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How to Kill Somali Pirates Without Using Firearms
IsraPundit ^ | 4/16/09 | Bill Levinson

Posted on 04/16/2009 10:31:25 AM PDT by Winged Hussar

We read in this morning's paper that militant "Islamic" terrorists from Somalia are now threatening to "massacre" American sailors because Navy SEALs rescued an American from terrorist kidnappers. The countries to which merchantmen sail, in defiance of plain common sense, still refuse to allow armed vessels to dock in their ports. A possible answer would be for the merchant ships to mount detachable "combat modules" that could be lowered into international waters while the ship docked with its cargo. ...In the meantime, though, we would like to remind sailors of a very simple way to kill pirates without using anything that could be legally defined as a "weapon." Just drop something heavy onto their speedboat or skiff when they attempt to board.

The above practice dates back to the age of sail, when not only pirates but legitimate combatants would attempt to capture ships by rowing alongside in small boats and then climbing aboard. Sailors and marine guards therefore kept a few cannonballs (probably 18 to 32 pounds) handy to drop into the boarders' boat. A heavy iron ball would, when dropped from the ship's upper deck, go right through the rowboat and sink it. We are not sure what a similar technique would do to a skiff with a plastic bottom, and perhaps some tests should be conducted to determine the impact necessary to split one open or make a hole in it.

...We encourage merchant fleets to experiment with these techniques in advance to make sure they will work. (That is, an encounter with pirates is not the first time they should be tried. As an example, the crew should experiment on empty skiffs similar to those used by pirates to see what will work.)

(Excerpt) Read more at israpundit.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: piracy; somalia
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1 posted on 04/16/2009 10:31:25 AM PDT by Winged Hussar
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To: Winged Hussar

1. Fresh fruit.
2. 16-ton weight.


2 posted on 04/16/2009 10:33:11 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: DuncanWaring

Pointed sticks.


3 posted on 04/16/2009 10:33:51 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (The man who said "there's no such thing as a stupid question" has never talked to Helen Thomas.)
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To: Winged Hussar

Awesome. Large vessels are also high off water level so it will cause quite a bit of damage.


4 posted on 04/16/2009 10:34:01 AM PDT by Soothesayer (The United States of America Rest in Peace November 4 2008)
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To: Winged Hussar

Killing with firearms is more fun and reliable. Sinking a boat with a cannonball in open ocean will probably result in killing the pirate anyway so why fool around and pretend there is something wrong with using firearms?


5 posted on 04/16/2009 10:34:36 AM PDT by CodeToad (Anyone wanting the government to take over medical care should stand in line at the post office)
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To: Winged Hussar

Why not simply use the firehose to spray them with some flammable liquid, then toss a match.

You are not ‘armed’ in the conventional sense. Gasoline flushes out nicely with water, as does Diesel. Both float on water, stick nicely to skin, wood and fiberglass. And everyone is allegic to fire.


6 posted on 04/16/2009 10:34:49 AM PDT by Hodar (Who needs laws .... when this "feels" so right?)
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To: Winged Hussar

You can also try dropping chunks of old ham and dog feces. Somalis are muzzies.


7 posted on 04/16/2009 10:34:59 AM PDT by Soothesayer (The United States of America Rest in Peace November 4 2008)
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To: Winged Hussar

Kinda hard when they are shooting at you.


8 posted on 04/16/2009 10:35:04 AM PDT by GOP_Party_Animal
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To: Winged Hussar

Burning oil too.


9 posted on 04/16/2009 10:35:09 AM PDT by SeminoleSoldier
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To: Winged Hussar

Good idea, since it is very difficult to keep boiling oil close at hand!

Maybe containers of an acid or corrosive...


10 posted on 04/16/2009 10:35:11 AM PDT by JimRed ("Hey, hey, Teddy K., how many girls did you drown today?" TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!)
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To: Winged Hussar

Mount M2 .50cal mg’s strategically around the boat. Those .50BMG rounds will make swiss cheese out of nearly anything.


11 posted on 04/16/2009 10:35:33 AM PDT by DesertSapper (God, Family, Country . . . . . . . . . . and dead terrorists!!!)
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To: Winged Hussar

Throw sticks of Right Guard at them.


12 posted on 04/16/2009 10:35:57 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (We've gone from Jefferson to the Jeffersons)
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To: Winged Hussar
"...We encourage merchant fleets to experiment with these techniques in advance to make sure they will work. (That is, an encounter with pirates is not the first time they should be tried. As an example, the crew should experiment on empty skiffs similar to those used by pirates to see what will work.)"

Change that to "manned skiffs" and we finally have a use for Gitmo prisoners. :>)

13 posted on 04/16/2009 10:36:27 AM PDT by ataDude (My incredulity has already turned into disillusionment and is now turning into hatred.)
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

Siberian tigers.


14 posted on 04/16/2009 10:36:29 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Winged Hussar

Use pork and pork fat.


15 posted on 04/16/2009 10:36:35 AM PDT by Jane Austen (Boycott the Bahamas!)
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To: Hodar

Toss ‘em a ham. Large frozen ham.


16 posted on 04/16/2009 10:36:56 AM PDT by mbarker12474 (If thine enemy offend thee, give his childe a drum.)
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To: DuncanWaring

That chinese ship found that beer bottles full of gasoline worked real well......there is no logical reason to set around with your thumb in your butt and let those animals on board. Plain cheap simple shotguns would work fine. Give the skinnies a face full of buckshot. If you have to, throw the guns overboard before docking. You are out, ???what??? $500 for saving the ship? In this situation, screw the law, save the ship.


17 posted on 04/16/2009 10:37:07 AM PDT by Concho (01-20-2009--The beginning of an ERROR)
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To: Winged Hussar; All; Vince Ferrer

Does anyone know the maritime law that allowed armed merchant marine during WW2?

Why can’t that just be re-instituted and limit the anti-self defense laws currently blocking them for each port of call?


18 posted on 04/16/2009 10:37:43 AM PDT by 1010RD (First Do No Harm)
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To: SeminoleSoldier

Sulpher and Oil! “Greek Fire”! “Livestock”!


19 posted on 04/16/2009 10:37:43 AM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: Winged Hussar

Sea Turtles


20 posted on 04/16/2009 10:37:50 AM PDT by BlueStateBlues (Blue State for business, Red State at heart.........2012--can't come soon enough.)
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