Quote :

"The sole surviving Somali pirate from the hostage-taking of an American ship captain arrived in New York on Monday, smiling for a gaggle of cameras and reporters as federal agents led him into custody to face charges in the attack. "

mother says he's 16, law enforcement says he's at least 18

Quote :

"The teenager's arrival came on the same day that his mother appealed to President Barack Obama for his release. She says her son was coaxed into piracy by "gangsters with money." "I appeal to President Obama to pardon my teenager; I request him to release my son or at least allow me to see him and be with him during the trial," Adar Abdirahman Hassan said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from her home in Galka'yo town in Somalia. "

They need to throw the book at this guy. He is a hardcore criminal, and the first person in over a century to be tried for piracy in the US. Let's set an example.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090421/ap_on_re_us/piracy_suspect

[Edited on April 21, 2009 at 3:46 PM. Reason : ]

4/21/2009 3:45:16 PM

bring back old traditions and hang him for all to see

4/21/2009 3:47:45 PM

i concur

4/21/2009 3:54:16 PM

i wouldnt go that far, but he needs to pay

4/21/2009 3:56:31 PM

message_topic.aspx?topic=556098&page=22#12836245
message_topic.aspx?topic=563773&page=3#12834201

4/21/2009 4:01:00 PM

Is he wearing a Snuggie?

4/21/2009 4:17:02 PM

Hardcore criminal? His parents said that was the first thing he was sent off to do by those fools. I mean, he's a total fucking dumbass who deserves to get punished by the letter of the law, but generally hardcore criminals have committed multiple crimes.

He's just a kid (whether he's over 18 or 16, it doesn't matter) with no sense who is about to learn why you don't shoot at people/property, take people hostage, and attempt piracy on the high seas.

4/21/2009 4:28:39 PM

they need to make an example of him


and this is thread worthy, judging from possible future attacks

4/21/2009 4:51:33 PM

or perhaps some



[Edited on April 21, 2009 at 5:20 PM. Reason : ]

4/21/2009 5:19:30 PM

I take my first comment back. Wouldn't want al sharpton to think it was a racist act to hang him.

4/21/2009 5:42:09 PM

Quote :

"bring back old traditions and hang him for all to see"

they already made an example (a justified one) of the 3 guys dumb enough to stay on board holding the captain hostage.

This guy was captured (or gave himself up, for whatever reason - it doesn't matter) and is now a felon, and should be punished as such. The punishment should still fit the crime - hanging, death penalty, whatever - would be considered cruel and unusual.

4/21/2009 5:51:50 PM

I think its a reasonable request to bring his mom to the States.

Execution would be a bit overkill, especially since the only ones hurt or killed in this entire fiasco were his three counterparts. A few years in prison and being shipped back to Somalia would be punishment enough. Heck, the shipping back to Somalia might be worse than the prison part (though with some prisons, a warzone might be better than the prison itself, especially if the guy is a first time criminal).

4/21/2009 5:58:02 PM

Wow, I just heard on NPR that the mandatory sentence by the Law of Nations for piracy is life in prison. That's not even taking the other charges into consideration...

4/21/2009 7:03:45 PM

I don't give a shit how young he is; he armed himself with RPGs and automatic weapons and took over a ship in international waters. If this was some white redneck from the Appalachians, you'd be calling to execute his whole family to prevent further contamination of the gene pool. Either throw him in jail for life or execute him.

4/21/2009 9:06:46 PM

RIP POPCORN

4/21/2009 9:12:48 PM

execute him tommorrow. None of this life in prison BS. How many millions will that cost us? There is no doubt THIS is the guy. Its not like some innocent swimmer was mistakenly picked up in the fucking ocean and blamed for the kidnapping.

CNN.com even called him the alleged kidnapper. ALLEGED? are you kidding me.

[Edited on April 21, 2009 at 9:16 PM. Reason : .]

4/21/2009 9:15:10 PM

its alleged because that is proper style for a news organization report. he hasn't been convicted yet so the proper term is alleged.

4/21/2009 9:26:22 PM

Hang him. I don't see why there's even a question.

4/21/2009 9:39:22 PM

uhhh, because in this country we don't kill people for attempting to steal shit, no matter how valuable it is.

4/21/2009 10:08:30 PM

He didnt commit the crime in our country.

I have a source that has confirmed that 17th century rules still apply and thats HANGING!

4/21/2009 10:19:20 PM

and btw, before anyone jumps on me for espousing the virtues of the SEALS sniper action in one thread and denouncing the calls for execution for this guy in this thread, I hope you step back first and think about how our criminal justice and military systems work.

There is a huge difference between using deadly force in the field when lives are in immediate danger, and using our court system to put captive people to death.

[Edited on April 21, 2009 at 10:59 PM. Reason : .]

4/21/2009 10:44:48 PM

Quote :

"uhhh, because in this country we don't kill people for attempting to steal shit, no matter how valuable it is."

kidnapping, however, carries a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole - AKA, death by captivity with wild animals.

piracy in international waters might still carry the death penalty anyway.

4/21/2009 10:58:46 PM

Is life in a US prison much worse than living in poverty in Somalia?

4/21/2009 11:01:06 PM

well, the law is the law, so i'm not suggesting that the law shouldn't be followed.

but it seems to me here that a lot of you guys are foaming at the mouth to string this guy up, when i don't think there would be such open hostility for a similar hostage situation on American soil.

4/21/2009 11:01:31 PM

Put him to work in the Treasury Dept... that'll teach him.

4/21/2009 11:01:59 PM

^^^^yeah, i think it very well might

still--and I'm not anti-death penalty, per se--but how in the hell are y'all justifying capital punishment for this guy? i don't think there's even a case to be made.


[Edited on April 21, 2009 at 11:02 PM. Reason : ^^ right]

4/21/2009 11:02:23 PM

He'll be dead inside of two months if he's placed in any prison general population, and I don't think we need to waste the money keeping this douchebag alive for 50 years in protective custody. As long as we throw him into gen pop, I'll be happy knowing he'll get his justice without running up the tab on the American taxpayers with appeals .

4/21/2009 11:09:22 PM

Quote :

"uhhh, because in this country we don't kill people for attempting to steal shit, no matter how valuable it is."

he didn't attempt to steal anything, he took people prisoner and threatened them with death unless a ransom was paid. there's a big difference.

4/21/2009 11:10:34 PM

I agree rufus.

Lets assume 25k a year and that he is 18. Lets say he lives to be 80. Thats over 1.5M he will cost taxpayers, and THATS assuming the cost doesnt increase. I feel like we all are being held for ransom.

4/21/2009 11:21:50 PM

Quote :

"it seems to me here that a lot of you guys are foaming at the mouth to string this guy up"

4/21/2009 11:28:31 PM

^^ that's a problem, but the solution isn't to start putting people down like animals at the shelter that didn't get picked up in time. Part of it is the nature of the beast--it's kind of a scenario of "safe society, reasonable justice/legal/penal system, reasonable costs associated with that system: Pick two."

Yeah, he did some bad stuff. Yeah, he should be punished severely for it...but many of you are either being emotional and reactionary, or overly cavalier about human life (even the life of a bad human).

I don't think I'm a big softie on this stuff. I'm not against the death penalty per se. I'm totally down with accountability and with punishment. I mean, damn, I didn't join the USMC just to fly jets and see the world and get my college paid for--the #1 reason I'm in my job was because I had a strong interest in personally killing people who deserve it...but some of you make me look like a limp-wristed leftist on issues like this, the Ahmadinijad thread, or a variety of other things. I mean, regardless of what he did, we as a society are not justified in acting like barbarians or animals.

[Edited on April 21, 2009 at 11:49 PM. Reason : asdf]

4/21/2009 11:46:24 PM

Duke, Id rather we just ship him back home than put him in jail for life here.

4/21/2009 11:48:45 PM

don't know if it helps your case to have a leftie on your side, but I am in 100% agreement with all that, Duke, including "I'm not against the death penalty per se"

^ yeah, right - and what the hell do you think the reaction would be if we did that? It would be likened exactly to allowing people out of Guantanamo to go back to wherever they came from.

[Edited on April 21, 2009 at 11:50 PM. Reason : .]

4/21/2009 11:49:43 PM

Oh I understand how it looks.

4/21/2009 11:57:08 PM

^^^ but you know that we can't really do that, either.

In the future, chumming the waters with them on the spot resolves the situation, and my initial reaction is that it prevents a few other problems for us down the road (including these issues).

In this scenario, I have no problem with SEALs or Marines handling the situation by killing them right then and there--that's what we do. I do have a problem with allowing or wanting our justice system to handle things the way some of you describe. Our justice system should be just, and firm, and fair, but it should be metered, carefully considered, and restrained (which is not the same thing as weak or neutered)--things that SEALs and Marines do not have the same capability of being due to the circumstances in which they are employed.

^ not only how it looks (which is a legitimate issue), but how it IS. That just isn't a viable option.

[Edited on April 22, 2009 at 12:03 AM. Reason : asfd]

4/22/2009 12:02:17 AM

Gee, I have to think if I were a Somalian "citizen," piracy would seem like a pretty good gig. It's too bad this guy didn't act like a decent human being and go make $1.65 a day (the per capita income being $600/year there) doing honest work. I know all you guys would.

The rule of law is very important but the concept of just mercy is inherent to any functioning system of government. The mindset I read here is downright medieval, the feudal American lords calling for the drawing and quartering of the peasant who steals for subsistence. It's shameful. You guys are good Christians, might I suggest you spend some time praying for yourselves? Souls aren't cheap these days.

4/22/2009 12:12:44 AM

so smoker, kidnapping americans can lead to a much better quality of life.. correct? I mean if you dont get killed, you either get money from ransom or you get life in jail with free meals, air conditioning, tv, healthcare, etc.

4/22/2009 12:18:33 AM

make him walk the plank!

4/22/2009 1:10:00 AM

i say send him back to somalia.

and i say that only because the somali government severely punishes captured pirates. i think they put them to death, but in this case they might not, as he is very young.

4/22/2009 1:50:50 AM

Quote :

"hanging, death penalty, whatever - would be considered cruel and unusual."

lol...you can't be serious. I, in no way, wish to waste my taxes on this creature except to buy some cheap rope.

4/22/2009 3:15:46 AM

i bet that dude never gets carded for booze and cigs

4/22/2009 7:57:03 AM

That was my thought OEP.

I agree RSX about the money spent on this waste.

Another thing to consider if he only gets 15-20yrs and gets parole early, he will probably claim asylum and continue to be our problem. Hey I guess this is one path towards citizenship.

4/22/2009 8:12:09 AM

Quote :

"piracy in international waters might still carry the death penalty anyway."

Considering you can technically get the death penalty for stealing a vehicle and crossing state lines with it, I would not be surprised if piracy could get the death penalty.

4/22/2009 8:31:34 AM

He attacked a US merchant ship and engaged in piracy. This is basically an act of war, since our merchant ships enjoy the protection of our navy. I don't understand why this is even involving our judicial system. Kill the fucker, hang his body as a warning to anyone else that wants to mess with our ships.

4/22/2009 9:39:31 AM

if we decide to "kill the fucker", then he is even further entangled in our judicial system.

some of you guys have an unhealthy thirst for blood.....

4/22/2009 10:20:38 AM

Puff Daddy's new line is tight!

4/22/2009 10:20:45 AM

I'd say that since the navy didn't do the right thing and just destroy him along with the other pirates, that the right thing to do now would be process him through our judicial system. The question then is, what state will he be tried in? And what, if any, laws are there about piracy?

I just think this is silly. It's like capturing an enemy soldier and bringing him back to be tried.

4/22/2009 11:29:15 AM

Seriously, guys. The death penalty -- something of which I am a huge fan -- costs as much or more than life in prison. Unless you want to completely gut the justice system and abolish the right to appeal, which some of you people probably would like very much.

You don't execute people to save money. You execute people to remove a threat, or, in some cases, to provide a deterrent.

That said, I think three sniped pirates probably provides as much deterrent as we're going to get, though admittedly it's not much. And a 16-18 year old who doesn't speak the language and may not know how to use any of the weapons he carried around doesn't strike me as much of a threat, but information that comes out during the trial may change that.

So at the moment, I don't see any reason to execute him outside of national pride and bloodlust.

Quote :

"i say send him back to somalia."

I would agree with you if I had any faith that the Somali government was capable of...well, anything. I don't trust them to keep this guy in custody from the plane to the jailhouse.

Quote :

"Another thing to consider if he only gets 15-20yrs and gets parole early, he will probably claim asylum and continue to be our problem."

You don't get to just "claim" asylum. You have to be approved. And I find it unlikely that we're going to grant asylum to the first convicted pirate in centuries.

^In this country we try not to shoot people who are surrendering. And no, it's nothing like bringing a POW back for trial. POW's are only held until the end of hostilities. They are not criminals. Pirates are criminals; there are laws against their actions. They are no more combatants than are people who hold up liquor stores.

[Edited on April 22, 2009 at 11:58 AM. Reason : ]

4/22/2009 11:55:14 AM

I think this guy could legitimately be taken to Gitmo for life

4/22/2009 12:04:24 PM

Quote :

"I just think this is silly. It's like capturing an enemy soldier and bringing him back to be tried."

yeah, you're right - the military should just kill everyone possible, regardless of if they surrender or are not actively fighting.

4/22/2009 12:24:49 PM