Ralph Peters does Somali pirates

Ralph Peters discusses piracy here:

The response to piracy must be the same as it was when the British brought an end to the profession's "golden age:" Sink them or board them, kill them or hang them.

Zero tolerance is the only effective policy.

Did I mention that another Somali pirate gang recently seized an Iranian cargo ship, which reportedly has radioactive material or ingredients for chemical weapons aboard?

And contrary to the Times, pirates are terrorists.

Dispatched by Vladimir Putin to cover up his arms industry's role in equipping rogue states, a Russian warship is underway to break the standoff. The pirates aren't going to like dealing with the Russians.

We should act first. We need to know exactly what's on that ship; we need to keep those tanks out of Sudanese hands - and we need to make an example of the pirates.

But we're paralyzed by fear: What if we make a move and the pirates attack their captives? They might - or they may fear the consequences. Either way, it's better to risk a small amount of bloodshed now than to let these gangs continue terrorizing the Gulf of Aden (the route to the Suez Canal) and sea lanes stretching into the Indian Ocean.

I suspect Mr. Peters will be disappointed as this matter plays out...