Video: Royal Marines capture and sink pirate vessel

[Die Hard]

All weapons are accounted for in some form, right from manufacture. They don't just hand them out. So at some stage these were stolen and if not then even in a place where you LOL at the thought of legitimate paper work would have some form of accountability..(somebody knows where they came from) This being said the vessels holding these weapons should have some form of identification or at the least the ability to produce /confirm the legitimacy. Even you would carry a license for a gun if you had one and if you didn't and were found to be in possession of one do you think the authorities will say oh well you can keep it, we trust you.

That's incredibly naive; do you actually believe there is paperwork involved in the African arms trade? Russian/Chinese manufacturers sell AK's to African/international arms dealers with paperwork - African/international arms dealers sells them to whomever they squealing like, no paperwork required. Most of those guns were probably sold on the streets of Mogadishu and have had many previous owners; most of whom are now dead. And just for your information I own many guns and can carry them (openly), no license required.

So did somalia ratify it?

Yes, on 24 July 1989. http://www.un.org/Depts/los/reference_files/chronological_lists_of_ratifications.htm

Die hard i can understand why you think this will set a dangerous precident for the future of shipping. But really it was a very small boat. I think the Somalis are happy to have their lives.

Unquestionably. However the size of the boat and the happiness of the Somalis are irrelevant to the legal precedent it set.

[thrila]

Diehard, it the Royal Navy was within it's right to seize the weapons and boat because there were reasonable grounds to suspect it's use was for piracy.  The RN is not required to prove intent was for use of piracy, only to have reasonable grounds to suspect that is the case.  Where are you getting this info that somli militia are equiped with motherboats & skiffs, machine guns, rpg's, extra fuel and grappling hooks. That is what has bene released by the media, we don't know what other evidence was to suggest they were pirates.  The pirates weren't arrested because the RN could not link them to a specific incident.

You even quoted an british official stating - "As a British official put it: “We can only arrest suspected pirates if we catch them in the act or on the point of launching an attack on a vessel. Clearly, with all the weaponry in the skiffs, there was an intent to commit piracy, but we hadn’t actually caught them in the middle of an attack so we had to release them.”
 

Un security council resolution 1851 states-

“2.   Calls upon States, regional and international organizations that have the capacity to do so, to take part actively in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, in particular, consistent with this resolution, resolution 1846 (2008), and international law, by deploying naval vessels and military aircraft and through seizure and disposition of boats, vessels, arms and other related equipment used in the commission of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, or for which there are reasonable grounds for suspecting such use;

Solid, irrefutable proof is not required.

[Die Hard]

I'll have to check that U.N. resolution. If the U.N. have decreed special dispensations the action could very well have been legal and prove me an ass.

[Die Hard]

Yep, there it is:

"The Council affirmed that the authorization provided in the resolution applied only to the situation in Somalia and did not affect the rights or obligations or responsibilities of Member States under international law, including under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, with respect to any other situation.  It underscored that the resolution did not establish customary international law."

A special dispensation from the law.

I'm an ass.

[mechanic]

so now just worry about who makes the laws, or has the right to change them situationaly. 

[Die Hard]

That's not nearly as worrying as law enforcement/military personnel breaking the law and nobody cares (which apparently was not the case, this time). Under unusual or critical circumstances any government can issue special temporary dispensations from the law. In this case the U.N. did. As long as the decision is made by a lawful representative government or in this case the representatives of several lawful governments, there is little to worry about.

[Angus]

Just wondering DieHard, - what would you prefer as an option when your merchant vessel, with , - say you as the ship's cook, - gets approached by a fast and small boat, loaded with some goofs carrying SMG's, grenades and AK-47's?

Once upon a time I was a ship's cook. I think I'd be happy for the RN around.

I just miss the point of defending those rubber-boat bandits for their well armed and successful dallying on an international shipping route. Sorry 

[Die Hard]

Not only is your hypothetical question is so loaded that it's absurd, it is also a completely different situation than what is being discussed here.

I was defending the law not those that break it. Many people in this thread displayed opinions that unfortunately are becoming prevalent; that it is ok for law enforcement and the military to take liberties with the law. I was wrong about the RN in this case, but people here defended the actions of the RN regardless of legality. That's worrying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK78KBvH0wg

I hope some of you guys get to meet cops like those. That would be poetic.

[ariansworld]

DieHard,  you are proving to us that you are a somali pirate. nuff said

[mechanic]

......As long as the decision is made by a lawful representative government or in this case the representatives of several lawful governments, there is little to worry about.

Actualy I'm still rather worried about how bad our aim was. looked like about 10% hit ratio with both guns combined. 

[Oleg]

Actualy I'm still rather worried about how bad our aim was. looked like about 10% hit ratio with both guns combined. 

They need more practice 

[eddiek]

Looked to me like the media took liberties in editing that clip.  Notice the scene switches from him shuffling around, female officer has her arm resting on the car window, to she out of the car, hand on her hip, and her partner is coming around the car at the alleged victim.
What transpired in the missing time frame?  What did he do to escalate the situation?  Make verbal threats, make threatening gestures?

You appear to me to be someone who says he is defending "the law", as a cover for his dislike or hatred for anyone in authority, especially police or military personnel.  

You want someone or something to point your finger at and squeak about.
Had the RN done nothing and those Somalis been involved in a hijacking or attempted hijacking, you would have been critical of that too.  "They should have done something, they were on their boat.  Didn't they see the weapons?  How stupid are they?" would have been a typical response from you.

I understand that in desperate times, people do desperate things.  Throwing in with "pirates" is such an act.
But you have to face the consequences for your actions.  These walking rectums have been preying upon unarmed vessels.  In short, they only attack the weak......making them bullies in my eyes.  
Name ONE reason they would or should be in international waters armed the way they were.  They weren't fishermen.  You can't use the "patrolling Somali waters" line cause of where they were and there's been no protest from the Somali government about "militia" or whatever they call their navy being disarmed and their vessel sunk.
If walks like a duck, quacks like a duck....it probably IS a duck.  These guys fit the typical Somali pirate profile.  Intervention by the RN probably DID prevent these losers from carrying out an attack on an UNARMED vessel, and they did it without any loss of life.
Actually, I still stick with my initial thoughts:  Rather than let them return to their mother vessel with information about operational tactics, the RN should have turned them into fish food and let the world think they were just lost at sea.

[Masherbrum]

Why are you guys arguing with lasersailor?

[Die Hard]

Looked to me like the media took liberties in editing that clip.  Notice the scene switches from him shuffling around, female officer has her arm resting on the car window, to she out of the car, hand on her hip, and her partner is coming around the car at the alleged victim.
What transpired in the missing time frame?  What did he do to escalate the situation?  Make verbal threats, make threatening gestures?

Then why didn't you just look at the whole unedited clip on youtube?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbRVTfzQ0IQ

The rest of your post isn't worth responding to.

[Die Hard]

Here's another good example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYqOBKC7Gqw

Equality before the Law is a prime requirement for everyone to be safe.