Thagarr's Pirate News!

[Thagarr]

US Navy holds 6 suspected pirates after battle

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A U.S. warship captured six suspected pirates Saturday after a battle off the Horn of Africa — the Navy's third direct encounter with seafaring bandits in less than two weeks.

The Navy has taken at least 21 suspected pirates since March 31 in the violence-plagued waters off Somalia and nearby regions, where U.S. warships are part of an international anti-piracy flotilla.

A statement by the U.S. Navy said the suspected pirates began shooting at the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland just before dawn about 380 miles (610 kilometers) off Djibouti, a small nation facing Yemen across the mouth of the Red Sea.

The Navy said the Ashland returned fire and the suspected pirate skiff was destroyed. All six people on board were rescued and taken aboard the Ashland.

The Ashland suffered no injuries or damage in the second recent attack on a U.S. warship by suspected pirates.

On March 31, the frigate USS Nicholas exchanged fire with a suspected pirate vessel west of the Seychelles, sinking their skiff and confiscating a mother ship. Five suspected pirates were captured.

On Monday, the destroyer USS McFaul responded to the distress call from a merchant vessel and captured 10 other suspected pirates.

The Navy said it was reviewing "multiple options" on the suspects' fates.

Some suspected pirates have been turned over to Kenya for trial, but there has been some reluctance by African nations to become a center for prosecutions. In December, the Dutch government released 13 suspected Somali pirates after the European Union failed to find a country willing to prosecute them.

One of the suspected pirates accused of attacking the U.S.-flagged merchant ship Maersk Alabama last year is facing trial in the United States.

At the United Nations, Russia has introduced a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council that calls for strengthening the international legal system to ensure captured Somali pirates do not escape punishment.

In Turkey, a news agency reported Saturday that Somali pirates have abandoned a commandeered Turkish ship.

The Dogan agency quoted Fatih Kabal, an official of Bergen Shipping based in Istanbul, as saying the pirates left the MV Yasin C, which was seized Wednesday 250 miles (400 kilometers) off the Kenyan coast.

Kabal said the crew had locked themselves in the engine room and realized that the pirates had left the ship on Friday. He said crew members, who were unharmed, took the damaged ship to the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

Somali pirates have been known to give up on ships they believe have no ransom value, such as vessels owned or hired by Somali traders.

Meanwhile, the owner of a hijacked supertanker has begun negotiations for the ship's release, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the talks. Repeated calls to the vessel operator, South Korea-based Samho Shipping, seeking comment went unanswered on Saturday night. The vessel is owned by a Singaporean company.

A South Korean naval destroyer that had been monitoring the ship began sailing away from the pirates Saturday and heading back toward the Gulf of Aden after the pirates warned the sailors not to come any closer.

Authorities say Somali pirates hijacked the 300,000-ton Samho Dream in the Indian Ocean on April 4. The ship was transporting crude oil worth about $160 million from Iraq to the U.S. with a crew of 24 South Koreans and Filipinos.

More than a dozen ships and their crew are believed to be currently held by pirates off the lawless coast of Somalia.

Original story here :
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD9F0ALVG0

 

[Stallion]

I say they ought to hang the buggers from the highest point on each ship. But not kill them. Give 'em a nice view, plus scare the crap out of 'em all at once.

 

[Thagarr]

Stallion, that would not be politically incorrect and may violate the pirates "human rights!" The U.N. would never approve!

Somali pirates hijack cargo ship near Seychelles

By KATHARINE HOURELD

NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates hijacked a cargo ship west of the island nation of the Seychelles on Sunday, the European Union Naval Force said.

The naval force did not know the number and nationalities of the crew members onboard the St. Vincent and Grenadines-flagged Rak Afrikana yet, said Cmdr. John Harbour.

The Italian warship ITS Scirocco was heading toward the position to investigate, he said, adding that the 7,500-ton cargo ship appeared to be experiencing engine problems at the time it was hijacked.

International naval forces have stepped up their enforcement of the waters off East Africa in an effort to thwart a growing pirate trade. But attacks have continued and the pirates have extended their range south and east.

Experts say piracy will continue to be a problem until an effective government is established on Somalia's lawless shores. The country has not had a functioning government for 19 years.

On Saturday, a U.S. warship captured six suspected pirates after a battle off the Horn of Africa — the Navy's third direct encounter with seafaring bandits in less than two weeks.

A statement by the U.S. Navy said the suspected pirates began shooting at the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland just before dawn about 380 miles (610 kilometers) off Djibouti, a small nation facing Yemen across the mouth of the Red Sea.

The Navy said the Ashland returned fire and the suspected pirate skiff was destroyed. All six people on board were rescued and taken aboard the Ashland, which suffered no injuries or damage.

Original story here :
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD9F0S4IO0

 

[Thagarr]

Update on that cargo ship hijacked off the Seychelles on Sunday :

Hijacked UAE ship heads towards Somalia

RAS AL KHAIMAH // A UAE-operated ship hijacked by pirates on Sunday appears to have recovered from engine problems and is heading towards the Somali coast.

The European Union Naval Force, which conducts anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, has sent the ITS Scirocco to tail the hijacked vessel, MV RAK Afrikana, which has 26 crew on board.

One pirate was apprehended after he fell into the water, said Cmdr John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU naval force. The Scirocco was observing the 7,561-tonne ship yesterday when the pirate climbed into a skiff, which then sank, leaving him in the water. Cmdr Harbour said it was not clear whether the pirate, who is in custody aboard the Scirocco, was attempting to scuttle the boat or if he simply lost his balance and sunk it accidentally.

“When the skiff sank, he fell into the water and was left behind,” Cmdr Harbour said.

When a maritime patrol helicopter flew over the ship on Monday night it spotted eight people on deck, three of whom were suspected of being pirates because they were carrying weapons.

At the time, the ship, which was seized approximately 280 nautical miles west of the Seychelles, was not moving because of engine problems, the EU naval force said.

“The engines are now working again,” Cmdr Harbour said. “At the moment we are just watching; it would be up to the commander on board to decide whether any action should be taken, and it would be inappropriate to talk about it now.”

It is the first time that a large RAK-operated vessel has been hijacked, said Mohammed al Mehrezi, the director general of RAK Customs and Port Department.

Capt Agay Kotwal, a director of Al Sindbad Shipping and Marine, said: “We are all trying to make the crew safe, that is our priority. There has been no contact. We know the pirates are moving the ship north towards Somalia.”

All vessels in the area have been warned to exercise extreme caution during the next two days.

“This area will remain high-risk for the next 24 to 48 hours as weather conditions continue to be conducive to small-boat operations,” Andrew Mwangura, the head of the East African Seafarers’ Assistance Programme, told Reuters.

An increase in naval patrols has forced Somali pirates into the open ocean, where they launch attacks from “mother ships”.

In March, naval forces and dhow crews reported a sharp rise in the number of pirate attacks. Eight dhows were hijacked in a six-day period ending last week. Experts speculate that pirates are preparing for the summer monsoons.

UAE dhow owners have responded by placing an embargo on trade to southern Somalia.

On March 29, a Seychelles coastguard vessel rescued 27 hostages and captured nine pirates. The Seychelle’s Topaz fired warning shots before hitting the hijacked vessel, Al Abi, below the water line. All on board jumped off the sinking ship and were rescued unharmed.

Original story here :
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100413/NATIONAL/704129842/1010/NATIONAL

 

[Thagarr]

Five pirate suspects to face charges in U.S.

Washington (CNN) -- Five suspected Somali pirates accused of attacking a U.S. Navy ship could be sent to the United States to face criminal proceedings, according to U.S. military officials.

This is only the second time U.S. authorities have brought pirate suspects from Somalia to the United States to possibly face trial.

The five are being held aboard the USS Nicholas -- the guided-missile frigate they are accused of attacking -- off the Horn of Africa and will be transferred to Department of Justice authority in the coming days, officials said.

Although the United States worked with Kenya to create a system to try pirate suspects in that country, the Kenyan government told Washington that its court system is overburdened and cannot accept more cases.

The suspects are expected to be moved to the U.S. base in Djibouti and then flown to Norfolk, Virginia, according to the officials.

The Department of Justice has enough evidence on the five to prosecute them, according to military officials. The expectation is they will be tried in federal court.

They will be moved to Norfolk because the Nicholas is based in the southern Virginia port city, and Norfolk jurisdiction follows the ship wherever it goes, according to the officials.

A Justice Department spokesman declined comment.

The five, believed to all be from Somalia, have been held on the USS Nicholas after the ship was fired upon April 1.

The Navy ship reported taking fire from a possible pirate skiff west of the Seychelles, a group of islands off the east coast of Africa, according to a U.S. Navy statement.

The Nicholas quickly returned fire and began pursuing the skiff, which was eventually disabled. A boarding team from the Nicholas captured and detained three people, the statement said.

Two more suspects were captured on a confiscated "mother ship," the statement said.

The Navy is holding 21 pirate suspects on three ships off the coast of Africa, including the five who will be sent back to the United States, according to Navy officials.

Ten are expected to be turned over to Oman because they had attacked an Omani-flagged ship. The United States assisted in that ship's rescue, according to Pentagon officials.

The remaining six suspects could also be sent back to the United states if the federal government finds enough evidence to prosecute them, the officials said.

The last time a pirate suspect was brought to the United States was April 2009, after a dramatic and deadly end to the hijacking of the U.S.-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama.

Two of the three pirates holding the captain of the Alabama on a small lifeboat were killed by Navy SEAL snipers.

The third suspect, Abduhl Wal-i-Musi, was taken into custody and turned over to the Department of Justice. He is now in New York awaiting trial.

Original story here :
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/04/13/us.pirates.trial/?hpt=T2

 

[Thagarr]

Suspected Somali pirates arrive in Netherlands
By MIKE CORDER - Associated Press Writer

A group of 10 suspected Somali pirates facing trial in Germany arrived in the Netherlands on a military transport plane Wednesday and were shuttled off to prison pending their extradition.

An Associated Press photographer saw the KDC-10 transport plane carrying the men land at a military base in the southern city of Eindhoven. He could see the suspects' faces in the windows of a covered stairwell before they were loaded into police vans with blackened windows and driven away.

The 10 were captured April 5 by Dutch special forces marines who slid down ropes from a helicopter to recapture the seized German container ship MV Taipan.

Germany has issued an arrest warrant for the men and plans to prosecute them, a rare instance of a European country choosing to put suspected pirates on trial.

Most suspects arrested by the European Union's anti-piracy naval task force are disarmed and released, and put back in their boat with enough food, water and fuel to get them back to the Somali coast.

A handful have been turned over to Kenya or the Seychelles for prosecution. But Kenya has been reluctant to accept piracy suspects in recent weeks, arguing its criminal justice system is already overloaded.

Earlier Wednesday the suspects were led from the Dutch frigate HMS Tromp in Djibouti wearing beige overalls and with their hands shackled.

The operation in which they were arrested took place hours after pirates had hijacked the MV Taipan about 500 miles (800 kilometers) east of Somalia. The Dutch undertook the rescue after ensuring the Taipan's crewmen had locked themselves safely in a bulletproof room on the ship.

The Somalis surrendered without a fight after seeing the well-armed Dutch marines board the ship as their helicopter raked the bridge with covering fire. One Dutch marine was slightly injured when he fell during the rescue.

Prosecution spokesman Wim de Bruin said an Amsterdam court will handle the case quickly. It was not immediately clear if the Somalis can appeal their extradition - a process that could slow their transfer.

Original story here :
http://www.bradenton.com/2010/04/14/2204634/suspected-somali-pirates-flown.html

 

[Thagarr]

This sounds like it may be a good thing, but then again, it was written by a politician.

Obama Order May Block Ransoms Paid to Somali Pirates

By Gregory Viscusi

April 14 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama signed an executive order freezing the assets of Somali militias that could also make it illegal for U.S. ship owners to pay ransoms to pirates.

The executive order signed late yesterday bars any U.S. citizens and companies, as well as their overseas branches, from having financial dealings with a list of 11 militia leaders and the Islamic guerrilla group al-Shabaab, as well anyone that has “engaged in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security, or stability of Somalia.”

While never using the word “ransom,” the order includes “acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea” among those acts.

“The wording could definitely be construed to make payments of ransoms illegal,” Bruce Paulsen, a partner at Seward & Kissel in New York, who negotiated a ransom payment with Somali pirates for a U.S. owned ship hijacked in 2008, said in a telephone interview. “The wording is just vague enough to give the Treasury some flexibility in how they apply it.”

U.S. government policy is “to deny hostage takers the benefits of ransom, prisoner releases, policy changes, or other acts of concession,” the White House said in a statement today.

Somali pirates mounted 217 attacks last year, hijacking 47 ships and taking 867 crew members hostage, the London-based International Maritime Bureau said in January. The country has lacked a central government since 1991. Al-Shabaab, which the U.S. says is linked to al-Qaeda, controls much of the center and south of the country, while pirates operate out of ports in the north. The Western-backed government controls a few neighborhoods of the capital, Mogadishu.

U.S. Ships

Only two U.S. ships have been among those seized. The MV Biscaglia, a U.S.-owned and Liberian flagged chemical tanker was taken in November 2008 and freed in January 2009 after the payment of an undisclosed ransom negotiated by Paulsen.

In April 2009, Somali pirates briefly seized the U.S. flagged Maersk Alabama before the crew took back control of the ship. U.S. navy snipers later freed the captain of the ship that the pirates had been holding hostage.

Rear Admiral Peter Hudson, commander of the European Union anti-piracy fleet, said in a December interview in London that shipping companies paid $80 million to $100 million in ransom money to Somali pirates in the previous two years. He also said there appeared to be no link between al-Shabaab and the pirates.

Original story here :
http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...-ransoms-paid-to-somali-pirates-update1-.html

 

[Thagarr]

More catch and release...

US destroyer chases pirates who fire RPGs at ship

By JASON STRAZIUSO (AP)

NAIROBI, Kenya — A U.S. destroyer hunted down a group of pirates who attacked a vessel in the Gulf of Aden with rocket-propelled grenades early Friday and chased them with a helicopter, officials said.

The helicopter from the USS Farragut watched the pirates throw items — possibly weapons — overboard. A boarding team confiscated pirate paraphernalia and the skiff was instructed to return to the Somali coast, the Combined Maritime Forces said in a statement.

The military said the pirates attacked the Thailand-flagged MV Thor Traveler with RPGs and rifles at 3 a.m. on a moonless morning.

That the pirates were set free underscores one of the problems the international community has not yet solved over the piracy issue: which country should take possession of the suspects and prosecute them.

The encounter was at least the fourth skirmish with pirates that U.S. warships have had in the last several weeks.

The Navy has captured at least 21 suspected pirates since March 31 in the violence-plagued waters off Somalia and nearby regions, where U.S. warships are part of an international anti-piracy flotilla. But no decision has yet been made on where or if the suspects will be tried.

Kenya this month began refusing to take suspects, saying the pirates were placing undue strain on its court system. A group of 10 suspected Somali pirates facing trial in Germany arrived in the Netherlands this week. Germany issued an arrest warrant for the men and plans to prosecute them, a rare instance of a European country putting pirates on trial.

Somalia itself is a failed state with no working justice system, although hundreds of pirates have been taken to the overcrowded prisons in the semiautonomous region of Puntland. A handful of captured pirates are also being held in Yemen and the Maldives.

Elsewhere off Somalia, a Spanish warship with the EU Naval Force tracked, boarded and destroyed a pirate mother ship on Thursday, the force said in a statement Friday.

The EU Naval Force said that the pirates told the military officials they were fishermen, but that the skiff had no fishing equipment on board, though it did have large amounts of fuel and ammunition.

The skiff was destroyed and the three pirates were taken to shore.

The EU Naval Force has stepped up its anti-piracy patrols near the coast of Somalia in an attempt to stop pirates before they reach deeper seas, where more attacks take place.

Hoping to win the millions of dollars in ransom that a successful hijacking can bring, pirates have increased attacks in recent months. But military officials say the pirates' success rate has gone down because of increased maritime patrols and security measures on ships.

Original story here :
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD9F48KUO0

 

[Thagarr]

Hijacked ship nears pirate base

Anna Zacharias

RAS AL KHAIMAH // The UAE-operated cargo ship hijacked by pirates seven days ago has arrived near the pirate base of Harardhere in Somalia.

The MV RAK Afrikana was seized approximately 280 nautical miles west of the Seychelles last Sunday morning.

After apparent engine problems, the ship began inching towards Somalia, shadowed for a time by the ITS Scirocco, an Italian warship sent by the European Naval Forces.

It has taken five days for the cargo vessel to travel more than 1,000km to Somalia.

“The position is in the vicinity of Harardhere,” said Anders Kallin, a Swedish navy commander for the EU naval force that aims to protect ships from pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

“At the moment, it is not heading anywhere. We have no additional information on how the negotiations are progressing.

“We have some units in the area of the Somalia basin but not shadowing that specific ship,” said Cmdr Kallin.

“Normally, we see that they gather the hijacked ship outside the Harardhere area and other strongholds for the pirates and they anchor the ship outside these locations.”

It is likely to take at least two days after arrival before pirates establish contact with the operators, said Andrew Mwangura, the head of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers’ Assistance Programme.

“It was very slowly moving and I think maybe we can establish contact today or tomorrow,” Mr Mwangura said. “It’s a very fresh case. After the ship goes to the coastline they command a group to evaluate the cargo. They do a lot of investigation first before making any contact.”

Pirates on the ship are expected to contact leaders on land before negotiations proceed.

The 7,561-tonne ship is licensed in St Vincent and operated from RAK with a UAE-based crew of 26 men from India, Pakistan and Tanzania. It had left the Seychelles three days earlier and was bound for Tanzania, according to its UAE operator.

Mohammed al Mehrezi, the director general of RAK Customs and Ports Department, said it was the first known hijacking of a RAK-operated vessel.

Twelve cargo ships and 245 hostages are currently being held by pirates, said Cmdr Kallin.

UAE dhow owners have lifted a trade embargo on trade to southern Somalia, stating that their business depends on the route for survival. The ban came into effect on March 29 after eight dhows were hijacked in a six-day period but was lifted after only a week.

The embargo caused shortages of rice, flour and sugar in Somalia, which relies heavily on imports. Ecoterra International, a Kenya-based non-governmental organisation, said this was due in part to hoarding by traders.

Original story here :
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100418/NATIONAL/704179916/1010

Not sure how reliable this story is, but I thought I would post it anyway...

Deadly Shoot-Out on Commandeered Iranian Citrus-Vessel off Somalia

A deadly shoot-out has occurred last night at around 01h00 local time on Saturday morning (UTC 22h Fri 16.April 2010) on British-managed, Bermuda-flagged reefer MV TALCA, which is owned by two members of the Iranian Fresh Fruits Importers & Exporters Union. The vessel is presently held off ILFOSHE near Kulub at the North-Eastern Indian Ocean coast of Somalia.

The serious fight among of the gang of sea-shifta loyal to different sponsors of piracy, one of whom hails from Baargaal and other elements of the pirate gang left two dead and two seriously injured, marine observers working with ECOTERRA Intl. reported. The report stated that none of the 22 crew was harmed.

Already earlier a serious dispute among the captors had broken out concerning the question if the vessel shall stay at the for pirated vessels unusual anchorage off Baargaal, wher the ship had been held at first, or proceed to the pirate stronholds of Garacad or even Harardheere. And in an operation by the Puntland security forces, Sheikh Abdihafid Yussuf - the provincial Commissioner of Puntland's eastern region, reported that four members of that pirate group and the car of their leader were arrested and brought to the harbour town of Bosaaso. This is why the vessel had been moved further South to her present holding point at Ilfoshe.

Seized on March 23, 2010 the refrigerator ship was on her way to Iran from Egypt with a 22 men crew - 20 Sri Lankans, one Filipino and one Syrian, when she was attacked and overwhelmed 120nm off the coast of Oman at 13h33 UTC by Somali pirates in 2 skiffs in position 17º27N - 05º642E.

The 5000-tonne ship was carrying $4 million worth of Egyptian oranges.

The dead and the injured have been brought on land at the first daylight and are now said to be transported to Galkayo, the city divided between the Puntland and Galmudug regional states of Somalia.

A local radio-station reported falsely that there is a dispute concerning an "Italian" ship, because recently MV TALCA had been called by a Somali website to be "Italian", which already created confusion caused by the iliteracy and ignorance of most of the pirate gangs.

Original story here :
http://beforeitsnews.com/news/33845...deered_Iranian_Citrus-Vessel_off_Somalia.html

 

[Adamski62]

Send the SAS in... cap the leaders, then bomb the hell out of the rest of em.
That'll keep em quiet for a while.

 

[Thagarr]

That would sure have the bleeding hearts at the U.N. in an uproar damski! According to the U.N. 2010 is the "Year of the Seafarer" and these "poor fishermen" are just trying to make a living!

Turkish navy commandos capture pirates

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's military says navy commandos aboard a frigate have captured 13 pirates in the Indian Ocean.

The military says the commandos aboard Turkey's TCG Gelibolu stopped the pirate vessel on Sunday as it sailed off the Seychelles on a route being used by a Turkish freighter heading to Mombassa, Kenya.

The commandos captured the pirates, destroyed their two skiffs and confiscated other pirate material.

The military says the pirates were photographed throwing weapons and ammunition overboard, but didn't say how close the pirates were to the freighter.

The Turkish frigate is part of an international anti-piracy force patrolling the area, which includes Somalia, where pirates are based.

The military did not say where the captured pirates would be taken.

Original story here :
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD9F5HJ6O0

 

[Thagarr]

It seems the Captain of the Maersk Alabama isn't exactly telling the whole story in his new book. In fact, according to some of the crew that served with him, he is outright lying about some of the things that led to his ship being hijacked and his subsequent rescue by U.S. Navy sharpshooters last year.

Crew: lie, lie, captain
Mock pirate 'hero'

By REBECCA ROSENBERG


It’s more mutiny on the Maersk.

Several former crew of the Maersk Alabama, which was attacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Africa last year, are ripping a new book penned by ex-Capt. Richard Phillips, saying he is continuing to twist the truth to make himself look good.

In “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea,” released early this month, Phillip’s recounts his heroic actions after his ship was invaded by pirates.

The only problem is, much of its is not true, said Maersk crew members, who told The Post that in his book Phillips makes up stories, glosses over his own errors and insults the men who stood beside him.
Matthew McDermott'FICTION': Abu Thair Mohd Zahid Reza (above) calls Capt. Richard Phillips' book all wet.
Matthew McDermott
'FICTION': Abu Thair Mohd Zahid Reza (above) calls Capt. Richard Phillips' book all wet.

One flat out lie, they say, is that he volunteered as a hostage to ensure the group’s safety.

“He was told to go at gunpoint. He didn’t put himself out there, he was taken,” said lawyer Michael Forbes, who represented 16 of the 20 crew men after the hijacking. Their stories were consistent and are contradicted in Phillip’s book, he said.

When reporters asked Phillips whether he volunteer as a hostage last June, he said no, yet the whopper still appears in the book.

Phillips describes himself as a courageous leader, who took every step to keep a mostly bumbling crew safe. Couldn’t be further from the truth, said crew.

“He’s made up whole parts, taken credit for everything. This is a work of fiction,” said able seaman Abu Thair Mohd Zahid Reza, known as ATM Reza, who first spotted the approaching pirates.

In the book, when Reza tells the captain of a suspicious skiff that might be pirates, Phillip’s springs to action. Didn’t happen, said crew.

“When I pointed out the pirate vessel, the captain laughed at me and walked away. He said it could be a fishing boat,” said Reza.

Although Phillips mentions Reza at least 33 times in his book, he refers to him as “ATM Mohammed” of Pakistan. He’s ATM Reza of Bangladesh.

“All he had to do was call me but he didn’t care,” Reza said. Furthering the insult, the captain leaves out Reza’s role in helping capture one of the pirates, which gave the crew leverage to negotiate with the invaders.

Chief engineer Mike Perry, one of only two crew the captain praises, said Phillips is a careless leader who disregarded the crew’s safety and invented stories to cover it up.

In the book Perry suggests a saferoom and Phillip responds, “Goodpoint, let’s make it happen.”

But, really, Perry asked about a saferoom three times, said crew, and Phillip’s said it was unnecessary.

When pirates took over the ship, the crew hid in a 130 degree unventilated space for 10 hours. The room had no basic supplies like food or water and some feared they’d die of heatstroke.

“We were in a steal box getting baked by the sun, stripped down to our underwear and sweating like pigs because the captain rejected a saferoom,” said John Cronan, third engineer.

Pirates were able to board the ship as quickly as they did - within five minutes - because Phillips failed to lock the bridge doors, his self-assigned security duty, said crew.

Even worse, Phillips ignored at least seven warnings to stay 600 miles off the African coast because of a heightened risk of pirate attacks, according to the Associated Press. And Phillips was aware of 39 pirate attacks in East Africa in the week prior to the hijacking.

“He endangered our lives, he’s not a hero, he’s a villain,” Perry said.

“He never called nobody to say thanks, how’s everybody doing, is everyone alright after everything we all went through,” said Richard Hick, chief steward. “He acted like it was all a one-man show.”

“All these people risked their lives,” added Perry, “and in my opinion he threw them under the bus.”

Phillips couldn’t be reached for comment.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/crew_lie_lie_captain_7hm5rDKUm4mV3dU7pBYsyK#ixzz0lcylRw66

Original story here :
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/crew_lie_lie_captain_7hm5rDKUm4mV3dU7pBYsyK

 

[Ricox]

I just don't understand why are there so many pirates at Somalia.. Why are there no news reports about pirates in the modern Carribean?

 

[Thagarr]

Ahoy Ricox, good question mate! I know there are some incidents in the Caribbean, I have a few scattered throughout this thread. But you are correct, there is hardly any media coverage on it at all. From what I have read over the years, Somali pirates get most of the headlines in part because they go after bigger prizes and ransom the crew for big profit. From what I have seen from the reports in the Caribbean, they are usually just after quick loot and generally go after individual yachts and other pleasure craft, they general don't try and collect a ransom. These hit and run attacks are sometimes more violent than the ones off the coast of Somalia because they really don't want witnesses left to identify them. Somalia has no functioning government and the pirates pretty much do whatever they want. Most all Caribbean nations do have well functioning stable governments, so it is highly more likely that captured pirates will pay for there crimes in the Caribbean. One of the main reasons I think Caribbean pirate attacks aren't covered much in the media though is the bad publicity it would cause. All those cruise ships and tourists keep the money flowing, and without them, a lot of Caribbean countries economies would collapse.

And speaking of Somalia....

Somali pirates seize 3 Thai ships with 77 crew

By KATHARINE HOURELD (AP)

NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates hijacked three Thai fishing vessels with 77 crew aboard more than 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) off the Somali coast, the farthest-off-shore attack to date, the EU Naval Force said Tuesday.

Pirates have expanded their range south and east in response to an increase in patrols by European and U.S. warships off the Somali shore.

The hijacking of the three Thai vessels Sunday was almost 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the EU Naval Force, said its spokesman, Cmdr. John Harbour.

The EU Naval Force said the attack so far out at sea was a clear indication that the EU, NATO and U.S.-led anti-piracy missions were having a "marked effect on pirate activity in the area."

"Once they start attacking that far out, you're not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia," said Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the British think tank Chatham House. "Once you're that far out it's just the Indian Ocean, and it means you're looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia, from Asia to southern Africa."

The three vessels — the MV Prantalay 11, 12, and 14 — have 77 crew onboard in total. All the crew are Thai, Harbour said. The owner of the vessels is PT Interfishery Ltd.

Before the latest hijackings pirates held 11 vessels and 228 crew, said Cyrus Mody of the International Maritime Bureau. The latest hijacking raises those numbers to 14 vessels and 305 crew.

Pirates have increased attacks against shipping vessels over the last year in hopes of netting the multi-million dollar ransoms they can earn. Because of increased naval patrols and increased defenses on board commercial vessels, the pirates' success rate has gone down, though the number of successful attacks has stayed about the same year over year.

Original story here :
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD9F6PIG00

 

[Thagarr]

I really think the pirate big wigs need to hand out ship identification cards...

Pirates attack French Navy ship

Some Somali pirates have learned the perils of making night attacks. Last night they picked the wrong target. Mistaking the French Navy command and replenishment ship Somme for a commercial ship, they opened fire on her from two skiffs.

The Somme, which was 400 nautical miles off the Somali coast to replenish anti-piracy forces, fired warning shots.

The pirates took flight. The Somme took up the chase and detected a further pirate vessel -- the mother ship. The Somme intercepted it within an hour and found two suspects on board along with fuel, munitions and other piracy paraphenalia.

The Somme took the two suspects on board and destroyed the mother vessel. It resumed its pursuit and a few hours later intercepted a skiff with four suspects on board.

The skiff and all six pirate suspects are now on board the Somme.

On October 7, 2009 another group of pirates mistook the Somme for a merchant vessel. That time five of them were captured.

Original story here :
http://www.marinelog.com/DOCS/NEWSMMIX/2010apr00200.html

And looks like the bastards got another one...

Somali pirates seize ship with 21 aboard

NAIROBI, Kenya — The European Union naval forces say Somali pirates have hijacked a bulk carrier with 21 crew on board.

Cmdr. John Harbour says the crew is all Filipino, and all are safe.

The Panamanian-flagged, Liberian-owned Voc Daisy was taken Wednesday morning about 200 miles (300 kilometers) before it would have reached the corridor where war ships guard convoys of merchant vessels.

Original story here :
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD9F7B4LG0

 

[Thagarr]

Somalia pirates threaten to blow up oil supertanker
(Reuters) - Somali pirates threatened on Wednesday to blow up a hijacked oil supertanker unless a $20 million ransom was paid and captured a Panama-flagged merchant ship.


South Korea sent a destroyer to intercept the Samho Dream, laden with 2 million barrels of crude oil, and its crew of five South Koreans and 19 Filipinos, after it was seized this month.

"We are demanding $20 million to release the large South Korea ship," said Hashi, commander of the pirates holding the Singapore-owned vessel.

"The ship and the crew are safe. We know some warships are plotting to attack us, but we are telling them that the ship will be blown up if we are attacked," he said from the pirate lair of Hobyo.

The sea gangs have made off with millions of dollars in ransoms by roaming the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and seizing vessels and their crews.

Maritime experts say the pirates have stepped up attacks, largely due to good weather that favors their operations.

Rest of the story here :
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63K3HD20100421

 

[Thagarr]

This is the first case like this I have seen, unfortunately, it probably won't be the last...

Mistaken for pirate, Indian fisherman shot off Oman coast

In what appears to be a case of mistaken identity, crew from a passing foreign cargo ship off the coast of Oman fired upon a group of fishermen, fearing they were pirates, and killed one of them. Another fisherman was injured in the incident on Monday morning.

Raju Ambrose, 34, was declared ‘dead on arrival’ by doctors at the Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Salalah on the southwestern coast of Oman, said Manpreet Singh, president of the Indian Social Club Salalah. Ambrose, hailing from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, is survived by his wife, two teenaged daughters and a seven-year-old son.

Apparently, shots were fired without any warning or provocation from the ship at the group of nearly 75 fishermen who had set off from Salalah on 25 boats. Singh said it appears the ship’s crew mistook the fishermen for pirates.

“The crew opened fire indiscriminately at a place called Sarbatat off the coast of Salalah and two people were injured,” said Singh. “Both the victims were rushed to the Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Salalah but Ambrose was declared as having been brought dead on arrival. The other fisherman, Sebastian, who was on a different boat, was treated and later discharged.”

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An eyewitness said that by the time the fishermen realised that they were being fired upon, it was too late. “We were fishing when we suddenly heard a loud noise that took everyone by surprise,” said Joy, who was on the boat with Ambrose.

“At first, I thought that the sound was coming from the ship. But later, I realised that people on the ship were firing at us. We go out into the deep sea quite often, but such an incident has never happened. In fact, we wave at all the ships that pass by the area.”

Rest of the story here :
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mistaken-for-pirate-indian-fisherman-shot-off-oman-coast/609609/

 

[Thagarr]

I don't take a whole lot of stock in "News" reports out of Iran, but for what it's worth...

Iran says fended off pirate attack on oil tanker

TEHRAN, April 22 (Reuters) - Iranian naval forces intervened to repel a pirate attack on an oil supertanker with a cargo worth $150 million, the official IRNA news agency reported on Thursday.

It said the incident took place in the Gulf of Aden in recent days, without giving details. The Iranian tanker, carrying 300,000 barrels of oil, was continuing its journey from Iran to Egypt, IRNA added.

Iran is the world's fifth-largest crude exporter.

Somali sea gangs have made off with millions of dollars in ransoms by roaming the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and seizing vessels and their crews.

Maritime experts say the pirates have stepped up attacks, largely due to good weather that favours their operations.

"An attack by pirates in the Gulf of Aden aimed at hijacking an Iranian oil tanker was aborted through the timely intervention of the Iranian navy," IRNA said, citing a navy statement.

"Fifteen boats took part in the attempted piracy but they were forced to flee the scene.".

On Wednesday, Somali pirates threatened to blow up a hijacked oil supertanker unless a $20 million ransom was paid and captured a Panama-flagged merchant ship.

South Korea sent a destroyer to intercept the Samho Dream, laden with 2 million barrels of crude oil, and its crew of five South Koreans and 19 Filipinos, after it was seized this month.

The pirates have extended their reach southwards and towards India to avoid a flotilla of foreign navies patrolling the waters off Somalia. (Reporting by Hashem Kalantari; writing by Fredrik Dahl; editing by Angus MacSwan)

Original story here :
http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINDAH23231020100422

 

[Thagarr]

Wow! Finally! Some concrete action by the Useless Notions! A whopping 2.1 million for 5 projects to help Somalia and surrounding countrys prosecute pirates! Why, that is almost as much as the pirates themselves get for an average ransom payment for a hijacked vessel, it's crew, and it's multimillion dollar cargo! How were these bureaucratizes ever able to procure such a gargantuan sum to fight this plague?? Soon prosecuting pirates will be so routine, I won't have to post stories about it anymore!

$420,000 a project ...wow, paperwork is expensive!

10-nation board okays funds to fight Somalia piracy

UNITED NATIONS — A 10-nation board approved Friday 2.1 million dollars in UN funding for five projects to help Somalia and neighboring countries prosecute suspected pirates.

"Piracy off Somalia is a menace to the region and the world," said UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe, chair of the board overseeing a new trust fund. "Prosecuting suspected pirates is an important piece of the international strategy to combat the problem."

An international armada of warships has patrolled an area in the north of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden for more than a year in a bid to curb piracy.

But countries that have captured pirates have often struggled to bring them to justice due to legal technicalities.

Four of the projects in line for the funding are designed to support institutions in the Seychelles, which along with Kenya serves as a regional center to prosecute pirates, as well as in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland state and its breakaway region of Somaliland.

They will specifically deal with mentoring prosecutors and police, building and rehabilitating prisons, reviewing domestic legislation on piracy and enhancing court capacity.

A media project will help local partners design and spread anti-piracy messages across Somalia.

The trust fund was launched in January by a Contact Group on piracy off Somalia.

Its supervising board includes 10 voting members: Djibouti, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Kenya, the Marshall Islands, Norway, Somalia and the United States.

There are also three non-voting UN bodies: the International Maritime Organization, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the UN country team for Somalia.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council was expected to approve next week a Russian draft resolution urging a stronger UN mechanism to ensure effective legal action against pirates caught off Somalia's shores.

The text would direct UN chief Ban Ki-moon "within three months to prepare a report outlining various options of a stronger international legal system" to deal with the pirates.

Somalia has had no effective central authority since former president Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991, setting off a bloody cycle of clashes between rival factions.

Original story here :
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gEOzdPY71zIxwyoqxNBKhrQJm_vw

 

[Thagarr]

This one is a bit strange...

Woman sailor drifts 13 days on raft after pirate attack

Mystery surrounds the discovery of a woman sailor who had been drifting on a raft for 13 days in the Caribbean after being attacked by pirates, she told rescuers. She was discovered this week by the cargo ship San Fernando.

She also told the crew of San Fernando that she and her husband had been sailing on their yacht when they were attacked by the pirates. Set adrift on the raft, she then told how her dead husband had been lying beside her until she pushed him overboard.

The woman, who has German nationality but has not yet been named, was discovered in waters close to the Caribbean Island of Curacao. The crew gave her medical treatment, as she was suffering from sun blisters, and then took her to Willemstad.

Local press has reported of Venezuelan pirates who had seized their opportunity off the coast of Venezuela. However, in a strange turn, it has also been reported that the yacht has been discovered on the coast of Venezuela, but with the husband's body on board.

The coast guard subsequently took charge of the woman and brought her to the a wharf near the Queen Juliana Bridge where both police officers and the consul for Germany, Bas Kooijman, awaited her. After questioning she was taken to the local hospital for further treatment.

Which of the two stories is true, and whether the woman had been hallucinating is unclear, because the Curacao authorities are refusing further information while they conduct an investigation into the strange and tragic case.

Original story here :
http://www.sail-world.com/USA/Woman-sailor-drifts-13-days-on-raft-after-pirate-attack/68811