Editor's note: Tom Wilkerson is chief executive officer of the United States Naval Institute, a nonprofit professional association which describes itself as an independent forum for examining issues related to the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. He spent 31 years in the military, rising to major general of Marines and, in his last assignment, serving as commander, Marine Forces Reserve. Retired Major General Tom Wilkerson says the U.S. should attack the pirates at their bases. (CNN) -- It is well past time to take a serious look at piracy off the coast of Africa. Initially, the U.S. ignored the threat, and when public outcry about our seeming indifference became louder, we formed a combined task force of international navies in the Gulf of Aden under command of a U.S. Navy rear admiral to "deter, disrupt and thwart" the pirates.
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Tom Wilkerson: Pirates based in Somalia represent threat to crews and cargo
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He says U.S. strategy so far has failed to deter piracy
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Wilkerson: We should follow example set 200 years ago by Thomas Jefferson
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He says the U.S. needs to attack the pirates at their bases
His response was clear and successful -- build a strong naval task force, equip it with a sizeable contingent of @placeholder, and send it to attack and defeat the pirates in their lair.