Originally Posted by Libertine

And everything you hear on tv is both true and fully accurate, that goes without saying.

But enough sarcasm: that's bullshit.

The attacks are carried out by the forces of local warlords, by organized gangsters, and by groups of small-time criminals. Some are financed by independent outsiders, some are not. The pirates themselves are almost as easily replaced as their weapons and boats. As long as money keeps coming in from ransoms, new replacements will be found.

Anyone who even takes a few hours researching the matter knows this. Hell, anyone who searches for "Somalia pirates" in Google Images should know it.

The boats used are very much like normal fishing boats. The weapons used are easily available in Somalia. The people used are expendable to those in control.

"Eliminate 90% of their current capabilities"?

A few impoverished fishermen, a few former or current militia members, a souped up fishing boat or two, and a bunch of weapons - voila, you have a new pirate crew.

This isn't a single, well-coordinated, centralized group of people. Unless the plan is to bomb half the Somalian population into oblivion, air strikes will not eliminate 90% or even 50% of "their" capabilities.