The Threat of Modern Piracy- A Merged Thread

[The Bread Guy]

NATO resumes anti-piracy operations
NATO news release, 13 March 2009
News release link

MONS, Belgium – NATO will resume counter piracy operations off the Horn of Africa later this month after the North Atlantic Council (NAC) gave final approval for the mission.  Operation ALLIED PROTECTOR is NATO’s continuing contribution to international community efforts to enhance the safety of commercial maritime routes and international navigation in the area.

Five NATO ships will assist in international efforts to deter, defend against, and disrupt pirate activities off the Horn of Africa.  The ships, part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) under the command of Portuguese Rear Admiral Jose Pereira da Cunha, will start their duties at the end of March.  The five ships expected to participate are:

NRP Corte Real (flagship, Portugal)
HMCS Winnipeg (Canada)
HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (Netherlands)
SPS Blas de Lezo (Spain)
USS Halyburton (United States of America)

“In this era of globalisation, economic security is inextricably linked to physical security,” said General John Craddock, Supreme Allied Commander Europe.  “This operation demonstrates the continuing importance of the NATO Alliance in addressing our collective security concerns.”

The first phase of counter piracy operations will be undertaken on the outbound leg of NATO’s first ever maritime deployment to SE Asia.  The second phase will take place as SNMG1 makes the return journey towards European waters at the end of June.

The deployment to SE Asia demonstrates the high value that NATO places on its relationship with other partners across the globe.  It will include a visit to Karachi, Pakistan, before sailing on to Singapore to take part in the IMDEX 2009 Exhibition and Conference at the invitation of the Republic of Singapore Navy.  From Singapore SNMG1 will sail to Perth, Australia. 

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB OBE, Commander Maritime Component Command Northwood which will oversee Operation ALLIED PROTECTOR, said, “This mission reflects NATO’s relevance and adaptability to meet the challenges of the current security environment.  In conjunction with other nations and international organisations we aim to enhance the safety of commercial maritime routes vital for the global economy.” 

The counter piracy mission will be co-ordinated with other international actors and expands on what was achieved during Operation Allied Provider in 2008. The NATO Force will assume a highly visible profile, conducting surveillance tasks and providing protection to deter and suppress piracy and armed robbery.

“I recognize that nations face difficult choices in resourcing decisions,” said Craddock.  “The ability to reconfigure the original deployment to encompass this additional role is a testament to Alliance cooperation and the adaptability of the forces provided to NATO.”

Contact Information for Allied Command Operations Public Affairs Office at SHAPE:
Tel: +32 (0)65 44 4119 (week days 0830 – 1730)
Mobile: 0032 (0) 475 77 31 05 (week days 1730 – 0830, weekends and holidays)
Email:  shapepao@shape.nato.int

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

some one might of already  asked this.
But has no country  with a carrier not parked one there in the area and do air combat  patrols,  some jets over flying might end the problem a lot faster than some ships and helicopters. Faster and more deadly  to the small boats then a chopper. A jet using the lower speeds could be anywhere in the area in less than a hour. If a jet  was on  patrol and with awac type aircraft they  could patrol a  huge area and be on the look out for just about anything. I think it might work.

I guess the cost of a carrier is too much for the people to pay.

just my  thoughts
take

 

[GAP]

I suspect that the size of the attack boats would largely preclude the wide coverage you are suggesting. The speed of the jets would probably be still too fast to be effective to that small of a craft...

others with far more TI could probably correct me/redirect

 

[old medic]

Pirates seize Greek cargo ship in Gulf of Aden
Mar. 20 2009
The Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece -- Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry says pirates have seized a Greek-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia.

The ministry says the St. Vincent-flagged Titan, with 24 crew members on board, was seized late Thursday night. Three of the crew members, including the captain, are Greek.

The Titan had been sailing from the Black Sea to Korea with a cargo of metal when it came under attack, the ministry said.

Last month, pirates in the same area seized another Greek-owned cargo ship with a 22-member crew.

Pirate attacks are frequent off the Somali coast, and have continued despite the presence of a large number of warships to protect commercial shipping.

 

[CougarKing]

Looks like those pirates may be sorry if they run into Greek warships like the one whose crew are photographed in action below:

A helicopter pilot aboard the Greek Frigate HS PSARA plugs his ears as a helicopter lands on the ship's flight deck as it patrols the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden in search for Somali pirates March 8, 2009. Picture taken March 8, 2009.
REUTERS/Fouad Juez (ARABIAN SEA CONFLICT SOCIETY MILITARY)

A Greek Special Forces agent rappels from a helicopter onto the Greek Frigate HS PSARA as it patrols the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden in search for Somali pirates March 8, 2009. Picture taken March 8, 2009.
REUTERS/Fouad Juez (ARABIAN SEA CONFLICT SOCIETY MILITARY)

A crew member from the Greek Frigate HS PSARA monitors the ship's instruments as it patrols the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden in search for Somali pirates March 8, 2009. Picture taken March 8, 2009.
REUTERS/Fouad Juez (ARABIAN SEA CONFLICT SOCIETY MILITARY)

A crew member from the Greek Frigate HS PSARA monitors the ship's instruments as it patrols the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden in search for Somali pirates March 8, 2009.
REUTERS/Fouad Juez (ARABIAN SEA CONFLICT SOCIETY MILITARY)

Greek Frigate HS PSARA's canon and crew seen from the ship's bridge as it patrols the Arabian sea and Gulf of Aden in search for Somali pirates March 8, 2009. Picture taken March 8, 2009.
REUTERS/Fouad Juez (ARABIAN SEA CONFLICT SOCIETY MILITARY)

HS Psara (F 454)


------------
Another case of no assurance of a country's naval presence at the Gulf of Aden will stop pirate attacks on its merchant ships.

Pirates seize Greek cargo ship in Gulf of Aden

53 mins ago

ATHENS, Greece – Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry says pirates have seized a Greek-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia.

The ministry says the St. Vincent-flagged Titan, with 24 crew members on board, was seized late Thursday night. Three of the crew members, including the captain, are Greek.

The Titan had been sailing from the Black Sea to Korea with a cargo of metal when it came under attack, the ministry said.

Last month, pirates in the same area seized another Greek-owned cargo ship with a 22-member crew.

Pirate attacks are frequent off the Somali coast, and have continued despite the presence of a large number of warships to protect commercial shipping.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090320/ap_on_re_eu/piracy

 

[Journeyman]

A somewhat different perspective on piracy, from Vanity Fair.

It tells the story of pirates hijacking for ransom of the French cruise ship "Le Ponant" last spring. While it reads like typical fluff journalism (on-board affairs, haute cuisine on cruise ships...), it does show in interesting trend:

....the Ponant’s crew felt relieved by HMCS Charlottetown’s arrival. The pirates, however, did not seem to care. With these hostages they could hold off any armada.

[France takes over on-scene responsibility] ---------
For all its firepower and training, the French Navy was neutralized by the fact that Ahmed never threatened to start executing the hostages, and that for whatever reason he actually cared about their welfare. As a result, the best the French Navy could do was stand by, eat well, and serve as bagmen for the money. It was successful at this...

 

[Yrys]

Pirates seize Greek cargo ship in Gulf of Aden
Mar. 20 2009
The Associated Press

Same evenement : Pirates 'seize ship off Somalia', Friday, 20 March 2009

"Pirates have seized a Greek-owned cargo ship off the coast of Somalia,
Greek officials say.

The Titan, with 24 crew members on board, was seized on Thursday night,
Greece's merchant marine ministry said. The St Vincent-flagged vessel came
under attack as it sailed to Korea from the Black Sea with a cargo of metal,
the ministry said. "



Q & A: Somali piracy

In January 2009 Somali pirates freed the Saudi supertanker whose
capture two months earlier drew the world's attention to the surge
in piracy off the Horn of Africa.

Since the seizure of the Sirius Star, global navies have been rushing to
protect one of the world's most important shipping lanes. Major powers
have been also been debating a long-term solution to the hijackings in
what have become the most dangerous waters in the world - accounting
for a third of all pirate attacks.

How do the pirates seize the ships?

The pirates are very good at what they do. They run sophisticated operations
using the latest hi-tech equipment such as satellite phones and GPS. They are
also heavily armed with rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s. The pirates
are known to receive tip-offs from contacts at ports in the Gulf of Aden. They
use speedboats with very powerful outboard motors to approach their target.
Sometimes the speedboats are launched from much larger "mother ships" on
the high seas.

To actually hijack the ships, the pirates first use grappling hooks and irons -
some of which are even rocket-propelled - and climb aboard using ropes and
ladders. The pirates have also on occasion fired at the ships to scare them into
stopping, so it is easier for them to board the vessel.

The pirates then sail the hijacked ship to the Somali pirate hub town, Eyl. There,
pirates usually take the hostages ashore where they are normally well-looked
after until a ransom is paid.

Why can't the pirates be stopped?

Warships from at least nine countries are now operating in the Gulf of Aden and
the waters off Somalia, but this may have only shifted the problem.

The Sirius Star was attacked a long way south of Somalia. The targeted area now
encompasses over a quarter of the Indian Ocean and so is impossible to police. The
International Maritime Bureau is advising ship-owners to adopt measure such as
having look-outs or travelling at speeds which would allow them to outrun the pirates.

However, the pirates move extremely quickly and often at night and so it is often
too late before the crew has realised what has happened. Once the pirates have
taken control of a ship, military intervention is complicated because of the hostages
on board.

There is also no international legal system for people accused of piracy, although
some have been put on trial in Kenya, while one group was captured by French
forces and taken to face justice in France. Some argue an international court is
needed, backed by the UN, with perhaps even an international prison for those
convicted.

In mid-December 2008, the UN Security Council approved a resolution allowing
countries to pursue Somali pirates on land as well as at sea - an extension of the
powers countries already have to enter Somali waters to chase pirates. But as long
as Somalia continues to exist without an effective government, many believe
lawlessness within the country and off its lengthy coast will only grow.

Why do the pirates do it?

For the money.

The pirates treat the ship, its cargo and its crew as hostages and hold them for
ransom. The rewards they receive are rich in a country where there are no jobs
and almost half the population needs food aid after 17 years of non-stop conflict.

The Kenyan foreign minister estimates that pirates have received $150m in the
past year in ransom payments. They use some of this money to fund future
operations - more powerful weapons, bigger, faster boats and more sophisticated
equipment.

How does piracy affect people outside Somalia?

Unless they are involved in the shipping industry, the main effect is higher prices.

Shipping companies pass on the increased costs - security, higher insurance premiums,
ransoms and extra fuel for longer routes - in their fees and so it eventually finds its way
onto the high street.

Piracy is estimated to have cost the world an estimated $60 - 70m in 2008. 

More than 100 attacks in 2008
40 successful hijackings
14 ships currently held, including the MV Faina carrying tanks
About 200 crew held hostage
Source: International Maritime Bureau, 2008

IMB Piracy Reporting Centre

 

[Yrys]

3 Pirate Attacks Reported Off Somalia

TOKYO (AP) -- Pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at Japanese,
Greek and Hong Kong cargo ships off the coast of Somalia but fled after the ships took evasive
maneuvers, officials said Monday. No one was injured in the attacks, the latest to be reported
in Somalia's pirate-infested waters.

Masami Suekado, a Japanese Transport Ministry official, said pirates in two small vessels
approached the Jasmine Ace and fired several shots before fleeing. Bullets broke windows
and hit the ceiling of the bridge.

Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala
Lumpur, said the attack was one of three Sunday off southern Somalia, about 500 nautical
miles from the coast.

In the other attacks, pirates in two small boats fired RPGs and machine guns for 30 minutes
at a Hong Kong container ship but the vessel managed to escape by increasing speed and
carrying out evasive maneuvers.

An hour later, the brigands fired at a Greek bulk carrier but aborted the attempt after the
ship took anti-piracy measures, including evasive maneuvers, he said.

The Japanese cargo ship was attacked four hours after the Greek carrier. ''Fortunately no
one was injured and killed. It is believed to be the same pirate group and it shows they are
now operating in the southern part of Somalia,'' Choong said.

Atsuko Nakajima, a spokesman for Mitsui O.S.K Lines, which operates the Japanese ship,
said 18 people -- all from the Philippines -- were aboard the ship, which was carrying a
cargo of automobiles. Nakajima declined to give the ship's current location for security
reasons.

Suekado said the 13,000-ton cargo ship zigzagged away and the pirates broke off their
assault. The ship was heading toward Mombasa, in Kenya, when it was attacked.

Last year, 12 Japanese owned or operated ships were attacked in the area. This was the
first strike on a Japanese operated ship there this year.

To help get control of the situation, two Japanese navy destroyers left earlier this month
to join an international anti-piracy mission. The five-month deployment marks the first
overseas policing action for Japan's military, which is limited by the country's post-World
War II constitution to defensive missions. They are expected to reach Somalia's coastal
waters next month.

Japan's dispatch comes as more than a dozen warships from countries including Britain,
the United States, France, China and Germany are guarding the region.

Authorities say marauding criminals in speedboats attacked more than 100 ships off
Somalia's coast last year, including high-profile hijackings with multimillion-dollar ransom
demands. There were roughly 10 times as many attacks in January and February 2009 as
there were over the same period last year.

But while Somalia's pirates are keeping up their attacks in one of the world's most
important shipping routes, they are finding it harder to seize vessels in recent months,
according to the International Maritime Bureau.

The Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet, which patrols the region, says the decline in the number
of successful pirate attacks could be partly attributed to the increased number of warships
in the area -- between 15 and 20 at any one time.

Choong, however, said attacks have increased in recent weeks due to better weather, with
pirates becoming more violent as their attempts continue to be foiled by the international
naval coalition. ''Pirates are quite desperate now, so they will start firing to stop the ships
and intimidate the captain,'' Choong said. The focus appears to be on the eastern and northern
coast of Somalia, where there are fewer naval patrols, he said.

Forty ships have been attacked in the area this year, of which five were hijacked, he said.
Pirates are still holding seven vessels and 118 crew members for ransom.

------

Associated Press writer Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.

 

[ironduke57]

Naval force nabs pirates after attack on German ship

Naval force nabs pirates after attack on German ship

Berlin - German naval forces detained seven pirates who attacked a German supply tanker off the coast of Somalia, a defence ministry spokesman said Monday. The pirates opened fire on the civilian-crewed vessel Spessart Sunday afternoon, but were driven off by a "mobile protection element" on board, the spokesman said.

A German and Greek naval unit in the vicinity gave chase and apprehended the pirates, who were later taken on board the German frigate Rheinland-Pfalz, the spokesman added.

The vessels are part of the EU Atalanta mission established to counter piracy off the Horn of Africa.

On March 10, Germany handed over over to Kenya nine Somali pirates who attacked a German freighter in the Gulf of Aden.

Sunday's incident came a day after the release of a German gas tanker hijacked in January by pirates in region. The 100-metre-long Longchamp and its crew were able to resume their journey, apparently after a ransom was paid, reports said.

- http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/262145,naval-force-nabs-pirates-after-attack-on-german-ship.html

Regards,
ironduke57

 

[CougarKing]

HA!!!! That last attack posted by Ironduke above reminded me of a scene from a movie where someone tries to rob a donut place, only to find out that many cops often ate there and had several guns then trained on him.

The pirates don't know the difference between a merchant ship and a naval auxiliary/oiler. Here's more details from that incident:

Pirates attacking German (Naval) ship captured off Somalia

By AHMED AL-HAJ – 8 hours ago

SAN'A, Yemen (AP) — Seven pirates opened fire on a German naval supply ship in the Gulf of Aden but were chased down and captured by an international anti-piracy task force, the U.S. Navy and European officials said Monday.

Meanwhile, Yemen reported that pirates killed a Yemeni fisherman and wounded two others in an attack on a fishing boat Saturday, also in the Gulf of Aden.

The expanse between Somalia and Yemen is one of the world's busiest waterways and the thousands of ships passing through each year have been plagued by pirate attacks.

In the attack on the German ship, pirates apparently mistook German FGS Spessart supply vessel for a commercial ship when they opened fire on it on Sunday afternoon, U.S. Navy 5th Fleet spokesman Lt. Nate Christensen said.

FGS Spessart

The German sailors returned fire and pursued the skiff while also calling in for support. Several naval ships — including a Greek and a Dutch frigate, a Spanish warship and the USS Boxer — sped to the area while a Spanish marine aircraft and two U.S. Marine Cobra helicopters joined the pursuit.

Five hours later, Greek sailors reached the pirate skiff, boarded it and seized the seven suspects and their weapons, including assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, the Greek navy said. The suspects were disarmed and transferred for questioning to the German frigate Rheinland-Pfalz where they remain Monday, pending a decision on whether they will be legally prosecuted, Christensen said.

Rheinland-Pfalz

Germany's Ministry spokesman Christian Dienst said no one was injured in the attack, the first on a German naval ship in this area.

Christensen said that while the casualty-free operation "showcased the incredible international naval capabilities" it also "highlighted the complexity of counter-piracy operations." Apart from the Gulf of Aden, where the international anti-piracy efforts have been increasingly successful, pirates have also stepped up attacks further south off the eastern Somali coast.

The two areas combined equal more than 1.1 million square miles, or roughly four times the size of Texas, said Christensen. "We can't be everywhere at once," he said, adding that merchant mariners must often serve as the first line of defense against pirates.

Somalia has not had a functioning government since clan-based militias overthrew a socialist dictator in 1991 and then turned on each other.

Pirate attacks off its coastline hit unprecedented levels in 2008, when pirates made 111 attacks and seized 42 vessels, mostly in the Gulf of Aden. Seven ships have been seized so far this year, although there were roughly 10 times as many attacks in January and February 2009 as there were over the same period last year. There have been almost daily attacks in March.

Somali pirates currently hold 11 ships hostage, with the oldest pirate hijacking dating back to last August, Christensen said.

Yemeni fishermen have also been targeted by pirates, and Yemeni media reported about 50 fishing boats were attacked over the past year. On Saturday, pirates opened fire on a Yemeni fishing boat, killing one fisherman and wounding two others, a Yemeni interior ministry official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the press.

The fishermen were in Somali territorial waters when they came under fire, he said. The fishing boat managed to flee and the body of the dead fisherman was later brought back to the Yemeni port of Mukalla, 350 miles (560 kilometers) southeast of the capital, San'a.

The latest attacks came as gas tanker Longchamp, hijacked in January, was released on Saturday with 12 Filipino crew and an Indonesian second engineer on board. The company that manages the vessel said they were unharmed.

Also Saturday, the captain of a Norwegian tanker Bow Asir hijacked off Somalia on Thursday by pirates carrying machine guns, called the owner to say all 27 crew members are safe and sound, according to the Norwegian news agency.

Associated Press Writers Melissa Eddy in Berlin, Nicholas Paphitis in Athens, Katarina Kratovac in Cairo and Katharine Houreld in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...I4-H2wD978EB703

In this image made available by the Greek navy in Athens, Monday, March 30, 2009, a speedboat with Greek commandos is seen, right, alongside a pirate vessel with detained Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, Sunday March 29, 2009, after a failed attack on a German tanker. The navy said Greek commandos detained seven men in the vessel and handed them over to the crew of a German frigate south of Yemen. Nobody was hurt in the joint operation by European Union forces patrolling the pirate-infested waters. (AP Photo/ Greek Navy, ho)

In this image made available by the Greek Navy in Athens, Monday, March 30, 2009, seized assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades are seen in a speedboat used by Somali pirates detained in the Gulf of Aden Sunday March 29, 2009, after a failed attack on a German tanker. The Greek navy said Greek commandos detained the seven men in the vessel and handed them over to the crew of a German frigate south of Yemen. Nobody was hurt in the joint operation by European Union forces patrolling the pirate-infested waters.
(AP Photo/ Greek Navy, ho)

 

 

[CougarKing]

(L-R) Corvettes HMS Stockholm and HMS Malmo and support vessel HMS Trosso are seen off the Karlskrona naval base in southern Sweden, March 21, 2009. The two Stockholm class corvettes HMS Stockholm and HMS Malmo, accompanied by HMS Trosso, will take part in the anti-piracy EU NAVFOR Somalia (Operation Atalanta) off the Somali coast starting May 15. REUTERS/Paul Madej/Scanpix (SWEDEN POLITICS MILITARY CONFLICT SOCIETY) NO COMMERCIAL SALES. SWEDEN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SWEDEN

Soldiers prepare for combat on the deck of the corvette HMS Malmo off the Karlskrona naval base in southern Sweden, March 21, 2009. The two Stockholm class corvettes HMS Stockholm and HMS Malmo, accompanied by support vessel HMS Trosso, will take part in the anti-piracy EU NAVFOR Somalia (Operation Atalanta) off the Somali coast starting May 15. REUTERS/Paul Madej/Scanpix (SWEDEN POLITICS MILITARY CONFLICT SOCIETY) NO COMMERCIAL SALES. SWEDEN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SWEDEN. QUALITY FROM SOURCE

Two gunners on the corvette HMS Malmo look at support vessel HMS Trosso off the Karlskrona naval base in southern Sweden, March 21, 2009. The two Stockholm class corvettes HMS Stockholm and HMS Malmo, accompanied by HMS Trosso, will take part in the anti-piracy EU NAVFOR Somalia (Operation Atalanta) off the Somali coast starting May 15. REUTERS/Paul Madej/Scanpix

Soldiers speed past corvette HMS Malmo during an exercise off the Karlskrona naval base in southern Sweden, March 21, 2009. Two Stockholm class corvettes HMS Stockholm and HMS Malmo, accompanied by support vessel HMS Trosso, will take part in the anti-piracy EU NAVFOR Somalia (Operation Atalanta) off the Somali coast starting May 15. REUTERS/Paul Madej/Scanpix

Corvette HMS Stockholm ® speeds in front of support vessel HMS Trosso outside the Karlskrona naval base in southern Sweden, March 21, 2009. Two Stockholm class corvettes HMS Stockholm and HMS Malmo, accompanied by HMS Trosso, will take part in the anti-piracy EU NAVFOR Somalia (Operation Atalanta) off the Somali coast starting May 15. REUTERS/Paul Madej/Scanpix

 

[GAP]

HMCS Winnipeg thwarts Arabian Sea pirate attack
Updated Sun. Apr. 5 2009 8:00 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link

A Canadian warship has had a busy weekend on the Arabian Sea, thwarting a pirate attack and delivering supplies to a boatload of Somali refugees all in the same 24-hour period.

On Saturday, HMCS Winnipeg, currently involved in an anti-pirate NATO mission called Operation Allied Protector, saw three skiffs approaching an Indian merchant vessel.

The Pacific Opal radioed for help and Cmdr. Craig Baines, the commanding officer of the Canadian warship, sent out a Sea King helicopter to investigate.

Baines told CTV Newsnet that HMCS Winnipeg got the call for help while it was busy escorting another ship.

"We were actually escorting another vessel at the time when we noticed that another ship launched three smaller vessels that rapidly closed in on a merchant vessel that was nearby in the area," he said Sunday.

Pilot Maj. James Hawthorne said the pirates complied with Canadian instructions, which came in the form of a sign hanging from the side of the helicopter with the word "Stop" written in Somali.

"Whatever their intentions were, they complied without instructions and allowed the merchant vessel to proceed," Hawthorne said, when quoted in a military statement that was released Saturday.

Baines said the helicopter shadowed the suspected pirate skiffs for about 15 minutes in total.

"After we've deterred something, if they haven't actually done an act of piracy, which in this case they hadn't because we intervened beforehand, we usually just let them carry on and try to monitor their position," Baines said.

Few pirates would engage a military ship or helicopter, he said, because the risks are too high.

"The fortunate thing is that the pirates want nothing to do with warships or helicopters," Baines said.

"They are in this for economic gain only and so they know that if they ever tried to engage a ship or a helicopter, it would end badly for them."
More on link

 

[CougarKing]

Darn it- to think these pirates would have learned by now.

  Somali pirates hijack 2 ships
AP

By KATHARINE HOURELD, Associated Press Writer Katharine Houreld, Associated Press Writer – 2 mins ago

NAIROBI, Kenya – Somali pirates have hijacked a Taiwanese fishing vessel and a British cargo ship, diplomats said Monday.

The Taiwanese ship MV Win Far 161 was seized near an island in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, the diplomats said. It is the second attack in the Seychelles within a week.

No location was given for the attack on the British-owned cargo ship the Malaspina Castle. The ship is Italian-operated and flies a Panamanian flag.

There was no word on the nationalities or numbers of crew on board the two vessels or the exact time of the attacks.

The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The hijacking of the Taiwanese ship is the latest in a series of attacks in the Indian Ocean. Analysts say the pirates have moved many of their operations out of the Gulf of Aden, which is heavily patrolled by naval warships from countries as diverse as China, the United States, France and India. Instead, they are attacking off the east African coast, targeting ships coming out of the Mozambican channel.

The multimillion-dollar ransoms are a rare source of cash in Somalia, where nearly half the population is dependent on food aid and clan-based militias are tearing the country apart. The lawless Horn of Africa nation has not had a functioning government since 1991.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090406/ap_on_re_af/piracy 

 

[CougarKing]

And these pirate scum continue their attacks.

Somali pirates raid Israeli ship, hijack another

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:57:40 GMT
Somali pirates have hijacked an unidentified cargo ship between Kismayu and Mombasa Seaport, after failing to seize an Israeli vessel.

The pirates opened fire on an Israeli cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden in an attempt to hijack the vessel on Saturday. However the vessel called in air support, which drove the pirates away.

The Maltese-flagged cargo ship, The Africa Star, was owned by Israeli logistics and transportation giant Zim.

Having failed to hijack the Israeli ship, the heavily armed bandits captured another cargo ship holding as least 27 crewmembers hostage, sources told Press TV.

The owner company of the vessel or the nationality of the crewmembers held hostage remains unknown.

More than 130 merchant ships were attacked in the region last year according to the International Maritime Bureau.

A surge in vessel attacks off Somalia's unpatrolled coast prompted the deployment of a multinational naval force to secure one of the world's key shipping routes.

The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for more than 20,000 vessels going from Asia to Europe and the Americas every year.

Attacks by heavily-armed Somali raiders in speedboats have prompted some of the world's biggest shipping firms to switch routes from the Suez Canal and send cargo vessels around southern Africa, causing a hike in shipping costs.

The pirate-infested Somali waters remain dangerous despite the presence of foreign navies on patrol.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=90471...ionid=351020501

They also captured another French yacth recently. A French rescue in the coming days?  :aberet:


Somali pirates hijack French yacht in Indian Ocean
AFP

NAIROBI (AFP) – Somali pirates have hijacked a French-flagged yacht with four crew members in the Indian Ocean, Ecoterra International, an organisation monitoring piracy in the region, said Monday.

Ecoterra International said in a statement that the attack took place on Saturday "around 640 kilometres (400 miles) off Ras Hafun in Northeast Somalia."

There was no immediate confirmation from the French naval forces engaged in anti-piracy operations in the area but Ecoterra International said brief satellite phone contact was made with the ship on Sunday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090406/wl_af..._20090406071244 

 

[GAP]

Somali pirates seize 21 American sailors
Updated Wed. Apr. 8 2009 6:24 AM ET The Associated Press
Article Link

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Somali pirates on Wednesday hijacked a U.S.-flagged cargo ship with 21 crew members aboard, a diplomat and a U.S. Navy spokesman said.

The Kenya-based diplomat identified the vessel as the 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama and said all the crew members are American. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The U.S. Navy confirmed that a U.S. flagged ship with 21 members of crew was hijacked early Wednesday off the eastern coast of Somalia.

Spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said the attacked happened in the early hours of the morning hours, about 450 kilometres northeast of Eyl, a town in the northern Puntland region of Somalia.

Christensen said there were U.S. citizens aboard the ship, but he did not say how many. He declined to release the name of the ship until the family members of the crew are notified.

He said the ship was operated by the Danish company Maersk, which deals with the U.S. Department of Defense. Christensen said the vessel was not working under a Pentagon contract when hijacked.

Maersk Kenya Managing Director Rolf Nielsen said the company was still verifying reports of the hijacking. An U.S. embassy spokeswoman was not immediately able to confirm the incident.

Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Program said the ship was taken about 640 kilometres from the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The vessel is the sixth to be seized within a week and the first with an all-American crew.
End

 

[dapaterson]

This may well be a turning point.  I cannot see the US letting this go unchallenged.  American citizens seized by pirates changes the dynamic.  American SOF will be ramping up for a sweep, and I could easily see some of the new construction in the pirate towns ending up on the wrong end of a 500lb bomb.

 

[OldSolduer]

I would have to agree with you. This action will not go unchallenged.

And about time. This should and could have been stopped much earlier.

 

[dapaterson]

BBC is reporting that the crew has retaken the vessel:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7990566.stm

The US crew of a ship hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia has retaken control of the vessel, according to Pentagon sources.

Unnamed US defence officials said one pirate had been captured by the crew of the Danish-owned Maersk Alabama, which was seized earlier in the Indian Ocean.

The status of the other pirates was unknown, but officials said they were "in the water".

It was the sixth hijack in recent days, including a British and Taiwanese ship.

 

[GAP]

I would have to agree with you. This action will not go unchallenged.

And about time. This should and could have been stopped much earlier.

Pity of it is, nothing happens until a US ship is effected.....hypocrisy 101 anyone?

 

[Snakedoc]

Reports that the Captain of the US ship is still being held hostage.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090408/pirates_sailors_090408/20090408?hub=TopStories


Captain of hijacked ship still being held hostage
Updated Wed. Apr. 8 2009 1:54 PM ET

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- A crew member on the vessel hijacked by pirates is telling The Associated Press that the ship's captain is still being held hostage. The American says negotiations are underway for his release.
The AP called the ship's satellite phone. The man who answered it said the 20-member crew had been taken hostage but managed to seize one pirate and then successfully negotiate their own release.

He says the crew has retaken control of the ship and the pirates are now in a lifeboat. But the man also says that they are holding the ship's captain hostage in the vessel.

The man did not identify himself in the brief phone conversation.

Government officials said details were murky and declined to confirm the report.