NATO catch and release Somali Pirates

On Saturday, Dutch commandos freed 20 Yemeni hostages and also briefly detained seven pirates, then let them go.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said “it sends the wrong signal” to the pirates operating off the coast of Somalia.

“If the Dutch navy had been operating under European Union, they could have turned over the pirates for trial. NATO has not provided that authority so we need to coordinate this, we need to move very quickly to do so. … try to get this resolved,” she said.

The truly sad part is 20 years ago NATO and the United States had the back bone and political will not to take any crap from a bunch of thugs. Doing anything other than showing unilateral strength and resolve will end the Somali Pirate situation. Catching and releasing Pirates not only “sends the wrong signal” but does nothing to stop the proliferation of buccaneering in the area.

It is a waste of NATO resources and a civilized intelligence to attempt to deal with lawlessness that the Somli state has produced with anything other than the clear and decisive signal, that Terrorism on the high seas will be met with the utmost deadliest of force.