Yesterday, Wisconsin Democratic Senator Russ Feingold made a statement responding to the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips by the U.S. Navy Seals.
Of course, Senator Feingold couldn't resist taking an opportunity to blame the crisis on, who else, the Bush Administration:
While the episode involving the crew of the Maersk Alabama had a happy ending, piracy off the coast of Somalia will assuredly continue since it is a symptom of the state collapse in Somalia, which presents a much greater and more dangerous problem. For years, Somalia's growing instability was neglected by the Bush administration and the international community. The new administration must not make the same mistake.
So it's the Bush Administration's fault there is piracy by Somali pirates?
Somalia was a failed state long before George W. Bush took office. I gather Feingold longs for the days when the Clinton Administration and the UN held hands in such peacekeeping successes as the United Nations Operations in Somalia II (UNOSOM II).
It is one thing for the U.S. to take a more active role in combating piracy by Somalis on the high seas. It is another thing entirely for Feingold to think the Obama Administration can nation build in Somalia.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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This is an aspect of the War in Iraq that the media does not want to touch because it is not pleasant to liberals.
The War in Iraq had its direct purpose to thwart any efforts by Saddam Hussein to build WMDs and use them to influence or intimidate neighboring countries. The US was not taking flack from anyone anymore and it showed as much by taking down a man who had been laughing in the face of the world for years.
Almost immediately, Al-Gaddafi shutdown Libya's WMD production and did a 180 on his previous stances with the West. It was quite telling that someone as anti-American as Al-Gaddafi became an ally. And that goes for the rest of the world, even if their pride could not let them say it. No one wanted to cross the United States, especially after the War in Iraq.
I highly doubt the Somali pirates would have dared try to hijack a US boat with Bush as president. Puntland would probably be infested with US troops had they done so.
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