Opinion

MEMO TO ALL PIRATES: DON’T MESS WITH THE US

Congratulations to the president on freeing Capt. Richard Phillips and sending the right message to the pirates in Somalia (“The Audacity of Rope,” Ralph Peters, PostOpinion, April 14).

Although it’s a good beginning, it’s unlikely that the pirates will now just walk away from the millions in ransom that they’ve collected and would like to continue collecting.

Ralph Peters explains that destroying their bases, ships and as many pirates as possible is the next step in convincing them to find another vocation.

President Obama has his first foreign-policy success. I hope he has the character and the will to stand up to his left-wing base here and his European fans and do what is necessary to end this pirate menace.

He can please his supporters or displease the pirates, but not both.

Steve Heitner

Port Jefferson Station

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How dare these Somali pirates vow vengeance toward us for their slain fellow fanatics.

Didn’t they get the message — Don’t Mess With Us — from our wonderful marksmen of the US Navy SEALs?

I say, “Bring it on, pirates.” Then the big guns will be brought out.

Charlie Kaczorowski

West Hempstead

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I am disturbed by the United States’ response to the maritime repossessors.

Obama caused the execution of three teenagers who only appeared armed and dangerous by threatening Phillips.

How do we know that they really intended to harm him? Why didn’t we continue to negotiate with them?

Now all the maritime repossessors will hate us and come after us because we couldn’t just talk nicely to them.

Frank DiNiscia

Somers

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I am delighted that our Navy SEAL snipers took out the three pirates with head shots.

Those sea-going savages weren’t using their brains, anyway.

Ed Shevlin

Rockaway Park

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I applaud Obama’s letting the Navy handle the situation to rescue Phillips.

But let’s face one fact: If President Bush had made the identical decision, much of the media and the left would be decrying the “execution” of these poor Somali teens.

Thomas McGrath

Bloomfield, NJ

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A ragtag bunch of teenagers was able to hold off American warships for five days.

Just imagine what will happen when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad has nukes.

Gamaliel Isaac

Manhattan

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When you offer a job paying a huge salary, many people will want that job. Somali pirates can earn millions in ransom, so is it any wonder so many Somalis want to be pirates?

If every nation would make it illegal to pay a ransom to pirates, that would end the problem.

It’s easy to take that position when you don’t have a loved one on board, but there really is no alternative.

Not paying ransom is the reason why nations such as Israel and America refuse to deal with terrorists. The more you pay them, the more there will be.

It’s simple economics.

Rodger Mitchell

Wilmette, Ill.

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Few in the media have the courage and intelligence to explain the pirate story as you have done so well in The Post.

As usual, you are right on the issue, and, thankfully, you have a large audience to hear you.

I hope that Washington has the guts to follow through with what has to be done in Somilia.

Ron White

Jupiter, Fla.

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Congratulations to all involved in thwarting the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama and the successful rescue of Phillips.

I hope that the stark contrast of the handling of this hostage crisis and the handling of the Iranian crisis during the Carter administration isn’t lost on our politicians.

When our embassy was seized, our Marines were ordered to stand down and surrender the building. This time, Americans did what we do best: fight back

Anthony Varriano

Staten Island