Somali Pirates Vow Revenge

Congratulations to the United States Navy, you have answered the Easter morning prayers of a nation looking for success in what has been a week of foreign policy challenges for a new President attempting to reestablish a strong international commitment towards the little men of the world. From North Korean ballistic missile launches to Iran nuclear day to a pirate hijacking of a US ship, the Obama administration had been taking some punches this week and all it took was 3 skillfully delivered bullets to change the spirits of a nation.

But even when military action is reserved for only the most dire circumstances, and as precise as what was demonstrated today, every Presidential decision to use military action carries trickling effects, and these three bullets will have that effect.

Somali pirates were quick to vow revenge over the shooting of their comrades, as well as a French military assault to rescue a yacht on Friday.

"The French and the Americans will regret starting this killing. We do not kill, but take only ransom. We shall do something to anyone we see as French or American from now," Hussein, a pirate, told Reuters by satellite phone.

When the Secretary of Defense began the week discussing the need to bring asymmetric warfare to the table at the DoD procurement buffet, no one could have predicted the week would play out in a way to prove it. For the first time since WWII, the United States is being openly challenged at sea, not from a military force of a major power capable of challenging the US Navy, rather a band of clan brothers who are vowing to stalk Americans on the high seas, and "do something."

The Navy may soon find themselves in an asymmetric war because the Somali pirates didn't get their ransom money. This probably won't be seen as bad thing with many, right up until the point American merchant mariners are being executed. The escalation from piracy to maritime terrorism will leave many questioning a law enforcement approach.

Like I said, when it comes to the issues of Somalia the Obama administration is facing a complex series of choices where none of the options are any good.

Update: A great point made over at the US Naval Institute Blog, "Pirates seem to be as sure of their right to rob as we are sure of our right to freedom on the high seas." The pledges by pirates for more violence seems to be popular, but there does appear to be a cultural disconnect between the rights granted mariners under international law and the rights granted to pirates under the absence of law. Keep in mind, there are very few US flagged ships, so the statistical chances of pirates hunting a US flagged ship that isn't an armed warship in those waters is very small.