Posted on Aug 17, 2015
"Lock ‘Em Up: Judges Say Five Somali Pirates Need To Spend Life In Prison For Attacking US Navy Ship"
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From: Daily Caller
A federal appeals courted ruled Thursday that five Somali pirates who attacked a U.S. Navy ship definitely need to spend life behind bars, contradicting the decision of a lower court.
The case dates back to 2010, when seven men plotted take over a merchant ship and hold it for ransom. But the execution of their plan turned into an absolute disaster when they mistakenly thought the USS Ashland was a normal cargo vessel, The Associated Press reports.
As soon as the men started firing with AK-47s on the ship, sailors immediately shot back at the small skiff, immediately killing a pirate and causing the vessel to explode. The rest of the vessel-less men were rescued by Navy sailors.
One of the men decided to cooperate with federal prosecutors, but five did not, and so were subsequently convicted. The U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson handed down sentences ranging anywhere from 30 to 42.5 years for the crime of piracy. Three judges from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Jackson’s decision, telling him to impose life sentences on the five men as required by federal law.
“It is of no moment that no one aboard the USS Ashland was harmed before the defendants’ attack was thwarted,” Judge Robert King, one of the three judges on the panel, wrote. “The mandatory life sentence reflects a rational legislative judgment that piracy in international waters “is a crime deserving of one of the harshest of penalties.””
Before 1909, the penalty in the United States for piracy was death.
The case is not yet finished. Defendants could appeal to the full appeals court or to the Supreme Court. The pirates’ attorney, Geremy C. Kamens, has not yet come to a decision.
Piracy in the Gulf of Aden is viewed as a major threat to international shipping routes, but piracy has dropped dramatically in the last several years. In 2011, 237 incidents were reported near Somalia. Just a year later, the number decreased to 75, and then in 2013, to 14.
http://dailycaller.com/2015/08/14/lock-em-up-judges-say-five-somali-pirates-need-to-spend-life-in-prison-for-attacking-us-navy-ship/#ixzz3j6BvC0GI
A federal appeals courted ruled Thursday that five Somali pirates who attacked a U.S. Navy ship definitely need to spend life behind bars, contradicting the decision of a lower court.
The case dates back to 2010, when seven men plotted take over a merchant ship and hold it for ransom. But the execution of their plan turned into an absolute disaster when they mistakenly thought the USS Ashland was a normal cargo vessel, The Associated Press reports.
As soon as the men started firing with AK-47s on the ship, sailors immediately shot back at the small skiff, immediately killing a pirate and causing the vessel to explode. The rest of the vessel-less men were rescued by Navy sailors.
One of the men decided to cooperate with federal prosecutors, but five did not, and so were subsequently convicted. The U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson handed down sentences ranging anywhere from 30 to 42.5 years for the crime of piracy. Three judges from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Jackson’s decision, telling him to impose life sentences on the five men as required by federal law.
“It is of no moment that no one aboard the USS Ashland was harmed before the defendants’ attack was thwarted,” Judge Robert King, one of the three judges on the panel, wrote. “The mandatory life sentence reflects a rational legislative judgment that piracy in international waters “is a crime deserving of one of the harshest of penalties.””
Before 1909, the penalty in the United States for piracy was death.
The case is not yet finished. Defendants could appeal to the full appeals court or to the Supreme Court. The pirates’ attorney, Geremy C. Kamens, has not yet come to a decision.
Piracy in the Gulf of Aden is viewed as a major threat to international shipping routes, but piracy has dropped dramatically in the last several years. In 2011, 237 incidents were reported near Somalia. Just a year later, the number decreased to 75, and then in 2013, to 14.
http://dailycaller.com/2015/08/14/lock-em-up-judges-say-five-somali-pirates-need-to-spend-life-in-prison-for-attacking-us-navy-ship/#ixzz3j6BvC0GI
Somalia
Navy
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
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I'm still wondering why they were captured. If you shoot at me and I am armed, lead will come back with a vengeance.
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PO2 Angelika Laist
I was on the Ashland when this happened. I suppose it would have been inhumane to let them frown, especially since one of them had his leg shot off.
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MCPO Roger Collins
As is the norm when they surrender you are required to take in custody. Not a choice. Given how they treat captives it's too bad they gave up.
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What I find really hard to believe is that any lawyer would defend these "men."
Secondly, while I'm not too keen on them spending their lives in prison on the US taxpayer's dime, what's the alternative? Sending them back to Somalia where they will undoubtedly return to a life of piracy?
When I was on the USS Pearl Harbor (LSD52) for her 2010 WESTPAC, we were housing 60+ Somali "refugees" whose skiff sank. Our task was to find a country that would grant them amnesty as they did not want to return to Somalia, and we did not want to bring them back to the US. I could go on and on, but I honestly don't know how much I'm allowed to talk about!
Secondly, while I'm not too keen on them spending their lives in prison on the US taxpayer's dime, what's the alternative? Sending them back to Somalia where they will undoubtedly return to a life of piracy?
When I was on the USS Pearl Harbor (LSD52) for her 2010 WESTPAC, we were housing 60+ Somali "refugees" whose skiff sank. Our task was to find a country that would grant them amnesty as they did not want to return to Somalia, and we did not want to bring them back to the US. I could go on and on, but I honestly don't know how much I'm allowed to talk about!
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Hard one. Life sounds right but as a taxpayer I hate to think of the cost. Sending them back just lets 5 more people who hate Americans loose in the world. I don't think we would have to lie awake at night worrying about what they would do though.
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Obama will just send them to the next country that will take them why waste the time?
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