Thread: US drones hunting for Somali pirates

US guided-missile drones fly over Indian Ocean
Sun, 25 Oct 2009 0744 GMT

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The 36-foot-long Reapers are the size of a jet fighter and can fly about 16 hours.


US guided-missile drones fly over Indian Ocean

US guided-missile drones fly over Indian Ocean
Sun, 25 Oct 2009 0744 GMT

Font size :

The 36-foot-long Reapers are the size of a jet fighter and can fly about 16 hours.


The US military says it has deployed its drones capable of carrying missiles to patrol waters off Somalia in a move to clamp down on piracy.

The deputy commander for the US Africa Command, Vice Adm. Robert Moeller, said unmanned planes called MQ-9 Reapers were stationed on the island nation of Seychelles.

The drones are being deployed to patrol the Indian Ocean in search of pirates, the commander said in an interview with the Associated Press.

The patrols began this week, according to military officials.

The drones are capable of carrying a dozen guided bombs and missiles. They would not immediately be fitted with weaponry, but military officials did not rule out doing so in the future.

Moeller said the aircraft would primarily be used against pirates, adding that they could also be used for other missions.

Washington says the deployment is a response to the rising piracy in a country that is without an effective government since the overthrow of the last military rule under Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991.

Earlier reports had said that US operatives were expected to fly unmanned surveillance aircrafts from American ships off its coast to spy on the Somali pirates.

The developments come as the White House seeks grounds to establish a major military presence in Africa.

Peter Chalk, an expert on piracy at the Washington-based RAND Corp., said he believed the new drones would be "largely irrelevant" in bringing an end to the lawlessness because problems with Somalia's government need to be addressed first. Otherwise, piracy will persist, he added.

AGB/DT

Originally Posted by Panda

Originally Posted by Dug

Originally Posted by BobR

Cowardly way to fight a war, but what can you expect from America anymore. At least they won't waste time taking prisoners.

Um, it's not a war.

And the women and kids in Pakistan and Afghanistan that the US drones are murdering aren't soldiers either.

Pity the Yanks didn't strap a few missiles on these drones and take out a few pirates instead of killing innocent civilians with em. US rules of engagement though I suppose.

What the fuck are you talking about dipshit. This thread is about pirates, not Pakistan or Afghanistan, I'm sure there ARE threads about Pakistan and Afghanistan though. Perhaps you should go and find them.

What's a few Afghan women and children when the Brits slaughtered an estimated 10 million Indians in the process of 'colonizing' India...

Newsvine - British atrocities in India exposed - chopping off hands, mass murder in Indian Holocaust

As far as the OP, the Predators can & do carry guided missiles... What happens in the middle of the Indian Ocean stays there...

I think it best that the U.S. not get involved in policing the area. Let the rest of the international community take care of their own ships or get them involved in patrolling those waters. Why should the we put up all the resources and have the rest of the world benefit from more secure shipping lanes? They will just question our motivation and find a reason to bitch about it in the future.

Something needs to be done about the pirates, that boat of theirs can go underwater! And their captain is immortal. As for the Kraken....

I say well done the yanks. Not sure how you kill an immortal with a drone plane thingy, but it's good to see someone doing something about it.

[quote=Panda;1220991]

Originally Posted by Dug

Originally Posted by Panda

Originally Posted by Dug

Actually, this thread is about drones and their proposed use against pirates. The same drones used to kill civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan. So of course there is going to be some discussion as to the ethics and legality of using such a weapon.

The ethics and legality of using such a weapon against Civilians and using them against pirates are completely different wouldn't you agree.
So why does it follow that a discussion of the use of these weapons against pirates would include discussion of their use against civilians?
It doesn't.
In fact I don't know what you're even getting at. Are you suggesting that because drones have been used (unintentionally) against women and children they shouldn't be used against pirates.
It would then follow that any weapons that have hurt women or children should not be used, which would be a lot.
I'm all for using whatever weapons are available against the pirates.

Some strange reasoning there.
Are you on medication for your problem?

It's your reasoning that's in doubt.
Why would there be an issue with using Drones against pirates if they've been used against women and Children.

Actually, this thread is about drones and their proposed use against pirates.

yes?

The same drones used to kill civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

what's the conection?

So of course

why 'of course?

there is going to be some discussion as to the ethics and legality of using such a weapon.

Why?
It may be unethical and illegal to use them against women and children, does that mean it is unethical and illegal to use them against pirates? to use them at all?
What is your point? Why 'of course' would there be any such discussion at all about the weopons?

Originally Posted by Panda

OH! You've been promoted to moderator now have you?

Actually, as a poster here he has every right to offer his opinion on the value of your posts.

Originally Posted by Panda

If you dont like the way the discussion is going, then perhaps YOU should go elsewhere.

Don't be so arrogant, your coment does not make the whole of the discussion.

Originally Posted by Panda

It needs to be sorted out in the UN so that an international task force can take the motherships out of action.

Originally Posted by The Washington Post

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 16 -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize nations to conduct military raids, on land and by air, against pirates plying the waters off the Somalia coast even as two more ships were reportedly hijacked at sea.

hmmm, no mention of military acts at sea though... Surely a simple ommission by the W.P. reporter?
These drones are a cost effective and efficient deterrent they can srat in the air much longer and more of them can be deployed with out the need for the infrastructureof a fighter group. Here, again, a few folks have got their anti-American knickers in a twist where there is no justification.

Originally Posted by mordred

I think it best that the U.S. not get involved in policing the area. Let the rest of the international community take care of their own ships or get them involved in patrolling those waters. Why should the we put up all the resources and have the rest of the world benefit from more secure shipping lanes? They will just question our motivation and find a reason to bitch about it in the future.

THe comments of some folks even here in this thread would prove your attitude to be spot on. BUT, The US has the greatest resources and by Taking Part is behaving as a responsible world citizen. THe fuck-wits that scream about any and all so-called "American Transgressions" here would simply do the same if we were to sit back and wait it out. it really doesn't matter what the US does in this or any other situation, these folk will piss & moan about the U.S. no matter what action the U.S. takes, this rendering their opinion not worth the air it take to voice it.

I seem to remember early on in the discussion of the Somali Pirates some one asking "What is the U.S. doing in this?" While I am not in agreement with many aspects of U.S. foreign policy and believe there is MUCH room for criticism, those that criticize every international act (or lack thereof) do fuck-all for their own cause and are best ignored. The deployment of drones in this case is an excellent use of U.S. resources that is benefit to the international community.

At this point, rather than "authorizing military acts" (December, 2008 BTW) the UNSC needs to get off it's ass and organize a multinational force to occupy and pacify Somalia. The lack of governement or any semblance of order has become an international issue and threat to the security of any nation with international commercial need to use the shipping lanes in that region. The UN did the right thing by getting involved in Bosnia when this was clearly am internal problem and even classified a "civil war." It is time they picked up their shorts and went in here as well.

THe UN has become largely ineffectual as an international peacekeeping (read PO-lice) entity. Although they seem ery good at passng resolutions and many other entities within the UN have done much to further the cause of environmentalism, etc. They now tend to sit on their hands when decisive action is called for. This leaves the situation up to individual nations.

Sooner or later the need to invade and occupy Somalia in order to eliminate this threat to international trade and security is going to become unavoidable. The UN has simply "authorized" this action but done little to organize a multi-national force to do so.

SO. Who you want to go in there? The french? The English? The Ozzies? Rooskies? Chinese? Do the Mexicans have an army? The UNSC has become a weak-assed "Rainbow Coalition" unable to act but merely "authorize." Authorize, does this mean "get somebody else to do the dirty work?" So if hte U.S. sits this one out. WHO??

No namby-pamby fucking coalitions now as that is what the UNSC is and it has NOT ACTED, so name a country that is best suited to go in and stop this shit. I agree, the UN SHOULD ACT. but it HAS NOT.