You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Africa Horn
Switzerland 'ready' for troops to help fight Somali pirates
2008-12-22
Switzerland is ready to deploy military personnel to defend its merchant ships from pirate attacks off the Horn of Africa, Swiss President Pascal Couchepin said in remarks published on Sunday. "There is no formal decision, but the position of the government is clear - we are in principle ready to send Swiss soldiers to Somalia," Couchepin told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper.
Huzzah! The legendary Swiss Navy makes its appearance!
Posted by:Fred

#6  WORLD MIL FORUM > INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGZ SOMALI PIRACY IS OPPORTUNITY FOR CHINA'S PLAN TO SET UP NAVAL BASES IN KENYA, TANZANIA, MOZAMBIQUE,
.... AND MADAGASCAR TOO!
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-12-22 23:14  

#5  Rabid Whitetail, that is my point. They make money registering ships when one of the main responsibility of a register is to protect those ships. They know that is done by others so they make a mint without doing anything.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2008-12-22 22:38  

#4  Let the US stay well clear of this coming clash of titans.
Posted by: ed   2008-12-22 18:44  

#3  Liberia can barely keep control of their own yard how are they gonna do antything about these pirates besides the ones that right off their coast?
Posted by: rabid whitetail   2008-12-22 17:52  

#2  Personally i think the world should demand Liberia and Panama do something as the bulk of the ships grabbed by pirates are no doubt Liberian and Panamanian flagged ships. These two nations give cheap flagging rights knowing the great powers are actually providing the security (most of the time that is).

If Panama and Liberia don't do something then ships with their registration should be banned from ports and the whole charade ended.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2008-12-22 11:04  

#1  Without detailing the scope and scale of such an operation, the president added: "There is no solution other than to send some soldiers when our ships are threatened." The government now is clarifying "what juridical, financial and practical consequences" such an action would take, he said.

"Arrgh, I smell an opportunity to pirate administer some 'questionable' bank accounts. Thar's been some interesting convoying of monies from off the Indianman through our halls it appears. So, that would be the Second Bern Accounting Shock Battalion in action." This will be later known as the Swiss gambit for banker bailout resolutions.
Posted by: P2k on holiday   2008-12-22 09:37  

00:00