"'Ow do you know 'e's a pirate?" "'E LOOKS like one!"

[unixronin]

Since the end of August, Gortney said, there have been 50 instances where coalition ships have disrupted potential pirate attacks, throwing guns overboard and sinking small skiffs.  But in many instances they had to release the people on the ships because of the legal hurdles.

I put it to you that there is a simple solution to this:

"If we find you loitering with apparent intent in the shipping lanes, in a small boat with weapons, we will presumptively assume that you are a pirate.  Game over."

Comments

[cipherpunk.livejournal.com]

The U.S. never got rid of them! They don't even need to be reintroduced. :)

There has never been a Constitutional amendment rescinding Congressional authority to grant these letters. There was even a Letter of Marque and Reprisal issued in WW2 to a privately owned military company.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Huh. Learn something useful every day. :)

[cipherpunk.livejournal.com]

Letters of marque and reprisal were banned by treaty at the Declaration of Paris in the mid-19th century, but the United States was not party to the treaty and has never considered itself bound by it. That said, as a matter of national policy we don't issue them, mostly due to concerns about civil liability for the actions of privateers; but the government still possesses the legal authority.

The WW2 letter of marque and reprisal was issued to, of all things, a PMC fielding an armed blimp. Antisubmarine warfare. Can you imagine that? "Grandpa, what did you do in World War Two?" "Well, I was a privateer aboard the Resolute, an armed blimp hunting the Nazis..."

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

It would make a hell of a story. :)