Make ’em walk the plank
Associated Press reports that 11 pirates were put on trial today in Norfolk;
Eleven suspected pirates were indicted Friday on U.S charges of piracy and other counts related to attacks on two U.S. naval vessels off the coast of Africa.
The indictment was unsealed an hour after the suspects were led into the federal courthouse in Norfolk under heavy security.
One of the accused pirates had a bandaged head, while another was carried into the court building. The 11 were scheduled for a court appearance Friday afternoon.
In addition to the piracy count, the charges include attacks to plunder a vessel, assault with a dangerous weapon, and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Five of the men were captured March 31, after the frigate USS Nicholas exchanged fire with a suspected pirate vessel west of the Seychelles, sinking a skiff and confiscating its mother ship.
The other six were captured after they allegedly began shooting at the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland on April 10 about 380 miles off Djibouti, a small nation facing Yemen across the mouth of the Red Sea.
The 11 had been held on U.S. ships for weeks off Somalia’s pirate-infested coast and nearby regions as officials worked to determine whether and where they could be prosecuted and prepare legal charges against them.
The indictment did not indicate the pirates’ nationality.
The Somali mission to the United Nations said it is attempting to sort out jurisdictional issues.
“We prefer those kids to be tried in Somalia,” said Omar Jamal, first secretary for the mission. “As far as we know, they are all Somalis.”
Their futures look a thousand times brighter than it was looking in February irrespective of the outcome of the trial. They should be grateful…and what is the Somali government going to do? Give them vessel ID flash cards so they don’t mistake American warships for freighters again?
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Foreign Policy, Terror War
I suggest keelhauling. On an aircraft carrier.
“We prefer those kids to be tried in Somalia,” said Omar Jamal, first secretary for the mission. “As far as we know, they are all Somalis.”
This just cracked me up…
If we keep capturing or killing these pirates the complete economy of Somilia is going to collapse. Then the UN will have to go in and try to help…
“We prefer those kids to be tried in Somalia,” said Omar Jamal, first secretary for the mission. “As far as we know, they are all Somalis.”
Yeah, well we prefer they find a different line of work, other than the criminal enterprise they have chosen. While you’re at it, mr. diplodink, why don’t you prefer to get all the ships being held by pirates in your own country released?? Wow!!! What a fuckin concept!!!!
Tell ya what, Omar–send your Navy out to come and get them. Seems to me that when they fired on a US WARSHIP, they were in international waters, were they not?
I’m mystified, why aren’t they machine-gunned shark chum??
Junior AG – because we have to show how civilized we are to our enemies. This is the One’s mantra. Need proof – just ask three Navy SEALS.
I’m mystified, why aren’t they machine-gunned shark chum??
The environmentalists would be up in arms for lead poisoning the sharks….
OT: That was toooo good!
Still, I’m troubled that they are being tried here. Will that set a precedence impacting other cases and Gitmo?
I realize piracy has it’s own case law and a long history, but lawyers and politicians also have a long history of pushing selective views concerning such things.
If they are found guilty of piracy, isn’t that a capitol offense? We should take a cue from the old days and string them up on the front of US flagged tankers going through the Gulf of Aden with a sign, ‘pirates ye be warned’.
Forget walking the plank.
Hang ’em all from the yardarm.
And leave their bodies hanging there until their bones drop off the ropes as a visible example to all other wanna-be’s.
I volunteer to help.
Meh–they could always send them back wrapped in bacon. That would be a MUCH more effective message in their eyes.
We will not be sending any bodies back wrapped in bacon!
Too bad. Seemed to work for Blackjack Pershing back in the day.
Well, Sparky Dear, there is information available at Urban Legends that would seem to contradict that claim:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_black_jack_pershing.htm
Always gotta be pissing on the parade, dontcha?
LOL…It must have been my MOS made me this way…
Seems like a waste of bacon to me!
TDU weights and Duct Tape. Swim bitches.
Agreed OT, pork fat rules and we can’t be wasting good bacon like that.
But replacing the pellets in a shotgun shell with Bac-Os bacon bits would be fine.
What a tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars. Another example of treating terrorists as criminals. If they attack a sea-going vessel they should either be killed in the attempt or, if captured, tried on the spot and then hung.
Debra: don’t come on here and ruin great tales with the truth. What are you thinking? 🙂
LOL, JonP..
I’m inclined to agree with you about how this is being handled. Unless their over-riding purpose was to attempt to gain additional information from them, or to just make an example out of them, I frankly don’t understand why they’re still alive. I mean, I’m a peaceful person and all that, but…for real?
Hmm…my last comment seems to have been disappeared into cyberspace… So if this winds up double-posting, my apologies.
LOL, JonP.. I’m inclined to agree with you, though, on how this is being handled. Unless their over-riding purpose is to gain additional information by taking them prisoner or seomthing like that, I frankly don’t understand why they’re still alive. I mean, I’m a peaceful person and all that, but…for real? Kind of reminds me of my cat capturing a mouse or bird, dragging it into the house, and then sitting there and playing with the poor thing for half an hour.