In the past year, Somalian pirates have attacked 111 ships, hijacking 42 of them. Pirates still hold 17 of these ships, along with more than 300 hostages. While much has been said of the difficulties of policing the international shipping lanes in which the piracy attacks have recently escalated, E. Ralph Hostetter draws attention to how easily the United States, with its advanced technology and firepower, could “blow pirates out of water”—if it had the will.

In an article on Newsmax.com Friday, Hostetter said that “America’s satellite capability to spot areas down to the size of a pirate’s chest” could enable the U.S. to put a stop to the pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia. “They should be no match for the United states,” says Hostetter. “The extended coastline of [the Gulf of] Aden, covering more than 1,000 miles, offers many opportunities for the pirates to operate from hidden lairs. America’s pinpoint satellite capability would allow tracking the pirates to those hiding places. Then unmanned aircraft, or drones, could surgically remove the lairs around the Gulf of Aden and restore security to international shipping in that area.” In other words, America could deal with the source of the problem. Thus far, it has shown that it lacks the will to do so.

Inverted Priorities

Forget purging the high seas of pirates—let’s go after six Bush administration officials who disagreed with a Spanish judge’s interpretation of international law. Such is the upside-down state of the West’s judicial priorities, John Bolton observed in the Washington Times on Friday.

From ancient times, it was legitimate to use military force against hostes humani generis, “the enemies of mankind.” Now, the high-minded not only reject that perspective, but perceive the real “common enemies” to be on our side of the barricades.

Historically, says Bolton, pirates were considered the “common enemy” of most of human civilization. This collective viewpoint meant that anyone at anytime could destroy pirates without fear of recrimination or causing offense to a third party. In fact, human civilization was actually grateful for those prepared and equipped to police the seas, notably the British Royal Navy during the 19th century, followed by the United States after World War ii.

How times have changed. Bolton continued (emphasis ours throughout),

Today … under the rubric of “universal jurisdiction,” the grand inquisitor, present throughout Europe but especially active in Spain, now targets those he considers far more dangerous than pirates. Hijackers? Suicide bombers? Nuclear proliferators? No, Spanish magistrate Baltasar Garzon is stalking men in dark, pinstriped suits: six American lawyers, former Bush administration officials, who opined on the proper treatment of captured terrorists. Their crime is disagreeing with Judge Garzon’s interpretation of international law, which is now apparently an indictable offense in Spain.

Spain’s misguided persecution of American officials, even if only from a legal standpoint, is ludicrous says Bolton. “Judge Garzon seeks to criminalize opinions, not actions, opinions expressed inside our government, which has a democratic, constitutional heritage far older than Spain’s.”

Behind the bizarre, illogical legalities of this case—“Spain is far from the purported crime scene … has no access to key witnesses and documents; and its courts have no more competence to decide international politico-military matters than any other courts”—lay some foreboding geopolitical realities.

Something more fundamental is at stake, especially in the targeting of U.S. officials, rather than, say, North Korean leaders who have starved their fellow citizens for generations. What is really at risk of prosecution here is American exceptionalism, and everyone knows it, from Judge Garzon himself to the high-minded here and in Europe who long to use international law to constrain U.S. power.

Such is the state of the Western world. Piracy off Africa and elsewhere is rampant, costly and dangerous, and rogue states are barreling toward attaining nuclear weapons. But rather than form a consensus on how to decisively solve these grave threats to humanity, much of the Western world self-righteously persecutes (and prosecutes) the nation most capable of actually handling these “common enemies.”

It gets worse, as Bolton noted: “Unfortunately, the Obama administration seemingly agrees philosophically with this inversion. Far from trying to correct the anomaly, the president’s docility is provocative, both to pirates at sea and pirates dressed as inquisitors.”

To learn more, read “Bending the World to Its Rules” and “Pirates Expose America’s Broken Will.”

Redefining “Extreme”

Writing in theWashington Times today, Oliver North observes how, according to the U.S. government, you are more than likely a “right-wing extremist”:

According to the U.S. government, I am an extremist. I am a Christian—and meet regularly with other Christians to study God’s Word. My faith convinces me the prophecies in the Holy Bible are true.I believe in the sanctity of human life, oppose abortion and want to preserve marriage as the union of a man and a woman. I am a veteran with skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat.I own several firearms, frequently shoot them, buy ammunition and consider efforts to infringe on my Second Amendment rights to be wrong and unconstitutional.I fervently support the sovereignty of the United States, and I am deeply concerned about our economy, increasingly higher taxes, illegal immigration, soaring unemployment and actions by our government that will bury my children beneath a mountain of debt.

Issued by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, the nine-page report titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment” is loaded with warnings about how everyday Americans could soon be considered enemies of the state.

“It is one of the most alarming documents produced by our government that I have ever read,” notes North, and one that you and I are not supposed to know about. Apparently, at the bottom of the cover page of the report is a warning that it is “not to be released to the public, the media, or other personnel who do not have a valid need-to-know.”

North concludes with a grim and foreboding scenario:

According to this homeland security assessment, the most dangerous threat we face here at home isn’t from radical imams preaching violence in U.S. mosques and madrassas; Islamists recruiting in our prisons; Somali terrorists enticing young immigrants to become suicide bombers; or Hamas, Hezbollah or al Qaeda operatives plotting mass murder. No, according to the department, the real threat is what our government labels “right-wing extremist ideology.“

Israel and U.S. Diverge on Peace Process

Initial meetings between the Obama administration and top Israeli leaders last week revealed stark differences in their peace policies, according to the Washington Post. U.S. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell emphasized U.S. support of a two-state solution, but Israeli leaders avoided mentioning Palestinian statehood.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state, which they have so far refused to do, before peace talks can advance. An Israeli official also said Netanyahu is skeptical of creating a Palestinian state in the West Bank due to a potential repeat of 2007 when the radical group Hamas took over the Gaza Strip. Foreign Minister Lieberman’s office issued a statement saying “the historic approach has so far not brought any result or solution” and has ultimately resulted in more conflict. He said that the new government should seek a “new approach.”

According to the Post, “The prime minister has yet to unveil his policy on peace efforts but has spoken of shifting the emphasis to stimulating the Palestinian economy instead of supporting the process accepted by the United States and Israel up to now—direct negotiations toward a full peace treaty between the two states.”

Economic Woes Shape German Elections

Germany’s current economic woes will have a significant impact on upcoming German elections, wroteSpiegel last week:

A campaign held during a crisis is a novelty for Germans—it’s a situation they have not experienced yet. The two major parties are currently assembling their platforms for a race that will be fought against the background of a shrinking economy. Never before have two candidates for the chancellorship entered the campaign under such grim economic conditions. The German economy has been in free fall for months. Many jobs have not been cut yet because employers have been able to resort to short-time work as a temporary fix. Nevertheless, unemployment is expected to grow steadily, heading for a figure of 4 million, as each month leading up the parliamentary election passes.

Economic forecasters predict a 5 percent contraction in the German economy this year, which will result in higher unemployment and a larger government deficit. Spiegel wrote,

Under these conditions, the burning question in the upcoming campaign will be whether one of the two major parties can convince voters that it is the right choice to lead Germany out of its doldrums. Another important question is how a campaign waged in the midst of a crisis will change German politics.

spd Deputy Party Chairwoman Andrea Nahles said, “The present economic model carries the seed of failure. It isn’t enough for Ms. Merkel to engage in a little bit of crisis management. We must make fundamental changes.”

Back in 2005, we wrote, “Germans yearn for a real, powerful leader to rescue them from their collective woes! A leader who will allow the German character to revive and once again gain the respect of the world as a genuine power to be reckoned with!”

Chinese Cyberspies

Chinese hackers can cause serious damage to the U.S. any time they like, a top U.S. counter-intelligence official said last week. They have penetrated America’s secure defense network, banks, electricity grid and even put spy chips into U.S. planes.

“Do I worry about those grids, and about air traffic control systems, water supply systems, and so on?” asked national counterintelligence executive Joel Brenner. “You bet I do. America’s networks are being mapped. There has also been experience of both Chinese and criminal network operations in the networks of some of the banks.” He warned,

We’re also seeing counterfeit routers and chips, and some of those chips have made their way into U.S. military fighter aircraft. You don’t sneak counterfeit chips into another nation’s aircraft to steal data. When it’s done intentionally, it’s done to degrade systems, or to have the ability to do so at a time of one’s choosing.

The Pentagon has spent over $100 million in the last six months responding to damage from cyberattacks and network problems. In 2008, there were 5,499 known attacks on U.S. government computers. There were 3,928 in 2007.

“We expect that the attacks we’ve seen are only the tip of the iceberg,” an anonymous official told Fox News. For more on this, see our article “Target: America.”

China in Latin America

China is now Latin America’s second-largest trading partner, after the U.S., the New York Times reported last week. “This is how the balance of power shifts quietly during times of crisis,” said a former Commerce Department official in the Clinton administration, David Rothkopf. “The loans are an example of the checkbook power in the world moving to new places, with the Chinese becoming more active.”

Investing in South America provides China with an alternative to investing in U.S. treasury bonds. The Times wrote,

The $10 billion arrangement with Argentina would allow Argentina reliable access to Chinese currency to help pay for imports from China. It may also help lead the way to China’s currency to eventually be used as an alternate reserve currency. The deal follows similar ones China has struck with countries like South Korea, Indonesia and Belarus.

China’s deals also provide it with access to key strategic materials. In exchange for a $10 billion loan from China for its national oil company, Brazil has agreed to export 100,000 barrels of oil to China per day. Venezuela has agreed to up its oil shipments to China from 380,000 to 1 million barrels a day, while a Chinese-backed development fund based in Venezuela would grow to $12 billion from $6 billion.

China is trying to get away from its dependency on the dollar—and fast. The head of Taiwan’s tmt group—a commodities shipping firm—Nobu Su, said China is waking up. “The West is a black hole with all this money being printed. The Chinese are buying raw materials because it is a much better way to use their $1.9 trillion of reserves. They get 10 times the impact, and can cover their infrastructure for 50 years.”

Elsewhere on the Web

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez walked over to U.S. President Barack Obama and handed him a gift yesterday. The present was Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina (The Open Veins of Latin America), a book about invasions and manipulations of Latin America from outside powers, like the United States. The episode comes a day after President Obama sought out and shook hands with Chavez and his ally, Bolivian President Evo Morales, and a week of compromise with the Cuban regime. Look for the White House and the State Department to continue to pursue negotiations as the weapon of choice against anti-American countries.

China commemorates the 60th anniversary of its People’s Liberation Army Navy this week, and is showcasing its home-grown military hardware, including a new submarine created to launch ballistic missiles with nuclear tips. Stratfor has pointed to the United States Navy as one of the main reasons America still retains the power it has. The Trumpet realizes that the Chinese military is not headed for all-out war with America—but it will use its nuclear navy on someone else. Read Russia and China in Prophecy to find out who.

In the past, Iran has used Army Day to celebrate its powerful military and to warn its enemies that certain death would await any infidels who attacked the Islamic Republic. The 2009 event, which occurred yesterday, was slated to feature 140 fighter jets and other aircraft in the largest air show in Iran’s history. However, the air show was canceled due to “bad weather and poor visibility,” although the weather was warm and sunny yesterday. In another surprise, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave an unusually brief and non-confrontational speech, saying simply that Iran’s religious armed forces were the “guarantor of security in the region.” AFP notes that the cooling of Tehran’s rhetoric coincides with diplomatic overtures from the Obama administration. Watch for Iran, not to mothball its military and pursue peace, but to advance its aggressive agenda using a deceitful diplomacy blended with military and terrorist threats—and actions—at just the right time.

For most young women in Britain, babies now come before marriage. According to an official report, women under 25 are more likely to have children than they are to get married. According to Britain’s Daily Mail, “The findings point to a future in which the majority of children will be born to unmarried parents—but where the dwindling number of married families will be richer, better educated and have better prospects for their children than others.”

According to a new survey in Britain, one in ten said that their family was only in the same room together when watching television—38 percent said that they watched tv for up to an hour every night, including weekends. For information on how parents should spend time with their children, read “A Gift for Your Children.”