FRENCH ACTION - AT 7:18 P.M. ET:  The French have shown themselves to be more aggressive than we are in dealing with the pirate threat off Somalia.  This isn't entirely surprising.  When it comes to threats against its citizens, France can get very tough indeed, and the country's internal security measures would give the ACLU a series of heart seizures.  The latest French action, as reported by The New York Times:

French forces detained 11 suspected pirates during an assault on what they described as a pirate “mother ship” in the Indian Ocean off Somalia on Wednesday. ..

...The 11 suspects detaineed on Wednesday were being held on board a French frigate, the Nivôse, part of a European Union antipiracy task force patrolling in the area, the French Defense Ministry said in a statement.

COMMENT:  Hillary Clinton is calling for an international conference to confront the piracy issue.  Somehow, the guys on the scene in the American and French navies seem to do better without the lawyers.

April 15, 2009