. Things go to heck and no one does a damn thing about it.
Does it suck? Sure does. Would it be nice if we did something about it? Sure. Would we get any type of congratulations from the rest of the world? Don’t hold your breath.
It is funny to note that Muslim countries have been using the same religious BS against the US since basically the begining. You’d think after 200 years we’d get the hint.
Dec 2, 2008 - 11:35 pm 2. kat-missouri:Don’t forget..if we took out some Somali pirates, we’d be the big bully preying on victims of a poor nation forced to piracy for shear survival.
Forget the Ganji weed they are probably chewing in place of food.
PS…when does WAR restart?
Dec 3, 2008 - 1:19 am 3. Войска ПВО:As a graduate of UCLA and a fan of their (sigh) football program, it’s like watching the USC-Notre Dame football game: you kinda want both sides to lose. In this case, maybe the ground will open up and swallow them both.
Dec 3, 2008 - 7:32 am 4. Thinking Person:I always have to ask after reading stories like this (and the one out of Mumbai)…..where is the Muslim outrage? That speaks louder to me than any terrorist bombing or pirate hijacking ever could. Millions of Muslims worldwide standing silently by turning a blind eye to all of the violence. Why are they not speaking out? Anyone else find this troublesome?
Dec 3, 2008 - 8:21 am 5. Blackhawk gunner:He denies western allegations the militants are colluding with pirates and benefiting from ransom payments. He told VOA the Islamists will stamp out piracy if they regain power in Somalia.
Clinton sent our military into Somalia for humanitarian aid.
Then after fighting and watching these Somalian bastards drag our American troops naked bodies through the streets,
I hope the Islamsicks take over Somalia, put all these scum under Sharia law
Take away their cars, trucks and air conditioners and make them eat sand with no water to drink.
Never thought I would say it:
kick their ass,
Go Islamsicks.
Dec 3, 2008 - 8:52 am 6. Hotpatch 6:The launching sites (ports) for the pirates are well known. I say give the residents 24-hours notice then wipe the ports off the map with air strikes by Air Force, Navy and Marine aircraft. (And if they come back, do it again). The piracy will stop, a lot of pirates and their supporters will be dead, the US will be condemned as a bully, but the mission will be accomplished.
Dec 3, 2008 - 9:15 am 7. Pig with lipstick:Note the line: “the Islamists will stamp out piracy if they regain power in Somalia”
Ah yes, that’s right: if Islam gains power everywhere then of course everything will be stamped out. Everything but praying, abusing women and gays and killing other muslims of the ‘wrong’ sect.
So if we let them have any country they want, there will be peace. On those terms, how could we refuse?
Dec 3, 2008 - 9:43 am 8. George Bruce:Of all the major powers and economic interests, we need the Suez Canal the least. Everything we need from Asia comes across the Pacific. Everything we need from Europe comes across the Atlantic. What do we care? Let some of these other jokers get their hands dirty.
Egypt is hurt the most. They depend upon the canal tolls for a big part of their revenue.
Dec 3, 2008 - 9:58 am 9. Mary Madigan:So, to deal with a bunch of ragged punks chasing cruise ships with pop-guns, we should all support the truly dangerous Saudi funded Somali Islamists and their goal of freeing a Saudi ship? Somebody is playing a pretty obvious game here.
Dec 3, 2008 - 10:07 am 10. myth buster:This is like the Iran-Iraq war. Let our enemies kill each other, sell weapons to both sides, and watch as a safer world results from the infighting. Every Muslim and Pirate who dies fighting each other is one less we have to kill ourselves because he was trying to kill us.
Dec 3, 2008 - 10:58 am 11. kender:Kat-Missouri. WAR will return (with a new name-long story) late next spring….
Dec 3, 2008 - 11:28 am 12. SeanLA:Hotpatch 6:
`but the mission will be accomplished’
If you look at somilia on google earth, you can see recent pictures of burnt up US helicopters, the skeletal remains should serve as a reminder of 1993 as they are still there for all to see.
You are confusing two cultures and assuming one is like your own culture, the property values, life value, physical and spirtual values, all very different from yours, assuming that is tht you are of the `west’ and attribute your culture to that of greco/roman origins.
for example, a 24 hour notice might draw more people to the site, hoping for a massacre and the accompanying monetary reparations.
the mission will never be accomplished. Many here have mentioned the barbary pirates and the `shores of tripoli’ from 200 years ago, we need to stay out of it, stay in international waters and let them kill each other.
Our commercial vessels need to travel with protection and we destroy anything that comes near us.
Dec 3, 2008 - 11:35 am 13. WestGuard:“Where is the muslim outrage?”
There isn’t going to be any.
Muslims and their leaders have no desire or resolve to fight other “brother” muslims. A muslims bad behavior and acts towards non muslims is secondary to their being a “fellow muslim” first and foremost. Even a bad muslim is far superior to a dirty “kaffur” or “non muslim” in their eyes. Islam has an “all for one, one for all” cult mentality. An “Islam must be protected at all costs or by any means necessary” idealogy.
Osama Bin Laden said the next war against the “infidels” will be fought in Somalia, and Western intelligence agrees. In the meantime the islamic pirates continue to hijack and amass hundreds of millions of dollars in preparation.
Dec 3, 2008 - 11:58 am 14. Magic:These other Islamists that spew about “fighting the pirates” is pure BS, merely propaganda to tone down any outcry or resentment from musims around the world about a “brother muslim” countries ship being hijacked.
Bin Laden views Saudi Arabia as a traitor to Islam and was happy one of their ships was taken, especially since the ships oil was intended for the USA.
When the time comes, all of these Islamists, Pirates, Al Qaeda and a multitude of other militant islamic trash will be fighting side by side as “muslim brothers defending Islam” in this war in Somalia, and much of that Pirate money will be used for weapons, supplies and fortifications in Somalia.
The time for defensive inaction is over. It’s high time we went on the offensive and hunted and destroyed these pirate ships before they can amass yet more wealth and power.
Yes, they will rescue it because they want the money. The pirates only waste it on food, wine, and women all clearly against muslim tradition (Should be goats, sheep and camels) Beside they may begin to believe they don’t need Osama to look stupid to the world that they can do it themselves.
Dec 3, 2008 - 12:10 pm 15. Michael Lonie:The Saudi tanker was captured 450 miles off the coast of Kenya, very far from the coast of Somalia. As the pirates expand their operations they will begin to threaten shipping all over the Arabian Sea and perhaps even beyond it. The Barbary pirates raided as far as Iceland and in 1621 (I think) raided a town in Ireland and carried off the whole population. There is no guarantee that this piracy will remian localized. And that’s quite apart from the prospect of others emulating this profitable industry, the only one in Somalia.
Some other nations are stepping up to the plate. An Indian ship sank a pirate mothership a few days ago and Russia is sending another ship there. There is a multinatinal task force there, but it has not taken effective action because most of the navies are hamstrung by restrictive ROEs. The Brits, for example, are forbidden to take pirates prisoner because they might then claim asylum in the UK. So far it has not occurred to anyone official just to string them up from the yardarm. That would violate their rights dontcherknow.
That one of the Islamic Courts Union factions claims it will fight the pirates over a Saudi ship only tells us who is financing the Islamic Courts Union faction, some of the wealthy Saudis. I suspect they also want their cut of the piracy proceeds, against infidel ships only of course. Mustn’t violate Muslim morality after all. Feh.
Sink everything that floats along the Somalia coast with airstrikes and ship gunnery. If the scum can’t get to sea, they can’t hijack any ships.
Dec 3, 2008 - 12:53 pm 16. Pat J:I read Blackwater might want to get involved in all of this. Then we’ll have pirates, terrorists and mercenaries. Oh my!
Dec 3, 2008 - 1:16 pm 17. kender:My money is on BlackWater….
Dec 3, 2008 - 2:47 pm 18. Brian Richard Allen:The pirates will continue to have free reign.
Not even to its own defense, let alone to policing the world’s oceans and merchant navies, is the ghastly government of even one of the world’s once somewhat free states willing to divert, from what the fasciSSocialists like to call “health care” and from other corrupt vote buying scams, the confiscated wealth of their few remaining innovative, creative, productive and industrious serfs.
And Uncle Sam ain’t gunna be running to the world’s rescue any time soon.
No way.
Not with the abjectly Goebbelsesqed world calling our beloved fraternal republic every evil under the sun and the offshore prison camp that compliments our having kept them somewhat safe these past hundred-odd years, a center of false imprisonment and of torture and worse.
And most certainly not with the mobbed-up Marxist murtadd Muslim Arab-African, B Hussein bin B Hussayn bin Hussayn Muhummad Ubama (AKA “Zero” and as “NMF’ingP”) and his shabby gang of fifth and sixth rate retread fascists about to re-besquat and re-bemanure our once white house. And follow the world’s commands — and close Guantanamo.
Go **** yourself, World.
And the horse you rode in on!
Brian Richard Allen
Dec 3, 2008 - 6:03 pm 19. Brian Richard Allen:Los Angeles – CalifUBAMAcated 90028
Michael Lonie says that: “An Indian ship sank a pirate mother ship a few days ago …”
No it did not. It sank a Thai trawler that had been taken by pirates.
And in the process slaughtered 15 of the trawler’s 16 crewmembers.
The survivor was rescued after keeping himself alive while floating in the ocean for six days.
Brian Richard Allen
Dec 3, 2008 - 6:08 pm 20. thom:Los Angeles – CalifUBAMAcated 90028
RE: Войска ПВО:
As a graduate of UCLA and a fan of their (sigh) football program, it’s like watching the USC-Notre Dame football game: you kinda want both sides to lose. In this case, maybe the ground will open up and swallow them both.
Well, sir, as a fan of ND, I must disagree a bit with you.
Dec 3, 2008 - 9:04 pm 21. Jonesy55:There are too many ships passing through the Red and Arabian Seas to protect with naval vessels but the pirates come from only a few Somali towns. It shouldn’t be difficult to blockade these ports and not allow any armed boats to leave.
Dec 4, 2008 - 3:36 am 22. Jonesy55:Brian Richard Allen , come on the world’s a nice place on the whole, stop being so damn grumpy and do something fun for a while. All that anger isn’t good for the blood pressure, lol.
Dec 4, 2008 - 3:45 am 23. Kevin:That’s what you get for taking someone else’s rice bowl.
Dec 4, 2008 - 8:38 am 24. Carolb:Pirates vs terrorists? It’s a movie just begging to be made.
Dec 4, 2008 - 10:38 am 25. Brian C:Re Kevin C:
Must be nice to live in a fantasy world.
“Once the Obama administration is in power and the Bush war crimes trial begins, the truth will come out and we can start to heal the wounds caused by their hubris.”
You should remind the professor that fed you this nonsense that muslims have wanted “non believers” dead since the beginning. Wake Up.
Dec 4, 2008 - 12:39 pm 26. kender:Kevin C:
Could you possibly need a glass belly button anymore? Maybe you should take a job at PSMNBC so you can show your surprise that terrorist attacks have not stopped not that the obamessiah has been anointed to ascend to the throne like Alex Witt did the other day.
More aid to somalia you say? Yeah..that’s worked so well in the past. Why do you cretins seem to think more money is the panacea to all the problems? It is a cultural problem. Teach them personal responsibility and self determination (neither of which exist in that part of the world) and things will change….until such time deterrence is the answer.
Dec 4, 2008 - 2:48 pm 27. DanUSMC:Just for the record the title of the song given in this article erroneously as “The Marine Corps Hymn” is actually titled “The Marines Hymn”; a subtle, but important, distinction. It is the oldest official song in the U.S. Military. ERR!!!
Dec 4, 2008 - 5:27 pm 28. deguello:i’m glad somebody will,because the euroweenies won’t.What’s the use of having navies, if not to protect seaborne trade from piracy?
Dec 5, 2008 - 8:13 am 29. blogengeezer:My money is on Blackwater…if…they get away from US jurisdiction and move to Dubai or ? (like Haliburton?). Our US courts are so ‘Pink’ now that the BW’s are in effect going to be charged with crimes befitting drug dealers. Using Machine Guns for one. Never mind that BW does the dirty work for the US state Dept. Crocodile Hunter played with venomous creatures and see where that got him. Lawyers will find a way to ‘punish any good deed’. They are funded by both sides anyway so they are just as ‘toxic’ as the Pirates. They are rewarded with ‘The Booty’. I see absolutely no difference whatsoever.
Dec 5, 2008 - 3:13 pm 30. jonesy55:“i’m glad somebody will,because the euroweenies won’t.What’s the use of having navies, if not to protect seaborne trade from piracy?”
I take it you didn’t see the stories about the French navy capturing Somali pirates?
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/23/europe/EU-France-Somalia-Pirates.php
Still, never mind, don’t let facts get in the way of your childish and xenophobic ‘euroweenie’ insults will you,
Dec 6, 2008 - 12:51 am 31. jonesy55:Oh and here’s a pirate boat being sunk by the danish navy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7768204.stm
Dec 6, 2008 - 7:08 am 32. kender:But let a U.S. Navy ship sink a pirate vessel and listen to the world speak ill of us nasty imperialists.
Dec 6, 2008 - 9:33 am 33. Ron Tillers:The Russians are arriving on the shores of Somalia with a clear mandate to shoot and let the Americans watch and wish they could do the same and equally well.
When the shooting is done, there’ll be noises all over, including in Washington. The Russkies are bad, they have to be, after all our own MacBoy saw evil in their beedy eyes. But the Somali pirates will learn their lesson, that they cannot hold the world to ransom because there’ll still someone much bigger than them.
And we’ll all be glad that the Russian balls are bigger than Somali.
Dec 6, 2008 - 6:16 pm 34. WestGuard:Ron Tillers, let’s hope you’re right and the Russians do take out some Somali pirates. It would be the first decent contribution they’ve made to help fight bad people rather than enable them.
Dec 6, 2008 - 8:58 pm 35. GAry 7:But don’t go shooting your AK 47 off in celebration just yet, as the word from the Russians is that their policy is to use diplomacy on this issue.
Besides, the pirates could probaby take the Russian navy (smirk)
WOW! Some of you folk are really pissy.
1) Somalia is a totally devastated country, with NO government, no industry, and most likely no farming. What would YOU do to survive and feed your kin in those circumstances???
Personally, I’d probably break out my 44 mag and go hunting,,,an oil tanker is just a really big break.
Y’All obviously know NOTHING about Islam. Just because one whack job in the 18th century claimed the right under his(presumed) religion to kill anyone he chooses doesn’t mean he was practicing Islam. It was and still is one of the most peaceful religions on the planet, one that teaches it adherents to give to the poor, care for the disabled, and NOT KILL OTHER MUSLIMS,,,I grant you, there is no such prohibition as far as non believers are concerned, but that was politics in the 7th century. War was then and now indemic to the human condition. Islam was the most humanistic religion around at a time when Christianity was ramping up for its run on secular power. Remember the Inquisition? GOOD christians did that,,,
Islam, as deliniated by Mohammed, taught respect for women, love of God and service to all but it also ALLOWS its believers to defend their land and beliefs. It does NOT command the murder of infidels. It just says if they are at war, it’s alright to kill a non believer.
I spent 13 years living and working in Saudi Arabia and while there were certainly some things I didn’t like about their restrictive, conservative life, I was always impressed by how generous, kind and courteous the Saudi Arabs were to me and all those I worked with. Are they perfect? Hell no. They’re HUMAN, which means they’re a great deal like,,,Y’All,,,
GAry 7
Dec 7, 2008 - 5:22 pm 36. Patterson:TO: GAry 7
Actually agriculture/farming is the main source of work for people in Somalia. A small percent work in industry.
What you said:
“It does NOT command the murder of infidels. It just says if they are at war, it’s alright to kill a non believer.”
“It was and still is one of the most peaceful religions on the planet, one that teaches it adherents to give to the poor, care for the disabled, and NOT KILL OTHER MUSLIMS…”
What the Koran says:
“Seek out your enemies relentlessly.” (Surah 4:103-)
“Slay them wherever you find them…Idolatry is worse than carnage…Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God’s religion reigns supreme.” (Surah 2:190-)
“Believers, take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends.” (Surah 5:51)
“Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Deal firmly with them.” (Surah 9:121-)
“Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him.” (Hadith Al Buhkari 9:57)
“No Muslim should be killed for killing a Kafir.”(Hadith 9:50)
NOTE: Kafir means infidel or a non believer of the Muslim religion.
IMO there is no way that this is “one of the most peaceful religions on the planet” as you say.
Buddhism, IMO, is probably the most peaceful religion on the planet. You never hear anything bad about them.
Dec 8, 2008 - 11:16 am 37. WestGuard:#36
Dec 8, 2008 - 1:11 pm 38. bob:See what 13 years of living in an islamic country will do to ones ability to think rationally.
Gary, you should never have sipped that islamic kool aid in the stone punchbowl.
bich
Apr 14, 2009 - 2:27 pm