Shipping veteran on pirate problem: ‘Sink their boats with all hands’

[jbg]

In a New York federal courtoom, a judge sentenced a Somali pirate for a savage attack on his captors (link to article), excerpts below. If link doesn't work and you want the article, PM me and I'll e-mail or PM text.

An emotional Judge Loretta A. Preska choked back tears yesterday as she criticized the violence inflicted on the victims of the Somali pirate she was about to send to prison.

Reading letters from Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama and others who paid the price for the 2009 Indian Ocean hijacking led by Abduwali Muse, Judge Preska's voice shook with anger over the damage done by Mr. Muse and his three accomplices.

"They appeared to relish even their most depraved acts of physical and psychological violence and abandoned all pretense of humane treatment for their captives," Judge Preska said.

Citing letters and a government memo, Judge Preska said Captain Phillips, while hostage on board an 18-foot lifeboat, was caught trying to chew through his ropes to escape. Mr. Muse stuck a stick in the captain's mouth.

At another point, she said, Captain Phillips was hit so hard in the head by one of his captors he was convinced he had been shot. And Mr. Muse threatened to "bury" the captain in "a shallow area of the ocean," and played "Russian Roulette" by putting a gun to the captain's face and pulling the trigger.

The judge sentenced Mr. Muse to 33 years and nine months in prison, the top end of the range that he accepted under a 2010 plea agreement with the Southern District U.S. Attorney's Office that allowed him to avoid a life sentence.

******************

Judge Preska was unmoved, calling the actions of Mr. Muse and his men "premeditated, organized and ruthless."

"They did not hesitate to beat, injure and shoot at their hostages," she said. "They were willing to hold their captives for months and refused to surrender even though given numerous opportunities to do so."

As satisfying as the sentencing and harsh words of the judge may be, this strikes me as not a deterrent. These are acts of war, and one does not fight war in a courtroom. An alternate suggestion is to sink the pirate boats, all hands aboard. This would make people think twice before undertaking such deliberate savagery. (link to article, excerpts below)

A Norwegian shipping magnate has raised a storm by suggesting that pirates captured off the Horn of Africa should be sunk with their skiffs or executed on the spot.

In a newspaper op-ed, the 79-year-old founder of the Stolt-Nielsen shipping group, Jacob Stolt-Nielsen, said modern navies should follow Roman military commander Pompey's gloves-off approach to pirates: “Not arrest them and say, ‘naughty, naughty, shame on you,' and release them again, but sink their boats with all hands.”

[bush_cheney2004]

As discussed in other threads, a very young American nation had immediate experience with piracy, hostages, and tribute. President Jefferson grew weary of such actions by the so called Barbary States, and promptly ordered the US Navy and Marine Corps to engage and kill them. Some things never change!

[Muddy]

Why is there any doubt? Savages with no regard for their fellow human beings or laws of the seas. When ever encountered by free nations Navy blast them out of the water.

[Mr.Canada]

This seems like the right thing to do. Newton said it best : To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.

[Wild Bill]

Why is there any doubt? Savages with no regard for their fellow human beings or laws of the seas. When ever encountered by free nations Navy blast them out of the water.

This illustrates one of the problems with more "liberal" justice systems. It's one thing when you are in downtown Toronto to expect citizens not to get involved with catching criminals and SWAT teams being quickly called to the scene of any horrific shootings. Afterwards, courts can take their time over sentencing the perps, considering their abused childhood backgrounds or whatever. One can be confident that if a sentence is too lenient at least if the perp re-offends that SWAT team would once again be quickly available.

On the high seas, all of that goes out the window. There is no one around to even be a witness, let alone save you from pirates who would torture or kill you as quickly as look at you! What's more, under the present deranged interpretation of international laws, often the pirates are immediately released! Lord knows for what ridiculous reason but the fact remains, they are!

There is an ancient principle to handle such situations. If you have a law which is very difficult to enforce, where few perps are ever caught, the only expedient for a state is to levy punishments so harsh as to act as a deterrent to potential lawbreakers. In other words, your chances of being caught may be slim but if you ARE caught, the punishment will be swift and severe!

This is why for centuries piracy was met with instant execution. Captains of vessels of all nationalities had the right to try and sentence pirates on the spot. True, sometimes pirates were taken back to the home port to be tried there but usually there were political reasons for that. Most times, they just threw the pirates to the sharks!

This of course in no way stamped out piracy but it is hard to believe that it did not mitigate the numbers of pirates, at least in some way.

We appear to be trying to apply a downtown New York crime approach to piracy on the open ocean. It just doesn't fit!

[Jonsa]

I think a minor tweak to the maritime laws and piracy drops way way down.

Simply allow merchant vessels to carry small arms with say a couple of RPGs, a few grenades and maybe one 50 cal machine gun and have a couple of sailors trained in weapons use.

the pirates can't sink a tanker with an RPG, but an RPG'll sink any of the pirates boats.

[xul]

Why is there any doubt? Savages with no regard for their fellow human beings or laws of the seas. When ever encountered by free nations Navy blast them out of the water.

Human being isn't a species which genetically respects fellow human beings or laws. "Civilized" human beings like American and Canadian relatively respect other human beings' human rights or laws because they live in a country where their human rights are also respected by their fellow human beings.

As a developing country, Media in China have less western-versioned political correctness so I can read something very different from what we read from western media, such as "the Somalian pirate captured by South Korean Navy said the food in SK prison were delicious".

A Chinese sailor, who had been captured by Somalian pirates for 6 months, wrote an article telling his experience. He said the so-called pirate wasn't the pirates which we were familiar form the novel Treasure Island. He said the Somalian pirate were just some poor peasants and fishers hired by local Warlords, a kind of militia. Warlords took all the ransoms and what the pirates got was merely some food, which the Chinese sailor said "he would never lay an eye on it if he wasn't kidnapped and had anything else to eat". Though the Chinese sailor was a victim of Somalian piracy, but I can feel from his article that he still put great sympathy on his captors.

Just imagine, if you were a Somalian...I guess you would say, "I'm rather prefer to die than being a pirate!" But please being patient, just imagine, if you were a Somalian, with a family of 12 kids who you knew well that if you died they would all die because there were not any "liberal" politicians to creat a welfare system for them....I think such a scenario is what the Hollywood humanitarian movies always avoid to go in.

I think what Somalian really need is to restore order. Anyone, I mean kings, queens, dictators, communists, fascists or warlords, anyone could restore order in Somalia should be supported by international community.

Anyway, human beings only respect laws when they used to be protected by laws.

[Wild Bill]

Human being isn't a species which genetically respects fellow human beings or laws. "Civilized" human beings like American and Canadian relatively respect other human beings' human rights or laws because they live in a country where their human rights are also respected by their fellow human beings.

As a developing country, Media in China have less western-versioned political correctness so I can read something very different from what we read from western media, such as "the Somalian pirate captured by South Korean Navy said the food in SK prison were delicious".

Anyway, human beings only respect laws when they used to be protected by laws.

Sympathy for a Somali or whoever pirate is a secondary issue. The primary issue is that those pirates are often brutally killing innocents.

The reasons why don't matter. If I were captured by Somali pirates, perhaps with my family murdered while it happened, I wouldn't care a whit about their reasons why they became pirates. If they harmed me then morally I would be entitled to reciprocate! If they harm innocents then the first priority is to stop them from doing it again!

Those who target innocents forego the right to be considered human beings, as far as I'm concerned. Arm merchant ships and tankers so that they can repel pirate boarders. Jonsa's idea of some RPGs was a good one. Perhaps even a couple of deck guns would be an asset. After killing those attempting to board they could blow their ship out of the water!

If they are still alive after that then perhaps we can talk about aid and rehabilitation.

[jbg]

If they are still alive after that then perhaps we can talk about aid and rehabilitation.

To paraphrase Johnny Horton's "Sink the Bismarck", I say "Sink the Pirate Boats". These ain't Captain Morgans.

[bill_barilko]

I think a minor tweak to the maritime laws and piracy drops way way down.

Simply allow merchant vessels to carry small arms with say a couple of RPGs, a few grenades and maybe one 50 cal machine gun and have a couple of sailors trained in weapons use.

It's not maritime law that prevents merchant ships from carrying arms but the laws of each individual country-or most countries anyway.

Civilian held armaments simply aren't allowed into most ports and probably never will be-the problem needs a military solution

[ToadBrother]

As discussed in other threads, a very young American nation had immediate experience with piracy, hostages, and tribute. President Jefferson grew weary of such actions by the so called Barbary States, and promptly ordered the US Navy and Marine Corps to engage and kill them. Some things never change!

It's the only way at the end of the day. Of course, it's damned costly, but since Somalia is utterly incapable of doing anything about it, there seems no other solution.

If I was in charge, I'd do a six month bombing campaign that would turn the coastline of Somalia into a lifeless glassy beach, but I guess I'm a little bloodlusty for some.

[bush_cheney2004]

It's the only way at the end of the day. Of course, it's damned costly, but since Somalia is utterly incapable of doing anything about it, there seems no other solution....

I would like to see a "Q-ship" approach wherein the pirates set upon their selected victim only to find a good old fashioned broadside attack and sinking.

[jbg]

If I was in charge, I'd do a six month bombing campaign that would turn the coastline of Somalia into a lifeless glassy beach, but I guess I'm a little bloodlusty for some.

Should we call it:

1. Juno Beach?
   
2. Sword Beach?
   
3. Gold Beach?
   
4. Omaha Beach?
   
5. Utah Beach?
   

[xul]

Those who target innocents forego the right to be considered human beings, as far as I'm concerned. Arm merchant ships and tankers so that they can repel pirate boarders. Jonsa's idea of some RPGs was a good one. Perhaps even a couple of deck guns would be an asset. After killing those attempting to board they could blow their ship out of the water!

According to what I read from the stories about the Chinese sailors who encountered the pirates, most ships were captured by pirates because of lacking wariness and surveillance. The pirates went into the sea so far that the sailors of cargo ships felt they were safe there. The pirates approached the cargo ship from stern at night when most sailors had gone to bed. A few sailors on duty were in the bridge so they had no way to find the pirate before they stepped aboard the ship.

Some Chinese cargo ships which has successfully stopped the pirates aboard because their captains put lookouts at the stern. Once the sailors were alerted, they would be able to stop the pirates by cutting off the ropes which the pirate threw up to the weather deck. The gunnel of a merchant ship is so high that pirates has no way to climb aboard the ship without these ropes.

The problem is that a modern merchant ship is so supermatic that there usually are only a few sailors aboard. There are just not enough hands aboard for keeping 24h surveillance all the way.

[bush_cheney2004]

...The problem is that a modern merchant ship is so supermatic that there usually are only a few sailors aboard. There are just not enough hands aboard for keeping 24h surveillance all the way.

The solution for smaller crews is obvious...have the bridge watch monitor video:

http://www.marinecamerasystems.com/commercial-vessels.shtml

[bush_cheney2004]

Time to go pirate hunting....take no prisoners after this:

Pirates Kill 4 American Hostages

[xul]

Time to go pirate hunting....take no prisoners after this:

Pirates Kill 4 American Hostages

then, after the war on terror, Uncle Same will play the "bad guy" again by shooting at pirate along with "innocent civilians"(since pirates don't wear uniforms like Taliban, they are all "civilians" before being caught in action), meanwhile others, like European, Russian, Chinese and Canadian of course, will play the sane, compassionate and humanitarian good guys before Africans by shooting at Uncle Same with slogans like "you should distinguish between pirates and civilians...."

Edited February 22, 2011 by xul

[wulf42]

Time to go pirate hunting....take no prisoners after this:

Pirates Kill 4 American Hostages

I couldn't agree more! There should be no prisoners taken when it comes to these Pirates from this point on. The Navies patrolling that area can certainly use some good ole target practice with their deck guns and missiles. All Freighter and Tanker Ships should have heavily armed crews with side arms and automatic weapons along with having small deck guns mounted. I don't understand why that hasn't been done already, seems like the cost of arming these crews and Ships is a small price to pay for security against these animals.

Edited February 23, 2011 by wulf42