Why not just give them cups of tea?
Nearly a dozen pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades, machineguns and grappling hooks have been seized in the Gulf of Aden, after being intercepted by a Royal Navy warship.
Two skiffs had been detected by the radar on board HMS Portland, a Type 23 frigate, which was originally designed for anti-submarine warfare.
Suspecting that they were “not innocent fishing vessels”, the frigate, commanded by Commander Tim Henry, steamed closer to the skiffs and saw that both vessels were filled with weaponry and ammunition. The ship’s Lynx helicopter was sent to hover over the skiffs while teams of Royal Marine and navy personnel in rigid inflatable boats sped towards the craft and disarmed the ten men on board. The Lynx was armed with a machinegun and snipers.
“The skiffs were equipped with extra barrels of fuel, grappling hooks and a cache of weapons that included rocket-propelled grenades, machineguns and ammunition,” navy officials said.
... & later that day, the pirates were hanged from HMS Portland’s yardarm let go, yes really, so frankly why frigging well bother in the first place – Nelson, Fisher, Beatty & Ramsey must all be turning in their graves.
However as opposed to heaping invective upon the Senior Service for being subject to crappy rules of engagement I will look for a positive: at least this time the Navy personnel & Royal Marines involved didn’t end up getting captured & paraded on television. Beyond that, it’s possibly best not to say any more
Comments
bloody hell. why in god's name those bastards aren't all being strung up is beyond me.
Is there no one with any balls left in the world (other than the pirates, I mean)?
Posted by: pdwalker | June 4, 2009 7:35 AM
It is worth noting that releasing these pirates in their home waters denies them the opportunity to claim asylum in Britain, as has happened in the past with other murdering scum.
It is possible, given the reluctance to hang them after a trial aboard the warship, that release is the lesser evil for us in the long run.
Personally, I think they should have been blown out of the water once they were identified as pirates.
Posted by: Bryn, North Wales | June 4, 2009 4:56 PM
Oh come now! Everyone knows that you shoot fish and use explosives to render sharks inert! At least, that was the story I was to repeat when I was in the sixth form in my local madrassa.
Yeah, that's it.
Taqiyyah.
Posted by: Cricket the pirate | June 5, 2009 4:13 AM
I might hasten to add that the Royal Navy dealt with them according to the ROE and while I know they must have itched to send them to Davy Jones' locker, they acted with restraint and with appropriateness. Good on them.
The appeaseniks have no qualms about ascertaining intent from what you own or say, but we can't ascertain intent from same.
Hypocritical morons.
Posted by: Cricket | June 6, 2009 8:14 PM
Quite
Posted by: PeterMontee | July 3, 2009 12:55 AM
We should bring back the galleys
"Rowers! First I shall give you the good news. Tonight you shall have all you can eat, be able drink all you can hold and have as many women as you wish!!"
"What's the bad news, Captain?"
"Her Majesty is going water skiing in the morning."
Posted by: Beausaber | July 24, 2009 5:46 AM