China calls for attacking Somalian pirate bases

[OntarioVanMan]

11:56 PM, May. 20, 2011 |

BEIJING (AP) – China’s military is urging land attacks on Somali pirate strongholds in a bold call signaling the armed forces’ growing assertiveness.

China’s navy has taken part in anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since December 2008, but the government has not advocated direct attacks on land areas from which pirates operate.

However, at a news conference Wednesday in Washington, Gen. Chen Bingde said he thinks land bases must be attacked for counter-piracy campaigns to be effective.

The U.S. and other countries taking part in the patrols have steered clear of land attacks for fear of becoming mired in ongoing campaigns in Somalia – a lawless nation where 18 U.S. servicemen were killed in the capital, Mogadishu, in 1993.

 

[jpalmer]

I don't think we should bomb the bases. But, I do think we should do silent attacks on them. Send some seal teams or specials forces into the bases at night and silently take them all out.

Don't leave any traces of who did it. The fear of not knowing if or when who is next will freak them out....

Bombing them will create the impression of a full on war with Somalia. That'll be bad for gas prices...

 

[layoutshooter]

I would think knocking out those bases would LOWER oil prices. There have been tankers hijacked. They are disrupting normal trade as well.

Somalia is not an oil producing nation.

Heavy bombing is a GOOD idea. Both from the sea and the air. Hit them hard and get rid of the problem. I also have NO problem arming merchant ships.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I don't think we should bomb the bases. But, I do think we should do silent attacks on them. Send some seal teams or specials forces into the bases at night and silently take them all out.

Don't leave any traces of who did it. The fear of not knowing if or when who is next will freak them out....

Bombing them will create the impression of a full on war with Somalia. That'll be bad for gas prices...

I like this idea...maybe rotating squads US...British and so on....be like training missions but a live audience for a few minutes...and YES I am all for killing them outright. They would do it to us without blinking...

 

[EnglishLady]

I like this idea...maybe rotating squads US...British and so on....be like training missions but a live audience for a few minutes...and YES I am all for killing them outright. They would do it to us without blinking...

Me too, and I agree they do not bat an eyelid doing it to others.

If you start bombing then all the doogooders start stepping in - keep it covert.

 

[greg334]

Let China do the work, keep us out of it right now. If they want a joint effort, get the EU involved. We should consider any action with Somalia or anyone else from this point forward defined and executed with an end in sight and nothing less.

This may be a problem for regional shipping but it is a problem for more than the players involved, UK China, US, etc. ... . The AU can come to the table too, seeing that their member countries get a crap load of our money for a lot of different things and Somalia is part of their problem too. The other thing which we can do is support the other half of Somalia against the anti transtional government Islam groups (which includes Al Qeada) that control these ports.

 

[EnglishLady]

Let China do the work, keep us out of it right now. If they want a joint effort, get the EU involved. We should consider any action with Somalia or anyone else from this point forward defined and executed with an end in sight and nothing less.

This may be a problem for regional shipping but it is a problem for more than the players involved, UK China, US, etc. ... . The AU can come to the table too, seeing that their member countries get a crap load of our money for a lot of different things and Somalia is part of their problem too. The other thing which we can do is support the other half of Somalia against the anti transtional government Islam groups (which includes Al Qeada) that control these ports.

Are you saying that this does not affect America ?

 

[layoutshooter]

There have been American ships hijacked and Americans killed. Flatten the place.

I prefer the bombing. There is FAR less of a chance of American lives being lost. Doogooders don't like it? Send them in to clean out that den of thieves. Then bomb it while they are there.

 

[greg334]

Are you saying that this does not affect America ?

Nope not at all, but what I'm saying is that just bombing the "bases" will not solve the bigger problem nor will it actually allow us to get our act together as a nation.

The AU and Arab councils need to address the issue, not the US. We need to step back and either ask those groups who can do something to do something or simply tell them this has to be done for foreign aid.

On the other hand China has a big stake in this and they can send in troops, wipe out the part of the country that is against a the recognized transitional government and not worry about the issues it creates.

There have been American ships hijacked and Americans killed. Flatten the place.

True but we have Americans who are killed in Mexico, we have ships hijacked in the Caribbean so what's the difference?

I prefer the bombing. There is FAR less of a chance of American lives being lost. Doogooders don't like it? Send them in to clean out that den of thieves. Then bomb it while they are there.

Have you ever been over there?

When you look at what's going on, then you will understand that we will have to send in troops eventually and this will be more of a mess for us.

There is no clear need for land operations, blast them out of the water, arm the ships but get others involved to do the work on shore.

 

[layoutshooter]

Nope, not been there.

I have no problem bombing in Mexico either. We know were those cartels compounds are. Hit them hard and often. Seal our border with Mexico. NO TRADE UNTIL THEY GET RID OF THE MESS!

As to Somalia, I don't want ground forces in there. Arm the ships, sink anything that comes off shore and threatens a ship. Carpet bomb the coast once a week or so till every one moves back a mile or so.

We defeated Nazi Germany and Japan, we can defeat these people too.

 

[paullud]

I would bomb what we know to be their hideouts then have heavily armed security personnel on every ship that passes through to work on the rest of them that remain active.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[greg334]

We defeated Nazi Germany and Japan, we can defeat these people too.

BUT these pirates have yet to attack us. Attacking a privately owned ship is not the same as attacking the United States and more so with what we think as a national interest, it is also China's national interest at a higher level so if they want to go ahead and attack the bases, let them do it but keep us out.

 

[layoutshooter]

BUT these pirates have yet to attack us. Attacking a privately owned ship is not the same as attacking the United States and more so with what we think as a national interest, it is also China's national interest at a higher level so if they want to go ahead and attack the bases, let them do it but keep us out.

If someone attacks American shipping they attack America. If someone kills an American they have attacked all of us.

We shut down the pirates in that area once before. They were quiet for decades. Time to do it again.

 

[layoutshooter]

BUT these pirates have yet to attack us. Attacking a privately owned ship is not the same as attacking the United States and more so with what we think as a national interest, it is also China's national interest at a higher level so if they want to go ahead and attack the bases, let them do it but keep us out.

If someone attacks American shipping they attack America. If someone kills an American they have attacked all of us.

We shut down the pirates in that area once before. They were quiet for decades. Time to do it again.

 

[greg334]

If someone attacks American shipping they attack America. If someone kills an American they have attacked all of us.

We shut down the pirates in that area once before. They were quiet for decades. Time to do it again.

Layout, those ships are not even registered in the US, so they are not American ships - hence they are like Mexican trucks.

 

[layoutshooter]

Layout, those ships are not even registered in the US, so they are not American ships - hence they are like Mexican trucks.

Not entirely correct. There 4 American's killed on their private yacht. I would be willing to bet that boat was registered in the U.S. That was at least one example of a U.S. boat being attacked and it's occupants killed.

Take out the pirates.

 

[greg334]

Not entirely correct. There 4 American's killed on their private yacht. I would be willing to bet that boat was registered in the U.S. That was at least one example of a U.S. boat being attacked and it's occupants killed.

Take out the pirates.

Yeah and first they knew the dangers of just sailing across the alantic but we have four people killed in Mexico today, and a few more yesterday and a few in Rio and a couple in Canada and ...

If you want to justify this, then is has to be justified with an understanding that Somalia is not a country, it is a loose collection of groups trying to get a piece of the power action and in order for any one thing to stop not just this issue but others, it has to come from the AU and Arab Council FIRST.

BUT it also begs the question;

If it is so important, why are we not pulling our ships off the coast of Libya and using them to protect shipping?

ALSO brings up a question for the intel community, where are you guys?

 

[layoutshooter]

Yeah and first they knew the dangers of just sailing across the alantic but we have four people killed in Mexico today, and a few more yesterday and a few in Rio and a couple in Canada and ...

If you want to justify this, then is has to be justified with an understanding that Somalia is not a country, it is a loose collection of groups trying to get a piece of the power action and in order for any one thing to stop not just this issue but others, it has to come from the AU and Arab Council FIRST.

BUT it also begs the question;

If it is so important, why are we not pulling our ships off the coast of Libya and using them to protect shipping?

ALSO brings up a question for the intel community, where are you guys?

Just as those people knew the danger of sailing there, so should EVERY American should know better than to go into Mexico.

Don't ask me what intel is doing these days, I am no longer in that business.

Would not be either under the Obama administration. I don't serve under anti-Americans. Just as I did NOT continue after Slick Willy started pulling his anti Constitution garbage with Agency assets and personal. I also would not serve under ANYONE who's character was so bad that they would never be able to get the clearances needed to go my job or use the intel I provided.