Posted: Wednesday, December 3, 2008 12:00 am
The world has tied itself into knots over how to prevent piracy off the coast of east Africa and in the Gulf of Aden. But the solution is plain: Kill the pirates.
Piracy is one of the few offenses that every country in the world recognizes as a crime. And centuries ago, the world knew how to deal with it. Pirates who were caught were hanged, sometimes on the spot because taking them to a court on land would take months and no ship wanted to have pirates on board for that long.
On Tuesday it was reported that pirates in the Gulf of Aden had attacked a cruise ship, but the liner managed to outrun the attackers. It is evident that measures taken so far have not had a deterrent effect.
Ship crews are within their rights to defend themselves by force. If a small boat approaches, it should be warned off. If it keeps coming, the ship has the right to fire and sink the smaller boat.
A few cases of forceful defensive action, widely publicized, would change the picture. Once a few pirate skiffs had been sunk or their crews killed in a failed attack, their remaining colleagues would go back to fishing or find some other way to earn their keep. (hh)