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FRIDAY REPORT

From Europe and our Risk Management correspondent comes a report on piracy. Quoting from a recent letter that was received:

"It is up to the international community to take a strong stand against this threat. If pirates have human rights, what about the human rights of several hundred seafarers in captivity?"

Indeed how very true this fact seems to have been lost in the little concern shown by governments to date. The pervasive socialism of European governments in particular has turned out to be one-sided in that the pirates are given maximum consideration and the seafarers none. How does one explain this when international maritime law clearly lays down, for centuries, the punishment acts of piracy will receive.

After being arrested 80% of pirates are being released to attack again and while we describe them as 'pirates' this is the type of statement that comes from a spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence. NAUTICAL LOG quotes this classic piece of complete nonsense:

"Unless international navies actually capture men undertaking an act of piracy, there is a very limited legal basis - almost non-existent - on which they can be prosecuted for piracy. Often, what we will also do is destroy some of the smaller skiffs they are using to conduct these attacks."

What a load of drivel!! If these people, referred to as pirates, cannot be prosecuted why on earth would one destroy their boats for an act of piracy that, supposedly, there was no legal evidence of in the first place. It is clear from that ridiculous statement that the UK Ministry of Defence has no idea what it is doing in its attempt to resolve piracy. Of course the answer lies in the fact that the UK Government and the rest of the Socialist European Union lacks the hard will required to deal with this piracy problem. Now NAUTICAL LOG fully supports SAVE OUR SEAFARERS
www.saveourseafarers.com/ and urges readers to visit the website and sign the letter but in all honesty does not really see the organisation achieving the cessation of piracy acts. As they have said themselves:

"Governments give the orders. Governments hold the key to resolving this crisis."

As usual the silence from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is deafening :-(

We should mention in passing that the MS Maersk Alabama was attacked for the third time by pirates just this week. They were driven off by gunfire from the vessels armed guards, therein lies an answer it would seem.

Good Watch.

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