Well, let's just say the Somalian pirate saga could have turned out differently, but fortunately it didn't. By all indications Capt. Richard Phillips was a good man who deserved to be rescued, and Obama's standing order to use force if his life was in jeopardy turned out to be a good move--for Phillips, his family, and for Obama's presidency.
7 Comments
Anne G
It is reported that Obama gave the order for deadly force if the captain's life was threatened, a gun was seen pointing at the captain, that was interpreted as his life being threatened, and deadly force was used. I know how these things work -- once the order was in place the use of deadly force was inevitable, as such interpretations are remarkably easy to come by regardless of the actual events or intent of the participants. I heard one talking head on CNN refer to this as "the best possible outcome" -- presumably, the handy shooting to death of three people rather than the messy details of dealing with them through the justice system. I would have thought that the best possible outcome from that mindset would have been to have killed all four.
That said, I think that, from a political and pragmatic perspective, Obama handled it very well and it works for him and disarms the Obama-is-making-us-weak lunatics like Cheney and Glen Beck. Hell, I think that even I, had I been in his position, would have given the same order, despite what I wrote above and my opposition to state-sanctioned killing -- one must choose among available options and outcomes (this is the same reason that I rejected voting for Nader even though I preferred his policies; voting for him didn't mean making him President, any more than writing in the name of others whose policies and governing ability I think even more highly of would made them President).
Johann Hari: You are being lied to about pirates
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-you-are-being-lied-to-about-pirates-1225817.html
Map of worldwide piracy and caution about escalation
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2009/apr/14/piracy-somalia
Stephen Walt with another caution:
http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/
Navies are built for protecting shipping lanes - all well and good, but if it goes beyond that, towards blockade or land invasion, then you're into another self-induced quagmire.
Before the US Marines are sent in to demolish a few Somali coastal villages in a glorious re-run of Jefferson's war against the Barbary pirates, let us remember that the US has been a major contributor to the breakdown of Somali self-governance over the past 2 decades.
Anybody remember 'Black Hawk Down'?
http://www.chris-floyd.com/
'Nuff said.
Anne G
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8001183.stm
It has lots of details about the conditions that have, apparently, precipitated this piracy epidemic in Somalia.
Anne G