NEW DELHI â€??? An Indian naval vessel sank a suspected pirate “mother ship” Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden and chased two attack boats into the night, officials said, yet more violence in the lawless seas where brigands are becoming bolder and more violent.
Piracy on the High Seas. It didn’t die out with Blackbeard, nor with the War of 1812 when the British Royal Navy was acting, (quite literally), as a pirate. It has always been an issue somewhere on this globe since man first took to the ocean in boats. Where ever valuable goods traveled on the lonely seas, there too were the thieves. I suspect that it will remain so as long as we continue to sail. If ever space travel becomes commonplace there is no doubt that piracy will soon follow.
The Bull is certain that the good hippies, er, people in California will say that to avoid anyone getting hurt the best idea is for us regular folk and peace-loving Nations to simply stop using the World’s oceans for travel and commerce. Furthermore, I’m satisfied that the Obama Administration would rather negotiate with the pirates. The sad fact is that the only way to deal with pirates is to hunt them down, sink their vessels, and hang the survivors, (if any). The current crop of sea-faring sub-humans operating in the Gulf of Aden is no exception.
Enter the brave sailors aboard the good ship INS Tabar…
As reported on Fox News…
A multicoalition naval force has increased patrols in the region, and scored a rare success Tuesday when the Indian warship, operating off the coast of Oman, stopped a ship similar to a pirate vessel mentioned in numerous piracy bulletins. The Indian navy said the pirates fired on the INS Tabar after the officers asked it to stop to be searched.
“Pirates were seen roaming on the upper deck of this vessel with guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers,” said a statement from the Indian navy. Indian forces fired back, sparking fires and a series of onboard blasts â€??? possibly due to exploding ammunition â€??? and destroying the ship.
Fine work! Congrats to the commander and crew of INS Tabar on hunting down and eliminating this one nest of vermin. There are more out there – indeed, too many – and my gut tells me we will hear more from the Indian Navy and the fine ship Tabar. In fact, the Indian Navy was cited in the same story for another recent action against the pirates…
Last week, Indian navy commandos operating from a warship foiled a pirate attempt to hijack a ship in the Gulf of Aden. The navy said an armed helicopter with marine commandos prevented the pirates from boarding and hijacking the Indian merchant vessel.
Excellent! Simply excellent!
Of course, with the pirates currently holding some seventeen vessels along with more than 300 crew members, not to mention a Ukrainian ship loaded with weapons and a Saudi Arabian supertanker carrying $100 million in crude oil, this is no time to slow down for a party. Indeed, we need to be asking: “Where the hell are the World’s other Navies at a time like this?” What is the U.S. 5th Fleet doing? Sure, they patrol. I agree that patrols show little success considering the sheer size of the planet’s oceans. No one can know where the pirates will be on any given day. The thing is that pirates have to make port somewhere in order to sell their ill-gotten gains and we do know those locations.
The Bull submits that every ocean-going Nation on the planet should dispatch a minimum of two frigates, preferably gun-equipped over the guided missile versions, to the Gulf of Aden. A pair of carriers would be good, too. Further, in the interest of global relations, I submit that the combined fleet be commanded overall by any nation other than the United States. The only caveat being that the Fleet Commander must have experience in carrier operations if such vessels are included. Once the Fleet is combined, then it should be open season on pirates.
Just my two cents, for what it’s worth…
Bull, out. 
