U.S. warships surround hijacked vessel

I'd be surprised if the pirates didn't belong to the clan that controls the port where the ship is anchored and if that clan didn't have some land-based artillery targeting the ship. Wouldn't any military effort to take back the ship have to include "taking" the port to prevent some antiquated artillery piece from sinking the cargo ship or one of those billion dollar warships?

Once out of port, it needs to be boarded by a U.N. force to investigate for weapons of mass destruction. If they are there, the Faina needs to have it's cargo confiscated and destroyed. That includes the T-72 tanks.

African nations are looking at what is being done to their Middle-Eastern neighbors and want to arm themselves against the threat that they feel from America to their very way of life. Every country in the world Knows of our need for mineral wealth. Industrialized nations have always sought the wealth of that continent. The Chinese are there, and doing brisk business, yet I have no memory in my 40+ years of hearing that they used force against any African nation. So much for "evolving standards of decency of a maturing society" if we feel that its better to conquer a nation for its wealth but disguise it as keeping peace in the world. The world is watching us make a mockery of our elective process and express our biases against our countrymen and countrywomen. Its no wonder that so many countries are getting tired of being afraid of us.

It is time to rething the soviet era treaty that prevents the arming of merchant ships and rearm our ships. we don't need modern weapons, WWII weapons will work just fine against the pirates.