Russians and Pirates

[PCP]

Russians and Pirates:

"This videotape shows Russian Navy commandos on a Somalian pirate ship shortly after the pirates had captured a Russian oil tanker. The Euro Union navy that patrols these waters would not interfere because they feared there could be casualties.

All explanations are in Russian with a single exception of when a wounded pirate says something in English. All conversations between the commandos are in Russian. If you don't understand Russian, the pictures speak for themselves.

The soldiers freed their compatriots and the tanker. The Russian Navy Commandos moved the pirates back to their own (pirate) ship, searched the pirate ship for weapons and explosives, and then they left the ship and exploded it with all remaining pirates hand-cuffed to it.

The commandos sank the pirate ship along with the pirates and without any court proceedings, lawyers etc. That is, they used the anti-piracy laws of the 18th and 19th centuries where the captain of the rescuing ship has the right to decide what to do with the pirates. Usually, they were hung.

I would think from now on, Russian ships will not be targets for Somalia pirates."

Movie:

300

[Captainmeme]

Well done comrade.

[Siamese]

If I can take that at face value.....well done, Ivan.

The U.S. worries so much about what others will think of us if we, IMHO, act effectively in a matter such as this. Nobody's going to condemn the Russians for this, any more than they'd condemn the Chinese for it. If it is publicly criticized, I'm betting it's privately respected.

I agree....the next group of pirates will steer clear of anything with a Russian flag on it.

[LakeSuperiorGeezer]

Now that the Russians have developed this way of dealing with the pirates, maybe other countries will decide the Russian way has some legal standing? Although if the legal procedure in the 19-century was hanging perhaps it could be argued that’s what should have been done. There's a lot of traditon in laws. What's the word for that, I forget.

[paulk]

The news reports I was able to find about this show it happening in 2009. (Google BPK Admiral Panteleev - the name appears in the title of the video. She is a large destroyer of the Russian Navy. ) The reports specifically mention that after blowing up the pirate ship, the pirate crew members were returned to their respective countries. No mentions of anybody being handcuffed anywhere.

[Siamese]

It might not be too late. They might still be able to catch 'em and blow 'em up.

[PCP]

Originally Posted by paulk

The news reports I was able to find about this show it happening in 2009. (Google BPK Admiral Panteleev - the name appears in the title of the video. She is a large destroyer of the Russian Navy. ) The reports specifically mention that after blowing up the pirate ship, the pirate crew members were returned to their respective countries. No mentions of anybody being handcuffed anywhere.

Of course I have not saying that they have not done that, but if they had done it they would not be saying it openly. Has you have saw that was a Russian site and almost all comments are in Russian. What I have posted was a translation that someone has made about the conclusions of those comments. Probably they know better what happens with their ships than us

Regarding to returning the crew to their countries, this one says that:

Russian sailors detained 29 pirates and later handed them over to authorities in Iran and Pakistan.

World News: "Admiral Panteleev" concluded the hunt for pirates.

On the Somali coast it seems impossible to me that the 29 pirates were Afghans and Iranians. Delivering them to Iranians or Afghans it will mean they would be hanged without much discussion.

On this one they say:

“The Admiral Panteleev (destroyer) captured Tuesday at 1412 GMT a boat carrying pirates. In total, 29 people were arrested,” the ministry said in a statement....The question of where any eventual trial for the 29 might take place will also come to the fore".

Russian destroyer captures 29 Somali pirates | World Military Forum - Latest Military News | Army, Navy, Air Force, Missiles

I guess he will never know for sure. Fact is that nobody heard again about those pirates or their trial, in Iran, Afghanistan or elsewhere.

Regards

Paulo

[Minnewaska]

I'm good with the approach. Blow them all up, it's appropriate punishment.

However, it's not likely to deter the next pirates from a Russian ship or otherwise.

These recruited or indentured pirates live miserable every day lives, without sanitation, proper food or living space. The choice for them is 50/50 being caught capturing a merchant vessel, or 100% that life will suck ashore. If they get away with capturing the vessel, they will make a decades worth of income ashore (if they could make any ashore).

The solution is to handcuff, set adrift and blow up those that repress their own people. The warlords. However, if you could, a vacuum would be created that would be filled by more that come from neighboring countries. You would have to not only round up all the bad guys, you would have to protect the boarders.

Then it's gets even harder. 80% of the Samolian population is illiterate. Who will run the place peacefully? You would probably have to build schools and wait there for a generation or two.

In other words, blow up all you want, if you aren't in for the long haul, not much will change. No country seems to be fully committed to dealing with this.

[PCP]

Originally Posted by Minnewaska

I'm good with the approach. Blow them all up, it's appropriate punishment.

However, it's not likely to deter the next pirates from a Russian ship or otherwise.

These recruited or indentured pirates live miserable every day lives, without sanitation, proper food or living space. The choice for them is 50/50 being caught capturing a merchant vessel, or 100% that life will suck ashore. If they get away with capturing the vessel, they will make a decades worth of income ashore (if they could make any ashore).

The solution is to handcuff, set adrift and blow up those that repress their own people. The warlords. However, if you could, a vacuum would be created that would be filled by more that come from neighboring countries. You would have to not only round up all the bad guys, you would have to protect the boarders.

Then it's gets even harder. 80% of the Samolian population is illiterate. Who will run the place peacefully? You would probably have to build schools and wait there for a generation or two.

In other words, blow up all you want, if you aren't in for the long haul, not much will change. No country seems to be fully committed to dealing with this.

Yes I agree. The only long term solution will be to help Somalis to have a viable state. If that happens it will be the the Somalis that will finish with the warlords and with the piracy on their waters.

Regards

Paulo

[gryff57]

The U.S. worries so much about what others will think of us if we, IMHO, act effectively in a matter such as this.

I seem to remember President Obama ordering US Navy Seals to take out some pirates a of couple years ago.