Thagarr's Pirate News!

[Thagarr]

Ahoy ye fellow Gentleman of fortune! I figure instead of using valuable forum space to keep ye informed of all the daring do of those real life bilge rats! I would post all me findings in one easy to find locale! So ye always be a knowing were to look for the latest piratey scuttlebutt!

This here first article is just a we bit aged and moldy and ye all may have heard it before, but it tugged at me heart strings like a good ol' shanty! It be about the good ol' Caribbean! The setting be the waters of the Windward Islands, off the coast of St. Vincent and The Grenadines!

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Yachts encountering real pirates of the Caribbean</b>

Robberies have increased as the number of boats sailing the lush islands grows, and with it the lure of the sailors' valuables.
By Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 1, 2008
CHATEAUBELAIR, ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES -- When two men wielding cutlasses and a third brandishing a gun burst onto their yacht at 1:30 in the morning, Allison Botros and the seven others aboard suddenly realized that "Pirates of the Caribbean" is not just a movie.

"Give us your money or we will kill you," Botros recalled the robbers telling them during the 15-minute ordeal. The mother of three from Cleveland was cruising with Swedish and American friends aboard the 70-foot Sway, which was boarded as it was anchored in this pristine harbor that is shadowed by the La Soufriere volcano and rimmed by swaying palms. After shaking down the passengers for thousands of dollars in cash, watches, cameras and cellphones, the robbers ordered skipper Harald Krecker to motor out to sea or be hit with rocket-propelled grenades.

More than five months after the Dec. 22 incident, the robbery victims have yet to receive a police report, the pirates remain at large, and the sleek yachts that ply the teal waters of the Windward Islands have gone elsewhere, making a ghost town of scenic Chateaubelair.

Attacks on yachters across the Caribbean have marred the luxurious cruising life with increasing frequency as the number of vessels sailing the lush islands grows year to year, and with it the lure of valuables for thieves and drug traffickers in the region.

At least three other attacks were reported in Chateaubelair in a two-week period in December, all involving three men, two long knives and a handgun.

"What is new in the last two to three years is an increase in the use of weapons," said Melodye Pompa, administrator of the Caribbean Safety and Security Net website, a sailing community endeavor that logs thefts, robberies and assaults committed against boaters. "It's becoming more violent. I've tracked that across the region we cover."

Most of the hundreds of incidents collected from 30 countries and territories over the last four years involve dinghy and outboard motor thefts or burglaries of boats while passengers were ashore. But guns and knives are being used more frequently, and dozens of incidents involving beatings and stabbings are among the crimes reported to the website, which compiles its statistics from charter operators, marinas, harbor masters and the victims.

No one on board the Sway was hurt, but the captain of another yacht, the Chiquita, which was attacked here the next night, suffered multiple cuts, including two head wounds that required stitches at a hospital in Kingstown, the island nation's capital.

"There are times when it's happening and you think it's not real," Botros said. "At one point one of them said, 'If you don't find your wallet, I'll kill you,' and I was so traumatized I forgot that I hadn't brought my wallet on the trip. I was saying, 'Oh my God, I can't find it! I've got to find it!' thinking about our kids at home."<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story is here :
<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-pirates1-2008jun01,0,5483405.story" target="_blank">http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/a...0,5483405.story</a>

Caribbean Safety and Security Net News website
<a href="http://safetyandsecuritynet.com/NEWS.html" target="_blank">http://safetyandsecuritynet.com/NEWS.html</a>

 

[morgan terror]

the first one gave me a chuckle, really. cutlasses?

 

[Cylon13]

Now THAT sounds more piratey. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

 

[Old Salt]

These articles are great. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> Keep 'em coming. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />

 

[Meigger]

Excellent work Thagarr. I always look forwarding to reading your posted articles. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bow.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="bow.gif" />

 

[Gunner]

I wonder if anyone will ever do a pirate attack in a Jack Sparrow outfit?

 

[Thagarr]

Thank ye mateys fer yer kind words! This here next wee story be about them scallywags in Somalia, they seem t' prefer Kalashnikovs an' bazookas t' ye trusty ol` cutlass! Buncha a wannabe`s if`n ye ask me opinion! But they sure seem t' be a makin ou' all right come pay day! Th' full article be a wee bit long, a two pager, but well worth th' read if ye be curious as t' jus' how these ransomed doubloons be a transferred!

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>PIRACY IN THE GULF OF ADEN
German Shipowner Paid Ransom to Somali Pirates</b>
By Udo Ludwig and Holger Stark

For weeks, heavily armed Somalis held a German ship and its crew captive until the owner paid millions to secure their release. The ransom will enable the pirates to buy more weapons and boats. The owner says it's time the military stepped in to protect shipping in the Gulf of Aden.

When German ship owner Niels Stolberg first went into business 13 years ago, he knew there were risks associated with being an entrepreneur. Cut-throat competition, the tax authorities, deadbeat customers and bad employees were only some of the problems he might face, but at least they were foreseeable. But pirates?
Stolberg, 47, sinks into a black leather couch in the office of his company, Beluga Shipping GmbH, on the banks of the Weser River in the northern port city of Bremen. Less than an hour ago, he paid pirates a ransom to release his freighter "BBC Trinidad", captured and held for three weeks off the Horn of Africa. "No one can imagine what we have been through here," says Stolberg.

He hardly slept the night before. At home, he monitored the path of his ship to the location where the money was delivered, and at five a.m. he drove to his company's head office where he waited for news from the Somalian coast. Last Thursday, at approximately noon, the pirates finally released the ship, after holding it for 21 days. Now Stolberg isn't entirely sure how he should feel: relieved or angry.

Ransom Will Go Towards Faster Boats

He has a pretty good sense of what his ransom payment means. The hijackers will use the hard currency -- US dollars -- to invest in new, high-speed boats, weapons and modern technology. Within only a few days, the pirates will have become an even greater threat. Beluga Shipping GmbH owns more than 50 ships, and the Horn of Africa lies along a trading route that no major ship owner can avoid. "The pirates are becoming more professional, more aggressive and strategically more adept," Stolberg warns. "If we don't defend ourselves now, the situation will only become worse."

The story of the hijacking of the "BBC Trinidad" is a textbook case of modern piracy. For the heavily armed pirates, it was practically child's play to gain control over the modern, $23-million (€16-million) freighter. The ensuing weeks of haggling were not unlike wage negotiations in industry, complete with the same bluffing tactics, trickery and threats to cancel negotiations. But the difference was that this was a matter of life and death, not just money. If one of the parties had lost his nerve, deadly shots could have been fired.

The odyssey of the "BBC Trinidad," which was carrying pipes and other equipment for the oil industry from Houston, Texas to Muscat, Oman, began on Aug. 21. A Chinese ship sailing within view of the "BBC Trinidad" warned the captain that he was being followed by suspicious-looking boats. The German ship, sailing under the flag of the Caribbean nation of Antigue and Barbuda, began evasive maneuvers, but its crew soon realized that this was not enough to escape the speedboats. When the pirates came within shouting distance, they fired warning shots into the air and demanded that the crew of the German ship shut down its engines.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Th' rest of th' story, along with a few engravin's be here :
<a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,578495,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/...,578495,00.html</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Choose yer prey wisely mateys! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blink:" border="0" alt="blink.gif" /> Glow-in-the-dark Pirates?? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" />

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Mysterious Cargo Aboard Iranian Ship Seized by Pirates Raises WMD Concerns</b>

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

By Joseph Abrams
FoxNews

As Somali pirates brazenly maintain their standoff with American warships off the coast of Africa, the cargo aboard one Iranian ship they commandeered is raising concerns that it may contain materials that can be used for chemical or biological weapons.

Some local officials suspect that instead of finding riches, the pirates encountered deadly chemical agents aboard the Iranian vessel.

On Aug. 21, the pirates, armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades, stole onto the decks of the merchant vessel Iran Deyanat.

They ransacked the ship and searched the containers. But in the days following the hijacking, a number of them fell ill and died, suffering skin burns and hair loss, according to reports.

The pirates were sickened because of their contact with the seized cargo, according to Hassan Osman, the Somali minister of Minerals and Oil, who met with the pirates to facilitate negotiations.

"That ship is unusual," Osman told the Long War Journal, an online news source that covers the War on Terror. "It is not carrying a normal shipment."

The pirates reportedly were in talks to sell the ship back to Iran, but the deal fell through when the pirates were poisoned by the cargo, according to Andrew Mwangura, director of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Program.

"Yes, some of them have died," he told the Long War Journal. "Our sources say [the ship] contains chemicals, dangerous chemicals."

Iran has called the allegations a "sheer lie," and said that the ship "had no dangerous consignment on board," according to Iranian news source Press TV. Iran says the merchant vessel was shipping iron ore from a port in China to Amsterdam.

The ship's contents are still unclear, but the reported deaths and skin abrasions have raised concerns that it could be more than meets the eye.

The massive shipping company that controls the vessel, the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL), was recently designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury over nuclear proliferation concerns. IRISL, which is accused of falsifying documents to facilitate the shipment of weapons and chemicals for use in Iran's missile program, is blocked from moving money through U.S. banks as well as from carrying food and medical supplies as part of U.S. trade sanctions against Iran.

"IRISL's actions are part of a broader pattern of deception and fabrication that Iran uses to advance its nuclear and missile programs," said Stuart Levey, Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

The U.S. government has made no accusation against IRISL regarding the Iran Denayat; the State Department would not comment on reports of its suspicious cargo.

"I don't have any information on that case," said State Department spokesman Curtis Cooper. "We're aware that there are currently 12 other hijacked ships off the Somali coast. This is obviously something that is disturbing."<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,430681,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,430681,00.html</a>

 

[Old Salt]

Me thinks ye have tew do a wee bit more research before ye go piratin'. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

 

[Stallion]

Sounds like something radioactive. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

Here be an article from Scandinavian Shipping Gazette, an up front first hand account of what happened to one unlucky merchant vessel that happened to cross the path of these Somali "fishermen!" I find it interesstin' that there were a whirly bird be proceedin' this here bunch!

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>PIRACY SPECIAL: A 54-day visit in hell</b>

On May 28, pirates from Somalia hijacked the merchant vessel Lehmann Timber. The story is unique because of the constant media coverage it received, meaning the events could be followed almost online. Here, First Mate Ardo Kalle tells his story to SSG readers. All photos were taken by the crew during the fateful voyage.

The crew of the Lehmann Timber only came ashore on July 21, but their situation had been closely monitored in their home countries since early June. Captain Valentin Bartashov is a Russian citizen and First Mate Ardo Kalle a citizen of Estonia. There were also four Ukrainian officers and nine crewmembers from Myanmar on board.
The Lehmann Timber was launched from a Chinese shipyard on 18 April. Metal cargo was loaded into the hold and onto the deck in China. The ship was to arrive in Germany and immediately proceed to a dock for replacement of the original Chinese-installed engine room and bridge equipment and to be transformed from its existing Rina class to the Germanischer Lloyd class. In early May the vessel embarked on its maiden voyage to Europe.

Nowhere to run
The attack came in the afternoon on May 28, 170 miles off Somalia. First Mate Ardo Kalle describes the events:
“We knew the area was dangerous. At about half past four in the morning a helicopter appeared, circled above the ship twice and flew away. We nevertheless felt safe until we noticed two boats tailing us. There was nowhere to run and nothing to do, no point in hoping that a water jet from a fire hose would stop anyone.”
“I was at the stern and saw them at a distance of 2–3 cable lengths. When one of the boats reached us the hijackers began shooting with machine guns. The captain tried to manoeuvre the vessel to create a wave to repel the boats, but as we were moving slowly and with low free board, we basically couldn’t do anything to prevent their approach. We sent out the distress signal a minute or two before they boarded the ship. First they rushed the bridge and ordered us to stop the engines. That was about as much they could say in English, at least their leader.”

Poor fishermen
Nine men boarded the ship from the two boats. Within a couple of minutes one vessel some 16 miles away replied to the distress signal. The next day a ship further away also responded. Unfortunately, the crew of the Lehmann Timber were no longer being allowed to talk. Mr Kalle explains:
“The pirates said that they were just fishermen stranded out at sea. They said they didn’t want to kill us. They needed food, water and fuel to get back. We gave them food and water. When they discovered that we had no petrol, they ordered us to take the ship closer to the coast (10–15 miles) so that they could reach land with the little petrol they still had.”
During that first hour the crew hoped that someone would come to their rescue. Some hours later, when it was growing darker and the ship was moving towards the coast, a helicopter appeared and a military vessel began tailing the Lehmann Timber, sending signals. Mr Kalle continues:
“By 22.30 we had come so close to the coast that the captain allowed the ship to drift and told the pirates that he had done what they wanted. They replied that the location was unsuitable for going ashore as there was military activity in the area, and gave the captain a new heading. They kept giving us new headings and we kept following them for three days.”<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.shipgaz.com/magazine/issues/2008/18/article3.php" target="_blank">http://www.shipgaz.com/magazine/issues/2008/18/article3.php</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Things are about to get a wee bit tougher for these Somali Pirates, military escorts and convoys!

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>EU to launch naval escorts in Gulf of Aden</b>

Justin Stares, Brussels - Monday 6 October 2008

MILITARY-led convoys of merchant vessels across the Gulf of Aden will begin this week, the European Union’s piracy chief said today.

French Navy corvettes will shuttle across the pirate-infested waters in the hope that their presence acts as a deterrent, Captain Andres Breijo told Lloyd’s List.

The Brussels-based piracy ‘cell’ which Cap Breijo heads will inform shipowners of the position and departure times of the vessels via their national shipowners’ associations, inviting them to take the same route.

e are not going to give [ships] orders, but we can provide them with the opportunity of different tracks,” Cap Breijo said. “It is up to the shipowners if they want to take advantage... We can offer them the opportunity to transit.”<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Original story here :
<a href="http://lloydslist.com/ll/news/eu-to-launch-naval-escorts-in-gulf-of-aden/20017577798.htm" target="_blank">http://lloydslist.com/ll/news/eu-to-launch...20017577798.htm</a>

 

[Old Salt]

European Union piracy chief? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

The UK has a different solution! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/shoot.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shoot:" border="0" alt="shoot.gif" />

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
UK: Civilian ships must be armed against pirates</b>
Britain's senior Royal Navy commander in the Gulf has called for merchant shipping to hire mercenaries to fight off the increasing danger of piracy.


By Thomas Harding in Bahrain
Last Updated: 1:40PM BST 08 Oct 2008

At a time when there is a record number of ships being hijacked off the coast of Somalia, Commodore Keith Winstanley said he believed that the situation has become so serious that civilian vessels should be armed.

He said that private security companies deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan could be better used guarding ships, which in pirate-infested regions need a "visual deterrent" such as mounted heavy machine guns. "This coalition headquarters is advocating that as an option," he said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

If his plea is adopted then it will be the first time that merchantmen have been significantly armed since the Second World War when the U-Boat menace was sinking dozens of ships a week.

With insurance rates for ships spiralling as the kidnappers move on to seizing major vessels - some the size of aircraft carriers worth $5 million (£2.85 million) or more in ransom - the problem is having an effect on international market prices.

There are currently 12 commercial ships being held by pirates along the Somali coast, the most prominent of them a Ukrainian ship with 33 T72 Russian tanks on board, along with 240 crew held hostage, which is locked in a stand off with the US Navy.

A flotilla of German, Danish, US and now British ships have deterred up to 15 attacks in the last six weeks. The Type 23 frigate HMS Northumberland has joined the force this week as the first dedicated British anti-pirate ship.

But Cdre Winstanley, who commands the 11 Royal Navy ships in the region from his headquarters in Bahrain, said that greater efforts are needed to stop the current surge in piracy while the brigands are "holding more targets than they have held at any other time".<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/3158498/UK-Civillian-ships-must-be-armed-against-pirates.html" target="_blank">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics...st-pirates.html</a>

 

[Thagarr]

These here "fisherman" sure ain't to picky about their catches!

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Pirates seize another ship off Somalia-minister</b>
Fri 10 Oct 2008, 6:00 GMT

BOSASSO, Somalia, Oct 10 (Reuters) - A ship laden with cement was hijacked in the pirate-ridden waters between Somalia and Yemen, a government official said on Friday.

The panama-flagged Wail was en route to Bosasso from Oman and was attacked between the Yemeni Island of Socotra and Bosasso just hours after Somali pirates received a $1.6 million ransom to release the MT Irene, a Japanese chemical tanker.

"A Panama-flagged ship, Wail, was hijacked on Thursday night between Socotra Island and Bosasso," said Ali Abdi Aware, state minister for northern Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region.

He told Reuters the crew of 11 consisted of nine Syrians and two Somalis.

Piracy is rife off Somalia, which has been mired in anarchy since warlords overthrew dictator Siad Barre in 1991.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnLA611298.html" target="_blank">http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnLA611298.html</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Roman Abramovich building 550ft, pirate-proof mega-yacht</b>

October 10, 2008 The recent incident involving a the seizure of a Ukranian ship carrying 33 tanks off the coast of Somalia has turned the spotlight on the problem of international piracy. Roman Abramovich is paying attention. The Chelsea soccer club owner is spending a £200 million (USD$340 million) chunk of his £11.7billion personal fortune on a mega-yacht that will be well equipped to deal with such a threat: armor plating, bullet-proof windows, a missile-detection system and an escape submarine. Oh yeah, and at a massive 550ft long it will also be the largest private yacht ever built.

If Abramovich does need to get off the yacht in a hurry there will be several options - he cold take a tender from the floating harbor at the rear of the vessel, escape by one of two helicopter pads, or dive to depths of 160ft via the submarine.

The new yacht, to be named Eclipse, is reportedly being constructed in secret at the same German shipyard where the famous World War II battleship the Bismarck was built. When completed it will need to compete for mooring space with Abramovich's other runabouts - the 377ft Pelorus, 282ft Ecstasea and 160ft Sussurro.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here:
<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/roman-abramovich-550ft-megayacht-pirate/10164/" target="_blank">http://www.gizmag.com/roman-abramovich-550...t-pirate/10164/</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
Somali pirates attack two more ships in Indian Ocean</b>
The piracy crisis that threatens to cripple vital shipping lines through the Indian Ocean has claimed fresh victims as Somali bandits attacked two more ships.

By Colin Freeman
Last Updated: 4:10PM BST 11 Oct 2008

Gun-toting buccaneers were reported to have stormed a chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's northern coast, while another group tried to seize a United Nations World Food Programme ship off the coast of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The attacks, disclosed by the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre, bring the number of hijacks and attempted hijacks off the Somali coast to 69 this year alone.

They came as American warships remain in an armed standoff with pirates who captured the MV Faina, a Ukrainian boat carrying tanks and weapons that was hijacked en route to Kenya on September 25.

The pirate gang's self-styled leader, Sugule Adi, issued an extraordinary threat to blow the ship up and his own men along with it unless they were paid the $20m (£12m) ransom that they have demanded for the 21-strong crew's release.

Speaking to a news agency via a satellite phone, Mr Adi vowed the threat would be carried out by Monday night.

"We held a consultative meeting for more than three hours and decided to blow up the ship and its cargo - us included - if the ship owners did not meet our ransom demand," he said.

The latest drama will add to the growing calls for an international force to patrol the waters off the Somali coast, which have mirrored the country's collapse into lawlessness and civil war over the last two years.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/somalia/3178687/Somali-pirates-attack-two-more-ships-in-Indian-Ocean.html" target="_blank">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...dian-Ocean.html</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Somali Forces Raid Newly Hijacked Ship</b>
October 12, 2008 2:50 PM
by Emily Coakley

A shootout on a Panamanian ship Sunday left one soldier and one pirate dead; a weapons-laden freighter that was hijacked in late September is still being held.
Two Dead, Three Injured After Raid

One pirate was killed and two were wounded in a shootout Sunday aboard the Wail, a Panamanian ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates on Thursday, Reuters reports.

One member of the Puntland coastguard was killed in the conflict. Although the soldiers took two of the pirates’ smaller boats, the pirates still have control of the Wail, which was carrying cement from Oman to Bosasso, according to Reuters.

On Sunday Reuters reported that ransom talks over another ship, the Faina, continue, though United Press International said on Saturday that the pirates had threatened to blow up that ship.

"We are ready to blast the ship, the cargo and ourselves if the owners refuse to pay us ransom," one of the pirates’ spokesmen told UPI.

The Faina, a Ukrainian freighter loaded with weapons that was allegedly hijacked by Somali pirates, has been surrounded by U.S. Navy ships and helicopters, according to Agence France-Presse.

Late last month, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Somalia’s president, urged his citizens and other countries to fight piracy.

“I call on the Somali people to fight against the pirates. I also call on the international community to act quickly on what is happening in Somali waters as well as on shore,” he said during a press conference, according to Agence France-Presse.

Over the summer the United Nations approved a resolution allowing other navies to patrol and police Somalia’s waters.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Africa/October-08/Somali-Forces-Raid-Newly-Hijacked-Ship.html" target="_blank">http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Africa...acked-Ship.html</a>

 

[Old Salt]

Heard this on the car radio before. The plot thickens. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

Somalia apparently doesn't hold the African monopoly on pirates. Nigeria has their share as well.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Nigeria: Tears Over Pirates' 'Cargo' to Lagos

Daily Independent (Lagos)

9 October 2008
Posted to the web 9 October 2008

Victor Ebimomi
Lagos

In the maritime world, the word cargo refers to goods. Sailors aboard any ocean-bound vehicle, either on ship, fishing trawler or bunkering barge, are familiar with the word and its meaning---that cargo is either loaded or discharged. So on Saturday, at the premises of Atlantic Shrimpers Fishing Company, Apapa, Lagos, when an unusual 'cargo', the dead body of Captain Timiebi Lanake was discharged, the whole place suddenly turned into an ocean deep enough for a returning trawler of the company to fish.

Lanake was brutally murdered last week, precisely on October 2, 2008 in Bonny waterways in River State by suspected pirates who have infested Nigerian seaways in the past months killing and injuring seafarers in the process of robbing their vessels. Two of his crewmembers were said to have also sustained serious gunshot injuries leading to their hospitalisation.

The wife, Monica Lanake, her daughter and other members of the family, who thronged the company's premises awaiting the body, broke down in uncontrollable tears as it arrived. Monika and her daughter caught the most pitiable sight, as they became somehow delirious at a point grabbing the corpse of their loved one and breadwinner that was draped in white cloth.

Amidst profuse tears that were running down their eyes like 'waterfall', they cursed the perpetrators of the heinous act, charging the spirit of Lanake to rise up for instant revenge before he would be committed to mother earth. The wailing, crying as well as raining of curses on the criminals from the family members and professional colleagues were amplified to high heavens when the corpse was uncovered. It was indeed a gory and agonising sight and the murder seemed to have been committed with satanic bravado.

The captain, who hailed from Bayelsa State, was shot on the right eye and the chest. More pathetically ironic is the disclosure by the deceased wife that his (Lanake) father who died recently is still laying at the mortuary.

The late captain's wife, who was short of words because of the fate that befell her, lamented that the death of her husband, who was the family's breadwinner, had thrown the entire family into the life of uncertainty and therefore enjoined the company he worked for before his untimely death to come to their aid.

If at all there is anything she wants most now, it is that the company should shoulder the responsibility of at least train two of the four children she had for her late husband who died 'on active duty'.

"We have four children; one girl and three boys. Now that my husband has gone, the responsibilities now lie on my shoulders in terms of training, clothing, feeding and other responsibilities. I am therefore appealing to the company to come to my aid after all necessary compensation must have been taken care of. I want the company to train two of my children to higher education level to make things easy for me," she appealed amidst tears.

Some succour may come her way in the near future. The General Manager of the company, who gave his name simply as Mr. Ndubuisi, though reluctant to speak on what the company intends to do with regard to the dead employee, stated that the management would soon hold a meeting with the family members. It was learnt that the pirates, who brought this agony to Lanake's family, killed the seaman after collecting about N300, 000 from the crew.

There has been audacious surge of sea pirates in Nigerian waterways in recent times, particularly along the Niger Delta coastline, me leading to maiming and killing of many sailors.

For instance, in October last year alone, 15 vessels were reportedly attacked with several causalities recorded. But in January this year, the pirates' attacks seemed to have reached a crescendo with vessels being attacked almost every other day. From January 25 to 28, three trawlers suffered attacks with two of the best hands in the industry losing their lives---that is Captains Nana Tayo and Odede Onovirakpo.

The criminals are said to always go for money and looting of sailing equipment, such as echo sounders, radars and products like shrimps and prawns among others.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
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