No. of Recommendations: 3
The flag on the ship doesn't matter. iirc it was the second ship the Pirate King hijacked that had legitimate, Panamanian, registry
Then this just illustrates my point: Ships are flagged under countries for a reason - legally, they fall under the protection of the nation's flag they bear. If a Panamanian ship is carrying illegal contraband it's a simple matter for the DOJ to call them up and ask permission to board and if necessary, detain.
Ships under bogus flags that have sketchy registration histories and who spoof their GPS locators? They're navigation hazards and as such are fair game to sweep up.
It's all about control. Control of Venezuela's oil. Control of access to the Panama Canal. Control of access to Greenland's resources. Pay the Pirate King, or you are denied access.
No, it's about not ceding control of vital chokepoints to a country that's a 21st century version of an Upton Sinclair robber baron. That happens to have nuclear weapons and believes in its own inflated view of history/destiny.
