Destroying the pirates infrastructure

Washington Times Editorial:

The Bush administration in its final days is showing good leadership in at least one area of foreign policy. It is circulating a draft Security Council resolution proposing that the United Nations authorize hunting down Somali pirates - not just at sea, but on Somali land and in that nation's airspace.

The resolution says all nations and regional bodies cooperating with Somalia's U.N.-backed government "may take all necessary measures ashore in Somalia, including its air space" in the fight against piracy. Somalia's struggling government welcomed the U.S. initiative. In fact, its president has twice this month pleaded with the United Nations for help.

The Security Council group that monitors Somalia reported Dec. 11 that more than 15,000 soldiers and police (80 percent of Somalia's security capability) have deserted the government and fled with their weapons and vehicles. The country has been disintegrating and plagued by corruption. This has helped spawn pirates, 1,500 strong, who have attacked more than 100 ships this year, capturing many for ransom.

...

What to do with any captured pirates is also a problem.

...

Piracy is a violation of the laws of several countries including the US and trying them should not be as difficult as some suggest. Navy commanders have also raised objections to the use of force against the Pirate infrastructure in Somalia, but the issues they raise are already ones with deal with in Iraq and Somalia.

If you focus on the infrastructure and destroy it, it makes it much less likely that you will be confronting noncombatants anyway. If you destroy the base of oeprations you destroy the pirates ability to operate on the water and it is much easier to find the base than it is the boats.

technorati tags:
political news | news | world news
More at: News 2 Cromley