NationStates Jolt Archive

The Emperor today announced the establishment of a medium size fleet of privateers. The fleet will patrol the national islands for foreign trade vessels. The Emperor also addressed the public, "For years, privateers have been associated with piracy, which is an unfair classification of this type of fleet organization. ITD has esablished a small fleet of various boats, which will patrol the outlaying islands of our great nation. When they come upon a foreign vessel, they are ordered to board and inspect the vessels."

The exact nature on how the privateers will be paid is still unknown at this time.


ooc:
Pri`va`teer´ Pronunciation: prī`vå`tērd´
n. 1. An armed private vessel which bears the commission of the sovereign power to cruise against the enemy. See Letters of marque, under Marque.

A privateer has letters of marque, which authorize private owners of ships (not official navy) to prey on enemy shipping during time of war, and they were sometimes called "gentleman pirates." A privateer is not exactly the same thing as a pirate, though the distinction is subtle.

OOC: I love the idea.

As long as this privateer fleet does not engage in piracy we have no problem with ITD's actions. We will view these vessels as an auxialliary fleet, but any attack made on our vessels by one of these ships will be viewed as an attack by ITD on our nation. If our vessels are boarded in your territorial waters then you have that right, however, if they are boarded in international waters, measures will be taken.

Should the fleet attempt to search Iuthian vessels on international waters without their permission we will concider it an international incident and may respond with military action to ensure our vessels are not molestered.

Each ship has the right to deny permission to board as it see fit and given that these ships are not of your nations government we see no point in trusting them with such searchs.

Foriegn Minister Mike Lakely, Iuthian Diplomatic Corps

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Should the fleet attempt to search Iuthian vessels on international waters without their permission we will concider it an international incident and may respond with military action to ensure our vessels are not molestered.

Each ship has the right to deny permission to board as it see fit and given that these ships are not of your nations government we see no point in trusting them with such searchs.

Foriegn Minister Mike Lakely, Iuthian Diplomatic Corps

We specifically pointed out that they would patrol our waters, not international waters. Because ITD is a large system of islands, the claimed waters stretch considerable distances. ITD currently claims 90 miles out. (ooc: understandable considering the sheer size of NS-Earth) (ooc: I have some maps in my sig under the factbook) They do sail under the ITD flag, which is a strict measure to assure that foreign ships realize the owner, or in this case funder, of the ships. If any foreign ship is found in ITD waters, they can be boarded and inspected.

Noted, though we felt it was important to note our position none-the-less.

Given our lack of trade with your nation we see no reason for our ships to be in your waters seeing as they do not block any of our trade routes and your nation is not listed as trading with Iuthia. As such it's fairly moot point in any case.

Foriegn Minister Mike Lakely, Iuthian Diplomatic Corps

OOC Note: You may not want to quote all the information given in my post... if only because it's alot of information to quote for just one reply.

TAG, for the OMP