Pirates Kill Americans, Are Captured.

[xxChrisxx]

Re: 'Opening up' on a boatload of heavily armed Somalis.

If pirates (not valid flag parties) attempted to board my vessel, I'd unlever every single god-damned thing I had aboard to prevent their heinous unlawful activities from ever, period.

Oh, I dunno... I'm a pretty good shot with a long rifle out to about a mile...

 

[WhoWee]

I still like my idea better. Get a big helicopter and a giant bucket to fill with rocks. Fly over the boat - aim and drop the load > boat fills and sinks - pirates swim home a few hundred miles.

 

[xxChrisxx]

In San Fran it'd earn one a rapid butt-(unmentionable)
What, xxChrisxx, are you talking about with respect to flags on an international scale?
Please grow a brain. Your "flags" aren't shared around the world. Dah!

As an aside, not being of the fruity persuasion I actually had no idea handkerchiefs were used in this fashion.

Useful thing to know really, I'll never blow my nose if I should ever happen to go to a gaybar...

 

[WhoWee]

I still like my idea better. Get a big helicopter and a giant bucket to fill with rocks. Fly over the boat - aim and drop the load > boat fills and sinks - pirates swim home a few hundred miles.

Btw - sand is a good alternative and a quick water re-load could be fun as well - most anything will sink a fishing boat.

 

[WhoWee]

Btw - sand is a good alternative and a quick water re-load could be fun as well - most anything will sink a fishing boat.

A wrecking ball attached to a fast moving helicopter - skimming along the water - might also be effective?

 

[nismaratwork]

I've sailed the open seas (I've an open ocean skipper's license from the US Navy), though not around the world, and certainly not in those parts.

Would I open fire on a crew? That depends entirely upon what that "crew" was attempting to do. If it was a legitimate boarding party (any number of countries' customs or harbor masters), no issue. But those relationships are almost always establish, and almost always with the appropriate paperwork (including various electronic and physical stamps of approval).

I learned to sail back in high school, and continued ever since, obtaining various licenses wherever I could, whenever I could.

I'd been planning a post-retirement round-the-world cruise (smaller, open-ocean sailing yacht circa 40-50 ft) for myself and my family from 1999 to 2005. My ex nixed that in 2005 with her plans for divorce, so, ptueyeui, and the lawyers got most of our saved funds. BIG HINT - GO WITH A MEDIATOR. You might wind up $1,200 in the hole instead of $50,000 in the hole. Moving on...

Better yet, pre-nup; you're never too rich, to well off, to middle-class, to poor, or too broke to make one. Love, then verify. Now, please try not to die on the open ocean!

...to Yes. If pirates (not valid flag parties) attempted to board my vessel, I'd unlever every single god-damned thing I had aboard to prevent their heinous unlawful activities from ever, period.



Oh, I dunno... I'm a pretty good shot with a long rifle out to about a mile...

Fair enough, and I'm also a good shot (although not out to a mile unless it's a .50, and my MOA is going to be ugly between shots), but I know my limitations when faced with overwhelming force. I'd add, sniping on water is HAAAARD; unless you're close to land or have a trained spotter, and that assumes you have the skills to be a sniper to begin with. I know I don't, but then, we're not talking aobut me, but your choice to make, and certainly surrender is no guarantee of survival.

All the better. And if you've ever hung around these groups, you'll know most aren't taking this, er.., a four letter word meaning excrement, beginning with "s,"...

Lying down.



So are they. So what. What's new. If I were to replan my trip today, I'd include whereabouts of the U.S. Navy, but I'd also plan to put into port a hell of a lot less than I'd originally planned on account of the pirate situation which has developed in the region.

They have RPG's, desperation, and massed fire. Which leads to...

Wow, nismaratwork. Let's microtag their vessel from the drone, while we're at it. An http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-114_Hellfire" will absolutely decimate it's target.

...Indeed, that's the idea. We can arm the oceans, or we can slaughter pirates... I prefer the latter.

Perhaps all we international sailors would need to arm ourselves with would be laser designators and a full suite of anti-jam communications to call in the troops where needed.

Works for me, but they should foot the bill for the fuel, time, and munitions.

Folks, do any of you have any idea of what our Nation's Merchant Marine Academy stands for, what it's done throughout our history as a Union, and what it means to the continued commerce and integrity of our great nation?

Ok, sound's like sour cheese sauch to most of you, but WWI said otherwise, that everyone in the US joined together, then.

Convoys baby... we could do that too...

 

[nismaratwork]

Btw - sand is a good alternative and a quick water re-load could be fun as well - most anything will sink a fishing boat.

All good, but then they'd just use anti-air weaponry, or even small arms... and yes, I know you're kidding.

I'm genuinely a fan of the hellfire missiles, although I think a tank-killer main gun would work.

 

[WhoWee]

All good, but then they'd just use anti-air weaponry, or even small arms... and yes, I know you're kidding.

I'm genuinely a fan of the hellfire missiles, although I think a tank-killer main gun would work.

Well, if they think they're allowed to shoot back - there won't be much swimming.

 

[nismaratwork]

Well, if they think they're allowed to shoot back - there won't be much swimming.

I don't think they should be given any chance beyond the standard IFF confirmation, radio, and optical semaphore. Fail that, resist boarding, and you're driftwood and mist: piracy has to be battled wtih 0 tolerance... the oceans are too large.

 

[WhoWee]

I don't think they should be given any chance beyond the standard IFF confirmation, radio, and optical semaphore. Fail that, resist boarding, and you're driftwood and mist: piracy has to be battled wtih 0 tolerance... the oceans are too large.

The point of my posts was to say it's time to send them a message - enough.

 

[Vanadium 50]

The problem is that US policy is that this is a law enforcement issue. You have to collect evidence, capture the pirates, fly them back to the US, give them a lawyer, and let the the courts see if they can increase the number of pirates convicted in the last century from 5 to 6. You can't just sink them.

 

[nismaratwork]

The problem is that US policy is that this is a law enforcement issue. You have to collect evidence, capture the pirates, fly them back to the US, give them a lawyer, and let the the courts see if they can increase the number of pirates convicted in the last century from 5 to 6. You can't just sink them.

That position needs to change, which is my point; if Ollie North can be a free man on Fox News, then we can sink some pirates and eat the scandal later.

 

[nismaratwork]

The point of my posts was to say it's time to send them a message - enough.

Agreed, and my view is that such messages are best delivered at the pointy end of something fast or explosive.

 

[dlgoff]

...You can't just sink them.

Why the hell not. With a drone missile who would ever know?

That position needs to change, which is my point; if Ollie North can be a free man on Fox News, then we can sink some pirates and eat the scandal later.

I wonder how many people here even remember North? Let alone what he did.

A position change is needed and missiles seem like a good idea to me.

 

[nismaratwork]

Why the hell not. With a drone missile who would ever know?



I wonder how many people here even remember North? Let alone what he did.

A position change is needed and missiles seem like a good idea to me.

Indeed!... 'A capital idea good chap, it should be dandy sport blowing those murderous sons' of bleeps out of the water what!' (me in a bad british accent).

Seriously, this is a soluble problem, and the solvent is packed into a warhead.

 

[WhoWee]

Here's an idea - it's for a reality show called "Ram the Pirates". We can dig some old ice breakers out of the moth balls, let some grafitti artists spray some offensive (to pirates) graphics on the sides and train some crews to compete. The challenge would be to ram and sink as many pirate crews as possible. If MTV picked it up - there could be a spin-off ..."Spring Break (off) Somalia" - and shot entirely on-board.

 

[Proton Soup]

oh yeah, oliver north. iran-contra. US government state-sponsored terrorism. on several levels. like we need more of that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-Contra_affair

 

[mugaliens]

The problem is that US policy is that this is a law enforcement issue. You have to collect evidence, capture the pirates, fly them back to the US, give them a lawyer, and let the the courts see if they can increase the number of pirates convicted in the last century from 5 to 6. You can't just sink them.

Vanadium, you are incorrect. All owners of all vessels have the right to repel unauthorized/illegal borders, by force, if necessary.

Back at home, in more than half the U.S. States, it's referred to the "Castle Law." Bottom line: All of us, whether in our home, apartment, or sailboat, should, can, and will be free from unauthorized actions contrary to the normal course of events.

That's the nice of saying what's reflected in most state laws such that those who illegally bust down a door are likely to wind up dead for having illegally violated a home.

If you want to make it legal, get a warrent.

 

[JaredJames]

Back at home, in more than half the U.S. States, it's referred to the "Castle Law." Bottom line: All of us, whether in our home, apartment, or sailboat, should, can, and will be free from unauthorized actions contrary to the normal course of events.

That's the nice of saying what's reflected in most state laws such that those who illegally bust down a door are likely to wind up dead for having illegally violated a home.

This is where the UK falls down, badly. I can legally eject a person from my property using appropriate force as necessary. However, any damage or injuries they sustain from me doing so, I am liable for. This is complete BS as far as I'm concerned.

As a nation we're more interested in the welfare of criminals and non-citizens than we are of the law law abiding citizens and persons in the country.

We need to readjust our attitude - perhaps start with the pirates and blow them out of the water...

Oh wait, we've just made some serious cut backs and couldn't defend our country let alone against pirates - Go UK government!

 

[nismaratwork]

This is where the UK falls down, badly. I can legally eject a person from my property using appropriate force as necessary. However, any damage or injuries they sustain from me doing so, I am liable for. This is complete BS as far as I'm concerned.

As a nation we're more interested in the welfare of criminals and non-citizens than we are of the law law abiding citizens and persons in the country.

We need to readjust our attitude - perhaps start with the pirates and blow them out of the water...

Oh wait, we've just made some serious cut backs and couldn't defend our country let alone against pirates - Go UK government!

Wow.. that's absolutely absurd.

@WhoWee: I like that!... Very George Carlin, but with a genuinely practical side.

 

[JaredJames]

Wow.. that's absolutely absurd.

There are two debates currently on the table:

1. Prisoners get to vote - European court says it violates their human rights to stop them, for once the UK stood up and said "tough sh*t".

2. Prisoners are trying to bring a lawsuit to allow them to collect their state pensions and other such things whilst in prison - all while living "at her majesty's pleasure" none-the-less!

I want pirates blown out of the water and the UK to have at least one aircraft carrier - in the words of Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa - "wish in one hand, sh*t in the other, see which one fills up first". The UK have this illusion we're still a super power, we need to face reality.

Get us some battleships and show these pirates we mean business!

 

[nismaratwork]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/02/26/etzioni.stop.piracy/index.html?iref=NS1

Intersting little bit, essentially calling for what Mugaliens has said: arm merchant ships, shoot on sight.


The bit about countries releasing pirates strikes me as a useful point too... release them, in the open ocean.