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| Africa Horn |
| Somali Pirate Gets 41 Year Sentence for USN Ship Attack |
| 2014-05-19 |
| A federal judge sentenced a convicted Somali pirate to 41 1/2 years in prison after rejecting a prosecutor's call for a mandatory life prison term. Mohamed Ali Said, 30, was convicted along with five other Somali men of piracy and related charges in the April 2010 attack on the dock landing ship Ashland. Attorneys for Said and the five others argued that the mandatory life prison term violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson agreed and sentenced all five last Wednesday and Thursday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Hatch argued that life in prison was appropriate, calling the attack extremely harsh and heinous and adding that Said has shown no remorse or acceptance of responsibility. "Obviously the court has a different view of matters," U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson responded. Said's attorney said his client had nothing to say. Said had previously argued that he was not a pirate and was working as a smuggler when the skiff he was on approached the Ashland off the Somali coast. Prosecutors said the Somalis mistook the Ashland for a commercial vessel when they opened fire on it in the pre-dawn darkness in an attempt to take its crew hostage in exchange for ransom. One of the Somalis admitted that was their plan. No sailors were injured, but a seventh Somali was killed when the Ashland returned fire with its 25mm cannon, blowing up the skiff. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #13 LOL, my favorite yet. I could hear it in my head. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2014-05-19 17:09 |
| #12 Khat Light presents: Somali Men of Piracy (somali men of pi-racyyy) Today we solute you, Mr. Pre-Dawn Target Acquisition Man (mr. pre-dawn aquisition maan) Using nothing but a silouette and a smile, you are living the Somali dream. Working hard to earn a ransom...and eating. (eating welll) Sure's there's danger, sharks, navy patrol, and contractors. (watch out now) Your keen instincts tell you to keep to freighters and yachts. And if that doesn't work? You're all civilian fishers. (or poor repressed smugglers) So take a big chaw of Khat Light, pirate boy. 'Cause we all know, when the going gets tough, the tough shoot back. (Mr. Pre-Dawn target aquisition guuuy!) credit/apologies to Mr. Nudist Colony Activities Director Guy, Bud Light commercial series. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2014-05-19 16:03 |
| #11 I would say that's pretty good shooting. Not as they lived to stand trial. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2014-05-19 15:38 |
| #10 GORT, according to Wikipedia, Ashland only fired two rounds. So I would say that's pretty good shooting. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2014-05-19 13:29 |
| #9 I guess that skiff lacked a copy of "US Navy Book on Ship & Aircraft Recognition". |
| Posted by: Squinty 2014-05-19 11:12 |
| #8 Somali men of piracy Sung to Real Men of Genius. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2014-05-19 10:18 |
| #7 Were I CO of the LSD Ashland, there would be a certain Gunner's Mate that would be getting his behind blistered for his poor shooting skills. |
| Posted by: GORT 2014-05-19 08:08 |
| #6 Since Obama declared it so. (Executive action, of couse) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2014-05-19 07:43 |
| #5 The pirates are lucky the Ashland didn't kill everyone one on board. Also, since when is a life sentence considered cruel and unusual punishment? |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2014-05-19 07:27 |
| #4 ZF a reasonably current of Janes is $150.00 and not Prime eligible, so shipping could be pretty pricey (especially given piracy concerns in the area). That said you'd think of all those ships they've taken their might be a copy or 2 in the ships library. This would be most helpful for SMOP-OPs. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2014-05-19 05:05 |
| #3 Somali men of piracy SMOPs |
| Posted by: Shipman 2014-05-19 05:01 |
| #2 killed when the Ashland returned fire with its 25mm cannon, blowing up the skiff. This is why you never bring a skiff to a naval gunfire engagement. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2014-05-19 00:50 |
| #1 Morons. They attacked a ship with hundreds of Marines on board. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2014-05-19 00:37 |