While the rescue of Captain Phillips is being hailed as a passed test for the Obama administration and the families of the crew celebrate with the rest of us, Somali pirates have just tipped their hand by letting us know unequivocally that, according to the NY Times:
In Somalia itself, other pirates reacted angrily to the news that Captain Phillips had been rescued, and some said they would avenge the deaths of their colleagues by killing Americans in sea hijackings to come.
“Every country will be treated the way it treats us,” Abdullahi Lami, one of the pirates holding a Greek ship anchored in the pirate den of Gaan, a central Somali town, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying in a telephone interview. “In the future, America will be the one mourning and crying.”
This presents the world with a problem, one that may be escalated by the intentional destruction of vessels in order to send a message to the world. Talk of invasion and grandstanding on the part of the world, especially the Secretary of State, without quick and decisive action will leave us standing toe to toe with pirates that do not have to contend with law enforcement or poll numbers.
The path ahead is dangerous. It demands either swift action, or the arming of civilian vessels. I opt for both. I do not want to see the Obama administration trying to use diplomacy here. We're not dealing with an organized group of people.
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