Do you think Obama should pardon the teenage pirate captured off the coast of Somalia?
Asked by
KalWest (
1389
)
April 21st, 2009
Associated Press excerpt:
Wali-i-Musi is the first person to be tried in the United States on piracy charges in more than a century. He was flown from Africa to a New York airport and taken into custody ahead of a court hearing Tuesday.
A law enforcement official familiar with the case said that the teenager was being charged under two obscure federal laws that deal with piracy and hostage-taking. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the charges had not been announced.
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.
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
27 Answers
I don’t think Obama should. At least he will get a trial and know what he is charged with.
It would be quite impossible for Obama to do that. That would be an interesting message to the pirate world: “If you get caught we let you off”.
Out of curiosity, how old is he? 13? 19? “Teenager” is a very broad term…
Hell no. Just like I had no sympathy for the Al-Qaeda teenagers who were imprisoned. They knew full well what they were doing and shouldn’t get off no matter what. They tried to fucking kill people and there were idiots saying they should be released because of their age! There’s a god damned reason psychologists look into the childhood of serial killers. These people don’t change over time.
“The age and real name of the young pirate remained unclear. The mother said he is only 16 years old and is named Abdi Wali Abdulqadir Muse. The law enforcement official says he is at least 18, meaning prosecutors will not have to take extra legal steps to put him on trial in a U.S. court.”
link
Here is a pic.
16 or 18…he still knew better. In this country we try 16 year olds (and even those younger) as adults all the time and this should be no different.
While I feel for Ms. Hassan, there’s hardly anyone over 16 who doesn’t know that kidnapping people, holding them for ransom and attacking boats on the high seas with weapons isn’t wrong. He took part in that. He needs to be tried. If he can prove he was coerced, then he’ll be acquitted.
@oratio
I think we sent a different message when we killed them.
@Ivan But it really makes you wonder what kind of uproar there would have been if they had killed the teenager with them. At the time they didn’t know his age, but if it got out that the Navy killed a kid it would have blown up the media.
I don’t think it’s right to compare a teenager who got involved in piracy in Somalia (where there are few other options for survival), who willingly surrendered and apparently cooperated with the U.S., with al-Qaeda terrorists.
Not saying Obama should pardon him, but I wouldn’t be too judgmental. Try to imagine a similar situation with gangs in the United States, where a kid comes forward and willingly surrenders in the midst of criminal activity. It’s not like piracy is much worse than the stuff that gang members have done for most of America’s history, it just seems more quaint and arrrrrr.
The young man can’t be pardoned yet, he hasn’t been tried.
Obama is only the President, he can’t dismiss the charges. He can say (and put some pressure on) what he’d like to happen, but it’s up to a court to decide how to go forward. I can’t imagine why this won’t be treated like any other criminal case. Either he cuts a deal or he’s tried and the outcome will be what it will be. It’s only because that it was on the high seas and whatnot that this is being treated differently than any other case Interpol may have on its hands on any given day.
Uh Oh…spaghettios….long distance information calling Memphis Tennessee…........`i thunk we should tune up dem banjos, crack open the ‘shine, lynch the little sand negro and have us a good ole fashion hoe down…what do you reckon folks…?’
@mammal, you might want to be a little clearer whether you’re making fun of a hypothetical racist idiot or if you’re being a racist idiot.
what would happen to an american teen who got involved in kidnapping and hostage taking? i bet in the long term @mammal‘s “sand negro” stands a better chance for leniency in the future than my hypothetical american teen – and make my teen a member of a minority.
give the teen credit for realising he needed to get out of a bad situation and thus avoided the same fate as his co-offenders. it’s not likely he’ll get convicted of a capital crime, but it’s clear he committed a crime and justice needs to be served.
I’m finding it hard to tell if mammal is making fun of the American public over this incident or the people here who want no sympathy for the kid. Either way he deserves no leniency.
No. And we don’t know if he’s being charged with piracy or if it’s another charge as this has not been made public.
The boy may have been coaxed into joining but he did join and I’m assuming he was also prepared to kill so now he’s got to face up to the laws he broke.
@AstroChuck the announcement regarding charges:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090421/ap_on_re_us/us_piracy_suspect_court
@EnzoX24 the rest of the world will always find reasons to make fun of the American people just as they always accept our help in their time of need. We’re not perfect, but we’re certainly much better than most of the rest of the world including some of our alleged allies. What other western country would have elected an Obama to office? Meaning to exclude South Africa, answer: 0
@avalmez
This is very off topic here but fair enough. What you say is very true. I – and I am sure big parts of the world too – am glad that the US came out on top after WWII and lead the world.
But since the US is the leader of the world it affects the whole planet with it’s decisions, even when it comes to domestic politics. And since the US has more than 700 military bases in over 130 countries and american companies are all over to get their hands on this and that, it is not a country and a culture that is kind of shy, is it?
Covert operations, deposing leader of third world countries, assassinations and dealings with the IMF is not things you bring to a girl instead of roses.
Yes, the US is a fantastic country with a great culture with much to be admired, and nothing gets done globally without the US blessing. And I really hate when people show prejudice about americans like “they are fat, stupid and ignorant”. But that’s what you get when you dominate the world. I am sure the brits were called a lot of things in their time.
@oratio thanks for your response, and yes kind of off topic. I will submit a q that allows direct discussion of the off topic later. Again, thanks!
We need to put this guy on trial, and try to act civilized.
If the kid was smart enough to get gus and take a hostage… he’s smart enough to know the consequence of his actions… he should not be pardoned.
Hard one…....
More than 900,000 civilians have fled Mogadishu alone and more than 8,000 civilians have been killed in the fighting. MANY Somalis bear the scars of seeing family members killed,raped and dying of disease and hunger.
Somalia has lost everything her pride her culture her will.
People are fighting to stay alive and will do anything just to feed their families…...
I think many of us would become pirates to feed our families in situations like these where begging, screaming and pleading falls on deaf ears…these people are stealing to survive…
no. they’ll be asking to live here permanently next.
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
