The Blackwater vs. pirates scenario I was worried about is becoming a reality. Yet another place on Earth for mercenaries to get paid to act with total disregard for human rights.
I respect the grand traditions of piracy. I have no problem with private security guards using pirates found in the act of piracy for target practice. Now, were they to get pro-active, and start attacking suspected pirates on land, I'd have major human rights objections.
I don't have any objection to ships hiring a private security guard or two; any pirate who steps onto a ship with ill intent is entirely fair game.
What worries me is the likelihood -- make that the certainty -- that non-pirate civilians are going to get killed by mercenaries. On the open sea there's no one to stop them from shooting up or raping a bunch of people out fishing and claiming they're pirates. And there's no accountability for such atrocities after the fact.
There is always a worst case scenario. People who rape and kill on the high seas are governed by the same (lack of) law as governs those who are now pirating.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 11:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-25 02:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-25 06:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-25 06:08 pm (UTC)What worries me is the likelihood -- make that the certainty -- that non-pirate civilians are going to get killed by mercenaries. On the open sea there's no one to stop them from shooting up or raping a bunch of people out fishing and claiming they're pirates. And there's no accountability for such atrocities after the fact.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-25 06:17 pm (UTC)