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When pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia surged last year, the world sent its navies to tackle the problem. But now that we are taking the pirates on, does anyone know what to do when we catch them?
It is not just a question of headline-grabbing attacks on prestige ships. Vessels from states across the developed and developing world face the threat of piracy from a new generation of pirates, often from failed or failing states.
Piracy is what is known as a universal crime. That means that because the pirates commit their crimes on the high seas, beyond any one country’s jurisdiction, they are treated as a threat to every country.
In turn, each country may arrest pirates at sea and prosecute them at home.
At least that is how it is supposed to work. In practice, whether a country can prosecute arrested pirates depends on its own laws…
According to Rear Admiral Philip Jones, who heads the European Union’s piracy task force Operation Atalanta, when a navy intervenes to stop a pirate attack, they often do not know whether the pirates they catch can be prosecuted.
“That depends on where we find them, on the nationality of the ship that arrests them, on the nationality of the pirates themselves and the circumstances in which they are arrested. There is a different response available in almost every case.”
This is what happens when you start building ships without yardarms.
The US Constitution has the perfect solution for this:
Congress shall have the power To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;
Put a price on their heads.
“This is what happens when you start building ships without yardarms.” – FTW
Off the subject for the admin: Can we get a redirect after the “enter the code” page? Having to reclick on my Dvorak.org bookmark after submitting a comment is so 2001. Plus, with my internet ADD I often just move on to other websites.
What is wrong with burial at sea? They don’t have to be dead first you know.
Improbus it is called “Walking the Plank” and it is a good idea.
School shooting in Germany. Since Mr D has not posted it, I will comment here anyway. Didja ever notice how all the mass killings occur in “gun-free” zones? Wonder why that would be? Gee. Me? Glock 26. Close by all the time.
Careful faxon: 12 killed in Alabama. Hardly a gun free zone. Not that I’m for gun free zones.
Did either of you two idiots ever notice that gun killings take place where people have guns?
Consistent with this, the gun law laxness not only floods the USA with guns giving us the “death by gun” highest statistic in the civilized world, it is also flooding our neighbor to the South with the same death, terror, inability to walk the streets.
Gun nuts. Can’t see the forest for the trees.
Unlike Gitmo, there is a rich legal history of dealing with pirates. Just shoot them on the high seas.
Walk the plank or just sink their boats, sharks gotta eat too.)
“You know,” – – words should have meaning. One very important word that is universally MISUSED to our detriment is “WAR.” War on this, war on that==and without exception there is no war at all.
WAR means the Congress passes a resolution to that effect and the military is engaged. Declare WAR on pirates and shoot them on sight. THAT is what war is.
We had a war on drugs some 20 years ago – spraying the MJ fields with paraquat but the residual poison in the herb made sons and daughters of Congressmen dead, so the war stopped.
We kept the name though, as ridiculous as it is. Almost justifies a WAR on Congress.
#8 Bobbo, (well named, as in a primate I once saw on TV), maybe you should re read my post. “Gun Free Zone”. Get it? NO guns there, get it? Dope.
The answer is simple: you kill them.
#12–faxiot==no guns where there huh? Reminds me of that skit on Sat Night Live where the solution to any problem was to “pass a law against it.” The speaker in that skit was a dumb, blond, bimbo.
Are you a blond as well faxiot?
I’ ‘ey don’t have a letter of marque, ye can make ’em walk the plank. Send ’em down to Davy Jones locker. Arrg, mateys. Or ye can keel-haul em.
“But now that we are taking the pirates on, does anyone know what to do when we catch them?”
Hang ’em. Sometimes, life (and death) is simple.
Give them oranges. They have scurvy you know.
Ancient Rome has a nice solution to the problem. Crucifixion… will teach others not to do the same
bobbo, arent you arguing against your own point? There can be problems with guns, so lets “pass a law against it?”
As a civilized people and world leaders for justice, I think it our duty to give them all OJ Simpson quality trials so we can prove 100% with DNA,etc that these people willingly participated in piracy, and then rehabilitate them with meaningful programs so that they may someday return to society as useful citizens. Or else not and use all that money to provide transplants for children. I’m still working on that part.
RBG
#19–tcc3==thats the position faxon took, but since you asked, I will detail what I take to be “obvious.”
You can’t have a dry county next to a wet country and think that alcohol or tobacco, or gun use will diminish.
Same with counTRIES. Mexico outlaws guns but it is flooded by Wet USA to its North.
After that, the argument is more layered and complex like making mass manufacturing of guns unprofitable so that over time, yes a lot of time given the history, the black market becomes restricted.
Gun ownership is shown over and over again to be dangerous to individuals and deleterious to societies, “as a general rule.” If I thought private ownership of guns really had a controlling affect of governments taking away our Bill of Rights, I would accept the personal tragedies that are unavoidable. Bush showed us that guns don’t protect us that way, just as statistically they don’t protect us in any other way either.
#8 – Bobbo “Did either of you two idiots ever notice that gun killings take place where people have guns?’
So quick with the name calling. Does someone need a nap?
You didn’t explain the core issue though. If the idea “there oughtta be a law” is stupid, then how is oppressive gun control or prohibition any different?
After Hurricaine Katrina, NO was effectively lawless for about 6 weeks. If the police and government cant always be counted on to protect my family and property, why shouldnt I be able to?
To bring it back to the thread topic, if I’m on my yacht and get attacked by pirates, why shoudlnt I be able to defend myself?
If I enjoy target shooting down at the range, why shouldnt I be allowed that freedom?
A gun is a tool, nothing more. The millions of responsible gun owners arent the problem. A blanket ban isnt a solution, and erodes our freedoms.
Take no prisoners. Too expensive to feed.
# 23 tcc3 said, “To bring it back to the thread topic, if I’m on my yacht and get attacked by pirates, why shoudlnt I be able to defend myself?”
Because, for some reason, liberals would rather innocent people die than be able to defend themselves.
In the words of that great thinker Uncle Fester:
“Shoot ’em in the back.”
#23–tcc3==”You didn’t explain the core issue though. If the idea “there oughtta be a law” is stupid, then how is oppressive gun control or prohibition any different?” /// Gee whiz–just as stupid as faxton without the nasty edge.
A law in one county/state/country that is rigorously enforced along with other supportive laws will not work when guns are legal right next door.
I can’t make it more direct than that other than to say “factually” you are wrong on every point you make.
Of course boat owners on the high seas should be allowed to arm themselves and shoot all pirates.
Load the next cartoon please.
Do what navies have always done with pirate. Hang them.
Didn’t the Russians catch some pirates a few weeks ago? Understand they were taken back to Russia. I suppose for a proper trial, no doubt assisted by good legal counsel in the interests of justice.
Wonder if they are all sopranos now (the singing kind, not the Mafia kind)?
Or. Perhaps if aquitted they have to swim back?
So now you don’t care about habeus corpus, or access to the courts…