CHART: "Ships held by Somali pirates," by Dave Merrill and Julie Snyder, USA Today, 16 April 2009.

WORLD NEWS: "U.S. Unveils Plan to Halt Sea Attacks," by WSJ staff, Wall Street Journal, 16 April 2009.

While we celebrate our awesome takedown of three teenagers in a rubber raft, "at least 15 ships and about 300 crewmembers are being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia."

111 pirate attacks for all of last year, and 79 so far this year.

But you have to love all this breathless cable news coverage of Alabama crew-member returns.

USA! USA! USA!

This is the Powell Doctrine at its finest.

Some upgrade will be required eventually, something bigger than Obama's recently offered plan. I just don't think that freezing pirate assets will be enough.