Thagarr's Pirate News!

Thagarr · Mar 18, 2009

Two more attempted hijackings, two more failures.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Danish, Turkish Ships Repel Pirate Attack Off Yemen</b>

By Gregory Viscusi

March 16 (Bloomberg) -- Helicopters from Danish and Turkish warships deterred an attempted attack by pirates on a Vietnamese cargo vessel in the Gulf of Aden, the allied naval force said today in an e-mailed statement.

The March 14 incident about 50 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni port of Al Mukalla was the first anti-piracy engagement for the Turkish frigate TCG Giresun, which joined the allied fleet in the region two weeks ago.

The Giresun and the Danish warship HDMS Absalon responded to an emergency call warning that the cargo vessel, the M/V Diamond Falcon, was under attack from two pirate skiffs.

The warships are part of Task Force 151, which also includes U.S. and British ships. They share anti-piracy operations in the area with Atalanta, a five-frigate fleet sent last December by the European Union.

Around 15 countries have sent warships to the waters in the area after Somali pirates attacked 165 ships last year, seizing 43 of them for ransom. In February, just one vessel was seized out of the 11 attacked and no ship has been seized so far this month.

Russia, China, Malaysia, and India sent ships on their own to conduct convoys for their nationâ€™s ships.</div>
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=az1d2kyZkt_g&refer=europe" target="_blank">http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...mp;refer=europe</a>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Korean ship escapes pirate attack</b>

By GITONGA MARETE
Posted Wednesday, March 18 2009 at 19:08

Piracy off the coast of Somalia continues despite the presence of international allied forces in the Indian Ocean.

In the latest attack a ship crew member was shot in the head.

The North Korean vessel, mv Chong Chon Gang, was attacked 400 nautical miles off the Kenya-Somalia border, said East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme Coordinator Andrew Mwangura.

â€œThe vessel was attacked by pirates sailing in a small skiff launched from a mother ship. They fired rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons in an attempt to force the vessel to stop,â€ he said.

â€œThe captain took evasive manoeuvres including altering course, increasing speed and activating the vesselâ€™s fire hose and was able to escape, though it (ship) suffered damages,â€ he said Wednesday.

<b>Somali waters</b>

The injured crew member was treated on the ship and is out of danger.

Piracy has increased in the Indian Ocean in the past two years and the international community has consequently deployed warships in the Gulf of Aden to deal with the menace.

Pirates demand ransoms for kidnapped crew and ships, which owners have in the past paid, spawning a thriving, albeit illegal business for Somali warlords.

The British, American and German navies have handed to Kenya a total of 24 suspected pirates - all Somalis - since December last year for trial.

Nine others convicted for piracy last year are serving a seven-year jail term.

Mr Mwangura disclosed that a crew of Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese and Kenyans was being detained at the port of Dar-es-Salaam for allegedly engaging in illegal fishing in Tanzanian waters.</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/News/regional/-/1070/547900/-/72od7k/-/" target="_blank">http://www.nation.co.ke/News/regional/-/10...900/-/72od7k/-/</a>

Stallion · Mar 18, 2009

Good to see they're starting to fail more. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" :yes

" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> Maybe that'll start discouraging some of them.

Thagarr · Mar 20, 2009

Maybe some Stallion, but as long as shipping company's are paying ransoms, there will always be pirates willing to risk it.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Greece says pirates seize cargo ship off Somalia</b>
Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:41pm EDT

ATHENS, March 19 (Reuters) - Pirates seized a Greek-owned cargo ship off the coast of Somalia late on Thursday, the third such incident in the past two months, Greece's merchant marine ministry said.

"The Saint-Vincent-flagged cargo vessel Titan with 24 crew was sailing from the Black Sea to Korea when it was attacked by pirates," a ministry official who declined to be named said. "We have informed the anti-piracy centres in the region."

Three of the crew were Greeks, police said.

Piracy off Somalia, one of the world's busiest shipping areas, and other coasts of Africa has increased sharply over the past year, earning the pirates millions of dollars of ransom payments and pushing up maritime insurance rates.

Last month, pirates seized a Greek-owned cargo ship, with 22 crew off Somalia. In January, pirates seized another Greek vessel off the coast of Cameroon and killed its Greek captain.

EU forces foiled a pirate attack on a Greek-flagged crude oil tanker off the coast of Somalia in the same month. (Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Richard Balmforth)</div>
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUSLJ175494" target="_blank">http://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUSLJ175494</a>

Thagarr · Mar 20, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Somali pirates hijack Iranian vessel
Somali pirates in the northern semi-autonomous region of Puntland have hijacked an Iranian vessel, www.haber27.com has been informed.</b>
20 Mart 2009 Cuma 09:18
According to www.haber27.com correspondent, Somali pirates seized the Iranian vessel for illegal fishing carried out without the permission of the Puntland Administration.

Meanwhile a maritime official at the East African Seafarers Assistance Program Andrew Mwangura told Reuters on Wednesday that the ship was reported as seized on Monday.

"I hear that the villagers have taken it because of fishing illegally or for damaging fishing equipment," Mwangura said. "Vigilantes usually move when you destroy their nets or boats and hold the ship until they are paid back."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry, however, has not yet confirmed the report, saying that it is still under investigation.

The report comes as earlier in November Somali pirates hijacked a Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship, Delight, operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) in the Gulf of Aden.

The surge in such attacks has caused international concern and warships from several countries have increased cooperation to crack down on buccaneers.

Earlier in December, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Parviz Sarvari warned that Iran is mulling over a military option against Somali pirates.

The French Indian Ocean joint forces top military commander Vice Admiral Gerard Valin has predicted great reduction in pirate attacks this year as international efforts have been stepped up to curb the attacks which threaten one of the world's most vital shipping routes.

He said there had been 208 pirate attacks in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia, of which 43 had been successful in 2008.

"But since January 3 there have been only two successful attacks" he told reporters in Nairobi. "It's becoming more and more difficult for the pirates and we are becoming more and more efficient."

The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for more than 20,000 vessels sailing between Asia, Europe and the Americas every year</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.haber27.com/news_detail.php?id=25063" target="_blank">http://www.haber27.com/news_detail.php?id=25063</a>

Thagarr · Mar 22, 2009

This one is a bit different. Instead of holding this ship for ransom, pirates confiscated her cargo and fuel, tortured her crew members and then set her adrift. An alarming change in tactics. Unfortunately the article never states just what the ships cargo was.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Somali pirates release Indian ship</b>
Sun, 22 Mar 2009 12:31:01 GMT

Somali pirates have released the Indian vessel al-Rafiquei after confiscating its cargo and fuel and torturing the ships crewmembers.

Pirates unloaded the ship's goods and fuel and cast it adrift on Saturday, after which it headed toward an unknown Somali port far off its original destination, Mogadishu -- where it was to unload its private-owned merchandise.

All of al-Rafiquei's 16 crewmembers were brutally tortured before their release, Press TV's Somali correspondent reported.

The Indian ship was on its way to Somalia from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates when it was seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden and steered toward an unknown location.

The owner company had earlier asked the Indian navy and coalition forces based in the Gulf of Aden "to provide immediate assistance".

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

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

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

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=89332&sectionid=351020501" target="_blank">http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=89332...ionid=351020501</a>

Thagarr · Mar 26, 2009

Apparently the the big fish are becoming a bit to risky for some pirates, and they have started going after smaller prey. Yachts are becoming more of a target off the coats of Somalia. Although ...why anyone would want to be yachting in that area is beyond me!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Somali pirates hijack Seychelles yacht</b>
Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:06am EDT

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Somali pirates have hijacked a yacht from the Seychelles with two men on board, a maritime official said on Wednesday.

The yacht left the Seychelles in February en route to Madagascar but disappeared soon after, Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers Assistance Program said.

He named the two men on board as Gilbert Victor and Andre Conrad, both from the Seychelles.

"The ill-fated yacht is presently under tight security, anchored next to Garacad, Somalia," he said.

Somali pirate hijackings have fallen in 2009 after international naval forces began patrolling the busy sea lanes in the Gulf of Aden.

Pirates last year made the Gulf, which connects Europe to Asia and the Middle East via the Suez Canal, the most dangerous waterway in the world. Dozens of ships were hijacked and tens of millions of dollars paid out in ransoms.

The pirates have been extending the range of their attacks, and the taking of the Seychelles boat looks like another long-distance strike.

(Reporting by Wangui Kanina; Editing by Angus MacSwan)</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE52O2ZE20090325" target="_blank">http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/id...E52O2ZE20090325</a>

This one was just a bit more violent.... Now they are outright killing civilians.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>
British man killed by pirates off Thailand 'had throat slit'
Pirates that killed a British man and imprisoned his wife on their yacht for 10 hours, slit his throat before before throwing his body overboard, Thailand police have said.</b>

Last Updated: 9:19AM GMT 25 Mar 2009

Malcolm Robertson, 64, was killed while sailing with his wife Linda, 57, near Koh Dong, an island off southern Thailand.

Police Captain Suparak Pongkarnjana said: "The victim shouted for help and they slit his throat with a knife and hit him before throwing his body overboard."

He said Mr Robertson's body had not yet been found.

Capt Pongkarnjana said Mrs Robertson was forced to steer the yacht to shore but the pirates fled on a raft when they saw Thai national park employees passing by in a boat.

Mrs Robertson's brother, John Clee, said she was tied up and held hostage in the yacht's cabin for up to 10 hours.

She feared she too would be killed but the three men fled, leaving her injured but alive.

Mr Clee, 63, said his sister and her husband were qualified yacht masters who had sailed round the world.

He said Mr Robertson, the owner of a chain of coffee shops in and around his home town of Hastings, East Sussex, was fulfilling a life-long dream by spending the winter months sailing around warmer climes in his 44ft yacht with his wife.

He said Mr Robertson was semi-retired, with his children taking over the running of the business in recent years.

Mr Clee, from Battle, said his brother-in-law was a very popular and very knowledgeable man, with a very strong personality.

He and his wife of 25 years each had two children from previous relationships, and had seven grandchildren between them.

Mr Clee said all four children were on their way to Thailand to offer their support to Mrs Robertson, who escaped with minor injuries.

"She's got swollen arms and legs because she was tied up for eight to 10 hours in the cabin. She didn't know what was happening to Malcolm, she was kept locked up."

Mr Clee, who spoke to his sister yesterday, said the robbers took her up to the deck from time to time when they needed her help with sailing the yacht.

She realised her husband was probably dead when she saw there was blood all over the deck and she feared she too would be killed.</div>
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/5047125/British-man-killed-by-pirates-off-Thailand-had-throat-slit.html" target="_blank">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...hroat-slit.html</a>

And here is lengthy interview with Linda Robertson after her harrowing ordeal.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>
Thai pirate attack: Linda Robertson reunited with her children
British grandmother Linda Robertson has been reunited with her four children who flew to Thailand after she escaped from a gang of pirates who allegedly murdered her husband aboard their holiday yacht.</b>

By Thomas Bell in La-Ngu, John Bingham and Andrew Drummond in Bangkok
Last Updated: 8:12AM GMT 26 Mar 2009

The family was reunited at a resort overlooking the sea in La-Ngu in Satun province, close to where Mrs Robertson was rescued.

The three culprits, who have allegedly confessed to the crime, will be arraigned in court today and the hearing may take place as early as tomorrow. In the absence of a body, they have so far only been charged with assault, hostage taking and theft.

The youngest, Ko, 17, has been transfered to a juvenile detention facility. At La-Ngu police station the other two, identified by police as Ek, 19, and Aow, 18, sat behind bars in their cells looking frightened and far younger than their given ages.

A British embassy official has come from Bangkok to co-ordinate the search for Mr Robertson's body with the local authorities. Daniel Pruce, the deputy British ambassador to Thailand, praised the local police for their efforts to find Mr Robertson, which include three ships, one spotter plane and two helicopters, as well as a network of 100 fishing boats.

The boat is currently being scrubbed to remove the very large amount of blood inside. One of the attackers carved his name in Burmese in the wood inside the cabin.

Yesterday, Mrs Robertson spoke of her escape for the first time.

The 57-year-old described how the attackers boarded their boat and bound her naked like a "trussed chicken" during a nine hour ordeal.

She finally escaped when the three Burmese migrant fisherman tried to used the dinghy attached to their 44 ft vessel only to discover its engine wasn't working.

Police believe Irish-born Mr Robertson, 64, who runs a chain of coffee shops in St. Leonards, Sussex, may have also had his throat cut due to the quantity of blood found on the yacht, called Mr Bean.

Mrs Robertson said the pirates tried to flee in the dinghy after stealing computers and mobile phones. "But they had only got thirty yards when the engine began to splutter as I knew it would," she said. "They turned back to the boat. So I rushed to pull up the anchor, which was quite easy, because they had only let out thirty yards. Then I put our boat into full throttle and headed out to sea leaving them behind."

She added: "I saw them head to shore and I knew my ordeal was over and I was safe. I cannot believe I survived."

Police in Thailand have already arrested three migrant fishermen over the attack but are still searching for Mr Robertson's body.

The drama began for the two semi-retired grandparents early on Tuesday on the Buntang Islands in Thailand near Malaysia.

Mrs Robertson said "We were on a mooring bay off the Buntang Islands, the last Thai islands before Malaysia, when I heard the sound of people clambering aboard."I was in the stern cabin and my husband Malcolm was in the forepeak cabin. I was naked. It was a very hot night. Three young men came in. They were holding hammers and they pushed me back and tied and gagged me.

"Then they went towards the forward cabin and I heard my husband shouting 'Get off my boat!'. I heard a scuffle and did not hear any more. They came back to me and made signs to me to start the engine, which I did."

"There was no sign of my husband," she said. "I think this was the first time I realised he might be dead. I waited and listened and heard nothing. The night was pitch black and the boat headed north. They put me back in my cabin all trussed up and would come and get me if they had a problem."

She continued: "First they wanted to know how the fuel system worked, and I showed them. They did not know where the switches were. "But as I walked through the boat I realised I was walking through the blood of my husband.

"From that moment on I knew I was just fending for my life and might have to fight for it or take my chance in the ocean. I made gestures as if to ask 'Are you going to kill me?'.

"They made signs to say 'No' they were going to leave when they had finished and pointed to the clock in my cabin.

"One, the youngest was trying to be kind, even though he was guarding me with a machete. He brought me food and drink. He kept saying 'I am sorry'. Possibly one of the few English phrases he knew and he brought me some food and drink from the galley."

She added: "By 6am it was already quite light. We had been motoring for over five hours and the dawn gave me hope. My hands and feet were swelling because I was trussed up naked like a chicken. It was all very degrading. I could not cover anything up. But if you think you are going to die all such matters become secondary."

She finally made her bid for freedom when she heard the three trying to escape in the Yamaha dinghy whose two horsepower engine was unreliable.

"I managed to free myself and get out onto the deck," she said. "I knew the dinghy would play up and had to act quickly. Only Malcolm knew how to deal with it. I switched on the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon). Then I looked to see to my horror that the pirates were attempting to paddle back to the boat. If they knew I had switched on the distress system, I thought, they would kill me for sure.

"I ran and pulled up the anchor. Luckily they had played out only 30 feet of chain, so it was quite easy. I started the engine and headed out towards the fishing boats. I looked around and saw the pirates heading towards the shore.

"I could not believe the pirates had left me. I headed towards the fishing fleet putting out Mayday signals. Then I started waving my blue and white sarong and shouted 'Mayday'. But as I approached them the fishing boats began to turn away from me. I do not think the fishermen knew what a Mayday situation was. I had to almost ram them to get their attention. I pulled Mr. Bean alongside one of the boats. It was a futile situation.

"They ignored me to I jumped off my boat onto the fishing boat. I would not go back to my boat. I did not want to feel Malcolm's blood on my feet. They could see I was distressed though, but they did not understand what I was saying, so they called the police.

"Soon along came a boat with Rangers from the Turatao National Park. They had uniforms and badges, I would not let them go. I was scared to stay alone with the fisherman. I thought perhaps they might know the pirates or even be working with them.

"Then along came a police launch with four policemen in camouflage combat gear and machine guns. I don't know how I managed to explain it to them. But eventually they got the message, I pointed to the headland, which the dinghy had gone behind, and the police sped off in the right direction. Shortly afterwards they brought all them men back and told me they were Burmese migrant workers who were working with the local fishing fleet."

She said she was able to identify her attackers because some of them were wearing her murdered husband's clothes.

"They were very proud they had caught them so soon," she said. "I recognised them immediately. Some of them were even wearing Malcolm's clothes, because they had swum to our boat in the middle of the night wearing only shorts. Malcolm and I know this area well. It is really beautiful. We were planning to berth our boat in Langkawi and then return home. We have been here for the last three seasons."

She also spoke of her hope that her husband's body would be found. "The Thai people have been very kind. They are lovely people. We do not blame them for all this.

"Nurses have given me pills to help me sleep. But they do not stop me having nightmares. I hope they find Malcolm's body, but I have no idea of the lats and longs (latitudes and longitudes), of where he was thrown overboard."

Mrs Robertson broke down several times as she spoke from her hospital bed in Satun, South Thailand, but she cheered up at the thought of being reunited with three of her and Malcolm's four grown up children who arrive in Thailand later today.

Thai police said they would ask the prosecutor to call for the death penalty for the pirates but they admitted that the Burmese pirates claimed they had run away themselves from a Thai fishing boat where the captain had treated them as slaves.

Police said the three had boarded the yacht intending to take the dinghy but Mr Robertson was killed when he resisted them. They decided to rob the boat because they had not been paid.

In January 2006 two Thai fishermen swum ashore to Lamai Beach on the island of Koh Samui in the middle of the night to rape and murder Briton Katherine Horton, 21, from Cardiff. They were later sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

There have been no recent attacks on yachts in Southern Thailand, but Tarutao National Park off Satun, where Linda finally made her escape was an area notorious for pirates during the Second World War, when both guards and prisoners, from two prisons on the island of Turatao went into the piracy business.

The pirates were finally quelled by British troops sent up from what was then known as Malaysia. A well known Thai novel 'The Pirates of Turatao' is based on this period.</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/5052541/Thai-pirate-attack-Linda-Robertson-reunited-with-her-children.html" target="_blank">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...r-children.html</a>

Thagarr · Mar 26, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Pirates hijack two chemical tankers off Somalia</b>
(CNN) -- Pirates have hijacked two European-owned chemical tankers off the coast of Somalia in the past 24 hours, the European Union Maritime Security Center said Thursday.

The 23,000-ton Norwegian-owned and Bahamian-registered M/V Bow-Asir was captured 250 miles east of the southern Somali city Kismayo on Thursday morning, the security center said in a release.

The M/V Nipayia, a 9,000-ton Greek-owned and Panamanian-registered vessel with 19 crew members, was attacked approximately 450 miles east of Kismayo on Wednesday afternoon, the security center said.

Officials have issued an alert site notifying all vessels in the area to be aware of the increase in pirate activity.</div>
Original story here :
<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/03/26/somalia.pirates.tankers.hijacked/" target="_blank">http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/0...nkers.hijacked/</a>

Thagarr · Mar 28, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>
Thai pirate murder - the aftermath</b>

The ragged teenagers who bludgeoned a cruising sailor to death in Thailand may never be tried, and British sailors with the dream of sailing the world are thinking again. This is the aftermath of the latest 'pirate' attack which resulted in the death of British sailor Malcolm Robertson.

For nine years the Robertsons had roamed the world in their yacht Mr Bean in Britain's winter months, relishing the journey. They had sailed many remote areas, crossed several oceans, and were enjoying the wild anchorages of the Tarutao National Park, around 40 nautical miles off the coast of southern Thailand. When Burmese teenagers dressed in rags swam to their boat, wanting to rob them, Malcolm Robertson resisted.

That was, apparently, his mistake.

Mrs Robertson told the BBC she believed her husband's decision to stand up to the men may have cost him his life.

'He was not the sort of man that would just sit back and let things happen. I wish really that he had been.'

But now, owing to the processes of Thai law, the three teenagers, who were arrested soon after the attack while still in the Robertson's broken-down dinghy, may never be tried because the body has not been found.

'I can't believe the decision by prosecutors,' she said. 'I am in a state of total disbelief. These young men were almost caught red-handed. They confessed to everything. The police even have the bloodstained murder weapon. Yet there is no murder charge, not even a manslaughter charge. It's incredible.' Currently the three Burmese have only been charged with theft, assault and kidnap.</div>

Rest of the story and a couple of pictures here :
<a href="http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Thai-pirate-murder---the-aftermath/55220" target="_blank">http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Thai-p...aftermath/55220</a>

Thagarr · Mar 28, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Somali pirates free German gas tanker</b>

BERLIN (AFP) â€” A German gas tanker seized by Somali pirates two months ago has been freed and is on its way to its original destination of Vietnam, the owners said on Saturday.

The MV Longchamp, captured on January 29, was released with its crew of 12 Filipinos and their Indonesian captain at around 0600 GMT, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement said in a statement.

The crew were safe and sound, the statement said, without confirming whether a ransom had been paid. The pirates had been demanding 4.7 million euros (6.25 million dollars) for the Longchamp.

An environment watchdog that also monitors piracy, Ecoterra International, said on Friday that an unknown sum of money had been delivered by aircraft to the pirates.

The Longchamp was hijacked at dawn in a hail of gunfire by seven pirates despite being under navy escort with its cargo of liquefied petroleum gas on its way to Vietnam from Norway, reports said at the time.

Ransom-hunting Somali pirates attacked more than 130 merchant ships in the region last year, an increase of more than 200 percent on 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

The number and success rate of pirate attacks has declined slightly since the start of the year, because of unfavourable sea conditions and an increased foreign naval presence in the Gulf of Aden.</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gMw-xXt2KkTiTmdr_msbJk4rpIag" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...mdr_msbJk4rpIag</a>

Thagarr · Mar 31, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Pirates attacking German ship captured off Somalia</b>

By AHMED AL-HAJ â€“ 17 hours ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD978EB703" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...I4-H2wD978EB703</a>

Fred Bob · Mar 31, 2009

Great stuff thar, Thagarr! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" :onya

" border="0" alt="onya.gif" /> Keep it up, matey! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" :cheeky

" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> Nice tew see dem Krauts 'twernt shy 'bout shootin' back! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Thagarr · Apr 2, 2009

Fred Bob, thanks mate! Yeah, them krauts are always willing to shoot back! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Looks like things are just getting a bit to hot for pirates off Somalia, and they have taken to the Seychelles lately. Two more yachts attacks! They seem to be going after much softer targets the past couple of weeks!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Pirates capture 'luxury boat' near Seychelles</b>

Pirates captured a luxury boat near the Seychelles yesterday in the latest sign that they were increasingly targeting tourist boats and shifting their operations east into the Indian Ocean.

By Our Foreign Staff
Last Updated: 9:09PM BST 01 Apr 2009

The Indian Ocean Explorer was seized with its seven crew members and was believed to be sailing towards the Somali coast last night.

Passengers aboard the vessel, thought to be up to 12, had earlier been dropped off on one of the archipelago's islands and were not on the boat when the pirates hijacked it.The Explorer high-end cruiser designed for oceanographic research with a state-of-the-art technical suite for underwater photography and diving equipment, is kitted out to hold 12 passengers. They had left the archipelago on February 28 for Madagascar.

"The government of Seychelles strongly condemns any act against the property and the people of Seychelles," its transport minister, Joel Morgan said.

Somali pirates attacked more than 130 merchant ships in the region last year, an increase of more than 200 per cent on 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

Last week Somali pirates hijacked a yacht with two people on-board.

Pirates attacking ships off the Somali coast in the Gulf of Aden were almost a daily occurrence but attacks have fallen in recent weeks because of a build-up of foreign warships patrolling the region.

Analysts say the naval presence is encouraging the pirates to shift their operations east into the Indian Ocean, toward the Seychelles â€“ a popular tourist destination with its white beaches and luxury resorts.</div>
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/seychelles/5090392/Pirates-capture-luxury-boat-near-Seychelles.html" target="_blank">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...Seychelles.html</a>

Thagarr · Apr 2, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>One killed as navy vessel sinks Somali pirate ship</b>

MOGADISHU (AFP) â€” At least one Somali pirate was killed and two others wounded after a naval vessel patrolling the Indian Ocean fired on their boat and destroyed their mother ship, witnesses said Thursday.

Local fishermen in the pirate den of Harardhere in northern Somalia said the incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, but the naval vessel was unknown.

"One pirate died and three others were injured after they approached a navy ship. They were given warning signals but they ignored and kept approaching and their mother boat was destroyed," local fisherman Abdullahi Isa Mohamed told AFP.

Other residents who confirmed the incident said the men were on board small boats hunting for ships to attack.

But the US Navy Fifth Fleet command and the European naval mission off the pirate-infested Somali coast said they had no information regarding the sinking of a pirate mother ship.

The coastal town of Harardhere is often used by Somali pirates to hold hijacked vessels and their crews, releasing them after often hefty ransoms are handed over.

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

More than 130 merchant ships were attacked in the region last year according to the International Maritime Bureau.</div>
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i9Lk1-cYvDPV9WNoac0YN9ey5zgw" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...WNoac0YN9ey5zgw</a>

Thagarr · Apr 4, 2009

I don't think I have ever heard of barbed wire used this way before, but it seems to be quite effective!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Somali pirates assault Israeli ship</b>

Gunmen give chase and attempt to board Zim vessel traveling 700 km from Somali coast

Ynet
Published: 04.04.09, 20:39 / Israel News

Somali gunmen attacked an Israeli ship sailing 700 km off the coast of Somalia at around 10 am Saturday. The 'Africa Star' ship, belonging to Zim Shipping Services, had no Israelis on board.

Lior Hayat of the Foreign Ministry told Ynet, "We are following the incident. Since there were no Israelis on board the ship, the Foreign Ministry will not involve itself in the handling of this case."

The pirate gunmen, riding on two motorboats accompanied by a mother-ship, opened fire at the Zim ship and then attempted to board by steering close to its hull and leaping from the boats.

They were unsuccessful, however, as the ship's hull was encircled with barbed wire. No injuries were reported among the Zim crew.

After failing to board, the pirates returned to their boats and began a chase that went on for a number of hours. They were unsuccessful in reaching the vessel.

Meanwhile, Zim's offices in Haifa were alerted, and in turn contacted NATO forces in the area as well as the Foreign Ministry and Israel's navy.

NATO alerted the British-manned Pirate Reporting Center in the area, and a plane was sent to investigate. Its flight over the scene apparently stopped the chase, and the motorboats and mother-ship retreated. The Israeli ship was diverted to a sounder course.

The Zim vessel continued its journey as planned. Chairman of the shipping company, Idan Ofer, thanked the crew and captain of the boat "for their bravery and resourcefulness", as well as NATO's headquarters.

"The international community must work with Somalia to demolish this dangerous phenomenon of piracy at sea, and reinstate security in international shipping routes," he added.</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3697074,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3697074,00.html</a>

Meigger · Apr 4, 2009

Looks like a good idea to me. Plus, it was effective. Maybe razer wire would be better.

Fred Bob · Apr 5, 2009

Hand grenades tossed o'er de side might be a helpin' also! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

rupertlittlebear · Apr 5, 2009

Of course you know,

Now every ship will want to be wired too

Look now . . .

Its the Queen Mary 2

Sporting the new look for this fall . . .

Razor Wire Girdling the Ship.

Is it to keep Pirates off??

Or Tourists on??

Is the food really that bad?

Thagarr · Apr 5, 2009

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> ..well, some of that food is pretty bad!

Canada is getting in on the fun now too!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Canadian warship thwarts likely pirate attack in Arabian Sea</b>
11:50PM
Edmonton / iNews880.com
4/5/2009

The Canadian warship HMCS Winnipeg has thwarted a probable pirate attack in the Arabian Sea.

The ship is currently participating in a NATO led counter-piracy mission known as Operation Allied Protector.

While engaging in escort duties, military officials say Winnipeg observed several small skiffs approaching the merchant vessel Pacific Opal.

The Pacific Opal radioed for help and Winnipeg dispatched a Sea King helicopter, causing the pirates to withdraw.

Lieutenant-General Michel Gauthier, Commander of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command, said the incident `highlights the importance of our mission and the efforts to make a difference with our coalition partners in the fight against piracy and international terrorism."

Winnipeg with a crew of approximately 240 officers and non-commissioned members, is based at Esquimalt, B.C.. (The Canadian Press,blb)</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.inews880.com/Channels/Reg/LocalNews/story.aspx?ID=1079085" target="_blank">http://www.inews880.com/Channels/Reg/Local...aspx?ID=1079085</a>

Thagarr · Apr 7, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Somalia: Pirates Seize More Ships</b>

6 April 2009

In a new upsurge in piracy off the Somali coast, two more ships have been hijacked in the past two days.

The European Union's Maritime Security Centre reports that a 32,000 tonne Italian-operated bulk carrier was seized early Monday morning in the Gulf of Aden. "Few details are known at this stage, but the mixed nationality crew are believed to be safe," the centre said.

On Saturday the centre said a 20,000 tonne German container ship was hijacked 400 miles from Kismayo. "The attack was made by six men in a single skiff that was probably operating with other pirate vessels," the centre reported. "The 24-man crew is believed to be safe."

The new reports of piracy followed soon after the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre had warned of "a spike in pirate activity" off the east coast of Somalia. There had been 15 attacks in the region in March, the bureau said.
Relevant Links

On the night of March 31, a chemical tanker successfully repelled a pirate attack. Two days earlier, pirates thought to have mistaken a German naval supply ship for a commercial vessel opened fire on the crew, setting off a chase in which forces from seven nations pursued and arrested seven suspected pirates.

Naval warships from the European Union and countries such as the United States, South Korea and China are patrolling shipping lanes off Somalia in an effort to combat the piracy.</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/200904061375.html" target="_blank">http://allafrica.com/stories/200904061375.html</a>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>
Mogadishu
Somali pirates seize more vessels</b>

Mogadishu - Somali pirates have seized a British-owned cargo ship and a Taiwanese ship, maritime officials say, after capturing three other vessels over the weekend.

The UK-owned Malaspina Castle was boarded in the Gulf of Aden, while the Taiwanese ship was seized near the Seychelles, according to reports.

A French yacht, a Yemeni tugboat and a German ship were also captured in the pirate-plagued waterway at the weekend.

The region is heavily patrolled by a growing international naval coalition.

The 32,000-tonne Malaspina Castle, which was carrying a cargo of iron, was seized on Monday morning.

The vessel, which flies a Panamanian flag, has a crew of 24 - from Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine and Philippines.

The Taiwanese fishing boat, with a crew of 29, was hijacked 260km (160 miles) from the Seychelles.

The French yacht, with four crew, was seized on Saturday off north-east Somalia.

It was being sailed by the pirates towards the Somali Puntland coast, said Kenya-based non-governmental organisation Ecoterra International, which monitors piracy.

The Yemeni tugboat was captured on Sunday, a day after the 20,000-tonne German container vessel, the Hansa Stavanger, was seized.

More than 130 pirates attacks, including close to 50 successful hijackings, were reported in 2008, threatening one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.</div>

original story here :
<a href="http://www.portalangop.co.ao/motix/en_us/noticias/africa/Somali-pirates-seize-more-vessels,0b38cebb-092e-437a-bf46-5f3ebe64e116.html" target="_blank">http://www.portalangop.co.ao/motix/en_us/n...3ebe64e116.html</a>

Thagarr · Apr 7, 2009

I sense another French raid coming on....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>France tracks Somali pirates</b>
07/04/2009 11:48 - (SA)

Paris - French authorities have pinpointed the location of a French yacht hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Tuesday.

"Yes, we know where they are," Kouchner told RTL radio. "I can't give you details and even if I had them, I would not give them because this anti-piracy operation initiated by France now involves several countries."

French officials said the "Tanit" sailing yacht with two couples and a three-year-old boy onboard was seized on Saturday. The boat had left Vannes on France's Atlantic coast en route to Zanzibar.

France launched a rescue operation to free another French luxury yacht, Le Ponant, and its 30 crew in April last year, and in September dispatched commandos to release a French couple seized by pirates aboard their yacht.

"These boats are attacked far from the shores, very far out, and that obviously does not help the European Atalante operation," Kouchner said.

The European Union launched its first-ever naval operation codenamed Atalante in December, deploying six warships and three surveillance planes to patrol pirate-infested seas in the Horn of Africa.

- AFP</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2498005,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0...2498005,00.html</a>

Thagarr's Pirate News!

Pining for the Fjords!

Sea Dog

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!

Shrimping Fool

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!

1000th Member Man

Shrimping Fool

Retired Duke

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!

Pining for the Fjords!