Los Angeles Times
January 5, 2009
Somalia
French Patrol Saves Two Ships, Detains 19 Pirates
A French warship captured 19 Somali pirates when it came to the rescue of two cargo ships threatened in the Gulf of Aden, the office of President Nicolas Sarkozy said.
The Jean de Vienne was patrolling as part of a European Union anti-piracy force when it came to aid a Croatian cargo vessel and a Panamanian ship. The 19 pirates were handed over to Somali authorities.
The incident came three days after another French vessel captured eight Somali pirates who had attacked a Panamanian- registered vessel.
Meanwhile, two foreign journalists -- a Briton and a Spaniard -- who had been working on a piracy story were released in good health nearly six weeks after they were kidnapped. Reporter Colin Freeman, 39, of the Sunday Telegraph and freelance photographer Jose Cendon, 34, were abducted Nov. 26. Telegraph Media Group would not say whether a ransom had been paid.
============================================
Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)
January 3, 2009
Greek Ship's Fire Hoses Thwart Somali Pirates
By Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece — Crewmen fired high-pressure water jets Friday to fight off heavily armed Somali pirates trying to board a Greek oil tanker in the dangerous Gulf of Aden, officials said. It was the fourth pirate attack of the new year.
Armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades, pirates in three speedboats twice tried to board the Greek-flagged Kriti Episkopi but were driven away when the crew turned fire hoses on them and EU aircraft scrambled from a nearby European Union flotilla to help, shipping and Greek government officials said.
The attack came a day after Somali pirates seized an Egyptian cargo ship and its crew in the waterway, one of the world's most important sea routes. Also Thursday, a Malaysian military helicopter saved an Indian tanker from being hijacked and a French warship thwarted an attack on a Panamanian cargo ship and captured several pirates.
The captain of the Kriti Episkopi spotted the pirates' speedboats just before 8 a.m. GMT. While he took evasive action, Greek authorities alerted the EU naval flotilla.
"An aircraft and a helicopter reached the ship very quickly, which scared the pirates off," a Greek Merchant Marine Ministry spokesman said. "A frigate also sped to the scene. Everything now seems to be under control, but we remain vigilant."
The 29 crew members were unhurt and the tanker, carrying oil from the Persian Gulf to Greece, was not damaged in the attack off the Somali coast, according to the ship's operating company, Avin International.
More than a dozen warships are now patrolling between the shores of Yemen and Somalia to try to protect commercial vessels in the key waterway, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. Countries as diverse as Britain, India, Iran, the United States, China, France and Germany have naval forces in the waters.
A French warship on Thursday intercepted two speedboats with eight Somali pirates as they were preparing to board the Panamanian ship, according to French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office. The crew of the PM L'Her dispatch boat seized weapons and munitions and planned to hand the pirates over to Somali authorities.
Pirates attacked 111 ships around the Gulf of Aden in 2008, hijacking 42 of them and earning tens of millions in ransom. With the capture of the Egyptian tanker, 15 ships with more than 260 crew are still in the hands of pirates, the International Maritime Bureau says.
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PIRACY
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PIRACY
by USS ALASKA » Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:25 pm
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Chinese Navy Begins Landmark Somali Piracy Patrols
by USS ALASKA » Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:10 pm
Yahoo.com
January 6, 2009
Chinese Navy Begins Landmark Somali Piracy Patrols: State Media
BEIJING (AFP) – A Chinese naval convoy arrived Tuesday in the Gulf of Aden on a landmark mission to protect the country's shipping from Somali pirates and escorted its first four vessels, state media reported.
The four ships escorted were Chinese merchant vessels, including one from Hong Kong, Xinhua news agency said in a dispatch filed from aboard the destroyer Wuhan.
The naval task force, deploying two destroyers and a supply ship, marks China's first potential combat mission beyond its territorial waters in centuries.
The convoy was preparing to escort a further 11 Chinese ships planning to navigate the pirate-infested waters off Somalia this week, Xinhua said in a separate dispatch from Beijing.
"We will actively provide information and necessary rescue services for those merchant ships passing through the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters," ministry of transport spokesman He Jianzhong was quoted as saying.
The fleet was deployed in response to an escalation of pirate attacks on merchant ships, including Chinese vessels, plying the crucial shipping route linking Asia and Europe.
The missile-armed destroyers DDG-171 Haikou and DDG-169 Wuhan, and the Weishanhu supply ship, are among China's most sophisticated and have all entered service this decade, Xinhua said previously.
They will operate alongside other international warships patrolling the area near the Gulf of Aden, part of the Suez Canal route.
Rear Admiral Du Jingchen, commander of the task force, was quoted by Xinhua saying the escort mission "would strictly observe UN resolutions and relevant international laws to fulfil our obligations."
The fleet will mainly protect Chinese vessels, including those from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, but on request will also escort foreign ships passing through the area, Xinhua has said.
China warned Somali pirates late last month that the naval ships would be prepared to use force against them.
"(If) our naval vessels are ambushed by pirate ships we will resolutely fight back to protect our own safety," Rear Admiral Xiao Xinnian told reporters in Beijing.
He added that the ships would "suppress" any acts of piracy they came across.
Xinhua said the task force included about 800 crew members including 70 soldiers from the navy's special forces, and was equipped with missiles, cannon and lighter weapons.
After three months the ships will be replaced by another flotilla, depending on decisions by the UN Security Council and the situation at the time, reports have said.
China has said its warships will investigate any suspected pirate vessels, and approach them and demand that they show their relevant documents and certificates.
Two helicopters accompanying the flotilla will be used during such tasks, military officials said earlier.
About 100 ships -- several of them Chinese -- were attacked by Somali pirates in 2008.
Some companies have begun sailing their vessels around Africa, a longer, more expensive route, to avoid the increasingly brazen pirate attacks -- including the seizure of a Saudi supertanker carrying two million barrels of oil.
China's navy has said the flotilla faces up to 30 organised groups made up of as many as 1,000 pirates.
January 6, 2009
Chinese Navy Begins Landmark Somali Piracy Patrols: State Media
BEIJING (AFP) – A Chinese naval convoy arrived Tuesday in the Gulf of Aden on a landmark mission to protect the country's shipping from Somali pirates and escorted its first four vessels, state media reported.
The four ships escorted were Chinese merchant vessels, including one from Hong Kong, Xinhua news agency said in a dispatch filed from aboard the destroyer Wuhan.
The naval task force, deploying two destroyers and a supply ship, marks China's first potential combat mission beyond its territorial waters in centuries.
The convoy was preparing to escort a further 11 Chinese ships planning to navigate the pirate-infested waters off Somalia this week, Xinhua said in a separate dispatch from Beijing.
"We will actively provide information and necessary rescue services for those merchant ships passing through the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters," ministry of transport spokesman He Jianzhong was quoted as saying.
The fleet was deployed in response to an escalation of pirate attacks on merchant ships, including Chinese vessels, plying the crucial shipping route linking Asia and Europe.
The missile-armed destroyers DDG-171 Haikou and DDG-169 Wuhan, and the Weishanhu supply ship, are among China's most sophisticated and have all entered service this decade, Xinhua said previously.
They will operate alongside other international warships patrolling the area near the Gulf of Aden, part of the Suez Canal route.
Rear Admiral Du Jingchen, commander of the task force, was quoted by Xinhua saying the escort mission "would strictly observe UN resolutions and relevant international laws to fulfil our obligations."
The fleet will mainly protect Chinese vessels, including those from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, but on request will also escort foreign ships passing through the area, Xinhua has said.
China warned Somali pirates late last month that the naval ships would be prepared to use force against them.
"(If) our naval vessels are ambushed by pirate ships we will resolutely fight back to protect our own safety," Rear Admiral Xiao Xinnian told reporters in Beijing.
He added that the ships would "suppress" any acts of piracy they came across.
Xinhua said the task force included about 800 crew members including 70 soldiers from the navy's special forces, and was equipped with missiles, cannon and lighter weapons.
After three months the ships will be replaced by another flotilla, depending on decisions by the UN Security Council and the situation at the time, reports have said.
China has said its warships will investigate any suspected pirate vessels, and approach them and demand that they show their relevant documents and certificates.
Two helicopters accompanying the flotilla will be used during such tasks, military officials said earlier.
About 100 ships -- several of them Chinese -- were attacked by Somali pirates in 2008.
Some companies have begun sailing their vessels around Africa, a longer, more expensive route, to avoid the increasingly brazen pirate attacks -- including the seizure of a Saudi supertanker carrying two million barrels of oil.
China's navy has said the flotilla faces up to 30 organised groups made up of as many as 1,000 pirates.
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U.S. Aims To Coordinate Defense Against Piracy
by USS ALASKA » Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:55 am
Wall Street Journal
January 9, 2009
Pg. 6
U.S. Aims To Coordinate Defense Against Piracy
By Chip Cummins
DUBAI -- The U.S. Navy said Thursday it would create a new antipiracy task force in the latest military response to attacks in the waters off Somalia, and is asking other nations' navies to join in.
The effort comes amid early signs that growing international naval firepower in the area may be starting to have an effect, and shippers are doing a better job defending themselves.
The Bahrain-based U.S. Fifth Fleet said the task force, which will initially include an American command ship and two other U.S. warships, along with supporting aircraft, will be operational by mid-January.
The move doesn't necessarily indicate an increase of U.S. firepower, but is the first attempt to officially coordinate the growing international naval presence.
The U.S. didn't identify navies it is seeking out to join the antipiracy force. Governments that have ships in the region or have announced deployments recently include China, India, Malaysia and Russia. A handful of European Union navies are patrolling the Gulf of Aden in an antipiracy effort called Operation Atalanta. French and British forces already work closely with the U.S. in the region and in the nearby Persian Gulf; Navy officials in both countries said Thursday they had no immediate plans to join the new task force.
Last summer, the U.S. Navy and a small group of allied nations set up a special antipiracy patrol area off Somalia as attacks accelerated. A Fifth Fleet spokeswoman said the international navies already informally coordinate responses to piracy, and the new unit was designed to improve that cooperation.
Pirate attacks increased significantly in the region last year, culminating in the dramatic seizures of a cargo ship full of military hardware in September and a Saudi Arabian oil tanker in November. Pirates typically hold crewmembers and vessel hostage, demanding big ransoms.
The Navy maintains that a military solution won't be enough to curtail piracy off Somalia. Officials say a political solution in Somalia is the key to curbing piracy.
Meanwhile, as the international naval defense presence grows, owners and captains of merchant ships appear to be improving their own self-defense measures against continuing piracy attacks, Navy officials say.
"The merchant ships have been doing a great job stepping up and using" defensive measures, said Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, in a statement Thursday.
On Jan. 1, pirates attacked a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, taking hostage 28 crewmembers, according to the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau. But four other attacks in the seven-day period ending Jan. 5 were thwarted by international warships or military aircraft. In two other incidents, the crew of targeted ships took evasive action and prevented hijackings.
--Jeanne Whalen in London and Max Colchester in Paris contributed to this article.
January 9, 2009
Pg. 6
U.S. Aims To Coordinate Defense Against Piracy
By Chip Cummins
DUBAI -- The U.S. Navy said Thursday it would create a new antipiracy task force in the latest military response to attacks in the waters off Somalia, and is asking other nations' navies to join in.
The effort comes amid early signs that growing international naval firepower in the area may be starting to have an effect, and shippers are doing a better job defending themselves.
The Bahrain-based U.S. Fifth Fleet said the task force, which will initially include an American command ship and two other U.S. warships, along with supporting aircraft, will be operational by mid-January.
The move doesn't necessarily indicate an increase of U.S. firepower, but is the first attempt to officially coordinate the growing international naval presence.
The U.S. didn't identify navies it is seeking out to join the antipiracy force. Governments that have ships in the region or have announced deployments recently include China, India, Malaysia and Russia. A handful of European Union navies are patrolling the Gulf of Aden in an antipiracy effort called Operation Atalanta. French and British forces already work closely with the U.S. in the region and in the nearby Persian Gulf; Navy officials in both countries said Thursday they had no immediate plans to join the new task force.
Last summer, the U.S. Navy and a small group of allied nations set up a special antipiracy patrol area off Somalia as attacks accelerated. A Fifth Fleet spokeswoman said the international navies already informally coordinate responses to piracy, and the new unit was designed to improve that cooperation.
Pirate attacks increased significantly in the region last year, culminating in the dramatic seizures of a cargo ship full of military hardware in September and a Saudi Arabian oil tanker in November. Pirates typically hold crewmembers and vessel hostage, demanding big ransoms.
The Navy maintains that a military solution won't be enough to curtail piracy off Somalia. Officials say a political solution in Somalia is the key to curbing piracy.
Meanwhile, as the international naval defense presence grows, owners and captains of merchant ships appear to be improving their own self-defense measures against continuing piracy attacks, Navy officials say.
"The merchant ships have been doing a great job stepping up and using" defensive measures, said Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, in a statement Thursday.
On Jan. 1, pirates attacked a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, taking hostage 28 crewmembers, according to the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau. But four other attacks in the seven-day period ending Jan. 5 were thwarted by international warships or military aircraft. In two other incidents, the crew of targeted ships took evasive action and prevented hijackings.
--Jeanne Whalen in London and Max Colchester in Paris contributed to this article.
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Somali pirates reportedly release Saudi tanker
by USS ALASKA » Fri Jan 09, 2009 5:17 pm
Somali pirates reportedly release Saudi tanker
By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN, Associated Press Writer Mohamed Olad Hassan, Associated Press Writer – 20 mins ago
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somali pirates released an oil-laden Saudi supertanker after receiving a $3 million ransom, a negotiator for the bandits said Friday. The ship owner did not confirm it.
The MV Sirius Star, a brand new tanker with a 25-member crew, was seized in the Indian Ocean Nov. 15 in a dramatic escalation of high seas crime.
Mohamed Said, a negotiator with the pirates, told The Associated Press by telephone the ship has been released and was traveling to "safe waters."
A Western diplomat based in Nairobi, Kenya, also said the ship was free, citing the International Maritime Organization. He requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The ship owner, Vela International Marine Ltd., declined comment on the claim Friday.
The tanker was hijacked more than 500 miles (800 kilometers) southeast of Mombasa, Kenya. That is far south of where warships have recently increased their patrols in the Gulf of Aden, one of the busiest channels in the world, leading to and from the Suez Canal, and the scene of most past attacks.
The U.S. Navy said Thursday that a new international naval force under American command will soon begin patrols to confront escalating attacks by Somali pirates after more than 100 ships came under siege in the past year.
But the mission — expected to begin operations next week — appears more of an attempt to sharpen the military focus against piracy rather than a signal of expanded offensives across one of the world's most crucial shipping lanes.
The force will carry no wider authority to strike at pirate vessels at sea or specific mandates to move against havens on shore — which some maritime experts believe is necessary to weaken the pirate gangs that have taken control of dozens of cargo vessels and an oil tanker.
"While the potential release of the Sirius Star is undoubtedly excellent news, we must not forget that nearly three hundred other merchant mariners are still being held captive. The men who attacked the ship and held the crew hostage are armed criminals and consequently, we must remain steadfast in our efforts to address the international problem of piracy," said Commodore Tim Lowe, deputy commander of the new force.
Most hijackings end with million-dollar pay-outs. Piracy is considered the biggest moneymaker in Somalia, a country that has had no stable government for decades. A recent report by the London-based think-tank Chatham House said pirates raked in more than $30 million in ransoms last year.
The pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues, using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and various types of grenades. Far out to sea, their speedboats operate from larger mother ships.
The U.S. Navy and other nations have international authority to battle pirates in the open seas and come to the aid of vessels under attack. But forces have been stymied on how to respond to ships under pirate control, fearing an all-out assault could endanger the crew members held hostage.
By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN, Associated Press Writer Mohamed Olad Hassan, Associated Press Writer – 20 mins ago
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somali pirates released an oil-laden Saudi supertanker after receiving a $3 million ransom, a negotiator for the bandits said Friday. The ship owner did not confirm it.
The MV Sirius Star, a brand new tanker with a 25-member crew, was seized in the Indian Ocean Nov. 15 in a dramatic escalation of high seas crime.
Mohamed Said, a negotiator with the pirates, told The Associated Press by telephone the ship has been released and was traveling to "safe waters."
A Western diplomat based in Nairobi, Kenya, also said the ship was free, citing the International Maritime Organization. He requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The ship owner, Vela International Marine Ltd., declined comment on the claim Friday.
The tanker was hijacked more than 500 miles (800 kilometers) southeast of Mombasa, Kenya. That is far south of where warships have recently increased their patrols in the Gulf of Aden, one of the busiest channels in the world, leading to and from the Suez Canal, and the scene of most past attacks.
The U.S. Navy said Thursday that a new international naval force under American command will soon begin patrols to confront escalating attacks by Somali pirates after more than 100 ships came under siege in the past year.
But the mission — expected to begin operations next week — appears more of an attempt to sharpen the military focus against piracy rather than a signal of expanded offensives across one of the world's most crucial shipping lanes.
The force will carry no wider authority to strike at pirate vessels at sea or specific mandates to move against havens on shore — which some maritime experts believe is necessary to weaken the pirate gangs that have taken control of dozens of cargo vessels and an oil tanker.
"While the potential release of the Sirius Star is undoubtedly excellent news, we must not forget that nearly three hundred other merchant mariners are still being held captive. The men who attacked the ship and held the crew hostage are armed criminals and consequently, we must remain steadfast in our efforts to address the international problem of piracy," said Commodore Tim Lowe, deputy commander of the new force.
Most hijackings end with million-dollar pay-outs. Piracy is considered the biggest moneymaker in Somalia, a country that has had no stable government for decades. A recent report by the London-based think-tank Chatham House said pirates raked in more than $30 million in ransoms last year.
The pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues, using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and various types of grenades. Far out to sea, their speedboats operate from larger mother ships.
The U.S. Navy and other nations have international authority to battle pirates in the open seas and come to the aid of vessels under attack. But forces have been stymied on how to respond to ships under pirate control, fearing an all-out assault could endanger the crew members held hostage.
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Re: PIRACY
by RF » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:53 pm
Navies in the past would have dealt with this issue of piracy much more robustly than in today's world of political correctness. What has happened to the War on Terror? Does it not apply to pirates? Or is it that they are not Taliban or Al Quaeda?
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
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Re: PIRACY
by USS ALASKA » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:40 pm
Baltimore Sun
January 11, 2009
Somali Pirates Drown After Getting Ransom
MOGADISHU, Somalia--Five of the pirates who hijacked a Saudi supertanker drowned with their share of a $3 million ransom, a relative said yesterday, a day after the bundle of cash was apparently dropped by parachute onto the deck of the ship. The Sirius Star and its 25 crew sailed safely away Friday at the end of a two-month standoff in the Gulf of Aden, where pirates attacked over 100 ships last year. The drowned pirates' boat overturned in rough seas, and family members were still looking for four missing bodies, said Daud Nure, a pirate who knew the men involved.
January 11, 2009
Somali Pirates Drown After Getting Ransom
MOGADISHU, Somalia--Five of the pirates who hijacked a Saudi supertanker drowned with their share of a $3 million ransom, a relative said yesterday, a day after the bundle of cash was apparently dropped by parachute onto the deck of the ship. The Sirius Star and its 25 crew sailed safely away Friday at the end of a two-month standoff in the Gulf of Aden, where pirates attacked over 100 ships last year. The drowned pirates' boat overturned in rough seas, and family members were still looking for four missing bodies, said Daud Nure, a pirate who knew the men involved.
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Russian Navy Saves Dutch Ship From Somali Pirates
by USS ALASKA » Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:10 pm
Houston Chronicle
January 15, 2009
Russian Navy Saves Dutch Ship From Somali Pirates
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A Russian warship helped foil an attack on a Dutch container ship by suspected Somali pirates in the dangerous Gulf of Aden, a maritime watchdog and the Russian navy said Wednesday.
Six pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades Tuesday at the ship, which took evasive maneuvers while calling for help, said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting center in Malaysia.
The pirates chased the vessel for about 30 minutes but aborted their attempt to board the ship after a Russian warship and helicopter arrived at the scene, Choong said.
Russian navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said a Ka-27 helicopter was sent from the Admiral Vinogradov warship on patrol off Somalia’s coast and fired at three suspected pirate speedboats that were trying to attack the Dutch ship.
He said three pirates were wounded.
Dygalo said one of the speedboats was halted near Yemeni waters and Russian teams from the Admiral Vinogradov boarded the other two, finding ropes with grappling hooks and gas canisters but no fishing equipment.
Pirates last year attacked 111 ships and seized 42 off the Horn of Africa, many in the Gulf of Aden. An international flotilla including U.S. warships has stopped many attacks, but the area is too vast to keep all ships safe in the vital sea lane that leads to the Suez canal and is the quickest route from Asia to Europe.
Choong said it was nevertheless getting harder for Somali pirates to hijack ships because of increased naval patrols and the vigilant watch kept by ships that pass through the area.
“The attacks are continuing but successful hijackings by pirates have (been) reduced,” he said.
There have been 11 attacks in Somali waters thus far this year, with two ships hijacked. In total, 11 vessels with 210 crew members remain in pirate hands, Choong said.
Russia sent a warship to the area in September after Somali pirates hijacked a Ukrainian freighter, the Faina, with a cargo of battle tanks and three Russian crew members.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991 and its lawless coastline is a haven for pirates. The multimillion dollar ransoms are one of the only ways to make money in the impoverished nation.
January 15, 2009
Russian Navy Saves Dutch Ship From Somali Pirates
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A Russian warship helped foil an attack on a Dutch container ship by suspected Somali pirates in the dangerous Gulf of Aden, a maritime watchdog and the Russian navy said Wednesday.
Six pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades Tuesday at the ship, which took evasive maneuvers while calling for help, said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting center in Malaysia.
The pirates chased the vessel for about 30 minutes but aborted their attempt to board the ship after a Russian warship and helicopter arrived at the scene, Choong said.
Russian navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said a Ka-27 helicopter was sent from the Admiral Vinogradov warship on patrol off Somalia’s coast and fired at three suspected pirate speedboats that were trying to attack the Dutch ship.
He said three pirates were wounded.
Dygalo said one of the speedboats was halted near Yemeni waters and Russian teams from the Admiral Vinogradov boarded the other two, finding ropes with grappling hooks and gas canisters but no fishing equipment.
Pirates last year attacked 111 ships and seized 42 off the Horn of Africa, many in the Gulf of Aden. An international flotilla including U.S. warships has stopped many attacks, but the area is too vast to keep all ships safe in the vital sea lane that leads to the Suez canal and is the quickest route from Asia to Europe.
Choong said it was nevertheless getting harder for Somali pirates to hijack ships because of increased naval patrols and the vigilant watch kept by ships that pass through the area.
“The attacks are continuing but successful hijackings by pirates have (been) reduced,” he said.
There have been 11 attacks in Somali waters thus far this year, with two ships hijacked. In total, 11 vessels with 210 crew members remain in pirate hands, Choong said.
Russia sent a warship to the area in September after Somali pirates hijacked a Ukrainian freighter, the Faina, with a cargo of battle tanks and three Russian crew members.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991 and its lawless coastline is a haven for pirates. The multimillion dollar ransoms are one of the only ways to make money in the impoverished nation.
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Re: Russian Navy Saves Dutch Ship From Somali Pirates
by RF » Thu Jan 15, 2009 2:23 pm
USS ALASKA wrote:Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991 and its lawless coastline is a haven for pirates. The multimillion dollar ransoms are one of the only ways to make money in the impoverished nation.
Which brings me back to the question I posed earlier - what happened to the war on terror?
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
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Re: PIRACY
by José M. Rico » Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:12 pm
Russia seizes 3 pirate ships off Somalia -agencies
MOSCOW, Feb 13 (Reuters) - A Russian warship has captured three pirate vessels off Somalia, news agencies quoted the Russian navy as saying on Friday.
The nuclear-powered warship, Peter the Great, also detained 10 pirates on the boats, Interfax news agency quoted a spokesman for the Russian navy as saying.
Pirates from Somalia target merchant ships sailing through the busy Gulf of Aden, which connects Europe and Asia via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Navies from several different countries -- including the United States, Britain, India and Russia -- now patrol the sea off the unstable Horn of Africa to deter pirates.
On Thursday, the U.S. navy said it had detained nine pirates. (Writing by James Kilner; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
MOSCOW, Feb 13 (Reuters) - A Russian warship has captured three pirate vessels off Somalia, news agencies quoted the Russian navy as saying on Friday.
The nuclear-powered warship, Peter the Great, also detained 10 pirates on the boats, Interfax news agency quoted a spokesman for the Russian navy as saying.
Pirates from Somalia target merchant ships sailing through the busy Gulf of Aden, which connects Europe and Asia via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Navies from several different countries -- including the United States, Britain, India and Russia -- now patrol the sea off the unstable Horn of Africa to deter pirates.
On Thursday, the U.S. navy said it had detained nine pirates. (Writing by James Kilner; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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Re: PIRACY
by RF » Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:04 pm
Nice to see some action at last and to see various navies being involved and co-operating with each other.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
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Re: PIRACY
by paulcadogan » Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:49 pm
I have to ask this....
Instead of having all these warships patroling and vessels still being seized putting lives at risk and paying out millions in ransoms to fuel terrorism, wouldn't it be far more cost effective to institute a simple convoy system through the danger zone? One destroyer or frigate with a group of merchant vessels and the pirates are rendered impotent.
Have they forgotten the lessons of WW2??
Instead of having all these warships patroling and vessels still being seized putting lives at risk and paying out millions in ransoms to fuel terrorism, wouldn't it be far more cost effective to institute a simple convoy system through the danger zone? One destroyer or frigate with a group of merchant vessels and the pirates are rendered impotent.
Have they forgotten the lessons of WW2??
Hard-a-starboard....Shoot!
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Re: PIRACY
by Bgile » Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:58 pm
Very very few ships are being pirated compared to the volume of ships passing through the area. When it happens it makes the news, but the terrible inefficiencies of waiting for convoys to be formed just isn't worth the lost days for a business operation. If it got many times worse, they might try it. Occasionally it's done with a few ships even now, usually under a particular flag with some hangers on.
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Re: PIRACY
by lwd » Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:41 pm
My understanding is that there is a convoy system in place. Slower vessels or those who are not in a hurry or who have limited insurance travel in the convoys but no one is required to.
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Re: PIRACY
by José M. Rico » Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:24 pm
I was reading Lance Arsmtrong on Twitter yesterday and he asked:
http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong
Why don't these ships off Somalia have security on them? Seems pretty simple to me, no? Or am I dead wrong
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José M. Rico - Administrator
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Re: PIRACY
by lwd » Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:56 pm
One reason I've heard is that gun control laws in many (most, all) countries are pretty tight when it comes to foreigners having weapons. Since cargo ships usually move from one foreign port to another this represents a significant legal problem. Not that it couldn't be fixed but there's considerable inertia and th possibility of abuse is certainly there.
- lwd
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