Private guards kill Somali pirate for first time

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC/AP

NAIROBI, Kenya - Private security guards shot and killed a Somali pirate during an attack on a merchant ship off the coast of East Africa in what is believed to be the first such killing by armed contractors, the EU Naval Force spokesman said Wednesday.

The death comes amid fears that increasingly aggressive pirates and the growing use of armed private security contractors onboard vessels could fuel increased violence on the high seas. The handling of the case may have legal implications beyond the individuals involved in Tuesday's shooting.

The guards were onboard the MV Almezaan when a pirate group approached it twice, said EU Naval Force spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour. During the second approach on the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship which is United Arab Emirates owned, there was an exchange of fire between the guards and the pirates.

An EU Naval Force frigate was dispatched to the scene and launched a helicopter that located the pirates. Seven pirates were found, including one who had died from small caliber gunshot wounds, indicating he had been shot by the contractors, said Harbour. The six remaining pirates were taken into custody.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36002167/ns/world_news-africa/

[opihimoimoi]

1. ONLY ONE??? Whas wrong with them wimpy dudes....get ALL of them...use 40 mm cannons. not 22 cal.

[AlbertCat]

5. I was gonna say... "This is just the 1st time he was killed? You only live twice."

Who is writing headlines these days?

Like this one on here today:

Court lifts ban on media ownership restrictions


Which, if it means anything, appears to mean the opposite of what happened. (There's a ban on restrictions? It was lifted?)

[opihimoimoi]

14. Fire them Teachers who were responsible for the author...what is it these daze of poor writing?

Confusion Reigns

[louis-t]

2. This is what I don't understand...

WHAT LEGAL IMPLICATIONS? They were attacked, they defended themselves. End of story. Second, gun lovers always claim that the 'criminals' will be afraid if people arm themselves and defend themselves. These stories keep saying that ships defending themselves will "increase" violence as pirates get "bigger weapons". My opinion is they waited too long to start hitting back. Pirates were able to turn loot into more weapons and faster ships. Third, "small caliber gunshot"? Contractors are defending ships with small caliber ammo? I know some automatic weapons use small caliber ammo, but WTF?

[Posteritatis]

7. The legal implications are usually about docking rights

Most countries have pretty strict laws on whether merchant vessels are allowed to have weapons on them at all, so a case like this would result in the ship in question being forbidden from docking in any number of countries at all.

On the "small caliber ammo" thing, of course they're going to be defending ships with small arms. Those are more than adequate considering what they're up against. A merchant ship isn't going to carry five inch guns or missiles.

[louis-t]

10. I guess it depends on your definition of 'small caliber'.

And I forgot about the docking rights issue. I did know that. (smacks head)

[Posteritatis]

11. A lot of rifles would qualify

M-16 or AR-15 rounds are only .223 caliber if I remember correctly; that would certainly qualify as 'small' even if someone who got tagged by one of them would disagree.

[paulsby]

15. gun lovers? abortions lovers?

nobody (with a brain) refers to choice advocates as "abortion lovers"

nobody (with a brain) refers to RKBA advocates as "gun lovers"

i am a RKBA advocate

i do not love guns

guns, frankly, bore me.

for years, i did not even own a gun. i had my assigned gun and that was it.

now, i own one.

it's a tool. i no more love it, than i love my barbell

they are tools i use for an end

[NobleCynic]

17. You're absolutely correct

I'm not a fan of guns, and on the whole I'm in favor of more restrictions not less, but you are absolutely correct. It is insulting and degrading to refer to avid 2nd Amendment supporters as gun lovers. In its own way it is as bad as "lie-brals/lie-brals" or "Democrat Party".

[paulsby]

18. thank you

and fwiw, i don't doubt that there are SOME RKBA advocates who could be termed "firearms enthusiasts" if not "gun lovers"

however, there are also OPPONENTS to RKBA who are "gun lovers" or at least firearms enthusiasts. for example, some cops who are very INTO guns, might be against the right of general citizens to RKBA. they would thus be ANTI-rkba firearms enthusiasts.

of course, ime, most LEO's are pro RKBA

RKBA does need to be distinguished, as a civil rights issue, from GUNS, which are merely a tool to express one's rights via RKBA.

in the same way that an abortion is a choice that an individual woman can choose to make or she can choose NOT to have one. in neither case is she an abortion lover.

a woman can strongly believe that the state has no right to restrict a woman's choice while also strongly DISliking abortions and never even considering getting one herself no matter the circ's

it amazes me how many anti-RKBA's , as this thread illustrates, are just as virulently illogical and anti-choice as many anti-choicers.

i could cut the irony with a ladle

[Ozymanithrax]

3. I'll bet they don't have to kill him a second time. n/t

[juajen]

6. You beat me to that quip. They really should employ some

grammarians. I'm sure there are a lot of them out of work, based on what I am reading in published media.

[notadmblnd]

4. Now just who could that private security firm be?

Thinking.. thinking.. thinking.:think:

[Abq_Sarah]

8. The article suggests

The use of armed security will increase violence.

So, what's the alternative? Allowing pirates to hijacks ships? Piracy isn't going to stop until it becomes too risky and expensive in terms of life for the pirates. Or, until Somalia has a stable and strong government dedicated to protecting the waters.

[bossy22]

9. exactly

by putting armed guards on ships these ships will no longer look like easy money

[tabasco]

12. What took so long to figure this out??

Concentrated small arms fire at a little pirate boat wilL RUIN THEIR ENTIRE DAY.

[yellowcanine]

13. How many more times are they expecting to kill him? Is he a cat with nine lives?

[naaman fletcher]

16. I wonder where the "pirates are really environmentalists" brigade is. nt.