Re: Pirates, Russia, Somalia...Politics....
If a criminal breaks into your home, armed, with the ability to do violence upon you or your loved ones, most would agree that if you were to kill said criminal in self defense, than it is just. Is this not a summary execution without the benefit of a trial? You might, if given the chance, be able to escape your house, avoiding the violence if the circumstances were right-a very speculative notion I agree, but possible. At sea, there is no where to run from a violent attack. One must defend the ship because it is your only real chance to survive. Pirates are a special kind of criminal; to threaten the lives of people aboard a vessel at sea creates a special kind of victim. There is no law at sea except that which the master of the vessel, or captain if we may, is responsible for. Under certain circumstances, he may take life for crimes, such as mutiny, which threaten the safety and lives of those he is responsible for. Most courts would back such a decision if made for such a reason.
I am not advocating the summary execution of anyone, but if all of the countries involved don't agree to have a way of trying pirates in an international agreement, then pirates will only be encouraged to continue their plundering. Maybe we need to send them all to a prison on some remote island guarded by an international force made up from all the players involved.
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