Pirate Redux: What Happens Next?

A week ago, Captain Richard Phillips was freed from those teenagers drunk on Red Bull pirates who met the business end of a few unnamed Navy SEALs. Now that Phillips is back in Vermont, we can enjoy endure a relentless media gabbapolooza about how to fight pirates. Fortunately, Boston's two papers joined in for our reading pleasure.

Today's Herald editorial on pirates reminded us that they were against pirates in November before it was cool and suggested a possible Al-Qaeda link without supporting it. After that nonsense, a realistic argument was made for using shipping convoys near Somalia to concentrate security measures. The Herald endorsed the convoy plan explained by Peter Zimmerman, former chief scientist for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in the Wall Street Journal.

Convoys require boats. The United States has a lot of them. Are they the right kind? The Sunday Globe says, well, maybe not. Drake Bennett writes that the Navy is developing newer ships that might be more appropriate for fighting pirates. Bostonist isn't an expert in Naval combat, however, the M80 Stiletto looks really cool.

The world, not to mention millions of Americans, is watching the pirates now. An international conference is planned this week and President Barack Obama is sending a top State Department staffer to work on diplomatic solutions to piracy.