OPINION:
President Obama’s actions in regard to the standoff with the Somali pirates who were holding Capt. Richard Phillips hostage were right on the mark. Previous administrations and the do-nothing United Nations have known for many years about piracy on the high seas but have ignored it.
The United States and the United Nations must address this issue head on. An act of piracy against a ship should be considered an attack on the homeland that harbors it. Pirates are terrorists who must be brought to justice or wiped out.
I suggest that all nations go after the existing pirates as soon as possible to make sure they do not strike again. We are talking about people living in freedom, whether on land or on the sea. I’m gratified that Capt. Phillips is home and in reasonably good shape. Let’s make sure no one else has to experience the same ordeal.
HERB STARK
Massapequa, N.Y.
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