a Pirates question

[olevetonahill]

I see Th US Gov. has charged 11 doods with Piracy and shat.
While Im all for hangin these bastages from the yard arm or whatever that thing is .

How do The U.S.Gov. have any jurisdiction over these maggots?
I can see where our Ships could send em all to Davy Jones locker.
But since this carp happened OUTSIDE our Jurisdictional waters. How can we leagally try em ?

I remember when I took my 1st EX on a cruise outta Miami, They wouldnt open the On ship Casino till we passed the 3 mile mark cause then we wernt under US Law

Im sure theres an easy answer and Im jes missin it .

[olevetonahill]

Oh yea heres the Linky to the story

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100423/ap_on_re_us/us_prosecuting_pirates

[Skysooner]

I believe that if it is a US flagged vessel, it is considered United States territory.

[GottaHavePride]

I see Th US Gov. has charged 11 doods with Piracy and shat.
While Im all for hangin these bastages from the yard arm or whatever that thing is .

How do The U.S.Gov. have any jurisdiction over these maggots?
I can see where our Ships could send em all to Davy Jones locker.
But since this carp happened OUTSIDE our Jurisdictional waters. How can we leagally try em ?

I remember when I took my 1st EX on a cruise outta Miami, They wouldnt open the On ship Casino till we passed the 3 mile mark cause then we wernt under US Law

Im sure theres an easy answer and Im jes missin it .

Vet, the difference is none of those cruise ships are US-registered. They're nearly all registered in foreign countries, so once you hit international waters you're under the jurisdiction of that other country's law.

If a pirate attacks a US-flagged ship, then the US is clear to respond under our own laws.

[olevetonahill]

Ok Ill buy that

[AlbqSooner]

Vet, the difference is none of those cruise ships are US-registered. They're nearly all registered in foreign countries, so once you hit international waters you're under the jurisdiction of that other country's law.

If a pirate attacks a US-flagged ship, then the US is clear to respond under our own laws.

I will defer to TUSooner on this because Tulane has probably the best Maritime Law school anywhere.

I will say that the reason the cruise ship casino, as well as the day cruise casino boats, do not open until they are outside the 3 mile limit (which is 9 miles on the Gulf Coast side of Florida) is that they are then no longer sujbect to Florida law regardless of their registration.

[delhalew]

Well you probably know that the Barbary pirates are the reason we have a Marine Corps. This, of course is different, in that instead of state sponsored piracy, Somalia is more a lack of government to approve or disapprove type of situation.
Here is a link for general wiki info on our first dealings with piracy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War

[King Barry's Back]

I am personally no expert, but the US also claims legal jurisdiction to pretty much charge and try anybody for violating our laws pretty much anywhere in the world. Though I think in practice we only invoke this if US-citizens and/or property are involved.

This is how we can go after terrorists who kill Americans in third countries.

It gets less attention, but we also use this authority for normal criminal activity, as well. (Seems strange to call it "normal," but hopefully you get the meaning.)

[AlbqSooner]

Well you probably know that the Barbary pirates are the reason we have a Marine Corps.

Actually I did know that. Shores of Tripoli and such.

[Jacie]

Jurisdiction? No problem.

The pirates attacked U.S. Navy ships.

NORFOLK, Va. – Eleven suspected Somali pirates accused in separate attacks on two Navy ships off the coast of Africa were indicted in U.S. federal court Friday.

Five of the men were captured March 31, after the frigate USS Nicholas exchanged fire with a suspected pirate vessel west of the Seychelles.

The other six were captured after they allegedly began shooting at the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland on April 10 about 380 miles off Djibouti, a small nation facing Yemen across the mouth of the Red Sea.