Posted on 04/16/2009 1:34:17 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
WASHINGTON (AFP) — A US lawmaker known for broadsides at US foreign policy says Somali piracy has an age-old solution: "Letters of marque" empowering private citizens to chase the seaborne scoundrels from the oceans.
Republican Representative Ron Paul and a handful of conservative theorists say it's time that the US Congress used the technique, pioneered by European powers in the 18th Century as a way to wage naval warfare on the cheap.
Major shipping companies should accept a "go at your own risk" approach and not expect government help when they transit through pirate-infested waters, Paul said this week in a video posted on the public Internet site YouTube.
"I don't think just because people go into these dangerous waters that our army and navy and air force and everything has to follow," he said, adding that letters of marque would allow merchant ships to sail armed.
"I think if every potential pirate knew that this would be the case, they would have second thoughts, because they could probably be blown out of the water rather easily if those were the conditions," said the Texas lawmaker.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
.
I’m all for arming merchantmen, but there’s nothing wrong with the Navy doing its job.
Bring on the NRA/GOA Somalia / Gulf of Aden cruises. Bring your own rifles or pony up cash to crew the chain guns, rocket launchers, or deck guns.
Sorry, no stops at foreign ports - can’t go in there armed, right?
I have no problem with the Navy handling the problem but I would support issuing Letters of Marque and Reprisal as well since they would not be under the same rules of engagement that have hamstrung our military in dealing with these terrorists.
Whatcha gonna do when they come for you???
Or maybe:
Dog, Bounty Hunter! lol
I think they could also try something like the “Deadliest Catch” Crab guys up in Alaska!
The point is that we could turn this into a profit making venture for the right people, if only the government would let them do this!
Ron Paul is often a nut, but even a broken watch is right twice a day, I LIKE this idea!
Congress should go to the Private Security firms (Blackwater, et al.) and solicit proposals for patrolling the Somali coastline. I bet they’d be amazed at the creative solutions that they’d get. Probably be very affordable too, especially if the got to keep any craft that they seized.
I better not need a sarcasm tag for that...
Ron Paul just proves yet again how wacky he is. Letters of Marque were used to grant the right to sieze an opposing country’s MERCHANT SHIPS and keep part of the prize as compensation.
Not much profit in siezing a leaky Somali dinghy.
Yea, those whacky Founding Fathers and their crazy ideas....
Add the reprisal part and it would encourage things like sending decoys out. Pirates go for decoy, pirates blown out of the water.
What a great idea ... Dog and the crew joining the SEALs. I LOVE it!!
Sign up Blackwater—RIGHT NOW-
Put 6 or more on EVERY ship passing thru that area of lawlessness.
Arm them to the teeth, and cycle them over to the next ship passing the other direction, like a shuttle.
I also like that cable TV show where they use the decoy cars, and wait for people to steal them, then lock the car doors and turn off the engines, by remote control!
Why not a converted cruise ship, with the rooms all converted to prison cells?
Just go up and down the coast until some Pirates board the ship, lock them up, and then go for more!
Actually, I think its a dandy idea. Frankly speaking, our Navy has bigger fish to fry and protecting their own assets is something the shippers can and should do.
Not to mention that letters of marque would be ideal for privately-owned Q-ships, that could be sent into the area looking like big fat dumb merchies, but with some extremely heavy firepower hidden away until the scumbags are close enough to get blown away.
Heck, it’d even be fun!
Ron Paul Ping
How about privatization? Have the shippers pay for their own protection.
If the problem worsened they probably would. It's my understanding that they've made the calculation that it is cheaper to pay ransom for crew & shipments given the current risk level. Seems rather defeatist, but there it is.
There, now isn't that MUCH better???
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.