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April 12, 2011

Please! Please! Please! Tell Me It Isn't So!


What do you do with Somali Pirates
What do you do with Somali Pirates
What do you do with Somali Pirates
Err-lie in the morning.

Give 'im a kiss and say you're sorry
Pat 'im on the arse and feed 'im halal
Light his cigarette and bid him Godspeed
Earl-lie in the morning.

I just can't believe this.

When a Royal Navy warship captured a crew of Somali pirates, it seemed like a rare chance to strike back at the ruthless sea gangsters.

The 17 outlaws were armed with an arsenal of AK 47s and rocket-propelled grenades, and had forced hostages on a hijacked fishing vessel to work as slaves for three months.

But instead of bringing them to justice, the British servicemen were ordered to provide the pirates halal meals, medical checks, cigarettes – and in one case even a nicotine patch – before releasing them in their own boats.

[...] Commander David Wilkinson, Cornwall’s captain, said: ‘This team admitted their intention was to commit piracy activities.’

But after compiling the evidence against them and submitting it to his superiors he was ordered to ‘set up arrangements for putting them ashore in Somalia’.

Before being freed, the pirates were given a medical check-up in accordance with UK law and food which included a halal option to take into account religious needs. After showing they were compliant, some were given cigarettes, and one was given a nicotine patch on medical advice because his tobacco withdrawal had caused his heart rate to soar.

Close to shore, the British servicemen set them free in two skiffs which they had earlier seized.

No more, I beg you, no more!

Commander Wilkinson added that he believed the order to free the pirates was the ‘right decision’ because he was not convinced bringing them back to the UK would have been a deterrent.

He also said he was unconvinced that they had enough evidence to convict the pirates – even though they were heavily armed, were carrying hostages and had confessed.

I'm gobsmacked.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

WTF?

The Conservative Lady said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
WoFat said...

God made ropes for a reason.

Anonymous said...

It was a good idea to let them go home. They were obviously repentent and moved by the warmth and consideration shown them. Surely they will pirate no more.

sig94 said...

FuzzyD - that was my initial reaction too. But they obviously called 10 Downing St to get their instructions and that was what the political pukes came up with.

sig94 said...

CLady - this is beyond stupid. What do they think they're doing?

sig94 said...

WoFat - yes, turn them into utility pole ornaments.

sig94 said...

"Nickie, is that you?? Nickie! Oh no! Nickie!! Please God no! Nickie!! Oh Nickie!!"

Act III, Scene 2, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"

Kid said...

Well,........... we need to put pelosi on this.

Anonymous said...

My dearest Sigster...

Rent the 1978 version of Body Snatchers, wait for the scene wherein Sutherland and adams exit the SF Dept. of Health and there is a stream of "zombies" filing through the streets carrying the dreaded pods. At the end of that scene you will note a dark-complexioned, curly-haired, mustachioed (this was, of course, San Francisco) young zombie in jeans and red plaid shirt walking in front of the camera. That was a young Nickie Goomba earning an Extra's wage and a seat at the catering trailer.

My Stanislavsky training moved me to add the slight limp.

Anonymous said...

fighting with one hand tied behind their back was not enough, they decided to tie both.

T. F. Stern said...

I heard from a reliable source that the pirates had pictures of the royal family in a number of trans-gender sexually oriented bars which would have shocked the world and that’s why the navy was ordered to release them.

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banned said...

Sad but true, once in British custody these pirates benefit from the full range of European Human Rights so the best thing was to send them ashore (or better still hand them over to the Russians or Chinese who would have dealt with them more robustly).

Christian Prayerz said...

Well from an American Perspective; I believe to stop a bad behavior, we have to offer a negative reinforcer. So what I propose is we go into Somalia, capture the pirates, and execute them for interfering in our business. Any resistance while were there should be dealt with accordingly. Any country with this response, would at least have pirates think twice about capturing one of their ships.

I hope you remember a few months ago the American missionaries who were captured by Somalian pirates. I believe the Obama Administration tried to conduct monetary negotiations with the pirates, and these people were executed military style in the end. Also, remember farther back when Bush was president. Bush didn't negotiate with the pirates, and the end result was the rescue of our people.

Since we entered our third war in Libya for "humanitarian purposes" of other people, America could use the same excuse "humanitarian reasons" for Somalia for our OWN people.

Also, its obvious SOMEONE wants them to continue this type of behavior. If you give them free things like cigarettes, and nicotine patches your actually rewarding a certain behavior with a positive reinforcer. Thus they will KEEP COMING BACK.

Whomever made these types of rules wants these attacks to continue, and furthermore has a mental disorder.

If I was in charge, I would discipline my Navy for not executing them, and further endangering our people in the future.

GoodnightVienna said...

The reason they let them go, apparently, is that had they detained them they would have been able to claim asylum in Britain. I guess they thought it was the lesser of two evils. Mad, mad world.