Adm GORTNEY spoke out of the double standard of tackling pirates' land bases

[Koora-Tuunshe]

It's great to see the the top US naval admiral speak out of the civilian casualties that the considered land warfare in order to contain or root out piracy would bring about; Many believe the rise of piracy on the coast of Somalia is born out of the cumulative effect of the present plight afflicting the whole country and the relentless illegal fishing and other shady deals carried out by multiple foreign nations without the consent and knowledge of the people in Somalia. However, I won't recommend a policy of inaction either but it' s double standard of the world powers to disregard the real and a long-term solution over a temporary one that would truly worsen Somalia's plight and more so radicalize the traumatized population. It's these types of conferences with reckless regard to human rights conventions that would give extremists a steady hand in the region.

 

Speaking at the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, Adm Gortney voiced doubts over the wisdom of attack the pirates' land bases because of the difficulties of identifying them and the potential risks of harming innocent civilians.

 

"I see people trying to look for an easy military solution to a problem that demands a non-kinetic solution," he told reporters.

 

"If you're going to do kinetic strikes into the pirate camps, the positive ID and the collateral damage concerns cannot be overestimated."

 

"They're irregulars - they don't wear uniforms," he added.

 

Adm Gortney said that the solution lay in bringing stability to Somalia, but that would not happen soon. In the meantime, shipping companies should employ armed guards on board ships, he said.

 

"I'm a firm believer... because that's what we'd do ashore," he said. "You're working against criminal activity. That's what I'm pushing."

 

Adm Gortney also rejected the idea of establishing a naval blockade of the Somali coast, saying it would be considered an act of war, and that the size of the coastline would require so many ships that "it would be very, very difficult".

BBC