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Mrs. Clinton’s Smart Pirate Diplomacy?

Matthew Lee, Associated Press [1], is no Jan Schakowsky [2]and is unable to shallow all of Mrs. Clinton’s delusions:

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday the Obama administration will take the unusual step of trying to seize pirate financial assets and property, as it works with shippers to thwart hijackers off the coast of Somalia.

The measures outlined by Clinton, part of a new U.S. diplomatic initiative to thwart sea piracy, are largely stopgap and symbolic moves while officials weigh more comprehensive diplomatic and military action.

Hat tip and more, Ed Morrissey, Hot Air [3]:

Purchase equipment?  Uh, sure.  Pirates are well known for getting invoices and receipts for tax purposes, too.  As others pointed out to Matthew Lee, pirates don’t use formal banking systems or marketplaces for their financial transactions.  Mostly they just steal what they need, and buy the rest through black-market channels.

Somalia has no effective government.   Who in the heck is going to be in position to freeze, much less Identify, pirate assets.   If these is the best the best smart diplomacy the Obamatards can uuster, I, for one, and ready to try dumb diplomacy.  And you?