April 14, 2008

RN told pirates could seek U.K. asylum

While France has been demonstrating how to deal with Somali pirates, across the Channel Britain's Foreign Office has told the British Royal Navy, not to detain pirates because doing so may breach their human rights.

According to a report in The Times of London "warships patrolling pirate-infested waters, such as those off Somalia, have been warned that there is also a risk that captured pirates could claim asylum in Britain."

The Times story says the Foreign Office has advised the R.N. that pirates sent back to Somalia could have their human rights breached because, under Islamic law, they face beheading for murder or having a hand chopped off for theft.

It quotes a Foreign Office wimp spokesman as saying: "There are issues about human rights and what might happen in these circumstances. The main thing is to ensure any incident is resolved peacefully."

Aaaagh!

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