Posted on 11/28/2008 7:58:30 AM PST by econjack
Details about another ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates and one that was released with the crew unharmed.
Question: Why not have weapons aboard ships that sail these waters similar to our troops with rocket launchers that home in on a target painted with a laser beam. My guess is that putting a few prirate boats in orbit might discourage other pirates in the area...just a thought.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
At this point, if you get hijacked I’d say it’s your fault. Kind of like walking through certain neighborhoods in East LA at 2am with a bunch of gold jewelry dangling from your person.
If you’re going to sail waters full of pirates, and you’re not armed to the teeth and prepared to blast away, then you’re an idiot begging to be hijacked.
No sympathy from me.
these somalis need to be spanked and hard.
preferably by another country.
we’ve got our hands full.
...hence my proposal for portable rockets.
We need to form an international naval command (US, UK, Indian) and organize all merchant shipping into convoys. Bill the sovreign states owning the ships. All shipping in the area must join the convoy system or they are on their own.
All ships joining the convoy are subject to inspection first (no enemies within). Convoys sail with naval escort. Any ship approaching the convoy is subject to inspection. Any ship not conforming to the inspection will be sunk immediately. Survivors will not be rescued.
I have read elsewhere that many ports throughout the world will not allow armed commercial ships into their ports. “Armed” even includes possession of small arms.
For the pirates to be effectively resisted, this world wide “gun control & ban” must first be done away with.
What do you bet the pirates are already very much aware of what ships do not dare have firearms on board?
Seems like an H-bomb-to-kill-an-ant approach to the problem. Plus, administratively it would be a nightmare. Just coordinating convoys would be difficult. Compare the cost of such administrative problems to the purchase of a dozen rockets and a laser system. Much more cost effective and probably drives the message home much more quickly and effectively.
All you have to do is look at the history of pirates and how they changed tactics during the 1700’s when much of the same was tried as far as putting weapons, soldiers, security on ships.
Piracy was only stopped after Nations took the battle to their hideouts and killed them enmass where they slept, drank, and brawled.
Good luck doing that in this world today. We can’t even keep known killers at Gitmo. Heck, India blows a ship out of the water with pirates on it and the pirates turn the media loose on India with their lies.
Almost thinking the pirating was a diversion for the India attacks.
Sad, but true. Still, there are times when you need to send a strong message and to hell with the politically correct SOB's in the world. To me, this is one of those times.
Try to think of it this way: your CCW that is good in Michigan is not good in Ontario.
I have read elsewhere that many ports throughout the world will not allow armed commercial ships into their ports. “Armed” even includes possession of small arms.Ok, then make it part of the cost of doing business. Arm the ship on the way out. Portable rockets, as someone here suggested. As you approach your destination port, dump the weapons in the sea.
Of course, then you've got the return trip to worry about.
Ok, how about this. An armed escort that never enters any national waters but escorts your ship through the area most infested with these fermin. In fact, this could be a good business model for some mercenary group, which, itself, will never set foot on any of the "gun controlled" ports.
Have Torpedos. Will Travel.
For the pirates to be effectively resisted, this world wide “gun control & ban” must first be done away with.
What do you bet the pirates are already very much aware of what ships do not dare have firearms on board?
You bring up an excellent point about gun control.
This whole piracy issue is a textbook example of how gun control renders victims helpless to defend themselves against attack.
The only difference is this issue is being played out on the international stage instead of in a back alley in some city, so it's harder to ignore.
The contract armed escort idea is excellant. I’ll bet some one is already considering it. I would imagine even some of the pirates themselves might take up this work.
I seem to recall something from history about letters of marque. That could help, too.
I thought about Pirates doing this also, under assumed identities, of course.
“Look, we really have good contacts with those SOB’s and if you hire us, we’ll steer you clear of any trouble. You give us money and we’ll give you... protection!”
There should be an informal international agreement to define, then patrol, some narrow, high-volume rights-of-way for ships.
I am not suggesting centralized traffic control, although separating traffic in opposite directions might be part of it.
The initial purposes of the agreement would be to reduce the area that needs to be patrolled, to allow large commercial ships to carry radars that help the patrolling nations, and to increase the radar coverage by putting the commercial ships in a smaller area.
Ships within these rights of way that do not self-identify electronically, are suspicious or have not filed a travel plan, could be challenged, boarded or destroyed. The rights of way would need to wide enough to discourage loitering of pirates along its edges. Say, 25 miles.
Also, certain kinds of small high-speed boats could be banned entirely, unless they meet some conditions (transponder, travel plan, clear purpose, etc.).
I’m not sure I agree, since international agreements have a way of creating new bureaucracies. Instead, I favor a less costly approach where ships sailing those waters have smart rockets that can laser paint a target. I would also tell Somalia to join the modern world and start getting its house in order...or else. That ultimatum should come from the UN, if it wasn’t a worthless organization in the first place.
Or else what? The Somali government can't even control it's own territory. It is in no position to deal with the pirates in Somali ports.
That's a tough one. I can't see any nation allowing armed private ships to operate out of their ports. Where would this group be based?
It's a formality that one observes before the UN goes in and installs an interim gov't. Perhaps, with UN peace keepers on the ground, some order might be restored.
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