Somali Pirate Or Enemy Combatant – What’s The Difference?

Crew members of the Maersk Alabama celebrated after hearing that their captain, who had been held hostage by Somali pirates, had been rescued. Image Credit: Roberto Schmidt/AFP — Getty Images

Somali Pirate Or Enemy Combatant – What’s The Difference?

All this last week and Easter weekend, the world media attention was affixed upon the events surrounding the assault, attempted takeover, and kidnapping of a captain of an American flagged container ship. The leadership and action shown by our military that ended the internationally illegal action and saved the container ship captain, Capt. Richard Phillips, was exemplary.

While our President ducked questions from the media (and diplomats from the State Department negotiated with Somali Klan Elders via satellite phone) about the assault and kidnapping happening in the Indian Ocean off of Somalia, the military was preparing for action, then acted under direct orders from the on-scene commander.

President-elect Barack Obama at a press conference on December 7, 2008. Image Credit: Scott Olson, Getty Images

This excerpted and edited from WXYZ-TV Detroit –

Obama declines to answer question on piracy
wxyz.com - Last Update: 4/09 10:37 am

President Barack Obama has declined to answer a question about the hostage situation off the coast of Somalia.

The president was asked about the incident as he met with U.S. homeowners about refinancing mortgages. At the close of a Roosevelt Room event, the president was asked by a reporter if he were concerned about the piracy incident.

Obama responded: "Guys, we're talking about housing right now."

Reporters were then ushered out of the room as they usually are after such events.
Reference Here>>

This is the new leader of the Free World and he can not even address the terrorist and illegal acts of pirates on an American vessel. I would have hated to see what President Barack Obama’s reaction to the bombing of Pearl Harbor would have been if he were in place on 7 December 1941.

Last March, the Obama Administration decided to remove the term “Enemy Combatant” from the terminology used by the American Government in dealing with people who committed acts of war but were not controlled or governed by any organized country. A term was needed after 11 September 2001, to deal with people who caused acts of war, mass murder, and were not governed by an organized country after hijacked passenger jets were flown into the World Trade Center Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C..

Why don’t we just call them Pirates?

Pirates are not governed by any country, they terrorize, disrupt a culture, murder and profit from their uncivilized and illegal acts just as “Enemy Combatants” and the international laws of piracy are clear and the punishment is harsh … first offense can get one life in prison!

We, at MAXINE, suggest that we call “Enemy Combatants” (EC’s) … “Pirates” (P’s).

EC’s and P’s are all working to disrupt the way life is carried out because of some perceived nonnegotiable grievance. EC’s and P’s all will use what ever means to achieve their ends that include violence, kidnapping, theft, and destruction. With EC’s and P’s, the war never ends until they choose not to act, otherwise all of these acts must be dealt with at the time they happen and harshly … these acts should never be appeased.

It is time to end ... Piracy, once and for all!

The British Military - Stiff Upperlip To Jell-O Backbone

Image Credit and Video Link: NBC News

The British Military - Stiff Upperlip To Jell-O Backbone

After watching the U.K. Sailor news conference on TV this morning, I'm left with a tremendous feeling of speechlessness.

What I observed was, at best, a civilian response to a military situation and the world is upside down. As the graphic from NBC News asks - "Where's The Honor?"

I understand the reality of the impression that "fighting back was not an option" but I really do not understand moving beyond Name, Rank, and Serial Number in an act-of-war military scenario.

Come on, just look at these British Military people in Iranian suits ... disgusting!

British sailors and marines waited at the airport in Tehran Thursday before boarding a commercial flight to London. Image Credit: Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

I just can't imagine being photographed this happy under these "captive" military conditions.

This from the MSNBC Website -

MSNBC News Services
Updated: 12 minutes ago

ROYAL MARINE BASE CHIVENOR, England - The 15 British sailors seized by Iran were kept blindfolded, bound and in isolation by their Iranian captors who threatened them with seven years in jail, they told a news conference Friday.

"From the outset, it was very apparent that fighting back was not an option," Capt. Chris Air said of their capture in the northern Gulf on March 23. Air said they were in Iraqi waters when seized by the Iranians.

"They rammed our boats, and trained their heavy machine guns, RPGs, and weapons on us. Another six boats were closing in on us. We realized our efforts to reason with these people were not making any headway, nor were we able to calm some of the individuals," Air said
Reference Here>>

"Nor were we able to calm some of the individuals" - Disgusting.

Again, this sounds like the recounting of an incident amongst civilians ... not a recounting of an incident involving one military hijacking another.

The British Military's only thought provided throughout the interview this morning was -- what do we do to get back home.

In this picture issued by Britain's Ministry of Defence, Royal Marine Captain Chris Air, left, leads 15 British service personnel release by Iran, across the tarmac at London's Heathrow Airport, Thursday April 5, 2007, from the British Airways aircraft which flew them from Tehran. The 15 British sailors and marines returned home after 13 days in captivity. Man in military uniform seen second from left, was part of the party who meet the 15 service personnel on their arrival. Image Credit: AP Photo/Angie Pearce

Well, they achieved their goal of coming home ... with little honor. As a former member of the U.S. Navy, I am ashamed at the level of representation to the country of England that these military personnel showed under fire.

And I am not the only one who shares this POV, this from Col. Jack Jacobs, Military analyst - MSNBC

British sailors’ conduct was a disgrace
Where is honor? Iran hostages’ handshakes, apologies are ‘reprehensible’
COMMENTARY - By Jack Jacobs - Military analyst – MSNBC - Updated: 1 hour, 32 minutes ago

The capture, internment and repatriation of the British sailors and marines can only be described as a shoddy spectacle. From start to finish, the Brits heaped nothing but ignominy on themselves, and one can recall few instances in recent memory in which a group of uniformed service members acted with less professionalism and more dishonor.

From the start, things were destined to end badly. Although the inevitable investigation by the Ministry of Defence will determine the sequence of events that led to the capture, it seems that the boarding party was not following generally accepted practices for such an operation.
Reference Here>>

Col. Jacobs goes on to quote philosopher John Stuart Mill who wrote extensively about theories of liberty. On the duty of the military to any country, Mr. Mill wrote:

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.

The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

With that, Col. Jack Jacobs concluded his thoughts and comments about the recent acts of the British Military in Iran ... and so do we, at MAXINE!

Video Link Here