Trump Isn’t “Pirating Ships”- It’s Satisfying A Debt
People who watch a quick clip on social media sometimes jump to the word piracy. It sounds dramatic and it fits the idea of a powerful country taking ships at sea. You might see a talking head on Fox News or the daily report making this comparison. But under international law, piracy means acts of robbery or violence on the high seas done without lawful authority. The key phrase is without lawful authority. If a national court with proper jurisdiction signs a warrant that targets commercial assets, that action is the exact opposite of piracy.