Misguided protest

The two "students" who were acquitted of attempting to cause damage to a visiting US warship in Grand Harbour should thank their lucky stars they were apprehended by the police before they were able to carry out their irresponsible and dangerous act (April 22).

After the USS Cole incident in Yemen in 2000, when terrorists rammed an explosives-laden boat into the side of that same vessel causing the death of 17 crewmen, US naval sentries are likely to have orders to shoot first and ask questions later.

The organisation which now condones the youths' intended action would not be carrying on in so cavalier a fashion if this sort of misguided "protest" had ended in tragedy.