Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Norwegian Shipping Magnate Advocates Summarily Executing Pirates

Well, I would have to agree with him. Make these pirates fear for their lives and they might not want to be so quick to do it.

The 79-year-old is the founder of Stolt-Nielsen Ltd, one of Norway's biggest shipping companies. He stepped down as chairman two years ago but still serves on the board.

"Pirates captured in international waters have always been punished by death, often on the spot," Stolt-Nielsen wrote Tuesday, arguing that modern navies should deal with the problem like Roman pirate hunter Pompey did more than 2,000 years ago.

"Not arrest them and say, 'naughty, naughty, shame on you,' and release them again, but sink their boats with all hands," he wrote. "The pirates won't be frightened by being placed before a civilian court."

I mean the British would execute a pirate and put them on display in a gibbet to warn other pirates not to do it. It didn't stop the piracy but it at least showed the pirates that the British meant business. Nowadays a civilian court would just give them a few years in jail or something. I mean pirates caught by the US who are sent to our prisons would love how better they are treated then in Somalia.

I have to agree with this guy when it comes to at least arming the crews of these boats. Allow them to defend themselves from these pirates like the merchantmen of yesteryear. These pirates would think twice if they had to face heavy machine guns and shipboard howitzer when they are looking for an easy score.

I'm pretty sure the pirates would not attack Norwegian ships if they had standing orders to shoot at any boat approaching them from the Solmali Coast.

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