Saturday, March 18, 2006

US Navy on the watch

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This is a "small" incident that illustrates how the US military is taken for granted by all countries that depend upon trade flowing over the seas. Patrolling off the coast of Somalia, the US Navy attempted to board a suspected pirate ship. The very silly "suspected" pirates shot at our ships.
USS Cape St. George (CG 71) and USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) returned fire on a group of suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean, killing one and wounding five, approximately 25 nautical miles off the central eastern coast of Somalia in international waters at 5:40 a.m. local time, March 18.


You can see the result in the Navy photo above. This work goes on without much fanfare. The pirates also interfere with aid to Somalia.
On March 15, the United Nations Security Council encouraged naval forces operating off the coast of Somalia to be vigilant and take action against piracy. Pirate attacks against aid ships have hindered UN efforts to provide relief to the victims of a severe drought in the area.

The US Navy is ensures the flow of goods between countries. International trade is heavily subsidized by the US taxpayer.

6 comments:

Charlie Martin said...

"Think of it as evolution in action."

Rick Ballard said...

That makes me want to reread Master and Commander.

It's a shame destroyers don't carry grape shot. They wouldn't need to find a place to keep the prisoners.

Unknown said...

It seems the US Navy is doing the job the British Navy used to do. Keeping the high seas safe for trade.

I saw that NGC show on Blackbeard. I have to admit, I liked it. Wasn't it Muslim pirates that the US Marines were first sent overseas to fight?

To the hsores of Tripoli.

offworld said...

Yes, the US Navy and Marines' first excursion far from our waters was to fight the barbary pirates who were interferring with international trade and to whom we were forced to pay tribute until we raised our Navy.

Anonymous said...

A very good blog about US Navy activity in the dark little corners of the world, piracy, and links to terrorism is EagleSpeak.

I once turned down a consulting job on the oil platforms of the Java Sea when I was informed that some of the piracy there was undertaken by moonlighting members of the Indonesian Navy. Puget Sound suddenly seemed a lot nicer, somehow.

A Jacksonian said...

Now if only Congress would let the People loose to go after terrorists via commerce. I have talked to many an American that would look upon Privateering if Congress did so allow. It would be unfortunate for the rest of the world to find it had signed those rights away, and that only stubborn America refuses to change its Constitution to one of a more civilized era.

Of course this would mean asymmetrical warfare. In the favor of the US.