EXTERMINATE THAT PLAGUE OF PIRATES

By Ralph Peters - New York Post

SOMALI pirates got a shock last week: The ship they seized carried dozens of Russian-built tanks, along with a wealth of heavy weapons and ammo. It was more than they'd bargained for.

As I write, the Faina sits at anchor off a notorious pirate port, its crew held captive by 30 or more Somalis. US Navy warships circle the vessel. Our helicopters buzz its deck.

We don't want that weaponry falling into terrorist hands. The Somalis lack the facilities to unload 40-ton tanks, but the smaller weapons aboard would delight the local al Qaeda franchise.

But we don't know what to do next. Neither do the pirates, who caught a whale by the tail. We'd like them to drop their $20-million ransom demand. They'd like us to go away. Meanwhile, the pirates may have killed a number of their own for opaque reasons. [Read more]