Thagarr's Pirate News!

[Thagarr]

Some of your links didn't quite take properly SWS, so I was unable to look up a couple of the articles.

As for the one with the tanks, if your referring to the Russian T-72 tanks that were hijacked last year, a ransom was finally paid and the tanks went on to their final destination. That was the big one that really put the spotlight on the Somali pirates. It was covered pretty extensively in this THREAD. Some of the picture links are dead now though.

There have been some discussions at the UN(Useless and Neutered), but as usual it's mostly just a bunch of corrupt politicians blowing hot air and patting each other on the back... or is that stabbing? Speaking of corrupt politicians, there was also discussion in the US Congress about a possible ground mission in Somalia, but I don't see anything like that happening until the UN decides exactly what the hell they are doing! The US has way to many other things to worry about at the moment, but I won't get into that!

As you can probably tell, I don't have much use for politicians!

That last article from the Armed Forces Journal looks like a good one, I will have to read it more thoroughly when I get the chance. The UN seems more worried about protecting these thugs "human rights" than it does about actually doing something to stop them or change the conditions that caused these "fisherman" to go a pirating in the first place!

Here are a couple of earlier posts in this forum thread you might find interesting :
http://forum.piratesahoy.net//index...s-pirate-news/page__view__findpost__p__287352
http://forum.piratesahoy.net//index...s-pirate-news/page__view__findpost__p__293195

For a while, I was posting Pirate News on the front page using the IMDB tracking information, but I stopped when things slowed down during the monsoon season. Also because Keith is planning on changing the forum a bit. He has updated the main page with the new look of the forum, and will update the forum it's self as soon as vBulletin 4 is officially released. I may post a few on the new home page just to make sure things are working and see just how it's going to look. I have been trying to get a lot of stuff done the past few days, but there never seems to be enough time! I am on my way back to work again on Monday as well, so that will limit my time a bit.

 

[carmenara]

Hmmmm ...maybe this is just what is needed ...Chinese involvement.China has never been one to let a little thing like human rights standin the way...

Thanks for the links, I learned a fair bit from all of them

I don't usually say this but, is it just me or are the Chinese giving off the right message?

The fact that not one but at least two (by now) cargo vessels successfully mounting defensive action against the raiders speaks a lot for such as vigilance and tenacity of their captains and crew under difficult conditions: Who the heck would outright challenge automatic weapons and RPGs with guerilla warfare? But as I said before, some defense is going to be way, way better than just sitting there and getting taken. Human rights? Give me a break, it's -my- ship that's being hijacked!

And I believe that navies should not require mandates that they could only assist vessels flying a certain flag (I stumbled on a Japanese Navy Google Docs presentation that touched on Japanese vessels' only more recently having a warrant to defend any ship, not just Japanese, against piracy).

This is an isolated incident, and the warships of the UN and other countries (good job for that Malaysian helo) are doing a hell of a job going to the aid of people they don't know, but I believe the best defense comes from individual seamen and officers sailing on those MCS as they, like it or not, are going to make first contact with the enemy. They must be vigilant enough to spot the incoming attack, take appropriate defensive measures to delay or prevent the actual boarding assault.

So I was happy to read about the Chinese crews being very brave and demonstrating quite a bit of common sense too - not only that the crews' actions were more or less ratified by their national government as shortly thereafter, Chinese warships were sent 1/4 around the globe to do their part. You don't see nations like China (she has a very limited Navy) embarking on long range intervention missions, but there you go, they sent their best warships without hesitation to defend their merchantmen (and that of other nations as well). They didn't have to seek permission from the bureaucracy - knowing Chinese culture, the green light would be already given by the time the strategic situation was presented to the brass.

And that's the way to do things here - not continuing to send merchant vessels with unprepared crews into hostile waters and hoping, the pirates would hijack someone else, or worse, debating if its ethical for merchant ships to carry arms! Give me a break lol, those men (and a couple of women) on the cargo ships aren't commerce raiders - they need some form of hope against an aggressive and competent enemy, like it or not!

Another observation - the Chinese cargo ships have a pretty... interesting design. Interesting as in haphazardly built with a far more complex layout than well, common cargo ships. That might contribute well to defense. I'm talking about the one that used molotov cocktails of course - the ship's superstructure is like a fortress and there might not be easy access from the low-slung cargo deck to the "citadel" itself. I would not like to try and force entry to such an imposing structure with incendiaries raining down!

 

[Thagarr]

I agree about China, they have a tough history of dealing with pirates. A few years ago they captured a pirate crew that had been raiding around the Malacca straits and the South China Sea, they executed the pirates by firing squad and released the video. With the exception of the way the US handled the Mersk Alabama hijacking, the only other nation that seems to know how to deal with pirates is France! They have rescued many hijack victims with special forces raids capturing and killing numerous pirates. Most other nations seem content to keep paying these thugs blood money.

Spain says trawler attacked by pirates

By DANIEL WOOLLS (AP) – 8 hours ago

MADRID — Pirates attacked a Spanish fishing vessel Sunday in the Indian Ocean with small arms and a rocket-propelled grenade but private security guards aboard the ship drove them off with gunfire, officials said.

The attempted hijacking came less than two weeks after another Spanish trawler, the Alakrana, was released by Somali pirates who had held it and its crew of 36 for nearly seven weeks and received $3.3 million in ransom, according to a self-described pirate.

On Sunday, two skiffs chased the Spanish ship Ortube Berria for about 30 minutes before security guards stationed on it opened fire and fended them off, the Spanish Defense Ministry said.

None of the ship's crew members were hurt during the attack, about 265 miles (430 kilometers) southwest of the Seychelles Islands, the statement said.

The trawler's captain, Iker Barbas, said there were about four people in each of the skiffs and they were going fast enough to have caught up with the trawler eventually.

"They would not give up. They would simply not give up," he told Cadena Ser radio. "If we had not been armed, they would have caught us."

A European Union naval force staging an anti-piracy operation in the Indian Ocean summoned a Portuguese frigate and a patrol plane to the area.

In late October the government passed a decree allowing Spanish fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean to carry private security guards armed with assault weapons to fight off pirate attacks.

Spanish ship owners had pressed the government to put troops on Spanish fishing in the Indian Ocean, as France does with its boats. But the government says Spanish law does not allow the military to be used for protecting private property. It says all Spanish vessels off Somalia now have security guards aboard.

In the Alakrana case, Ali Gab, a self-described pirate, told The Associated Press in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, that the hijackers of the Spanish tuna boat were paid $3.3 million in ransom before the ship was released on Nov. 17.

Spain's government did little to deny a ransom was paid, with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero saying "the government did what it had to do."

Original story here :
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD9C9B6T00

 

[Thagarr]

Here is an update on a story I posted a bit on this back in March. It's not a typical pirate story, but at least some justice is dispensed in this one!

Burmese 'pirate' murderers of cruising sailor jailed for 25 years

'Malcolm Robertson swimming with his grandchildren in Phuket' .
While it is worth remembering that no cruising sailor has lost their lives at the hands of Somali pirates (one Frenchman has been killed by friendly fire from French commandos), three hungry young Burmese 'fishermen' have now found justice for murdering a roving British sailor in Thailand in March this year.

Eksian Warapon, 19, Aow, 18, and Ko, 17, bludgeoned cruising sailor Malcolm Roberston to death when he tried to throw them off his 44ft yacht which was anchored off Koh Dong, a Thai island about 45 miles west of the Satun province near the border with Malaysia. They then threw his body overboard before raiding the yacht supplies. (See Sail-World story)

They had apparently fled from Burma by jumping off a fishing boat and were hungry and looking for food. The three pleaded guilty to the attack. The two adults were jailed for 25 years by the Satun provincial court, and the 17-year-old is to remain in custody until he is 24. Their sentences were reduced by half because they pleaded guilty.

Mr Bean under sail in happier times - .. .
The Robertsons set off on a round-the-world voyage from Eastbourne marina in June 1998 in their boat called Mr. Bean named after their business back in Britain. They had already sailed Mr Bean around the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic, through the Caribbean, then across the South Pacific to Australia and then up to Thailand.

Linda Roberton was tied up for about 10 hours during the raid that prompted an intensive week-long search for her husband's body.

After the verdict she told the Guardian, 'I do hope the time they spend in jail will help them reflect and realise the heinous crime they committed. I also believe they were victims themselves.

'I don't think they had any plan. The fact that they didn't kill me, which they could quite easily have done, shows some compassion for me.'

The three were arrested as they tried to escape in the yacht's dinghy, about half a mile away.

Linda Robertson had minor injuries and detailed her ordeal in nearly 10 hours of testimony in Satun in March. She told authorities that while she was tied up Ko had stroked her feet and given her food and water. 'He said sorry many times and gave me hope that I would live,' she said.

Original story here :
http://www.sail-world.com/Australia...-of-cruising-sailor-jailed-for-25-years/63926

 

[carmenara]

You know, you seem like a walking piracy database. I might arrange to download some of that just to level myself up. Now where's the USB port...

 

[Thagarr]

Nah SWS, I am just good with Google ...everybody needs a hobby! : But I do have a fairly good memory though ...which is amazing when you consider that I... well maybe I'll tell ya that story another time!


And for those of you that missed it on the new home page..

Somali Pirates Seize Greek-Owned Tanker

Maritime officials say Somalia pirates have seized an oil tanker, some 1,100 kilometers off the coast of Somalia.

VOA News 30 November 2009

Maritime officials say Somalia pirates have seized an oil tanker, some 1,100 kilometers off the coast of Somalia.

Authorities say the Greek-owned Maran Centaurus, with 28 crewmembers on board, was hijacked Sunday.

Officials say the tanker, which can transport more than 2-million barrels of oil, was sailing from the Middle East to the United States.

A tanker full of oil would be worth millions and could pose a huge security and environmental threat.

Somali pirates have hijacked dozens of ships over the past two years, demanding and receiving millions of dollars in ransom from the hijacked ships' owners.

World powers, including the European Union, the United States and NATO, have dispatched naval forces to try to protect the busy shipping routes near Somalia from pirate attacks.

In response, the pirates have extended their reach, attacking ships up to 1,800 kilometers from Somalia, deep into the Indian Ocean.

Original story here :
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Somali-Pirates-Seize-Greek-Owned-Tanker-78120182.html

 

[Thagarr]

Looks like tankers are becoming a hot target!

Tanker crew fights off pirates

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:17p.m.
Greek authorities say the crew of a Greek tanker carrying oil to China has successfully fought off a pirate attack in the Arabian Sea.

A coast guard statement says the Greek-flagged Sikinos, with a crew of 24, came under automatic gunfire from pirates some 800km southeast of Oman on Tuesday. It says the crew fired flares and used high-pressure hoses to repel the attack.

The coast guard said the 16 Filipino and eight Greek seamen on board were unhurt, and the vessel was continuing its course for China.

The Sikinos had set off from Sudan, with a shipment of oil.

Somali pirates frequently attack ships off the Horn of Africa.

Original story here :
http://www.3news.co.nz/Tanker-crew-...bid/209/articleID/132200/cat/772/Default.aspx

 

[Thagarr]

"Investment Banking" Somali pirate style!

Somali sea gangs lure investors at pirate lair

Tue Dec 1, 2009 6:22am EST

By Mohamed Ahmed

HARADHEERE, Somalia, Dec 1 (Reuters) - In Somalia's main pirate lair of Haradheere, the sea gangs have set up a cooperative to fund their hijackings offshore, a sort of stock exchange meets criminal syndicate.

Heavily armed pirates from the lawless Horn of Africa nation have terrorised shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean and strategic Gulf of Aden, which links Europe to Asia through the Red Sea.

The gangs have made tens of millions of dollars from ransoms and a deployment by foreign navies in the area has only appeared to drive the attackers to hunt further from shore.

It is a lucrative business that has drawn financiers from the Somali diaspora and other nations -- and now the gangs in Haradheere have set up an exchange to manage their investments.

One wealthy former pirate named Mohammed took Reuters around the small facility and said it had proved to be an important way for the pirates to win support from the local community for their operations, despite the dangers involved.

"Four months ago, during the monsoon rains, we decided to set up this stock exchange. We started with 15 'maritime companies' and now we are hosting 72. Ten of them have so far been successful at hijacking," Mohammed said.

"The shares are open to all and everybody can take part, whether personally at sea or on land by providing cash, weapons or useful materials ... we've made piracy a community activity."

Haradheere, 400 km (250 miles) northeast of Mogadishu, used to be a small fishing village. Now it is a bustling town where luxury 4x4 cars owned by the pirates and those who bankroll them create honking traffic jams along its pot-holed, dusty streets.

Somalia's Western-backed government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed is pinned down battling hardline Islamist rebels, and controls little more than a few streets of the capital.

The administration has no influence in Haradheere -- where a senior local official said piracy paid for almost everything.

"Piracy-related business has become the main profitable economic activity in our area and as locals we depend on their output," said Mohamed Adam, the town's deputy security officer.

"The district gets a percentage of every ransom from ships that have been released, and that goes on public infrastructure, including our hospital and our public schools."

Rest of the story here :
http://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUSGEE5AS0EV

 

[carmenara]

But I do have a fairly good memory though ...which is amazing when youconsider that I... well maybe I'll tell ya that story another time!

Not to worry; I wouldn't pry into anything personal. I have the same issues I think, being the only secretary here who doesn't keep / doesn't need a diary, ever which is amazing considering....

"Investment Banking" Somali pirate style!

This is quite astounding, implying the corsairs are not only operating unimpeded despite the efforts of the world's navies and the United Nations, but thriving as well. One is reminded of a romanticised Tortuga with Captain Jack Sparrow in it.

Of course, these days, pirates have legal protection too! Implying that in future, god knows what society would be like if anyone could get away scot-free with their devious deeds, by exploiting loopholes in the legal system or just plain making a lot of noise in courtrooms!

Oh wait, it's already happening domestically!

 

[Thagarr]

Oh wait, it's already happening domestically!

Yeah, that's one reason I posted that article SWS, I was going to throw in a few more comments earlier, but I was in a hurry when I posted it. The parallels between that little "pirate exchange" and the way things work on Wall Street is fascinating. Although the Somali pirates have a pretty good start, nobody does it better than Wall street when it comes to legalizing a criminal enterprise! The only difference really is that pirates use armed thugs with AK-47's and RPG's in speedboats and corrupt politicians, and Wall Street uses computers, bankers, lawyers and corrupt politicians to do their dirty work. It never ceases to amaze me how easily the line between right and wrong is blurred when money is involved.

This isn't exactly breaking news, as they have been at it for several years now, bu this is the first time I have seen it in print actually backed up with confirmed intelligence.

Somali militants training pirates

'Relationship of convenience': Canadian report

Stewart Bell, National Post Published: Thursday, December 03, 2009

The Somali militant group Al-Shabab has been arming and training pirates in exchange for a share of their spoils, says a newly released Canadian intelligence document.

Al-Shabab has formed a "relationship of convenience" with one of the two main pirate networks operating off the Horn of Africa, the "Top Secret" intelligence assessment says.

The report describes an "Islamist extremism-piracy nexus" that involves Al-Shabab providing "weapons, combat training and local protection" to the Mudug pirates of southern Somalia.

In return, "elements of Al-Shabab continue to receive portions of the spoils from successful hijackings either in cash or seized weapons and materiel," it says.

Pirate attacks in the region have soared over the past two years but in addition to threatening international shipping, they are also apparently financing the Somali extremist group at the centre of several major North American counter-terrorism investigations.

The FBI is probing at least 20 Somali-Americans who have left Minneapolis to join Al-Shabab, and the RCMP and Canadian Security Intelligence Service are investigating whether up to six Somali-Canadians who left Toronto in recent weeks were also recruited by Al-Shabab.

The report was written by Integrated Threat Assessment Centre, which is made up of representatives of Canada's national security agencies. A copy of was obtained under the Access to Information Act.

Rest of the story here :
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=2296137

 

[carmenara]

With such thoughts in mind it is no wonder the pirates have the "hearts and minds" advantage in that regard. It is easy to be lured by a course of direct action, in this case of perverted justice against "Western oppression", or at least, someone in that as-yet-lawless region might put it.

Now it seems they are not only operating unchecked, they are able to use their massive funds to secure foreign exports - while by definition of law for a merchant selling to a thief without knowledge of the funds' origin had executed said sale "in good faith" and thus has no liability... the same merchant willfully selling to those "mysterious, loaded" customers from Africa deserves to be punished outright, no matter how bad their "normal" sales are in these economic situations.

These self-serving morons wishing to line their own pockets are just making things worse for the global community. So, let's say there is a Mercedes S class cruising around modern Tortuga - obviously Somalia doesn't manufacture quality automobiles, and thus the UN has no need to guess who to look for... If the dealer cannot be found or bears too high a legit profile to reasonably questioned, then the manufacturer should be targeted if only to serve as a "public example" and said corporations having to bear the consequences of trading with terrorists.

Oh, I must be in the wrong day and age for thinking such.

I'm not a supporter of unlawful acts but if you put my past and current life experiences into someone elses' shoes in another country, you've got a potential pirate to add to the vast ranks of brigands. Dissent against dysfunctional order is a simple thing to capitalise on.

 

[Thagarr]

I agree with you 100% SWS! Given the global scale spanning many countries and jurisdictions however, for anything really concrete and meaningful to happen as far as consequences, would require a UN that was actually functional and not just as corrupt as those they were trying to police. They would also have to be willing to DO something about it other than vote on meaningless resolutions and scream insults back and forth.

Over the past year or so looking up these news reports, I have run across several articles portraying the Somali pirates as victims. While some of that may have some merit, what these thugs are doing is far worse. They pick there targets at random for the most part and just go after any ship that looks like it may have a decent cargo or enough crew to ransom regardless of what flag she happens to be flying. They should be turning all this anger they have on themselves and taking back their own country form the corrupt terrorist leaders who are using them as pawns for their own game. I think that potential is in us all SWS, when you get pushed so far, something is bound to snap eventually. Freedom fighter or terrorist, pirate or privateer, the dividing lines are pretty gray sometimes.

At least there are few countries out there that are trying to do something about it.

Dutch Navy Detains 13 Pirates

The Dutch navy caught 13 Somali pirates on Wednesday in waters 150 miles off the coast of Salalah (Oman), after an unsuccessful hijacking attempt of a merchant ship by the pirates.

The pirates used small and swift skiffs and rifle fire in their attempt to enter and hijack the BBC Togo. The ship, sailing under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, an island group in the Caribbean Sea, managed to prevent the pirates from entering. After the failed attempt, the pirates retreated to a nearby dhow, an Arab-style fishing vessel.

On Wednesday evening the Dutch navy vessel Evertsen found the dhow with two small skiffs hanging behind it.

On board, the Navy crew found large amounts of weapons, including AK-47s, grenade launchers, ammunition, entering hooks, and ladders, according to a press release from the Dutch Ministry of Defense.

Thirteen alleged pirates were arrested on the dhow. Two Tanzanian fishermen on the ship said that they were kidnapped by the pirates months ago, after which their ship served as a mothership for the pirating activities.

Since the beginning of the ’90s the waters around Somalia have been plagued by pirates hijacking ships. The Navy ship Evertsen is part of the EU NAVOR, a mission involving ships and airplanes of EU member states deployed in the region since December 2008 to protect vessels passing trough.

The EU has agreements with neighboring Kenya and Seychelles to deport pirates to them. The two Tanzanian fishermen have been released.

Original story here :
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/26021/

 

[carmenara]

Our dear mod leader from New Horizons would be proud :3

This kind of brings to mind several convoy escort tactics I have in mind.

First... deliberately sail a fat, heavily laden, old-looking cargo ship, yes, deliberately, within easy interception range of the Somalian coast. Let the pirates intercept them... and they then discover the hard way there's a bunch of Navy SEALs (or European equivalent) on board. The French seem to be good at maritime commando actions as well. Since it is a special operation, and the pirates had indeed trespassed onto foreign property unsolicited, shoot to kill.

All that appears in the news is that a security detachment on board a Chinese tramp freighter had successfully ambushed a boarding attempt...

This in the long term would make pirate hijack attempts more violent, due to greater threat factor, but there is a plan B.

What I believe is very crucial is 24/7 surveillance of pirate ports and other known bases. The world today has a massive array of spaceborne sensors both civilian and military, and a fraction of them can serve as monitoring systems. An international network of spaceborne sensors followed by round the clock JSTARS and P3 aircraft are sure to make it very clear that nothing larger than a RHIB can get past the international blockade. One experimental E-8C JSTARS made herself very, very useful in 1991 over Iraq. One of those off Somalia could pretty much serve as a seaborne AWACS for an entire theatre with that excellent side-scan radar and battle management system.

P3 MPAs can also be armed in contingency. They also have far longer endurance, and dash speed than warship borne helos, being far more dangerous as well if they carried any air to surface weapons (not Harpoons, they'd be overkill - not sure if they're rated for Mavericks). What's needed are more MPAs, of any nation.

At the very least, a large amount of remote sensors (i.e. sonobouys) could be dumped into the waters off "Tortuga" so that there is means to detect, track and plot the movements of pirate vessels and their supporters.

Nailing piracy at its source is the swiftest, most effective solution, and it is critical to mount direct action because if the pirates were any gentlemen at all, they would not be so wantonly happy at disrupting commerce to their own gain. It looks like they are, today, set to become part of the Fortune 500.

Unfortunately as you pointed out, it ain't never gonna happen!

 

[will0170]

After reading through allot of this a thought ran through my head that's downright hillarious .I'll bet you anything that in twenty years or so Disney will make a new theme park . Pirates Of Somalia !!! rotfl

 

[carmenara]

And there will be a new Captain Jack Sparrow to go along with it!

 

[Thagarr]

Daring 'pirate' attack mars beautiful Cartagena

This week a sailing boat was robbed by daring 'pirates' while entering the main shipping channel into the port of Cartagena in Colombia.

The audacious group of four men carrying guns and machetes robbed the boat of electronic equipment, computers, money and other saleable items, while in full view of all other shipping in the channel, which is marked clearly by buoys and is the easiest entrance to Cartagena.

The port of Cartagena is visited by hundreds of sailing boats every year, those making a circuit of the Caribbean, world circumnavigators on their way to the Panama Canal, and local cruisers. The Boca Grande Channel is a smaller channel suitable only for sailing boats and with a limited draft of only 8 feet, but will now become the favoured alternative.

The incident was reported immediately to the Colombian Guardia Costa on Channel 16, who responded instantly but by the time they arrived the speedy robbers had disappeared. The Coast Guard then escorted the boat into the harbour, and are investigating the incident.

The Boca Grande channel is narrower and can be difficult in a swell, is known to have an underwater wall outside where the channel is marked, but is marked by red and green buoys which show the safe route into the harbour.

Cartagena has been burgeoning in popularity with cruising sailors, as the town is charismatic, lively and reeks of the history of the region. It has a good harbour very suitable for sailing boats, and good services in the town. The incident will no doubt dampen enthusiasm for visiting sailors.

Original story here :
http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Daring-pirate-attack-mars-beautiful-Cartagena/64202

And this is an interestign bit of news...

£100,000 deal to free British pair from Somali pirates 'blocked by ministers'

Last updated at 2:31 AM on 07th December 2009


Ministers refused to allow the Royal Marines to rescue a British couple from Somali pirates, then blocked a £100,000 deal that would have released them, it has been claimed.

Defence Secretary Ainsworth stopped a crack team of fighters from launching an assault on the Kota Wajar, the pirate vessel which seized Paul Chandler, 59, and wife Rachel, 55, on their yacht in the Indian Ocean.

Armed with machine guns, the elite unit was twice seconds from attacking the pirates, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Still missing: Paul and Rachel Chandler

Still missing: Paul and Rachel Chandler

But they were ordered to stand down, allowing the ship to rendezvous with the kidnappers on the Chandlers' yacht and take the terrified hostages to Somalia.

A senior defence source said: 'The Navy has been in the firing line for not taking on the pirates, but the final decision not to use the Marines is out of our hands. It was taken at ministerial level.'

Asked if Mr Ainsworth was involved, the source said: 'Yes.'

An MoD spokesman said: 'The decision not to intervene was unquestionably the right one in the circumstances and we should not second-guess that.'

A hostage negotiator involved in the Chandlers' case has claimed the Foreign Office blocked a ransom payment.

Nick Davis said that although the kidnappers had originally demanded £4.3million, they had been willing to accept £100,000.

Mr Davis said: 'We could have had the Chandlers out weeks ago.'

Original story here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...deal-free-British-pair-blocked-ministers.html

 

[carmenara]

I don't think this inaction and indecisiveness is going to sit very well with the general public.. or the military.

 

[Thagarr]

Navy foils pirate attack on tanker in Gulf of Aden


NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy on Monday prevented a pirate attack on a US-owned tanker in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's coast.

A Navy spokesperson here confirmed the attack on a private tanker that was flying a Norway flag. He said a naval ship prevented the pirates from taking control of the ship.

The incident occurred around 3 pm local time when MT Nordik Spirit, the tanker owned by Nordik Shipping Company, was sailing in the Gulf of Aden. The pirates made an attempt to hijack the tanker by firing small arms at the crew members.

"The crew immediately sent out a distress signal and the Indian Navy ship, which was in the vicinity, responded to the SOS call," the Navy spokesperson said.

"The warship flew out its helicopters with marine commandos and on seeing it, the pirates gave up their hijack attempt," the spokesperson added.

There have been several hijacks in the Gulf of Aden in the past two years on commercial tankers. In September last year, all 18 Indians on board a Panama-owned oil tanker were hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.

About 15 Somalian pirates were involved in the attack and had hijacked the vessel, bound for Mumbai from Suez, about 38 miles off the coast of Yemen. The ship was taken to Somalia where ransom was negotiated.

Original story here :
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...anker-in-Gulf-of-Aden/articleshow/5312407.cms

 

[Thagarr]

I don't think this inaction and indecisiveness is going to sit very well with the general public.. or the military.

I agree SWS, it sure won't! They were already catching a bit of heat for having a military ship in the vicinity when the couple were captured, but all they could do was watch.

16 missing after Bangladesh pirate attack

By TOFAYEL AHMED (AP)

COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh — Sixteen fishermen remained missing Tuesday off Bangladesh's southern coast after pirates attacked their vessel last week, survivors and the boat's owner said.

Eighteen fishermen were assaulted in the Bay of Bengal by a band of 25-30 pirates Friday, said fishermen Shahidullah and Abdur Rahim. Shahidullah like many Bangladeshis uses only one name.

The survivors said the pirates severely beat them and slashed some of the fishermen with knives before throwing them all overboard.

Shahidullah and Rahim were rescued by another fishing boat, but the other fishermen remain missing in waters off Cox's Bazar, a coastal town 185 miles (296 kilometers) south of the capital, Dhaka.

"The pirates took away the boat, fish and nets from us," Shahidullah told The Associated Press.

Pirate attacks on local fishermen are common in the Bay of Bengal. Fishermen and boat owners say authorities don't do enough to police the waters.

Salamat Ullah, the owner of the missing boat, said he filed a complaint with police.

"We are continuing our regular patrol," Cox's Bazar coast guard official Lt. A.K. Chakrabarty said.

Original story here :
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jUc-YMb9esG3aU2LkVMhAgPdtgigD9CF520O0

And this...

Iranian fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates

PRESS TV

Last Updated: 7:44 PM, December 8, 2009

Iran Tuesday saod Somali pirates had hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel and were holding its 29 crew members hostage, state-owned Press TV reported.

The vessel was boarded by armed men on Sunday off the coast of the east African nation, Iran’s Deputy Managing Director for Maritime Affairs Saeed Izadian said.

The pirates had not yet demanded a ransom for the release of the ship or its crew, he said.

"The Somali pirates have currently taken refuge in their hideouts; we have so far received two dispatched messages from the pirates [with the help of which] we have tracked them down," Izidian said.

Original story here :
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/iranian_fishing_vessel_hijacked_4ZR0Zx6Dwxy5vbv2YaUNzO

 

[Thagarr]

More blood money!

Somali pirates receive $2.7m ransom for Greek ship


SOMALI pirates holding a Greek-owned vessel since May said a $US2.5 million ($2.75 million) ransom was finally paid today and the MV Ariana and its crew of 24 Ukrainians would be freed shortly.

"The deal is now complete, the ransom money was delivered to us early this morning and the ship will be released within minutes," Mohamed Ilkaase, a member of the pirate gang holding the MV Ariana, told AFP by phone from the coastal town of Hobyo.

The Maltese-flagged vessel was seized on May 2 en route from the Middle East to Brazil with 10,000 tonnes of soya beans and was one of the longest-running hostage situations off the coast of Somalia.

"This ship had been in our hands for some time now and there had been disagreements over the ransom in recent weeks," Ilkaase said. "But finally, we agreed to a ransom of $US2.5 million ($2.75 million) to free the ship."

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Abdi Yare, a pirate leader based in the neighbouring pirate lair of Harardhere, confirmed information that the MV Ariana's release was imminent.

"That ship will be released this morning, the ransom money was paid this morning at 6am (2pm AEDT)," he said.

The ship is owned by the Athens-based All Ocean Shipping company, which is in turn owned by a British conglomerate. Neither immediately confirmed the release of the MV Ariana.

Somali pirates are also currently holding a Greek-flagged vessel, the 330-metre crude carrier Marav Centaurus, which was hijacked on November 29 with a crew of 16 Filipinos, nine Greeks, two Ukrainians and a Romanian.

Original story here :
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/br...m-for-greek-ship/story-e6frf7jx-1225809184212

They sure have been going after a lot of fishing boats lately, appearently they are doing what mot terrorists do, look for soft targets!

Pirates seize Pakistani fishing vessel off Somalia
Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:09am GMT

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Somali pirates hijacked the Pakistani-flagged fishing vessel MV Shahbaig Sunday, the European Union naval force said in a statement.

The ship, with a crew of 29 on board thought to be Pakistani, was seized 320 nautical miles east of Socotra, an island off the Horn of Africa, the EU Navfor force statement issued Wednesday said.

Pirates currently hold 11 ships and 283 hostages along the coastline of Somalia, according to Navfor, which monitors piracy in Somali waters.

Original story here :
http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE5B90VS20091210