Russia to file piracy charges against Greenpeace

There were a group of "terrorists" who decided that the LAW was not the solution because the LAW was written by those that profited and maintained by them.
They threw a Tea Party, think it was in Boston and were called outlaws by the ESTABLISHMENT.

Seriously, if you think the Russians give a thought to the environment or what's legal then you need to read more, no offence.
People do extreme things when there is no way to resolve issues in a civilized way.

Greenpeace does the dirty work that needs to be done to stop these idiots from destroying the oceans etc that we all love and use. I SUPPORT GREANPEACE ! 100%

That's when I bowed out personally, when it went beyond an observation of what happened and the result to a debate of the politics to debate of each other. I have my political opinions and my opinions on this subject but I will not express them on here. I regret that I crossed that line slightly by stating that I thought they were failing to target their real target but I wasn't intending that as pro or anti Greenpeace. My non-political observation is that this act in that location is likely to get one in trouble.

On an entirely separate issue, as a boater I do find myself concerned about any form of piracy because all those doing piracy of any type, even the most ruthless and disgusting do in their minds have some justification for it. I'll reserve my political opinions and my views on Greenpeace and Russia for other places or private communication.

Attempting to sink a ship by repeatedly ramming it, or commadeering an oil platform, when their lives are not directly effected or in danger from either are forms of piracy. They should be prosecuted for their actions. Plain and Simple.

Piracy
1.
practice of a pirate; robbery or illegal violence at sea.

Illegal act of violence, detention, or plunder committed for private ends by the crew of a private ship (usually) against another ship on the high seas.

Here's Russia's take on it, and I'd tend to agree. 15 people didn't jump on the Countries oil rig to have milk and cookies with the crew

"When a foreign vessel full of electronic technical equipment of unknown purpose and a group of people calling themselves members of an environmental rights organization try nothing less than to take a drilling platform by storm, logical doubts arise about their intentions," Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said in a statement.

He said the activists posed a danger to operations on the oil platform. "Such activities not only infringe on the sovereignty of a state, but might pose a threat to the environmental security of the whole region," Markin said.


Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/greenpe...acy-charges-in-russia-1.1467922#ixzz2g17qFkcv

If you were working on that oil rig and 15 foreign people pulled up to your oil rig and started to storm it, what would you do? It's an act of piracy or terrorism, plain and simple. I know I would act accordingly and grab the shotgun and detain them until the local Authorities arrived and removed them because I would feel that my life was in danger and the lives of the other workers. What could Greenpeaces intentions have been once they got on the oil rig, nothing good for sure.

It's too simple for the armchair audience to make the call on who is a pirate or not. Even if you are doing it from behind the helm of your vessel.
I don't believe it's political to discuss this either.

How much damage would the oil spill from Deepwater Horizon have caused your business, if it had occurred closer to you in Florida Capt.J?

Somali, Nigerian criminals or the guys in California that hijacked a yacht for sale and dumped the owners overboard tied to the anchor, did these crimes for money and power. That is easily judged. Pirates.

But let’s say that an environmental group had managed to get hold of a report on the deficiencies of the Deepwater oil rig. Then boarded it because there was no other option, the oil men had the money to do as they wish (which is too true!).
Had this group prevented an oil spill, would they be pirates?

Many times it is not the actions, but the intentions that should be the judge.
Fortunately there are people who will risk their lives for what they believe in for no financial gain.

When our hemisphere starts to feel the full effects of the great fishing fleets that have devastated the Atlantic fisheries and are now doing the same in the Pacific, then many will ask where the authorities were to protect the ocean for future generations. Those in charge will go off to enjoy there bribes while we discuss.

I am no fan of Greenpeace, which has become a feel good money spinner for the consumer society.
Without radical change we are headed for empty oceans, savannahs and jungle.

My rant for the day.

So, Kafue, it's the intentions that should be the judge, ? history has many dictators who wreaked havoc on the world through their "intentions" they thought as did their population that those intentions were "good". actions are what finally counts, if actions break laws, they are bad, a democracy has the mechanics to change those laws, please don't give me the old time worn phrase "money dictates the laws" that is so untrue in a democracy, every 4 yrs the opportunity exists and I believe some States can even change laws a lot sooner than that. Civil disobedience has become too commonplace, it is just as unsavory as the actions they are trying to prevent and too often misplaced.

Nail on the HEAD NYCAP
As for actions versus intentions? I agree it is too broad a statement to use as a true measure, but it is a darn good start.
And the "dictators" and their evil doings etc. this is also a statement that could be comfortably squeezed into many an argument.
I am not describing a written law, but a way of thinking.

Are you referring to Arctic Sunrise(949 GT) and Nisshin Maru(8044 GT)? Do you remember IMO rule 13 on the IRPCS? "Any vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken."
Nisshin Maru was overtaking, and was found to be at fault by Lloyds, not Arctic Sunrise.

(Are you willing to label the whalers "terrorists" or "pirates" now that it turns out they were the ones doing the ramming? I don't think you are.)

Commandeer? A small unarmed group was attempting to commandeer the platform? I doubt it. I'd say their goal was publicity and provoking a reaction from the Russians.
I'm sure they hope they don't get locked up, but apart from that I guess they'd consider the exercise a complete success.

None of which applies here...

I'd do the same. The Russians did the same. I'd bet Greenpeace expected the same.
But it isn't piracy, and it's a million miles removed from terrorism: terrorism is action with the goal of causing terror in society.

Nope, terrorism is intended to cause society to live in fear. I doubt this even registered with most Russian citizens, and will be remembered by even fewer in the near future.

I'm happy to bet money the families of the 911 victims would strongly disagree that an unarmed attempt by 15 to board an oil rig and paint slogans/get themselves arrested constitutes terrorism - they know what terrorism really is.

I have no complaints about the outcome (not that I actually agree with the Russian's "piracy" accusation)
I think the only person getting steamed up is Capt J...

Speaking of steam.

Google Image Result for http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Tr_great_white_fleet_from_photo_nh100349_USS_Connecticut_1907.jpg

I'm not getting worked up, I'm telling it like it is. Suppose they were successful and got onto the platform. Then what were they going to do??? Make ham sandwiches, or roast marshmellows over an open fire on the deck of the rig? I don't think so. They could've easily caused a massive oil leak, like of Horizon standards. Either by not allowing the crew to do their job, or by damaging something. I'd call that a possible act of terrorism. It's no different than if a group of 15 foreign nationals stormed one of our Nuclear power plants.

As For the GreenPeace incident of ramming and such. You tell me if their actions on a commercial vessel are acts of piracy or illegal and aggressive.

Collision with the Shōnan Maru 2 and abandonment[edit source]

For the wider response / legal aftermath of the collision, see Sea Shepherd Conservation Society operations

During the days before the collision, the Ady Gil engaged Japanese whaling vessels during their hunt.[39] The crew towed ropes in an attempt to foul the propellers of the Japanese ships and used a spud gun to fire capsules of foul-smelling butyric acid which taints the whale meat the whalers get from their hunts.[33][39]

On January 6, 2010 the vessel was involved in a collision at sea with the Japanese vessel Shōnan Maru 2, which was engaged in security and support for the whaling fleet.[6] One Ady Gil crew member, a New Zealand cameraman, sustained six broken ribs.[8][40] Crew on three vessels, the Shōnan Maru 2, the Ady Gil, and the MY Bob Barker, a Sea Shepherd Conservation Society support ship, took footage of the incident,[41] and video of the incident has been released by both the Institute of Cetacean Research[42] and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.[43][44]

Each side blames the other for the incident, arguing that the skipper of the other vessel miscalculated during a dangerous maneuver.[8] Bethune has said that he believes the captain of the Japanese vessel had miscalculated while trying to scrape the bow of the Ady Gil.[45] In a statement released by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Chuck Swift, who witnessed the incident from his ship, the Bob Barker, claimed that both vessels were stationary in the water when the Shōnan Maru 2 "started up and then steered deliberately into the Ady Gil".[41] Paul Watson initially claimed that the Ady Gil was almost stationary in the water when the Shōnan Maru 2 suddenly changed course and then steered deliberately into it.[39][46] However, Watson later stated that "One only needs to watch the video to see that Bethune negligently stopped his ship in the path of the whaling vessel and it was cut in half".[47] Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research blames the collision on Sea Shepherd, who they say were attempting to entangle their rudder and propeller by repeatedly crossing their bow with lines.[48] The Japanese Fisheries Agency said that the Shōnan Maru 2 had employed a water cannon to deter the Ady Gil, but the anti-whaling vessel undertook manoeuvres like suddenly reducing speed, resulting in the collision.[49] Opinions in news media organisations vary similarly. Some blame the Ady Gil for powering up to intentionally propel itself into the whaler's path, some accuse the Shōnan Maru 2 of intentionally ramming a stationary vessel - with both sides basing their views primarily on the released video footage.[50] Others place the blame more evenly.[39][51] An investigation into the collision by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) was inconclusive and unable to assign blame for the collision. AMSA was unable to verify claims made by Sea Shepherd, while the Japanese government declined to participate with the investigation saying any information it had might be needed for an inquiry by its own authorities.[52] New Zealand authorities found both parties were at fault for the collision. The inquiry by Maritime New Zealand found that the Shonan Maru No. 2 should have kept clear of the Ady Gil under international collision regulations, and had ample opportunity to avoid hitting it. It also found that the Ady Gil failed to take avoiding action, and its helmsman did not see the Japanese ship bearing down until seconds before the impact.[53]

The Institute discovered the wreck of the Ady Gil and released video footage reportedly showing it to be leaking diesel fuel into the Southern Ocean.[54] It also recovered a number of large-size arrows floating near the wreck, arguing that these proved Sea Shepherd was willing to endanger human life with their tactics.[55] The crew of the Ady Gil claim the arrows were to be used for shooting the dead whales, poisoning their flesh and causing the whale to be of no use to the whalers and statements to this effect were made during filming for an episode of Whale Wars. The discovery of the arrows was later used by Sea Shepherd to justify the expulsion of Bethune from the Sea Shepherd organisation.[56]

Having sustained severe damage, Ady Gil was towed towards the French Dumont d'Urville Station in Antarctica.[9][10] While weather conditions had been reported as favourable for the salvage attempt, the process of towing the vessel was reported to have caused it to take on more water. Sea Shepherd claimed that all fuel and oil had been taken off-board the drifting vessel, at risk to the crew.[50][57] However, Japanese sources later provided photographic evidence showing the abandoned wreckage to be leaking diesel fuel into the Southern Ocean.[58]

Bethune posted an open letter to his Facebook page on October 6, 2010 in which he said that after colliding with the Shōnan Maru 2, Watson directed him to deliberately sink the Ady Gil for PR purposes.[59][60]

Bethune is currently taking Sea Shepherd to arbitration court for the balance owed to him in the amount of $500,000.

On January 7, 2013, Watson was sued in Los Angeles County by the owner of the boat for $5 million. Gil says his vessel was rammed by a Japanese whaling ship in 2010 and suffered damage to the nose but the damage was repairable. According to Gil, Watson saw the collision as an opportunity to spin the incident into a major publicity and money maker for his organization so instead of towing the boat to port for repairs, he secretly gave an order to sink the ship "under the cover of darkness" and blamed the Japanese. Gil claims Watson knew that blaming the whalers for the destruction of his ship would garner sympathy for his cause and spark outrage against the whalers inspiring more people to donate to his anti-whaling organization.[61]
MY Ady Gil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

illegal violence at sea- check

illegal act commited for private ends- more donations- check.

I should have stuck with the lightness of my first post on this thread!

We could go on and on like an Italian Board of Investigation into the Costa Concordia.

I'm going fishing, tag and release of course.