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Should US Navy do more concerning pirate attacks?

Should US Navy and military do more about pirate attacks off Africa?

  • Yes, the seas must remain safe and open.

    Votes: 18 60.0%
  • Maybe, but only in response to pirate attacks.

    Votes: 3 10.0%
  • No, we should not involve in unless US citizens are captured

    Votes: 8 26.7%
  • IDK/Other

    Votes: 1 3.3%

  • Total voters
    30

joko104

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Pirates kidnap 2 US sailors off Nigerian coast

Pirates kidnapped the captain and engineer, both U.S. citizens, from a U.S.-flagged oil supply ship off the coast of Nigeria, sources say.

ABUJA/LONDON — Pirates attacked an oil supply vessel off the Nigerian coast and kidnapped the captain and chief engineer, both U.S. citizens, American officials said on Thursday as the Nigerian military ordered its Navy to rescue the men.

"We believe this was an act of piracy," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said, adding that U.S. officials were closely monitoring the situation and seeking more information.

- - - -

There are hundreds of pirate attacks off the West and East African coast each year. Should the US Navy do more and devote more resources to preventing and responding to pirate attacks? Should the US military attack pirate bases of operation in Africa?
 
(Now you're on to something worthwhile, jok)

I voted yes.

No nation is now a significant threat to commerce on the seas, but piracy certainly is, and I wish not only the USN but all navies were doing more about it.

I am open to suggestions on tactics. I have always wondered why there has been no apparent thought given to adopting a convoy system in some of the dangerous areas, such as the Horn of Africa.
 
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Pirates kidnap 2 US sailors off Nigerian coast

Pirates kidnapped the captain and engineer, both U.S. citizens, from a U.S.-flagged oil supply ship off the coast of Nigeria, sources say.

ABUJA/LONDON — Pirates attacked an oil supply vessel off the Nigerian coast and kidnapped the captain and chief engineer, both U.S. citizens, American officials said on Thursday as the Nigerian military ordered its Navy to rescue the men.

"We believe this was an act of piracy," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said, adding that U.S. officials were closely monitoring the situation and seeking more information.

- - - -

There are hundreds of pirate attacks off the West and East African coast each year. Should the US Navy do more and devote more resources to preventing and responding to pirate attacks? Should the US military attack pirate bases of operation in Africa?

When Americans are kidnapped on the high seas, I think we ought to blow these little boats right out of the water...as soon as we get our guys back. Hopefully, the pirates on board can swim to shore.
 
When Americans are kidnapped on the high seas, I think we ought to blow these little boats right out of the water...as soon as we get our guys back. Hopefully, the pirates on board can swim to shore.
Hopefully they can swim to shore myass. Hopefully they cannot swim to shore and go back to being pirates, as they surely would.
 
"The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.

—Mission statement of the United States Navy"


It does not matter whether the ship that is hijacked is US flagged or not. Allowing the piracy and the closing of the sea lanes adversely affects the commerce of the US.
Unfortunately, with the budget restraints that have been put in place, the US Navy cannot complete that mission as well as it once could.
 
When Americans are kidnapped on the high seas, I think we ought to blow these little boats right out of the water...as soon as we get our guys back. Hopefully, the pirates on board can swim to shore.

yes... what she said..
let others fill in as the world police for a while...
 
I don't support any military action that has our military's hands tied. I am sick of sending our people into situations where politics is more important than winning and staying alive. If the Navy is allowed to stalk and kill the pirates, send SEALs ashore and kill them, etc. Total War. Then yes. Otherwise no.
 
Obama is on the job. They deployed a littoral combat ship (LCS) to the Horn of Africa to deal with these pirates.

When the LCS weighed anchor and went on it's first combat cruise to fight these pirates, it left San Diego with it's only gun (Bofors 57mm) not working and the last I heard the ship had broken down some where in the S/W Pacific.
 
I didn't see an option for "Allow the civilian vessels to arm themselves with light weapons".


That would be my answer.



Some are already hiring mercenaries... erm, I mean private security consultants....
 
It would be far more effective to allow merchant ships to arm themselves, and train their crewmen to defend the ship.

Quite simply, the response time would be far quicker.


If you're talking about going after the pirate's bases, then we're entering the realm of diplomacy and the like - bombing some town because it housed pirates might cause other issues, or I dunno why we haven't done it so far.
 
Fix up a couple Q-ships and run them through there every couple months. Change the trim and paint so they don't get ID'd so easy.


That'd cut into the pirates' fun quite a lot.


Hell you don't NEED Navy ships to stop them in their little motorboats with their AKs and RPGs... a few .50 cal HMGs mounted near the rails, and a couple guys with some guts, will suffice.
 
I didn't see an option for "Allow the civilian vessels to arm themselves with light weapons".


That would be my answer.



Some are already hiring mercenaries... erm, I mean private security consultants....


Companies refuse to allow their crews to be armed to avoid legal entanglements and liabilities. In their view, they have no liability of crew are killed by pirates but could be liable if crew uses firearms. Therefore, since it costs nothing if crew are killed they don't care.

If law changed - whether for ships or for store clerks - that companies are liable if their employees are in known potential armed danger situations and neither allow employees to defend themselves NOR provide armed security then this would end and crews would fight off pirates. Even small arms by crews on ships could easily fight off pirates in small boats being the side of a ship is a very high steel wall. It is the total defenselessness of ship crews that make them KNOWN easy targets.
 
Companies refuse to allow their crews to be armed to avoid legal entanglements and liabilities. In their view, they have no liability of crew are killed by pirates but could be liable if crew uses firearms. Therefore, since it costs nothing if crew are killed they don't care.

If law changed - whether for ships or for store clerks - that companies are liable if their employees are in known potential armed danger situations and neither allow employees to defend themselves NOR provide armed security then this would end and crews would fight off pirates. Even small arms by crews on ships could easily fight off pirates in small boats being the side of a ship is a very high steel wall. It is the total defenselessness of ship crews that make them KNOWN easy targets.


Just like all cases where victims are disarmed by government mandate.
 
Just like all cases where victims are disarmed by government mandate.

Exactly. I think companies should be liable if they will not allow employees (or customers) the ability to defend themselves nor provide armed security.
 
Companies refuse to allow their crews to be armed to avoid legal entanglements and liabilities. In their view, they have no liability of crew are killed by pirates but could be liable if crew uses firearms. Therefore, since it costs nothing if crew are killed they don't care.

If law changed - whether for ships or for store clerks - that companies are liable if their employees are in known potential armed danger situations and neither allow employees to defend themselves NOR provide armed security then this would end and crews would fight off pirates. Even small arms by crews on ships could easily fight off pirates in small boats being the side of a ship is a very high steel wall. It is the total defenselessness of ship crews that make them KNOWN easy targets.

I am currently in Afghanistan, doing some contract Intel type work............ UNARMED......... because my company cannot get insurance for us if we are armed.
Sad that I can be (and am) armed every day when I am home in Florida, but I am naked out here....
 
Exactly. I think companies should be liable if they will not allow employees (or customers) the ability to defend themselves nor provide armed security.




Damn straight. If you're going to force me to disarm, you should be liable for any harm that comes to me because you prevented me from effective self-defense, and failed to provide adequate substitute (ie private security).
 
Wait...shipping companies are not liable if they knowingly send their ships into/through an area in which pirates are known to attack shipping, without providing protection or allowing their crews to defend themselves?

What the **** kind of backasswards logic is that?

Someone got paid off, if that's actually law.
 
I've actually thought about seeing if my son was interested and applying together to one of these security firms that is providing armed guards for civilian vessels in pirate-infested waters. If the money is good.


No qualms about shooting some pirates. Pretty sure it would show up in the "plus column" in Saint Peter's books. :)


But then again, I ain't really a seafarin' man....
 
Pirates kidnap 2 US sailors off Nigerian coast

Pirates kidnapped the captain and engineer, both U.S. citizens, from a U.S.-flagged oil supply ship off the coast of Nigeria, sources say.

ABUJA/LONDON — Pirates attacked an oil supply vessel off the Nigerian coast and kidnapped the captain and chief engineer, both U.S. citizens, American officials said on Thursday as the Nigerian military ordered its Navy to rescue the men.

"We believe this was an act of piracy," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said, adding that U.S. officials were closely monitoring the situation and seeking more information.

- - - -

There are hundreds of pirate attacks off the West and East African coast each year. Should the US Navy do more and devote more resources to preventing and responding to pirate attacks? Should the US military attack pirate bases of operation in Africa?

I voted yes. But under current conditions, where do we get the boats to do it and the leadership that not only has the balls, but the ability to do it.
 
I am currently in Afghanistan, doing some contract Intel type work............ UNARMED......... because my company cannot get insurance for us if we are armed.
Sad that I can be (and am) armed every day when I am home in Florida, but I am naked out here....

That is outrageous and makes my point. Companies can expose their employees to defenseless violent danger and be totally immune, but are liable if employees are armed and defend themselves.
 
That is outrageous and makes my point. Companies can expose their employees to defenseless violent danger and be totally immune, but are liable if employees are armed and defend themselves.



I've been saying in recent years, my EMPLOYER oppresses me more than the frigging government.
 
I voted yes. But under current conditions, where do we get the boats to do it and the leadership that not only has the balls, but the ability to do it.

Seems like Obama loves him them Drones. A nice clean solution that Fearless Leader already has been paid for. Let's go get 'em.
 
That is outrageous and makes my point. Companies can expose their employees to defenseless violent danger and be totally immune, but are liable if employees are armed and defend themselves.

Their defense is that we are on a US/ISAF military base. We are being defended by those around us....
 
Still staying on topic, a few years ago it was discovered that these pirates in and around the Horn of Africa were using the internet to locate which ships they would target. < Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic and Positions >

It shows live time where most merchant ships are located in the world, their Coordinates, speed and direction and what type of ship it is what flag they are flying etc. Usually with a photo of the ship.

When they discovered that any pirate with a laptop and access to satellite internet could locate a ship to hijack the word came down probably by the insurance companies not show what ships are in the Red Sea or Horn of Africa waters. If you go to the link above you'll notice they no longer show what ships that are in the area of the Horn of Africa.
 
A few guys with AR-15's and a sniper would surely deter any pirates... one 50 cal with forward shielding would light up any little pirate boat.
 
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