Rescuing Captain Phillips

First of all, congratulations to the U.S. Navy for running a disciplined and effective operation under very difficult circumstances. The naval action was brilliant, no question.

The rescue of Captain Richard Phillips and the neutralizing of four dangerous terrorists should be an example to a cowardly world. Navy SEAL snipers acted quickly and efficiently, killing three pirates and capturing a fourth. These men were armed, dangerous and desperate — the worst kind of adversary.

Last week, "Talking Points" stated that all American merchant Marine vessels should have armed security on board. We are living in a terrorist age with pirates roaming the seas because the pirates are getting paid in many cases, not shot dead.

Last year, 49 vessels were hijacked by pirates. About 900 seamen held captive, 11 were killed by pirates, 21 are missing and presumed dead. And still there is no worldwide coordination to deal with these criminals.

U.S. authorities tell me some countries will not allow armed merchant ships to dock, but we can find no country that prohibits on-board security personnel. They just have to stay aboard.

So far, the United Nations has not responded to the pirate threat. Are you surprised?

"Talking Points" believes the U.N. could blockade the Somali ports where the pirates live, thereby crushing the threat. Is that hard? No, all it takes is will.

Even though most sane people understand that piracy and terrorism must be confronted, the loons are weighing in. A columnist for The London Independent writes: "Did we expect starving Somalians to stand passively on their beaches, paddling in our nuclear waste, and watch us snatch their fish to eat in restaurants in London and Paris?"

So the piracy is the fault of the West, of course.

Al Jazeera also ran an article saying pollution is causing the pirates to kill. That's the ticket. Global warming makes them do it.

On the right, some bloggers are saying President Obama is encouraging piracy because he didn't act fast enough in rescuing Captain Phillips. Absurd. The captain is alive today because the mission was successful. Period.

Piracy is an extension of terrorism. Somalia is a terrorist state run by killers. But again, the world simply will not unite against the terror threat, leaving much of the heavy lifting to the USA.

And within America, there are those who will not support tough action against terrorists. Today those people are quiet, but tomorrow they'll be howling again. Let's hope the Obama administration has the courage not to listen.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The Obama girls have a new pet, Bo Obama the dog.

Bo is a Portuguese water dog, which does not mean he hangs out in the Algarve. It just means he's a gift from Senator Edward Kennedy, who has three Porties.

Bo is six months old, so he should have the outside thing down because there's a lot of expensive furniture in the White House, if you know what I mean.

We are making Bo a patriot because, well, why not?

On the pinhead front, please don't do this.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

A 32-year-old German woman, obviously a nutcase, jumped over a barrier into a polar bear space at the Berlin Zoo. The woman was rescued by a zoo attendant who risked his life, and she will be charged with breach of peace. She suffered bites to her arms and legs, and her excuse is she lost her job as a teacher.

She's a loon and a pinhead to boot.

— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com