Sunday - November 21, 2010

Brits to take on pirates ?

I guess I’m just an old cynic.  On the surface I guess it looks ok.  I would also hope it could work. I just have my doubts that it will, for various reasons.
For example, what happens if, shudder, a pirate scum is killed?  Can you just imagine the human rights industry all up in arms over the violation of the rights of the poor boy.  Will an investigation be called for? An “inquiry” as they’re called.  I’m reminded of the circus made of the shooting by police of some wacked out drunk lawyer with a shotgun.  In the papers for weeks and all sorts of experts most who’ve prolly never been called to an armed situation or handled a gun, all wringing their hands saying it wasn’t necessary to shoot the poor man dead when they might have talked him out.  Of course the fact that the police spent many hours doing just that didn’t matter.  Then after it was all over and one or more of the cops made light of the death, oh the wailing and gnashing of teeth and tears and ... and .... and .... oh how the weepy left wished they could holler RACE!  But sadly for them, the loony tune was a Caucasian.  Still though, there were some who insisted that the police be disarmed.  Sure, only a tiny handful. But the fact they exist at all tells me how stupid some ppl are.

Hey, let me give you another example of just how lame-o some people can be.

Over several years a radical and violent group of animal rights activists were carrying out acts of terror against a company that performed medical experiments on animals.  Now I admit I hate the idea of that myself.  Be that as it may, this group set fires, made threatening calls, called neighbors of employees, even the janitors or anyone connected, claiming they were child rapists or at the least, abusers.  Then they threatened bombing the pubs that served the employees of the company AND .... they even dug up the remains of the grandmother of one of the principals of the company. It went on for years and the damage they caused was extensive.  They were finally caught, there was a trial (Why?) and jail terms passed out.
In an article today in the Daily Mail, an airhead named Liz Jones, who btw carries her love of animals to the extent of feeding rats in her barn on organic food,
allows the run of her house to four dogs who are not housebroken, and that’s only a beginning ....
Miss Jones today makes the claim that while she doesn’t support the extremes these folks went to, jailing them was unfair and that instead, they should be seen as the equivalent of the Suffragettes. She is a former magazine editor, is the fashion editor for the Mail and also writes a column in the Mail and the Mail’s magazine, You.  True, not everyone here is quite that screwy.  But there is a lot of hand wringing whenever the cops do their job correctly and lawfully.
So I can imagine the noise many will make if one or two pirates end up dead. 
And lets not bring up the law suits .... oh boy.

The Government is in secret talks to send taxpayer-funded British mercenaries to war torn Somalia to confront the pirates

By Jason Lewis, Investigations editor

A Sunday Telegraph investigation can reveal that senior Foreign Office officials have held detailed discussions with a British security firm employing former members of the Special Boat Service (SBS) about setting up and running the operation.

The controversial plan – indirectly funded with aid money from British taxpayers – will see the ex-special forces team sent to train Somali nationals to take on the pirates along the country’s lawless coastline.

The revelation comes days after the release of the Chandlers, from Tunbridge Wells, who were held hostage by Somali pirates for more than a year after being captured on their yacht while on a retirement sailing holiday.

Acting as “mentors” the ex-SBS men will be allowed to accompany the new crews on patrols going into action in armed encounters with the gangs.

The plan is particularly sensitive because previous attempts to train Somali military recruits have seen them swap sides and join the pirates or Islamic insurgents, taking their weapons and equipment with them.

Operating in fast boats capable of outrunning the pirates’ converted fishing vessels, the plan is to retake the coastline and prevent the pirates from putting to sea or returning to shore with kidnap victims.

The operation is seen as essential to protect shipping navigating off the Horn of Africa. Ships currently rely on protection from international naval vessels – including Royal Navy frigates – which are spread too thinly.

Piracy has become so commonplace that conveys of ships are asking for naval escorts through the area while some shipping firms are hiring armed guards to protect their vessels, crews and cargo.

So far this year there have been 164 piracy incidents, with 37 vessels hijacked, around 700 seafarers taken hostage and 12 people killed or injured.

The decision to call in ex-special forces soldiers earning up to £1,500-a-day is highly controversial.

the rest is here

Posted by peiper     on 11/21/2010 at 02:53 PM   
Filed Under: • Pirates, aarrgh! • UK •  
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