The courage and dedication of the Indian sailors no doubt is a source of pride for Indian citizens but also cause for cheering among Americans, Europeans, and others the world over who hope to see the Somali piracy threat eradicated.
Yet it was only today that Newsweek's Conventional Wisdom noticed, and only then did CW offer praise to the UN, not India's sailors.:
[up arrow] United Nations: Allows Indian Navy to take on pirates in Somali waters. See? They can make decisions.
As the BBC reported today, the UN resolution in question has been on the books since June:
Under a UN Security Council resolution passed in June, states co-operating with Somalia's transitional government are permitted, for a period of six months, to enter its territorial waters to "repress acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea".
The international forces are allowed to use "all necessary means", in a manner consistent with relevant provisions of international law, according to resolution 1816.
India is among several countries currently patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
