The Right to Defend Oneself

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

“We all have an inherent right to self defense in international waters,” according to Senator Jim Webb (D-VA). This remark came out of a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that saw testimony from Richard Phillips, Captain of the Maersk Alabama. Phillips received international media attention several weeks ago while being held hostage by pirates off of the coast of Somalia.

Both the Senators and the witnesses acknowledged that Piracy off of the coast of Somalia has been on the rise recently. Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) said that America’s “ability to project naval power and to help ensure the free passage of goods and humanitarian aid is as important as ever.”

Phillips acknowledged that more needs to be done to secure vessels of the merchant marine, specifically arming the crew.

“In my opinion, arming the crew cannot and should not be viewed as the best or ultimate solution to the problem. At most, arming the crew should only be one component of a comprehensive plan and approach to combat piracy,” he said.

The comprehensive approach the committee discussed could include increased U.S. Navy presence in the most dangerous areas, the creation of a protected corridor that civilian ships can travel within, the rooting out of pirates in their land based sanctuaries and the “hardening” of ships, to make the ships structurally more resistant to pirates. “Hardening” measures include razor wire on railings, fire hoses to repel the pirates, and unbolting ladders that lead onto the boat. Phillips does not believe this will stop the pirates, but rather, that they will find a way to adapt.

Maersk Chaiman John Clancey, also present at the hearing, does not believe that arming the crews is a good idea.

“Our belief is that arming merchant sailors may result in the acquisition of even more lethal weapons and tactics by the pirates, a race that merchant sailors cannot win. In addition, most ports of call will not permit the introduction of forearms into their national waters,” Clancey said.

Clancey also posed that greater liability may be assumed by the companies if sailors are traveling with weapons. Neither Chairman Kerry nor Phillips felt that this argument was strong, because of the intense amount of training that mariners go through already. Kerry, a former member of the U.S. Navy, feels that the benefits outweigh the risks, and that multinational agreements can be reached to work out the issue of bringing weapons into port.

Richard Phillips is scheduled to testify next week before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Latin American ambassadors discuss benefits of free trade

Several ambassadors from Latin American Countries held a discussion at the Heritage Foundation to discuss the advancement free trade, liberty and prosperity in the Western hemisphere.

Ambassador Tomas Duenas of Costa Rica spoke about the dramatic positive effect that free trade had had in Central America, and warned of the implications if trade barriers increased. He recounted that the United States instituted policies of protectionism during the Great Depression, which caused other countries to respond with their own protectionist policies and ended up harming the entire world’s economy. “We must work together then to avoid falling into a similar situation,” said Duenas, “in difficult times some groups could find it politically attractive to follow that extremely detrimental path.”

Other ambassadors expanded on the dramatic economic effects that their countries have experienced as a result of more open trade with the United States. Ambassador Federico Humbert of Panama discussed how his country has seen growth for 23 straight quarters, and that 75 percent of Panama’s cargo goes to or from the US.

Ambassador Mariano Fernandez Amunategui of Chile spoke about how his country exported $8.7 billion and imported $7.2 billion worth of goods with the US, making Chile a larger US importer than Russia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Argentina and Turkey.

Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan spoke about the mutual benefits that have resulted from free trade between Mexico and the United States. “Twenty-five million new jobs have been created in America, in the United States, since NAFTA was approved,” said Sarukhan, “...this is a success story.”

How Asia could put US back in black

America’s shifting economic dominance and relations with Asia were discussed by Christopher Padilla, Undersecretary for International Trade at the US Department of Commerce, who spoke to a packed house at the American Enterprise Institute. He stressed the importance of forming free trade agreements with Asian countries, especially Korea and China.

According to Padilla, 60 percent of economic activity in Asian nations occurs within the continent, and the numbers are growing. He warned that continued stalling on the part of congress could result in huge economic losses for the United States.

The Undersecretary believes free trade agreements with nations like Korea are key to the United States’s continued influence in the region. Padilla stated that a hefty portion of the global GDP comes from Asia - nearly 40 percent - and the United States must solidify trade relations to ensure continued trade opportunities and economic superiority. In addition, he stressed the importance of continued dialogue between the East and West to facilitate both economic and international agendas.

Team McCain fires back on Obama's remarks

Presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign held a press conference call to discuss Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Senator Barack Obama’s remarks in Flint, Michigan. Senior economic policy adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin and Republican National Committee (RNC) Victory 2008 Chair Carly Fiorina answered questions from callers on issues ranging from free trade to the Iraq war to education policies.

With regards to free trade, Fiorina highlighted McCain’s view that ‘competitiveness requires competing’ and ‘competing involves free trade.’ She pointed out that Obama thinks the free trade agreement should be voted against. Fiorina feels Obama is implying that America cannot compete with the rest of the world. She said that McCain, on the other hand, believe Americans can compete and he has been calling for training camps as well as a world class infrastructure. In the event that trade agreements are violated, Fiorina said McCain will prosecute agreements and ensure that they adhere to World Trade Organization guidelines. Fiorina said that Obama feels there is a problem with the U.S. Global Resources (USGR) bureaucracy and that his decision to vote against free trade with Colombia has caused problems.

McCain was also quoted on being critical of oil company profits. He proposed to treat oil companies like other businesses. When questioned on the rationale behind drilling along America’s coast, Holtz-Eakin pointed out that this equates to more oil for American consumers. Fiorina also said it would be good for Obama to see the ground situation in Iraq and Afghanistan as he might acknowledge its success and change his position. Fiorina pointed out that McCain was gratified that the surge was working.

According to Fiorina, McCain feels that the ‘no child left behind’ policy is imperfect. McCain felt that teachers must be motivated with incentives to improve levels of teaching. As a supporter of the G. I. bill which provides college or vocational education for returning veterans, McCain also proposed that those benefits should be transferable from veterans to their families. Fiorina also said that McCain feels parents should have the power of choice whether to enroll their children in public, private or charter schools as it invokes ‘discipline of competition.’ McCain was impressed by charter schools and their ‘culture of success.’

China, Cuba drilling for oil off Florida

Three steps that must be taken to maintain the United States’s economic position in the world were cited by Vice President Dick Cheney at the United States Chamber of Commerce. Cheney thanked the Chamber for understanding economic issues and motivated it to assist policy makers in decision making.

Cheney defended tax cuts made by President Bush, saying that a sudden tax increase is “not the prescription” the United States needs to secure its economic status. Cheney said that if Bush’s tax cuts are allowed to expire, taxes will increase by $280 billion a year. The thousand dollar per child tax break given to families would be halved, causing an average of $1,800 increased taxes for 116 million Americans. Cheney said that this “government greed” would have the most harmful effect on Americans in the lowest tax brackets.

Cheney also promoted free trade initiatives and argued against the protectionism promoted in some of the presidential campaigns. He said that a free trade agreement with Colombia would benefit the United States by allowing American products to enter Colombia without tariffs. According to Cheney, 90 percent of Colombian goods already enter the United States duty free. Cheney said that protectionism brings “false comforts” and that the demise of a trade agreement with Colombia would not only hurt the American economy, but would also cause the United States’s image in Latin America to suffer.

In light of increased gas prices, Cheney advocated that the United States increase domestic oil production, saying that an increase in supply is the only way to lower prices. Cheney supported initiatives that develop new energy technologies but reiterated that the United States’s dependence on oil cannot be erased overnight. Cheney not only pushed for oil production in ANWAR, but also supported oil production off of the East and West Coasts. Cheney said that China and Cuba are producing oil off the coast of Florida, noting that “even the Communists” understand increased oil production is economically vital.