Maybe a simple way to stop pirates with out killing......

[RayP.]

OK fine....buy who's gonna pay for it, who's gonna crew it, who's gonna run it? The US really doesn't have a dog in this fight. Our Merchant Marine is functionally non-existent (fewer than 100 vessels, 90% of them either in the Great Lakes or tankers running a rut between Valdez, AK and West Coast ports (and they only exist due to a piece of 1920's protectionist legislation called the Jones Act). The remaining 10% are re-flagged charters from foreign companies (Maersk is a Norwegian company) doing business for the US Gub'mint (another requirement of the Jones Act!). We have NOTHING for the Navy to protect!

Aren't the people who man those floating casinos in the Merchant Marine,or is it just a maritime union that they are in?,during Desert Storm 1 I heard a couple of them talking about a possible call up.

RayP.

[Jim K]

Anyone else see the demand by the left wing-nuts that Obama (that's right, Obama), be arrested and brought before an international tribunal on a charge of war crimes for authorizing the "wanton murder of three innocent young men in his insane war on terror."

This time the French have it right: Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Jim

[Mizzouboy]

When the pirates are captured, you can't kill them according to "international law". So just sink their boat, put them in the water, hand them a 50 cent inflatable float and a 25 cent compass with directions, "home is that way".... 350 miles.... Have a nice swim... Wave goodbye and sail away!

[John Kepler]

Aren't the people who man those floating casinos in the Merchant Marine,or is it just a maritime union that they are in?,during Desert Storm 1 I heard a couple of them talking about a possible call up.

RayP.

Possibly, but not all....depends on where they are. River sailors aren't classed as "Merchant Marine", and have different documentation requirements. As for Unions, the "River Rats" have different unions than the rest of the "Blue-Water" industry....a LOT of them are non-Union...a lot of the rest are Teamsters. The Unlicensed crew in US-flag vessels are SIU (Seaman's International Union), SUP (Sailors Union of the Pacific) or USW (United Steel Workers...I was a member of USW Local 5000 for a lot of years).

Licensed personnel are different. Many are also Naval Reserve, particularly those that graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy (Annapolis-North)

[John Kepler]

So just sink their boat, put them in the water, hand them a 50 cent inflatable float and a 25 cent compass with directions, "home is that way".... 350 miles.... Have a nice swim... Wave goodbye and sail away!

And that sir....is defined as a "War-Crime" by International Conventions that the US has signed and ratified! You sink'um....you're responsible for their safety after the fact! Not necessarily disagreeing with you in principal....just pointing out the "Unpleasant Facts" connected with it.

[Dave_n]

Yes John:

But immobilizing their engines from a distance still leaves them with a floating "home". If they know how to rig a jury sail, then they will reach home. If not, then Achmed is enjoying the "fabled 77 virgins". Either way, removal of a problem. Dave_n

[John Kepler]

Don't shoot the messenger! It's still prima facia "abandonment at sea of surrendered combatants", and it's still (probably) a war-crime. A decision to do as you say is one of those "All your career can handle" deals if you are the Commander on-scene...and it doesn't take much to wreck a US Naval career! Given the (probable) legal situation, and the fact that Pres. Coo-coo Banana is running the show...I'd treat'um like they were on a Carnival Cruise Ship until their feet hit the beach!

FWIW, the US re-signed that stupid convention in 1994....knowing it was complete horse$hit in "real" Naval warfare, but did it anyway!

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Well there is another way of looking at it. If they attempt to board a ship by firing rifles, machine guns, or RPG's You are just defending yourself against them, and if your "defence" is a bit "drastic', you are still defending yourself.

Again, its a big ocean, and the alphabet news networks don't have cameras with the pirates.

[John Kepler]

I just wonder how much "Operational Discretion" our ship commanders have with Cookoo Banana as POTUS? I'll bet they have to kick ANYTHING up to and including using fire hoses "Up The Chain"!

[smokey]

40mm. Bofors anti aircraft guns in direct fire would do the trick.The idea John, is kill their children before they kill ours. Nick