Yo, Ho, Ho, and a Bottle of Rum

As you might have guessed from my heading, today's subject is piracy.

"Piracy on the High Seas" - pirates, it is said in this Wikipedia article, are considered to be enemies of humanity by many sovereign states; I agree.

Since the explosion of piracy around the Horn of Africa and the Persian Gulf, many states have comitted naval units to the area in order to defend shipping.  However I would like to see a more robust attitude taken where possible.  

The Wikipedia article also points out:

In 2008 the British Foreign Office advised the Royal Navy not to detain pirates of certain nationalities as they might be able to claim asylum in Britain under British human rights legislation, if their national laws included execution, or mutilation as a judicial punishment for crimes committed as pirates.

What "human rights?"  Why have pirates got "human rights?"  They have the right to walk the plank and that's it as far as this writer is concerned.

On Christmas day, it was reported by the BBC that six pirates had been captured by the crew of the German frigate, Karlsruhe.  On the orders of the German government, they were immediately released.  Why?  I should like to point out that these pirates are not jolly "Long John Silver" types "Ah Jim lad etc." They are a bunch of ruthless bandits, armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.  They should be blown out of the water.

This all brings me to the curious case of the Sirius Star.  This you might remember, is the enormous oil tanker, full of crude oil, that was hi-jacked a couple of months ago.  It was announced yesterday that the owners had paid a $3 million ransom which was delivered by parachute to the pirates on board.

The Sirius Star.  Image source

Now here's the funny bit reported today by the Daily Telegraph: whilst the eight pirates were making off across the sea, their boat capsized.  Five of the them were drowned and somewhere under the ocean lie $3 million in greenbacks in their waterproof case.  The remaining three swam to shore, rather less rich in cash and friends than they were a short while previously.

Probably no party tonight then.

Until the next time

Two Gentlemen

It has been said that one definition of a gentleman is "someone who can play the bagpipes but doesn't."

I have no information concerning the two gentlemen I am writing about today in this regard, and my awarding them the accolade - and indeed writing about the matter - is my whim of course; I should mention perhaps a third (but fictional) gentleman in this connexion since his family motto was "As my whimsy takes me."*

So, to my two real-life gentlemen.

The first earned his spurs (that is in my own experience) in 1982, when he resigned as British Foreign Secretary. This was following the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina. The Rt Hon Lord Carrington, for it was he, took full responsibility for the complacency that resulted in the withdrawal of the minimal naval force in the area allowing the disgusting General Galtieri to proceed with the invasion which he hoped would distract the Argentinian population from his appalling regime. It is my understanding that Lord Carrington resigned on a matter of principle (as the Secretary of State responsible) and that it was in reality his underlings (the Ministers of State at the Foreign Office) who should have gone.

Lord Carrington. Picture Source: NATO

The Rt Hon. Lord Carrington. Picture source: NATO

I have mentioned this 26-year old event because it was brought to mind today by another gentlemanly act (at least in the light of the information I have): the resignation of the President of the French Bank Caisse d'Epargne, M. Charles Milhaud.

M. Milhaud resigned following the loss last week of €600,000,000 owing to "unauthorised derivatives trading" by a team at the Bank. In his statement, M. Milhaud pointed out that these trades were made despite specific instructions to the contrary, issued by Milhaud himself and some of his co-directors. The bank is in no danger whatever of collapse, by all accounts unlike certain others not so far from France - that is until their government bailed them out (or effectively nationalised them).

However M. Milhaud after a 45-year career** at the Caisse d'Epargne opted to take responsibility; two of his fellow directors have also resigned.

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It is true that we are living in exceptional times, but M. Milhaud's behaviour in this affair reminded me of Lord Carrington and contrasts pleasantly with some of the rather unattractive characters in certain banking communities that have cropped up in the news recently.

It would be depressing to discover that M. Milhaud was obliged by pressure from the French government to fall on his sword. I hope I don't.

Until the next time.

*Lord Peter Wimsey of course.

** Just imagine: a career banker in charge of a bank these days - I prefer this idea to some of those spivs running other institutions!

BLOODY HTML! The link to the picture source under Lord Carrington's picture does not appear. I have been obliged to place it above the picture. Apologies, but not my fault.