Editorials & Other Articles

ProgressiveProfessor

(22,144 posts)

10. Death is the historical punishment for piracy, either in battle or the on gallows/yardarm.

Fri May 18, 2012, 12:18 PM

May 2012

and its not murder if it happens during a battle. Also the basics of LOS do not apply to pirates. You have no obligation to rescue them from their sinking vessels.

The Russians (if it was real) were clearly beyond acceptable. IIRC the claim was that they intercepted an open boat with men and arms aboard, disarmed them, send them on their way with a hidden timed charge.

Somalia is a failed state. Any solutions from that route will be long term.

Troops on the ground are not the right answer either. The maritime patrols cost are huge.

If the rest of the world wants to stop the pirates in the short term, making it too "expensive" to be a pirate is about the only way to go...so far they have not chosen to go that route.

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Highlight:

Land pirates: An EU force finally gets tough on Somali bandits [View all] yortsed snacilbuper May 2012 OP

Funny how the trend isn't to arm the crews... ellisonz May 2012 #1

There are significant issues with civilian vessels with weapons aboard in most nations ProgressiveProfessor May 2012 #3

Okay so why not more mercs then? ellisonz May 2012 #5

So you are good with foreign troops raiding in Somalia and the use of mercs? ProgressiveProfessor May 2012 #6

I'm more academically intringued by the idea... ellisonz May 2012 #7

Troops on the ground is a very significant escalation that seems to be flying below the radar ProgressiveProfessor May 2012 #8

"the only short term and practical way I see to eliminate the pirates may be the Russian approach." ellisonz May 2012 #9

Death is the historical punishment for piracy, either in battle or the on gallows/yardarm. ProgressiveProfessor May 2012 #10

Look for a jump in ransom. Arctic Dave May 2012 #2

I do not see anyone screaming about the clear breach in national sovereignty... ProgressiveProfessor May 2012 #4