So, the world’s reaction to the Somalian pirates–days after Britain said that it was powerless to do anything while India cemented its reputation for having really smart people by actually just sinking a mothership–is to impose sanctions on Somalia. Because what needs to happen there is more sanctions.
At least, that would be my reaction if I just read headlines like: “UN Approves Somalia Sanctions Plan” and “UN Security Council Strengthens Sanctions Against Somalia” and “UN to Impose Sanctions Against Somalia to Stop Pirate Trade.” What you get if you dig a little deeper, though, is this: the sanctions are still amorphous and not directed at particularized individuals, entities, or nations (yet). However, they will be imposed on anyone contributing to violence and instability in Somalia.
This makes much more sense than simply saying “sanctions on Somalia,” especially considering that instability in the region is considered widely to be the precipitating cause of the piracy, and blanket sanctions on Somalia would probably exacerbate the problem.
