Hotshots of the United States navy has made headway in killing at least three of the Somali pirates who held hostage American ship captain Richard Phillips off the coast of Somalia a few days ago. However, it took only five days for the US navy to neutralize the Somali pirates that led the rescue of the ship captain from getting killed once the ransom money is not paid.
Many observers couldn’t believe to themselves what exactly the US navy did to save Phillips. But media reports said the go signal came from no one else but President Obama who authorized the navy commander to order his men to do all they could to save the ship captain. And they successfully did. Now, Somali pirates are fuming with anger and even warned to retaliate for killing their comrades. As promised, the pirates did by firing a mortar shell to a US congressman who was in Mogadishu to discuss matters related to halting series of piracy off the coast of Somalia.
Political analysts said this is the first time, since the time of former President Eishenhower, that a United State leader reportedly made the decision to go for the kill if the US navy had a chance to do it. Likewise, it could also be a test of the Obama’s foreign relations policies, whereby he just came from Turkey where he reached out for possible peace dialogue with the Muslim world. Somalia is majority Muslim country and it is believed to be where some members of the al-qaeda group are hiding possibly to launch another attack on US interests.
Reports said that piracy off the coast of Somalia, known as the Horn of Africa, is becoming a multi-million dollar industry in that part of Afirca. They operate their business by hijacking international container ships passing along its route under the cover of night, even outside its territorial waters. The latest development was the hijacking of Alabama-based Maersk ship, where American crew were held hostage until the tide turned against the pirates when the American crew were able to gain control of the ship. But the pirates succeeded in getting hold of the ship captain into the emergency life boat.
But why do these pirates hijack container ships? Probably, in their desperate moves to accummulate more money to finance their terrorism activities, they had no choice other than venture into hijacking and kidnapping activities. Military analysts said these people are terrorists who try to seek for other means to push through their ideological beliefs in the guise of being pirates. Or it could be that they are being used by al-qaeda to raise money for their criminal activities both within and in other countries of targets.