Thagarr's Pirate News!

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Somali Pirates Free Greek-Owned Chemical Tanker</b>
5/11/2009 3:59 PM ET
(RTTNews) - Somali pirates have released a Greek-owned chemical tanker that they had hijacked off the coast of Somalia in late March, said the ship's owners and a regional maritime agency on Monday.

"Following regular contact with the captain and very recent telephone conversations, LOTUS can confirm that the crew is well and that there have been no injuries," the shipping company said in a statement.

The ship owners, Athens-based Lotus Shipping Co Ltd., said that all the 19 crew members were safe and added that the ship, the Nipayia, was freed Saturday.

However, the company declined to state whether a ransom was paid for the ship's release, saying that any discussions or comments "on these matters is considered highly irresponsible and could endanger the lives of those crews still being held and those of crews taken in the future."<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=944132&SMap=1" target="_blank">http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=944132&SMap=1</a>

 

[Lazarus]

<b><!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->From the WTF Files...<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b><b><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Somali pirates 'get targets from London informers' <!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>

May 11 01:44 PM US/Eastern

<!--sizeo:2--><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b>Somali pirates are receiving reports on possible targets from informers in London, a Spanish radio station said</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->

<b>Monday quoting a military report from a European country. </b>

The pirates, using satellite phones on their boats, receive details from their sources in the British capital on the routes, cargos and nationalities of vessels to attack, private radio station Cadena Ser said.

"The information that merchant ships transiting the zone provide voluntarily to different international organisations ends up in the hands of the pirates," it said.

The journalist who filed the story at Cadena Ser told AFP it was based on a military report from a European country that she would not name.

She said the report had been handed over to the military commanders of other European countries taking part in the European anti-piracy operation Atalanta.

A spokesman for Atalanta in Brussels could not confirm the information.

"There are a lot of rumours on how and where the pirates get their information from. We have no confirmation that pirates would extract information (on cargo routes) out of our own organisations, either directly or indirectly," he said.

Cadena Ser said several attacks were carried out by Somali pirates using the method cited in the report, in particular the seizing of a Spanish fishing boat on March 13, of a Greek cargo ship, the Titan, and a Turkish merchant vessel, the Karagol.

The radio said the pirates avoid attacking ships of certain nationalities, in particular British vessels.

According to the International Maritime Bureau, pirate attacks off lawless Somalia increased tenfold in the first three months of this year.

<b><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Time for some explanation MI6 or SIS, WTF ????<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>

 

[Old Salt]

Who leaked the information to the pirates that led them to attack a French warship? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

Interesting story there Lazarus, great post mate! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="me.gif" /> There has been some speculation for a while that the pirates were getting information on shipping routes form somewhere, but to my knowledge, no source had ever been identified before. Over the last couple of decades, Great Briton has had a big increase in it's Muslim population, Somali pirates are Muslim and there leaders have strong link to terrorists or are terrorists themselves. This is just speculation on my part, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit if they have infiltrated a government organization or two.

Old Salt ...maybe England just hasn't completely gotten over that whole Lafayette thing! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

 

[Lazarus]

Here's a follow-up story from The Guardian UK:

<b><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Somali pirates guided by London intelligence team, report says<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>

<b>Document obtained by Spanish radio station says 'well-placed informers' in constant contact by satellite telephone</b>

Giles Tremlett in Madrid guardian.co.uk,
Monday 11 May 2009 12.59 BST
Article history

The Somali pirates attacking shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean are directed to their targets by a "consultant" team in London, according to a European military intelligence document obtained by a Spanish radio station.

The document, obtained by Cadena SER radio, says the team and the pirates remain in contact by satellite telephone.

It says that pirate groups have "well-placed informers" in London who are in regular contact with control centres in Somalia where decisions on which vessels to attack are made. These London-based "consultants" help the pirates select targets, providing information on the ships' cargoes and courses.

In at least one case the pirates have remained in contact with their London informants from the hijacked ship, according to one targeted shipping company.

The pirates' information network extends to Yemen, Dubai and the Suez canal.

The intelligence report is understood to have been issued to European navies.

"The information that merchant ships sailing through the area volunteer to various international organisations is ending up in the pirates' hands," Cadena SER reported the report as saying.

This enables the more organised pirate groups to study their targets in advance, even spending several days training teams for specific hijacks. Senior pirates then join the vessel once it has been sailed close to Somalia.

Captains of attacked ships have found that pirates know everything from the layout of the vessel to its ports of call. Vessels targeted as a result of this kind of intelligence included the Greek cargo ship Titan, the Turkish merchant ship Karagol and the Spanish trawler Felipe Ruano.

In each case, says the document, the pirates had full knowledge of the cargo, nationality and course of the vessel.

The national flag of a ship is also taken into account when choosing a target, with British vessels being increasingly avoided, according to the report. It was not clear whether this was because pirates did not want to draw the attention of British police to their information sources in London.

European countries have set up Operation Atalanta to co-ordinate their military efforts in the area.

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>South Korea says it saved Egyptian ship from pirates</b>
Thu May 14, 2009 11:53am IST

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean destroyer helped rescue an Egyptian ship that had been targeted by pirates off the coast of Somalia, South Korean military officials said on Thursday.

A team of South Korean snipers boarded a military helicopter that took off from the "Munmu the Great's" deck and flew over the suspected hijackers who were 1.8 km (1.2 miles) from the Egyptian ship, the officials said.

The incident that took place on Wednesday night.

A U.S. Navy vessel also joined the operation after it was reported by the South Koreans to a joint task force.

The South Korean destroyer began patrolling around the Gulf of Aden in April in what military officials said was the country's first naval mission abroad.

In May, the destroyer came to the rescue of a ship from political rival North Korea by chasing away pirates that had targeted one of its cargo vessels, the South's military said.

The Gulf of Aden is a key shipping route for South Korean vessels as they sail from the Middle East with crude oil.

About 460 South Korean vessels pass the gulf every year, according to government data.

South Korean cargo vessels have been captured by Somali pirates in recent years and sailors held hostage for ransom. In February, South Korean sailors were among 23 who were released after being held for months.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Original story here :
<a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-39614220090514" target="_blank">http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/id...-39614220090514</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Task force seizes pirate ‘mother ship’</b>
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, May 15, 2009

Two ships assigned to the multinational counter-piracy mission off Somalia and in the Middle East seized an alleged pirate "mother ship" on Wednesday and detained more than a dozen suspected pirates, Navy officials said Thursday.

The Republic of Korea destroyer ROKS Munmu the Great and the American guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg responded to a distress call about 3:30 p.m. local time Wednesday from the Egyptian-flagged Motor Vessel Amira. The Amira reported being attacked some 86 miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen, said Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet.

The suspected pirates on the skiff fired assault rifle rounds and a rocket-propelled grenade at the Amira, causing slight damage. The men threw a rope from the skiff, but the attempted boarding failed and they abandoned the attack, Christensen said.

"When they failed, helicopters launched [from the U.S. and Korean ships] saw that it had gone back to the suspected pirate mother ship," a larger dhow vessel, Christensen said.

During its flight, a SH-60B helicopter from the Gettysburg, assigned to helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light 46, located the suspected mother ship with 17 people onboard, he said.

Sailors with the Gettysburg’s visit, board, search and seizure team and U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 409 boarded the ship and took the suspected pirates into custody. All 17 were taken on board the Gettysburg for further questioning, Christensen said.

Team members found eight assault rifles, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and a rocket-propelled grenade aboard a dhow, according to a Navy statement.

"Currently, a determination is being made as to whether the suspected pirates will be turned over for prosecution," Christensen said.

A January agreement between the U.S. State Department and the Kenyan government lets U.S. military and coalition nations capture suspected pirates and turn them over to Kenya for prosecution.

The Somali pirates’ use of mother ships, usually loaded with ammunition, fuel and food, let pirates operate further out to sea to attack ships transiting the heavily used shipping routes.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

original story here :
<a href="http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62685" target="_blank">http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section...p;article=62685</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Video of the task force capturing the pirate "mother ship."

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->GULF OF ADEN (May 13, 2009) Members of a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team from the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) and U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team South Detachment 409 capture suspected pirates after responding to a merchant vessel distress signal while operating in the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) area of responsibility as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151. CTF 151 is a multinational task force established to conduct counter-piracy operations under a mission-based mandate throughout the CMF area of responsibility to actively deter, disrupt and suppress piracy in order to protect global maritime security and secure freedom of navigation for the benefit of all nations.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<div style="display:table;">
<div style="background:#cccccc;border:1px dotted #000;border-bottom:0;border-left:4px solid #cccccc;color:#000;font-weight:bold;font-size:10px;margin: 8px auto 0 auto;padding:3px;"> Youtube Video ->
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRlw7ilz2Rw">Original Video</a>
</div>
<div style="color:#000;background:#cccccc;border:1px dotted #000;border-left:4px solid #cccccc;border-top:0;padding:4px; margin: 0 auto 8px auto;">
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YRlw7ilz2Rw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YRlw7ilz2Rw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
</div>
</div>

 

[Thagarr]

Ausie Ausie Ausie ..Oi Oi Oi! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="me.gif" />

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
Australian navy ships stop pirate attack</b>

* Jonathan Pearlman
* May 19, 2009 - 4:05PM

Two Australian Navy ships steamed in when a merchant ship reported being under fire from Somali pirates yesterday.

The frigates, HMAS Sydney and Ballarat, were passing through the Gulf of Aden when the MV Dubai Princess raised distress signals.

The ship said it was under attack from pirates, who had fired rocket propelled grenades and attempted to board it by force.

Another vessel, MV MSC Stella, was also being harassed.

Defence said today that the passing Australian ships immediately closed in on the Dubai Princess and dispatched a Sea Hawk helicopter to survey the situation.

The pirates then ended their attack. No sailors were injured.

"It appears the scene de-escalated once Sydney and Ballarat asserted their presence," said the Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston.

"Their actions were swift and decisive and have contributed to intentional counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden."

The Australian Navy escorted the merchant ships to safety. The attack occurred about 6pm yesterday, Australian time, about 170 kilometres south of Yemen.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/world/australian-navy-ships-stop-pirate-attack-20090518-bcea.html" target="_blank">http://www.smh.com.au/world/australian-nav...90518-bcea.html</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Pirates of the Horn of Africa: The Movie</b>

The rescue of a US sea captain gave Samuel L Jackson an idea. Now Hollywood senses a blockbuster, says Daniel Howden

Tuesday, 19 May 2009

The fact that the piracy crisis off the Horn of Africa has often resembled a script written in Hollywood hasn't escaped the notice of the movie industry itself.

A bidding war is underway in Los Angeles for film rights to the story of Richard Phillips, the US sea captain whose dramatic rescue from Somali pirates captivated people around the world last month. The auction comes less than a week after Samuel L Jackson bought the life rights of a Kenyan piracy expert, whom he intends to play in an upcoming movie.

The captain, who survived five days aboard a lifeboat with four gunmen before three of them were shot dead by navy snipers, is being represented by Creative Artists Agency, one of the biggest players in Hollywood who has had stars such as Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts on its books.

The CAA is helping the sailor from Vermont to navigate waters of an entirely different kind and the agency is already fielding lucrative film and book offers for him as Hollywood scrambles for the best way to cash in on global interest in the surge of piracy in the waters off Somalia.

Thymaya Payne, a US film-maker who is in the region working on a documentary on piracy, said Hollywood has started to get really interested in the topic since the first attempted hijacking of a US ship last month. "Since the Maersk Alabama the level of interest has rocketed," he said. "My BlackBerry hasn't stopped ringing."<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/pirates-of-the-horn-of-africa-the-movie-1687219.html" target="_blank">http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertai...ie-1687219.html</a>

 

[Fred Bob]

Ye thinks, Tagarr, they'll opt tew film on location? Perhaps hire demselves some local dhows an' speedboats, plus a cast o' thousands o' poor Somali pyrates... er, fishermen? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> Harr! Just add ye a camera crew tew de next hostage takin' expedition! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

I don't think them Hollywood types would go for a diet of goat meat spaghetti Fred Bob, but that would definitely add some realism! Wait ...them Hollywood types don't go for realism either! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>German grain carrier released by Somali pirates</b>
Tue May 19, 2009 2:35pm EDT

Featured Broker sponsored link
NAIROBI, May 19 (Reuters) - A 31,000-tonne German grain carrier seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden last month has been released, a Kenyan maritime official said on Tuesday.

"The Patriot is free," said Andrew Mwangura, director of the Mombasa-based East African Seafarers Assistance Programme.

The Malta-flagged, German-owned MV Patriot belongs to Patriot Schiffahrts and is managed by Blumenthal JMK of Hamburg, Germany. It was seized with 17 crew on board.

There was no immediate information on whether a ransom had been paid, or the health of the crew members.

Pirate attacks off the eastern African coast have escalated in recent weeks despite the presence of a flotilla of foreign navy warships in the region. (Writing by David Clarke; Editing by Matthew Jones)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUSLJ587500" target="_blank">http://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUSLJ587500</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Ak-47's, RPG's, and now Stinger missiles... these "fisherman" must be going after flying fish!

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>US Warns S. Korea of Somali Pirates' 'Stinger' Attacks</b>


By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

Military authorities here have confirmed Tuesday's Korea Times report that classified information on the possibility of Somali pirates' acquisition of U.S. surface-to-air guided missiles was recently reported to the Ministry of National Defense.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) belatedly promised Wednesday to come up with countermeasures. Earlier, the JCS public affairs office denied the information.

According to an informed military source, the U.S.-led Combined Forces Command (CFC) in Seoul delivered a memo to the defense ministry's information bureau on April 5.

Carrying a picture of the U.S. Stinger missile system, the memo said intelligence was collected that Somalia's pirates were presumed to have obtained the shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile from al-Qaeda, so South Korea's military should be on alert and come up with proper countermeasures, the source said.

The information was subsequently distributed to the Cheonghae unit operating off the coast of Somalia and other related naval units here, he said.

The source added the information is believed to have been gathered either from the U.S. Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain or the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa, Florida.

The Stinger missile is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile developed in the United States for service in 1981. The shoulder-launched weapon has to date been responsible for downing 270 aircraft. The missile can hit targets flying as high as 3,500 meters at a speed of Mach 2. It has a range of 8 kilometers.

Cheonghae's Lynx helicopter is known to be vulnerable to any anti-aircraft guided missile attacks since it has no missile countermeasure devices and sensors, including flare dispensers and radar warning receivers.

Almost all other coalition forces' patrol helicopters operating off Somalia's coast are equipped with proper anti-aircraft missile protection equipment.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/05/205_45286.html" target="_blank">http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/natio.../205_45286.html</a>

 

[Captain Maggee]

<!--quoteo(post=320624:date=May 18 2009, 07:06 PM:name=Thagarr)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Thagarr @ May 18 2009, 07:06 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=320624"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Ausie Ausie Ausie ..Oi Oi Oi! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="me.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Good on us Aussies!

 

[Fred Bob]

Ye reckon dem Stingers be left o'er from de previous Afghan War, Thagarr? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

Dat makes dem puppies mo' den 20 year old, matey! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mybad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="mybad.gif" />

Quick, Abdul, try another one! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/24.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="24.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/24.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="24.gif" /> ..... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> .... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> ..... Actually Fred Bob, that might not be to far off the mark...

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>NEW DIMENSION IN THE CURRENT SOMALIA SITUATION</b>
Kanini Evans Kariuki
May 16, 2009
The Somalia peace process seems to have taken a new toll which raises the concern of the whole region in particular, and global agitation.

The fighting of the newly-formed government in Djibouti headed by president Sheriff, the former chairman of the United Islamic Courts who had lost the support of the majority of Islamic courts, found himself deserted, when his forces from the Islamic courts joined his opponents at the Shabaab and the Muslim party.

The Somali president, Mr. Sheriff, reliable sources say, will resort to support of his clan which may diminish his popularity among the citizenry.

The Asmara group which is supported by Eritrea and other governments, had received arms and logistics support, and have free access and control of eight regions of southern Somalia that gave them the advantage of reasonable forces that can besiege the Somali capital from England.

The Shabaab group controls all these regions, and has sympathizers both in Puntland and Somaliland.

President Sheriff lacks the capability and the trust of his opposition who regard him as a traitor because they feel he was one of the juniors of the Islamic court, and that he hijacked the leadership of the united Islamic court.

This makes it difficult for the current government to reconcile with the opposition of Asmara-Eritrea´s capital city.

Since the Djibouti conference was ill-prepared and it created the split of the United Islamic courts, those who organized the conference were deceived by the false impression that president Sheriff enjoys the confidence, trust and support of the Islamic courts.

The faulty reconciliation conference of the Djibouti had also, and without consideration, produced 550 members of parliament equal to the world´s second most populated country, India.

Somalia which ranks as the second nation in corruption, cannot bear the cost of such a big number of legislators.

The fragile government of Mr. Sherif has to perform a daunting task that includes disarmament and demobilization and integration of the militias, inclusive reconciliation, establishment of law enforcement bodies to restore law and order, establishment of a state public finance system to reinstate civil servants, to have a dialogue with Somaliland and Puntland and have them on board to make Somalia united, and lastly, to place a package for fighting the sea piracy, and creating employment for the youngsters who are engaged in the vice.

<b>AlShabaab have been trained in Afghanistan during the Russian war there, and are presently co-operating with the Islamic party with the sole aim of fighting the current government of Somalia.</b>

It is likely that the above mentioned two groups may disagree should they succeed in defeating the government,and consequently, Somalia may enter another new cycle of civil strife.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.worldsentinel.com/articles/view/102602" target="_blank">http://www.worldsentinel.com/articles/view/102602</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Pirates Approach U.S.-Flagged Maersk Ship in Gulf of Aden</b>

Friday, May 22, 2009

Pirates in the Gulf of Aden approached the Maersk Virginia, owned by the same Norfolk, Va., U.S.-based shipping company as the Maersk Alabama, seized by pirates on April 8, according to a statement by the shipping company the Maersk Line, Limited.

The 950-foot U.S.-flagged container ship was traveling to Salalah, Oman, when pirates approached the vessel.

The Virginia increased its speed to more than 21 knots, began evasive maneuvers, and contacted authorities, according to a statement by the Maersk Line, Limited. Naval warships already operating in the area responded to the situation and deployed helicopters to counter the pirates, who reached a distance of 0.75 nautical miles from the Virginia before turning away, the company said.

No shots were fired, and the 19 crewmembers, all U.S. citizens, are safe. The Maersk Virginia was traveling in the defined security corridor, about 70 miles south of Yemen, when the incident occurred.

Earlier Friday, the same group of pirates unsuccessfully attacked another ship, and the ship’s crew warned the Maersk Virginia of the pirates’ presence.

Pirates off the Somali coast held Maersk Alabama’s Captain Richard Phillips hostage for four days before he was rescued by the U.S. Navy Seals.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,521280,00.html?test=latestnews" target="_blank">http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,521280...test=latestnews</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
HMCS Winnipeg helps thwart 2 pirate attacks</b>
Last Updated: Friday, May 22, 2009 | 7:56 AM ET
CBC News

A Canadian warship intervened on Friday to protect two ships under attack by pirates off the coast of Somalia in the latest action in the troubled waters near the Horn of Africa.

The thwarted assaults took place in the Gulf of Aden — a beehive of activity for piracy in recent years.

The first frantic distress call reached HMCS Winnipeg soon after the captain of a cargo ship spotted a speed boat closing fast, the CBC's David Common reported from aboard the Canadian navy's multi-role patrol frigate.

Within a minute of the call, the pirates opened fire on the ship with rocket-propelled grenades.

HMCS Winnipeg, which is participating in a NATO counter-piracy operation, went to full speed and dispatched its armed Sea King helicopter to the scene about 100 kilometres away.

"This is clearly an act of piracy if the merchantmen said they saw rocket-propelled grenades fired at them," the ship's captain, Cmdr. Craig Baines, told CBC News.

The pirate boat turned away from the cargo ship and moved toward an American container vessel, whose captain stayed in constant contact with the Canadian sailors.

An Italian warship that was closer to the American vessel also launched its helicopter, which teamed up with the Sea King to stop the pirate vessel.

The pirates gave up and threw their weapons in the water just before the Italians boarded their vessel — which pirates often do when confronted, Common said.

The international community has increased naval patrols in the Gulf of Aden to counter the growing scourge of piracy off Somalia's coast.

Last month, a team of U.S. Navy SEAL snipers killed three pirates holding an American captain hostage on a lifeboat after a foiled hijacking of his cargo vessel, the Maersk Alabama.

On Thursday, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Canada is in negotiations to have Kenyan authorities prosecute pirates apprehended by the Canadian navy — a shift in current policy to counter the threat of what MacKay called "financial terrorism."

Pirates intercepted by Canadian forces off the coast of Somalia until now have been disarmed and then released, a policy that has sparked criticism from legal experts.

The Canadian government has maintained it cannot prosecute pirates captured by Canadian Forces, as it lacks jurisdiction under international law.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/05/22/hmcs-winnipeg052209.html" target="_blank">http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/05/22/h...ipeg052209.html</a>

 

[Peter Willemoes]

That jurisdiction is about to become a huge problem.
I am not sure, punishing the pirates by granting them western prison-time (1st class hotel to them) is a solution. Also, they are only minor players in a bigger game. At the other hand, disarming and releasing the pirates wont solve anything at all.

The old ways seem to work here. Dead guys hanging on a stick at least used to scare MOST people from becoming pirates <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />