Article

2009-05-19 Europe

Somali pirates embrace capture as route to Europe

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Posted by tu3031 2009-05-19 12:03|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top
File under: Pirates

#1 See, what do you do when our PRISONS are better than their homes?

Of course, the problem of capturing pirates is traditionally something that solved itself. Woe to the modern age...

Posted by gromky 2009-05-19 12:53|| 2009-05-19 12:53|| Front Page Top

#2 Ah. He's a "Robin Hood" ya see..

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) A lawyer for one of five suspected Somali pirates being prosecuted in the Netherlands described his client Monday as a modern-day Robin Hood driven by poverty to hijack ships.

The Netherlands agreed to prosecute them under a 17th-century law against "sea robbery" because the Samanyulo is registered in the Dutch Antilles. Convicted pirates face a maximum sentence of nine years, while a convicted pirate ship captain can get up to 12 years. Their trial is not expected to begin until later this year.

At a pretrial hearing in a heavily guarded court in Rotterdam, lawyer Willem Jan Ausma called his client, Ahmed Yusuf, a "Robin Hood." Speaking to reporters outside court, he said pirates "attack ships of rich countries to give the ransom to poor families."

He later told judges there were different types of pirates operating off Somalia's coast those who gave ransom money to organized crime gangs and others "who just go to sea in the hope of getting something more than the fish that are no longer there."

Yusuf, wearing a white coat and black shirt, smiled and waved to reporters as he walked into the courtroom and sat in front of Ausma.

Haroon Raza, a lawyer for another of the suspects, applied for him to be released from custody so he could return to Somalia to provide an income for his family. Judges rejected the application and all five suspects were sent back to the five Dutch jails where they are being held apart from one another.

Ah, well, Haroon. Euro judge, it was worth a shot, right?

Posted by tu3031 2009-05-19 13:19|| 2009-05-19 13:19|| Front Page Top

#3 Hang the lawyer as an accessory.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2009-05-19 17:53|| 2009-05-19 17:53|| Front Page Top

#4 These pirates DO learn. They are gaming the system and it pays. Sun Tzu would look at the EU approach to piracy and say, "These guys need an IEP."

Posted by Alaska Paul 2009-05-19 22:53|| 2009-05-19 22:53|| Front Page Top

#5 Even better - deport him to Somalia with his client.

Posted by Pappy 2009-05-19 22:53|| 2009-05-19 22:53|| Front Page Top

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