Had I known you could still receive what amounted to a Letter of Marque I wouldn’t be sitting in front of a computer now, I’d be on a Carrack in the Persian gulf striking the Red Jack like fellow transplant to South Carolina Christopher Moody.

Anyone want to buy a blog, I’ve got provisions to lay in.

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A cargo ship hired by the U.S. military fired warning shots at boats suspected to be Iranian, the U.S. Navy said on Friday, underscoring tension in the Gulf as the Pentagon sharpened its warnings to Tehran.

According to American defense officials, the Westward Venture cargo ship chartered by the U.S. Defense Department was traveling in international waters when two unidentified small boats approached on Thursday.

After the boats failed to respond to radio queries and a warning flare, the cargo ship’s onboard security team fired “a few bursts” of machine gun and rifle warning shots, according to Cmdr. Lydia Robertson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet.

“The small boats left the area a short time later,” she said by telephone. “They were able to avoid a serious incident by following the procedures that we use.”

The news helped push oil prices up more than $3 to $119.50 a barrel — within striking distance of the record $119.90 hit earlier this week — as traders worried escalating tensions in the region could eventually disrupt crude shipments.

Well if oil prices are going to spike let’s put our privateers to work! Just in case you think this is an isolated incident:

In March, another U.S. military-chartered ship preparing to cross the Suez Canal fired warning shots at a small boat, killing an Egyptian on board.

American privateers don’t mess around, and seem to be able to do the job the English navy can no longer do, that is defend themselves on the high seas.

Hot Air has a more timid examination. Figures those land lubbers would go all soft and not raise a toast to the bloody handed sea dogs who sent those Iranian Mahdi-lovers packing. They’re working off a BBC report but I won’t link to a hack outfit like them who make up news.

KPTM has more.

I say to the crew of The Westward Venture well done lads, well done indeed.

h/t Drudge

Update: Yes Jawa readers I know these are not technically Privateers, they’re federal employees. What I didn’t know was that the Internet was full of tiresome killjoys. Leave your corrections in the comments and stop emailing me.