| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Horn |
| US judge Tosses Piracy Charges Against Somalis |
| 2010-08-17 |
 Cliton Appointee Defense attorneys argued last month that the Ashland defendants did not meet the U.S. legal definition of piracy because they did not take command of and rob the amphibious dock landing ship. Jackson agreed in his ruling, finding that the government "failed to establish that any unauthorized acts of violence or aggression committed on the high seas constitutes piracy as defined by the law of nations." |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #6 You would think the mere attempt would qualify the defendants as pirates. I wonder how this is going to affect the other court case. |
| Posted by: Alan Kellogg 2010-08-17 23:50 |
| #5 Yeah, the Russian model might be attractive, but they're getting keelhauled in the court of public opinion. Oh, they aren't? Who would have guessed. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-08-17 22:18 |
| #4 Strictly speaking, only sailing ships have yardarms. Of course, almost all warships will have other things like cranes and antennae which will do just fine. There is also the good old fashioned keel hauling. And passing a boat like the one shown in the picture while going at flank speed would probably be enough to swamp it. Those little boats are really hard to see after all. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2010-08-17 21:12 |
| #3 What do you think Yardarms are for? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-08-17 19:02 |
| #2 Ya just gotta agree with the Russian model here.. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2010-08-17 17:57 |
| #1 All the more reason to simply turn them into chum instead of capturing them. Hole their boat and leave. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2010-08-17 17:22 |