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| Europe |
| German authorities sitting out fight against Somali pirates |
| 2008-06-04 |
| Although a German-owned freighter is currently being detained by Somali pirates, the German Navy said on Tuesday that it would stay out of a looming, UN-approved fight against piracy because parliament in Berlin has not approved. The 15-nation UN Security Council on Monday unanimously authorised navies to enter Somalia's territorial waters to fight piracy. But a German Defence Ministry spokesman said German law only permitted police to hunt pirates. "We've got the assets but not the legal powers, and the German police have got the legal powers, but not the assets," he said, referring to the flotilla of lethal German warships which patrols off the Horn of Africa. He said German law did allow the navy to ward off impending peril, but this did not extend to trying to recapture a hijacked ship like the Gibraltar-flagged MV Lehmann Timber, a German-owned freighter seized a week ago. The German flotilla off Somalia has authorisation from Germany's parliament mainly to prevent terrorists crossing the sea between Somalia and the Arabian Peninsula. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #6 On board what, Pappy? German police on board German navy vessels. They assume nominal command during anti-piracy operations. The US has or had a similar situation. During interdiction ops prior and during Gulf War I, a token US Coast Guard presence was always in the USN boarding teams. The reason being that USN personnel are/were not legally allowed to conduct search-for-contraband ops (posse comitatus); USCG could because they were 'law enforcement'. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-06-04 18:33 |
| #5 To paraphrase Frank Zappa: You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or can fight pirates. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2008-06-04 14:33 |
| #4 Berlin, capitol of a naiton of wimps. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-06-04 13:57 |
| #3 On board what, Pappy? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-06-04 13:07 |
| #2 Simple. Put a token police presence on board. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-06-04 12:57 |
| #1 He said German law did allow the navy to ward off impending peril By getting on the horn and calling the Americans for help? |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2008-06-04 09:26 |