In one of the stranger stories I've run across lately:
A super-luxury cruise ship repelled boarding by Somali pirates (just a quick sanity check - this IS 2005, right? Not 1721?) by hammering them with a "sonic blaster". This device, which I am adding to my gift list, sends out high-powered air vibrations which knock the attackers off their feet. It's the size of a satellite dish and will probably fit on the front bumper of my wife's Expedition nicely.
The waters off Somalia, home of anarchy since 1991, are among the most dangerous in the world. Pirate attacks are common and the only sort of "law-enforcement" available is an international naval task force, currently under the command of the French (snicker).
Will this become the new "adventure tourism"? Head for Somalia in an armed yacht?
Here is yet another instance of "What happens when the West doesn't have any strategic interests in a region". Like I keep saying - if we can come up with some alternatives to petroleum, we can let the Arabs rip themselves to shreds the same way.
I can't help but throw this in as well: For those of you who protest US involvement in places like Iraq and the Middle East, please take a look at Somalia, Zimbabwe, Burma, etc for examples of what happens when the US DOESN'T get involved. Not a very pretty picture, is it?
No comments:
Post a Comment