If I’m wrong here, in the opinion I’m about to give, will someone, anyone, please explain why to me.
Pirates capture ships and their crews at gunpoint, often after actually shooting at them, and hold them for ransom under threat of death. So far I haven’t heard of any crew being killed in these attacks but it’s only a matter of time.
It has always been, in the past and according to my history books and Hollywood’s swashbuckler movies, that pirates are hung by the neck until dead when captured, if they aren’t killed before capture or summarily executed directly after. Committing an act of piracy automatically ended a persons right to continue breathing.
I think it still should. So does my government, apparently, as the first attack on a ship under the U.S. flag resulted in 3 of the pirates being shot dead and the 4th about to be prosecuted under our laws.
An attempted attack by Somali pirates on a Norwegian tanker was foiled by Nato warships and helicopters after an overnight pursuit in the Gulf of Aden.
Nato said a Canadian warship caught the pirates before releasing them after the gang attacked the MV Front Ardenne.
The alliance said the pirates had been released because they could not be prosecuted under Canadian law. What about the Norwegians? THEY were the ones being attacked. They have no say? They have no right to prosecute the pirates?
On Saturday, Dutch commandos serving with the Nato anti-piracy operation freed 20 pirate captives from Yemen.
What the Hell? Can’t be prosecuted under Canadian law? While acting as a member of a NATO force? Are you kidding? Canada doesn’t recognize International Law? Canada thinks that it can act independently of NATO even while acting as part of it? Canada has no laws against piracy? Excuse me, I have to go lay in wait outside some Canadian ports.
I can see the Dutch doing something stupid like releasing 20 pirates to go attack more ships, their legal system is a mass of contradictions. But a warship under NATO command? This isn’t operating under Rule of Law, this is operating under Pompous Assininity.
Pirates should have their vessels sunk underneath them and be left to drown, or be shot on sight. Captured pirates should be shot dead on the spot, their corpses weighted with a hunk of chain or whatever’s handy, and dumped overboard.
It’s exactly like illegal aliens. If you want to stop the attacks on your soverignty, you have to kill the attackers. They won’t stop until you do. Fear of certain death is a powerful motivator.
I am a firm believer that sea-borne pirates should be set free.
Obviously, without a boat and as far from shore as possible.
I even believe tha the gunboat/warship releasing them should slow down a bit to facilitate their safe exit.
Land-borne pirates of a similar working disposition should be taken for a day out in the nearest zoo or wildlife park. Once there they should be given special opportunities to study the larger, hungrier, animals at close quarters.
Ladies and gentlemen who’s predisposition is towards hijacking aeroplanes should be collected up for a while until we have a decent-sized tour group. Once the group is sufficiently large they should be given a jet aeroplane of their own.
Not much fuel, of course. Just a pilot to get them into the air and headed out to sea before he or she leaves the sealed-off cockpit using the one and only parachute…
That’s the trouble with “justice” today – no imagination.
When I am Supreme Ruler, Absolute Set-Square & Omnipotent Protractor the application of law will become much, much, more fun. Just as soon as I’ve worked out what should be done with Lawyers.
If I’m wrong here, in the opinion I’m about to give, will someone, anyone, please explain why to me.
You’re not wrong!
The only people whom bullies respect are strong men. And let’s face it: pirates are bullies of the high-seas form.
It’s absolutely ridiculous that these pirates are a threat. They need to be squashed. Hard. Now.
In international waters, a registered vessel is deemed to be sovereign territory of the country under whose flag it sails, so under international maritime rules – assuming the vessel was outside the 12nm zone – an offence committed on board was an offence committed in the country operating the boat.
Right, Alison. So why wasn’t it the Norwegians, the ones whose ship was attacked, who dictated whether the pirates should be released or prosecuted and NOT the Canadians?????????
As for NATO vessels, once again, those ships are under the NATO flag, not the Canadian one.
What the Canadians did was arrogant, power-usurping and STUPID!