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Shoot at the pirates? West weighs arming ships
Another A-Pee story. Rest at link.Challenging a global aversion to guns aboard ships, France has put troops on tuna boats in the Indian Ocean, and Belgium is offering military units to its merchant vessels off the Horn of Africa. Now, U.S. lawmakers are weighing similar action to fight piracy. Step by baby step. Bit by bit. Opponents fear such moves will escalate the violence and raise a minefield of legal issues. As if the pirates care. If they outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. Outlaws would prefer that they be outlawed. And I'm sure the pirates would prefer that their prey be defenseless, too. In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment that would require the Department of Defense to put armed teams on U.S.-flagged ships passing through high-risk waters, specifically around the Horn of Africa where Somali pirates have become a scourge of world shipping. One rule: Don't shoot the boat! The amendment now goes to the Senate. A separate bill introduced last month would grant immunity from prosecution in American courts to any "owner, operator, time charterer, master, or mariner who uses force, or authorizes the use of force, to defend a vessel of the United States against an act of piracy." Pirate-cruises to begin shortly after the bill is passed. Posted by: gorb 2009-08-14 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=276573 |