Pirates raid oil tanker at Basra

[bemildred]

Pirates armed with AK-47 assault rifles attacked the crew of a supertanker waiting to load crude at Iraq's Basra oil terminal before making off with cash, an ocean crime watchdog says.

The raid happened at night on 31 May about 10 nautical miles from Iraq's deep-water oil terminal where most of its crude oil is exported.

---

Security was stepped up last year at the southern Basra oil terminal after al-Qaida's al-Zarqawi group carried out boat attacks at the terminal.

In late April, security was also tightened at the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr after an armed group raided a vessel carrying Australian wheat. The ship was at anchor some distance from the port when the incident occurred.

al Jazeera

[maxsolomon]

1. "ocean crime watchdog"?

talk about a niche.

this is the crime of the future - up to & including hijacking the entire load of crude.

[Roland99]

3. McGruff is getting around, eh?

[TheWraith]

8. It would be kind of hard to make a getaway with a supertanker, though.

You'd need one hell of a friendly port to ditch it in.

[KansDem]

20. With a whole tanker full of crude...

You'd need one hell of a friendly port to ditch it in.

I don't think that would be too much of a problem these days...

[Roland99]

2. RRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

[donsu]

4. and the oil countries are buying and building small submarines

there is more then sharks lurking in the deep

(an aside: remember a couple of yrs. ago when a drug group tried to buy a sub.?)

[SteppingRazor]

5. SWEET!

You mean it's not too late to land my dream job -- pirate captain?! Man, I thought I'd been born in the wrong century.

[merwin]

6. That's exactly what popped into my head :-)

[doublethink]

12. IIIIIIIIiiii Captain !!!!!!!!!!

and a barnacle good morning to ya hook !!!!! :toast: :hippie:

[KansDem]

22. Reminds me of a joke, albeit meant for Halloween...

A little boy was thinking about what to dress up as for Halloween. He thought and thought for weeks and finally decided on being a pirate. But not just any pirate; he would be a pirate captain! So with the help of his mother, he fashioned a sword with a sash, eyepatch, and a hat with the skull & crossbones painted on it. He set out to go "trick or treating," proud of his costume. He knocked on the door of the first house and was greeted by an old woman. She gushed over the little boy's costume. "Oh, what a darling little pirate." The boy, made somewhat indignant by this remark, replied, "I'm not just a pirate. I'm a pirate captain!" "Oh, so you're a pirate captain," the woman continued, "Well, then, where are your buccaneers?" The little boy thought for a moment and replied, "Under my bucking hat!"

[bluestateguy]

7. robbing an oil tanker will not help the Pirates

The NL Central is a tough division, but doing this won't help.

[MGKrebs]

9. Kaiser Soze!

[SpiralHawk]

10. Were they flying the Skull & Bones flag?

If so, then they are likely agents of George W. Bush and
BushCo UnLtd.

Republicans have a THING about Skulls and Boners. That's how they get their Jollies, Roger.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sasquatch]

13. Were they detained for questioning?

I smell a rat, Jack Sparrow cannot be trusted.
:D
BTW you beat me to it.

[Ian David]

21. With the insurgency in its last throes, it must be FRIENDLY pirates

I was thinking more along the lines of this guy:

[Barrett808]

14. Pirates raid tanker at Iraq's Basra oil terminal

LONDON, June 8 (Reuters) - Pirates armed with AK-47 assault rifles attacked the crew of a large oil tanker waiting to load crude at Iraq's Basra oil terminal before making off with cash, an ocean crime watchdog said on Wednesday. The raid happened at night on May 31 some 10 nautical miles from Iraq's deep water oil terminal where most of its crude oil is exported.

"They tried to enter the bridge claiming to be policemen. The master denied them entry and the pirates became violent...they assaulted the master causing him injuries and demanded money," the IMB said in a report.

A coalition warship arrived to assist following a mayday signal.

Jayant Abhyankar, deputy director of the IMB, told Reuters the incident raised questions about security at the oil terminal, Iraq's main outlet for the oil exports which provide nearly all of its income.

Security was stepped up last year at the southern Basra oil terminal after al Qaeda's al-Zarqawi group carried out suicide boat attacks at the terminal.

In late April 2005 security was also increased at the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr after an armed gang raided a vessel carrying Australian wheat. The ship was at anchor some distance from the port when the incident occurred.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L08529223.htm

[Gidney N Cloyd]

15. Now we gotta worry about "pirates?"

I'll be hiding under my bed if anyone needs me.

[TahitiNut]

16. "Privateers" or "pirates" ... same gene pool.

The only difference is a secret "letter of marque."

[acmejack]

18. It has been on the upswing for some timew now!

See Straits of Malacca, which is a prime spot. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2005/20050605_1559.html

[Gidney N Cloyd]

23. I'm sure it has been on the upswing, it's just that

since * took office it's like when the vault in Ghostbusters blew open...

[Bob3]

17. Arr Jim lad - now go and get the oil me hearts

Yo ho ho and a bottle of fuel.

Pirates - now they have pirates.

Maddness

[derby378]

19. Shiver me timbers!! Ahrrrrr!!

I was told we'd sail
The seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers

[Deja Q]

25. I wonder if they were causing the US havoc, or taking back what's

rightfully theirs?

I dunno either way and the article doesn't say enough, so I'm not going to make a decision on this one.

Nice wordplay with the Long John Silver stuff. :rofl:

[Chauga]

24. Strange this is being reported a full week and a half after the fact