NATO release of pirates sends wrong signal -Clinton
WASHINGTON, - The release of pirates by NATO forces sends the wrong signal and the alliance must discuss ways that they could be brought to justice, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday.
On Sunday, NATO forces foiled an attack by Somali pirates on a Norwegian oil tanker, and detained seven gunmen only briefly after hunting them down under cover of darkness, NATO officials said. A day earlier, Dutch commandos freed 20 Yemeni hostages and also briefly detained seven pirates.
Speaking after meeting Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen, Clinton said the two agreed "it sends the wrong signal" to the pirates operating off the coast of Somalia.
She said the United States and others would work to hold "these pirate-criminals" accountable for the actions, adding that the "Contact Group on Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia" would meet in New York in early May to discuss the issue.
"We are going to have to determine the best way to bring pirates to justice after they are captured and there will have to be additional discussion of this at NATO, as well," she said at a joint news conference with Verhagen.
"The minister and I agreed that we will take this matter to NATO," she added.
"If the Dutch navy had been operating under the EU (European Union), they could have turned over the pirates for trial. NATO has not provided that authority so we need to coordinate this, we need to move very quickly to do so. ... try to get this resolved," she said.
Reuters, April 20, 2009
On Sunday, NATO forces foiled an attack by Somali pirates on a Norwegian oil tanker, and detained seven gunmen only briefly after hunting them down under cover of darkness, NATO officials said. A day earlier, Dutch commandos freed 20 Yemeni hostages and also briefly detained seven pirates.
Speaking after meeting Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen, Clinton said the two agreed "it sends the wrong signal" to the pirates operating off the coast of Somalia.
She said the United States and others would work to hold "these pirate-criminals" accountable for the actions, adding that the "Contact Group on Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia" would meet in New York in early May to discuss the issue.
"We are going to have to determine the best way to bring pirates to justice after they are captured and there will have to be additional discussion of this at NATO, as well," she said at a joint news conference with Verhagen.
"The minister and I agreed that we will take this matter to NATO," she added.
"If the Dutch navy had been operating under the EU (European Union), they could have turned over the pirates for trial. NATO has not provided that authority so we need to coordinate this, we need to move very quickly to do so. ... try to get this resolved," she said.
Reuters, April 20, 2009
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