NATO seizes captured ship but frees the pirates

Yesterday Dutch commandos freed 20 fishermen whose vessel was hijacked by Somali pirates and used to launch an attack against a tanker in the Gulf of Aden. They seized weapons but let the pirates go. According to a NATO spokesman, the pirates were set free because NATO does not have a maritime detainment policy, meaning Dutch national law would apply in this case. "The Dutch force can only arrest them if the pirates are from the Netherlands, the victims are from the Netherlands, or if they are in Netherlands waters." US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently unveiled a plan to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean off Somalia. Too bad she didn't include NATO in the process. This just goes to show that despite an official NATO mission there is yet to be any type of integrated planning. Until this happens the whole multi-national flotilla will be about as effective in deterring pirates as the US Border Patrol is in stemming illegal immigration - no disrespect to the Border Patrol. The international law is in place, forces are in place, but the planning and coordination is missing. It raises questions if the will is really there. As a military planner and former commander, I can assure you the quickest way to fail in any operation is to short change planning. I feel for the troops sent on this fools errand without the authorization to act decisively and responsibly.