Should the United States take the lead in preventing future acts
of piracy?
THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
“Should the United States take the lead in preventing future acts of piracy?” Yes: 5 No: 7
? Karen Anderson: “Yes, I still remember Entebbe, my first thought when Phillips was held hostage. Send in the Israelis!”
? Bert Berson: “Yes. The real issue is can we accomplish the goal.”
? Chris Bryant: “No, this should fall under the United Nations as a world organization as it affects all countries and is occurring in international waters.”
? David Cohen: “No. But this country and others need to stand up to the pirates off Somalia, without exception. Not every incident will end as well as the one involving the Maersk Alabama.”
? Dennis Kennedy: “The United States, as a world leader, should take the lead in diplomacy, working with the United Nations, NATO and others to find ways to protect the merchant ships and crews in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden. One way would be for each country to provide armed military or security forces on board the ships to protect their crew and cargo.”
? Julian Mancias: “No. It should be a United Nations effort with the United States being an equal participant.”
? Linda McNulty: “No, this could escalate into a war with Somalia. We should equip our ships with weapons to prevent pirates from ever boarding.”
? Henry Miller: “Lead, yes. Responsibility, no. I hate to sound like an isolationist, but by now, we should have learned our lesson. We can’t be the world’s police force. We can provide leadership, but if our friends (?) and allies won’t do their share in making this a safer world, then let them suffer the consequences.”
? Lisa Pampuch: “No. This is an international problem and should be handled by the UN. We do not have the resources to be the world’s police force.”
? John Quick: “No. I believe the United States should work with other countries, perhaps through the UN, to create a worldwide anti-piracy approach that will be effective. This would include being able to track electronic money transfers so there would be no way to hide the proceeds of these crimes.”
? Emily Shem-Tov: “The U.S. should definitely take a big role, but shouldn’t go this alone. International problems require international cooperation to solve.”
? Steve Staloch: “No. We can’t be the international cop on the high seas. It should be the UN’s responsibility.”
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