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Lone Cat wrote:
1. Who holds actual power in Iran? not President. but the Komeini clan. does this differs to monarchy?
any president who defy him will be deposed and branded as 'heretics'.
2. ok if any 'noble' nations refrain from using privateers. you can say so.
aren't you aware that there are some rogue states on earth who defy what we believe it is "international law"? and don't you think that those rogue rulers will do anything/everything to save their very posessions (and their very neck)? anything that reduces the will of any hostile nations (usually the U.S.A. or the E.U. zones) and nasty. including privateerings. might do.
I'm not sure if Gaddhafi had made those somalian pirates his goons? if so. does that counts as privateering?

I'm not exactly an expert on Iran but it's not exactly a monarchy...
What are the 'noble' nations?
Most countries willing to defy international law aren't exactly on anyone's christmas card list. Most of the time they will be tolerated simply because stopping them will cost so many lives. If they actively encouraged and supported piracy with 'nasty privateerings' then they would probably have a spot of bother... at least i would hope this is the case.
If the Somali pirates were working for Gadafhi then they were more likely mercenaries... so yeah technically pirvateering just without the Letter of the Marque...

Lone Cat wrote:
1. Who holds actual power in Iran? not President. but the Komeini clan. does this differs to monarchy?

There is no "Khomeini clan". The Guardian council wields considerable power, but its far from a clan of any sort.

^
1. but the 'Church' is a 'de facto' government, not the Presidency. so what shall we call this style of government?
2. I don't know if Gaddhafi ever issues Letter of the Marque to those somalians or has he ever aware of? but since the 'Letter' is european tradition and ... Historically Libya was once a part of 'Pirate nations of Barbary' Gaddhafi then saw the 'Letter' as a fancy. ironically he did issue 'documents' to numerous black african mercenaries when the 'rebels' were closing into Tripoli (and about to lay siege ??). so it might possible that Gaddhafi might issue the same charter to somalians.
3. 'Noble' nations usually refers to 1st world nations. sometimes it refers to any nation that adhers to 'international law' at some degree.

Medium of Death wrote:Still going to execute that former marine for visiting his grand parents...

They might reconsider... probably not though.

4. or do 'Holy Iran Government' holds him for a ransom?

Lone Cat wrote:^
1. but the 'Church' is a 'de facto' government, not the Presidency. so what shall we call this style of government?
2. I don't know if Gaddhafi ever issues Letter of the Marque to those somalians or has he ever aware of? but since the 'Letter' is european tradition and ... Historically Libya was once a part of 'Pirate nations of Barbary' Gaddhafi then saw the 'Letter' as a fancy. ironically he did issue 'documents' to numerous black african mercenaries when the 'rebels' were closing into Tripoli (and about to lay siege ??). so it might possible that Gaddhafi might issue the same charter to somalians.
3. 'Noble' nations usually refers to 1st world nations. sometimes it refers to any nation that adhers to 'international law' at some degree.

Okay then. 'Noble' nations have stopped using privateering...
The church has a lot of power, but it isn't the government.
If he did issue documents to Somalian pirates granting them legal rights to loot any foreign ship they came across this is the first i have heard of it...

Lone Cat wrote:
1. but the 'Church' is a 'de facto' government, not the Presidency. so what shall we call this style of government?

It isn't really the Church (I would be careful about that word here, as it doesn't apply in Islam.) though. Its just the state. The state rules according to Islamic principles, but it does not itself constitute a type of church and, as such, isn't a theocracy as we conventionally think of.

Still, the closest common term is theocracy, though I also think that "Islamic democracy" is a fair descriptor, though many other people would object given that its not much like a Western democracy (we tend to see democracy as only Western democracy).

1. but 'The Church' can (and will) toss the government out should the government became failings or defying them.
2. well it's possible that Gaddhafi might do that kind of dealings. the "Black Hawk Down" crisis was.. however, a part of his cunning. i've heard that he supports Aidid.
remember that Somalian pirates became more and more threat to the point that they got the 'crusade' response from many nations.

Lone Cat wrote:1. but 'The Church' can (and will) toss the government out should the government became failings or defying them.

Again, not really. The government can, and will, through means sanctioned by the government, remove parts of the government if it doesn't agree with another, more powerful, part of the government.

Just like any other government.

One of the unusual things about Islam is that the delineation between church and state, or society and religion for that matter, is an entirely alien (in the sense of being external to the culture) concept.

Lone Cat wrote:1. but 'The Church' can (and will) toss the government out should the government became failings or defying them.
2. well it's possible that Gaddhafi might do that kind of dealings. the "Black Hawk Down" crisis was.. however, a part of his cunning. i've heard that he supports Aidid.
remember that Somalian pirates became more and more threat to the point that they got the 'crusade' response from many nations.

I'm assuming English isn't your second language but the use of present tense when talking about Gadhafi makes me wonder if you know something the rest of us don't...

He's Thai, so I imagine English is his second, or third (depending on where he lives), language.

Well that was nice of them. Too bad there isn't more seaborne piracy in the world for us to combat. We always seem to do a pretty good job about remedying it.

Byte wrote:It's the law of the sea. Sailors will look out for each other if politics don't interfere.

Yes right. I think really there is more common ground between these sailors, despite them being from different nations, than there is between them and the leaders who send them overseas to fight, as has been the case since time immemorial.