Why we fail at fighting piracy

[ichy]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/19/new.york.pirate.sentencing/index.html?hpt=T2

It's ridiculous that this guy was even brought back to the US. He's a pirate captured on the high seas, he has no legal rights. The Navy should have tried him at sea & hung him from a yard-arm (or the closest equivalent that a modern ship has.) 34 years in prison isn't a punishment, life in a US prison is probably better than life in Somalia.

 

[PeshakJang]

That guy won the fucking lottery. He'll probably find a way to bring his family over to live in prison with him.

 

[DesiPower]

Liberal Douches... freedom and justice for everyone my ass... constitution needs to be seriously overhauled to compensate for the new humankind.

 

[halik]

That guy won the fucking lottery. He'll probably find a way to bring his family over to live in prison with him.

I'm thinking the same. His quality of life just went up 10 fold.

 

[piasabird]

How is this different from stealing a car?

Well maybe more like Hijacking a car.

My point is not that stealing a car or Hijacking a vehicle at gunpoint is a minor offense. I think and criminal act committed with a gun should be punishable by death, also including stealing a car.

 

[Craig234]

The posters above in this thread are moral scum worse than the pirates, the dregs of our species.

 

[PeshakJang]

The posters above in this thread are moral scum worse than the pirates, the dregs of our species.

Do you just wear a mask that goes from your ass to your face, or what? Do you have an oxygen flow tied to it? How would that work? Pics plz.

 

[Schadenfroh]

I am not sure what to do with pirates. We certainly do not need to bring them here (being a U.S. prisoner is a vast improvement to their quality of life) and they are not citizens. Human rights groups would get angry if we just executed them if they were caught in the act.

Well maybe more like Hijacking a car.

Hijacking a car, kidnapping the occupants, taking hostages, holding the cargo and the passengers for ransom, maybe killing a few people in the process with those scary AK-47s and RPGs....

 

[Scotteq]

I am not sure what to do with pirates. We certainly do not need to bring them here (being a U.S. prisoner is a vast improvement to their quality of life) and they are not citizens. Human rights groups would get angry if we just executed them if they were caught in the act.

Simple problem to solve: Now that his trial is over and he's convicted, send him back to Somalia and put him in a prison there.

 

[PeshakJang]

Simple problem to solve: Now that his trial is over and he's convicted, send him back to Somalia and put him in a prison there.

Redundant statement.

 

[CycloWizard]

How is piracy defined in an area of international waters? Do privacy rights exist independent of any nation? What is the legal difference between pirates boarding a cruise liner and our navy boarding a pirate ship, other than the size of the boat and the colors of their flags? All of these questions need to be answered at the international level before piracy can really be addressed.

 

[Scotteq]

How is piracy defined in an area of international waters? Do privacy rights exist independent of any nation? What is the legal difference between pirates boarding a cruise liner and our navy boarding a pirate ship, other than the size of the boat and the colors of their flags? All of these questions need to be answered at the international level before piracy can really be addressed.

The laws vary widely. And in many places, there are none.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Sea

In the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, "maritime piracy" consists of:

(a) any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed:

(i) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft;

(ii) against a ship, aircraft, persons or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any State;

(b) any act of voluntary participation in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft;

(c) any act of inciting or of intentionally facilitating an act described in subparagraph (a) or (b).

A major drawback of UNCLOS Art 101 is that it confines piracy to the High Seas. As the majority of piratical acts occur within territorial waters, some pirates are able to go free as certain jurisdictions lack the resources to monitor their borders adequately.

US Laws:

In the United States, criminal prosecution of piracy is authorized in the U.S. Constitution, Art. I Sec. 8 cl. 10:

The Congress shall have Power ... To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

Title 18 U.S.C. § 1651 states:

Whoever, on the high seas, commits the crime of piracy as defined by the law of nations, and is afterwards brought into or found in the United States, shall be imprisoned for life.

The recent US District Court of Virginia case of United States v Mohamed Ali Said a.k.a Maxamad Cali Saciid et al. U.S. (District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Aug. 17, 2010) the court confined piracy as "robbery at sea" and dismissed piracy charges against the defendants.

 

[ichy]

How is this different from stealing a car?

Piracy is something that has been dealt with especially harshly throughout human history. Also, as despicable as carjacking is criminal suspects in the United States still have Constitutional rights. Pirates captured on the high seas do not.

 

[ichy]

I am not sure what to do with pirates. We certainly do not need to bring them here (being a U.S. prisoner is a vast improvement to their quality of life) and they are not citizens. Human rights groups would get angry if we just executed them if they were caught in the act.

Who cares what human rights groups say? Let Amnesty International whine all they want.

 

[JD50]

The posters above in this thread are moral scum worse than the pirates, the dregs of our species.

Only an idealogue like craig would think that words on a messageboard are worse than pirates that actually kill people.

 

[ichy]

Only an idealogue like craig would think that words on a messageboard are worse than pirates that actually kill people.

And only a naive fool like him would think that using violence against pirates is wrong.

 

[Kadarin]

I liked the Russian solution where they "let the pirates go" on the high seas. Without a boat.

 

[ichy]

I liked the Russian solution where they "let the pirates go" on the high seas. Without a boat.

Tempting, but I still say shoot them first. What can I say, I'm a humanitarian.

 

[LumbergTech]

wheres moonbeam to point out all the self hatred going on here when you need it

 

[Brovane]

I have always thought one of the best solutions with Pirate areas is to setup a couple of bait boats.

Basically take a couple of pleasure yachts and modify them with Kevlar armor and a couple of pop-up weapons. Get a couple of female solders in bikini's on top of the boat sun-bathing. Pirate boat comes close with its crew to hijack the yacht. Have the armament pop-up, and hose the pirate boat down. Oh look no survivors and move on. Reset all the armament and wait for the next pirate boat to come knocking.

I suspect that someone will have a problem with this.

 

[HumblePie]

Piracy is something that has been dealt with especially harshly throughout human history. Also, as despicable as carjacking is criminal suspects in the United States still have Constitutional rights. Pirates captured on the high seas do not.

This.

I read a story of basically sticking captured pirates in a dingy in the middle of the ocean with a bottle of water and a biscuit and letting them go from there. Basically it's a death sentence, but there is a 1 in a billion chance they may live somehow.

 

[trenchfoot]

From the way I've heard it being talked about by those Nations whose ships are being pirated, the problem is one of economics and not lawlessness.

It's more economical to pay ransome and save the crews and cargo than to confront the pirates and risk everything, including lawsuits from the survivors themselves.

I'm not up to what type of interdiction policies/practices are operational in the affected seas but I do know there's international cooperation in this regard and they've had a number of successes.

As far as jailing those pirates who are successfully prosecuted in U.S. courts, maybe contracting some of the South American countries who could find economic rewards for hosting those prisoners might make true justice prevail in some of their infamous prisons from hell.

 

[Rebel44]

I liked the Russian solution where they "let the pirates go" on the high seas. Without a boat.

I agree.

 

[trenchfoot]

This.

I read a story of basically sticking captured pirates in a dingy in the middle of the ocean with a bottle of water and a biscuit and letting them go from there. Basically it's a death sentence, but there is a 1 in a billion chance they may live somehow.

For all we know this might actually be happening way out there at sea with no witnesses who would be sympathetic to the pirates to report such incidences.

The pirates themselves wouldn't report it, as I'm sure they would consider that as a necessary risk to conduct business the way they do. And besides, for all we know the pirates always have stand-by's and back-ups to pick up these "freed compatriots", unless, of course, they are "let go" well outside of their AO.

 

[Scotteq]

I liked the Russian solution where they "let the pirates go" on the high seas. Without a boat.

Tempting, but I still say shoot them first. What can I say, I'm a humanitarian.

This.

I read a story of basically sticking captured pirates in a dingy in the middle of the ocean with a bottle of water and a biscuit and letting them go from there. Basically it's a death sentence, but there is a 1 in a billion chance they may live somehow.

My vote is to take away the biscuit and instead leave them with....











wait for it...












ONE FORK :sneaky:



(edit) Don't forget to Install a camera on the boat, put it on Pay Per View, and use the profits to finance the national debt. Name the show "Survive THIS Muthaf(*$&#(&$!!"