Kristol's Next War: Send The US Marines After Somali Pirates

Matthew Yglesias:

In addition to being a booster of the two actual wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bill Kristol and/or his publication has, at one time or another, also called for the United States to go to war with North Korea, Syria, Iran, and Sudan. And now he's got another war he's like to start:

And while [Bush is] at it, perhaps he could tell various admirals to stop moaning about how difficult it would be to deal with the pirates off the coast of Somalia (isn't keeping the shipping lanes open a core mission of the Navy?) and order the Navy to clobber them. If need be, the Marines would no doubt be glad to recapitulate their origins and join in by going ashore in Africa to destroy the pirates' safe havens.

Read the whole story: Matthew Yglesias

Comments

[kaj pagan]

I believe that Kristol should make an appointment with a therapist as soon as possible. This last election cycle has pushed him over the edge.

[rockerdelight]

He is myopic.. the last two wars the neocons started have not been successful and it will take a Democrat administration to clean the mess up. I don't think starting new wars are part of the plan. Besides don't the neocons usually object to this type of intervention when there are no American interests at stake.

Bill is going to have a hard time over the next two years keeping that Napleonic complex in check since the OB administration is not going to listen to him.

[darthdarcy]

Marine's, Bill Kristol knows nothing of warfare and strategy send the Air Force, and Naval task force and crush them, destroy their home bases and sink them at sea, immediately upon detection.­..!

I know I'm a terrible person...

[helonias]

The easy fix, mount one, 20mm vuclan phlanx gatling gun on each ship and train the crew how to use it, there are many sitting on our month balled navy ships.

120 rounds a second and a much longer range that anything the pirates have will change their minds

[82nd]

Aren't all you guys the same group that was champing at the bit to send U.S. troops into Darfur?

[Bitsko]

Aren't you the "guys" who lost us all respect in the eyes of the world and brought down the economy?

[82nd]

Won't answer my question, eh?

[Bitsko]

And you'll be leading the front line, won't ya Bill?

[wadenelson1]

I've got an idea. Ship owners could pay US taxes, meet all US ship regulations, fly an AMERICAN flag instead of Liberian, and THEN receive protection from the US Navy.

[MajorKong]

That would break their long tradition of having it both ways.

[wndrwrthg]

Well, we certainly do not want to go against tradition.

[jhink465]

I say we commision Captain Billy and give him a Man-o-War with fifty cannnon and a crew of young Republicans with letters of marque and enough rum for everyone to go get those pirates. Perhaps we can reward his success with a land grant in Somalia and a Nubian wench.

[Emlyn]

I have one better. The crew should be all our Rep congressmen/women and senators who have fought against helping the American people these 8 long years. That way, we can get rid of all of them.

[HurryUp1212009]

BILL
KRISTOL
IS
A
LUNATIC,
PERIOD....­..

[Village]

I don't get it. Why is this complicated? The pirates hide in the wake of the ships where there is no radar, and attack from the back of the ship. Why can't they put an armed Predator above the rear of each ship, with patrolling air support.

Am I missing something?

[MagisterLudi]

yes you are. You're missing the tremendous number of ships which pass thru' the area.

[Tom Payned]

Didn't the right go after Clinton for even being in Somila?

[Bitsko]

Yep, and they were the one's who went in there in the first place.

[ZimboChick]

zut alors!

[MajorKong]

Um, because invading Somalia worked so well last time?

[NorthernCross]

I wasn't aware that our peacekeeping mission in the 90's was an "invasion". Goes to show that we shouldn't be listening to UN career bureaucrats who whine about our choice not to be involved in any of those fiascoes. To hell with them.

[Bitsko]

The US went into Somalia to give Bush I something to do after his disastrous loss to Clint0n. This is a historical fact.

[raoulhubris]

It's a damned shame that Kristol was trained to put his fingers all over a keyboard and try hard to outwit a room full of monkeys. The New York Times editorial page smells of wood burning. If only he'd trained to do the military actions he so loves to conceive. I'd love to see Billy with a dagger 'tween his teeth punishing those pirates. AAAAAAArghh!

[Egalitare]

That's CAP'N Billy the Kidder, to you!

[BWonka]

So little Billy wants another war?

Poor baby - must suck to be as irrelevant as the GOP has become.