Somali pirates seize bulk carrier

[Robbien]

Source: Marine Magazine

Though naval forces in the Gulf of Aden are being beefed up in response to the hijacking of the tank-laden RO/RO Faina, Somali pirate activity continues seemingly unabated.

The latest vessel reported hijacked by the International Maritime Bureau is a bulk carrier with 21 crew members that was seized earlier today in the Gulf of Aden sailing from the Middle East to Asia when it was seized Wednesday. According to the International Maritime Bureau, which disclosed no further details, the ship flies a Panamanian flag but is operated in the Philippines.

The most recent unclassified piracy map released by NATO, indicates that the MV African Sanderling, a 32,379 gt bulker was hijacked today, and this is presumably the ship referred to by the International Maritime Bureau.

. . .

Press reports quote the International Maritime Bureau as saying that this latest hijacking brings the number of attacks this year in African waters to 73 and that a total of 29 ships have been hijacked of which 11 remain in the hands of pirates along with more than 200 crew members. NATO gives the total of ships currently held by pirates as 9.

Read more: http://www.marinelog.com/DOCS/NEWSMMVII/2008oct00152.html

---

Seventy three hijacking attacks this year, but the US/UK is only concerned when arms smuggling is interrupted.

Nato is now involved per World Tribune article:

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2008/eu_NATO0610_10_15.asp

NATO said it would send its Standing Naval Maritime Group to the Somali coast in wake of piracy attacks around the Horn of Africa. The alliance said it had responded to a United Nations request in wake of the capture of a Ukranian ship loaded with T-72 main battle tanks in September 2008.

[billyoc]

1. I wonder if they're hiring.

[conspirator]

15. It seems their business is booming nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. How do these guys board and take over a ship?

Time to start blowing them out of the water before they board another vessel.

[Robbien]

4. The pirates are well bankrolled and very sophisticated and well trained

Pirating is a very profitable business. The Pirates have some very wealthy backers.

By the time a ship is even aware it is being attacked, dozens of pirates are swarming their deck.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. Float out a decoy ship with no crew aboard and blow it to kingdom come

as soon as the last pirate climbs aboard.

Word will get out quick.............

[Robbien]

6. Did you read the part about the pirates being sophisticated?

The pirates know more about the shipping trade and who belongs and who doesn't. Which ones to hijack and which ones to leave alone.

These are not random cowboy pirates. They are bankrolled, organized and very sophisticated.

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. Yes, I read that.

I'd still like to see them very dead, however it can be done.

What's your suggestion?

[Robbien]

9. My recommendation...Go after the people bankrolling the pirates

The pirates can only do minimal damage if they are not funded. It only became big business when some rich Somalians decided to develop the pirating industry.

[Alamuti Lotus]

17. I have been watching this for some time now

The pirates seem to be financed by (or composed of) the various warlords that have (allegedly) ruled the area since overthrowing Said Biarre. Can't really tell if it's linked to the more active Red Sea area or not. The pirate attacks off southern/central Somalia virtually disappeared during the short rule of the Islamic Courts Union, but have seriosuly spiked since the Ethiopian invasion and occupation restored the currently ruling warlord regime. I suppose there's great profit to be found in any situation of semi-chaos, this no exception.

[ManiacJoe]

10. Physically, there are two ways.

(1) Climb up the sides of the ship from a small boat, like the SEALs and other teams train for.
(2) From a small boat radio the captain to lower the stairs or you will blast a hole in the hull using an RPG.

Since virtually none of the civilian ships are armed, #2 is the easy option.
If the ship is small, like a yacht, #1 is quite easy, too.

[Incitatus]

3. Why don't they just mount a gun on the ships

and assign a couple military personnel to each one?

[ohio2007]

8. Paying tribute for safe passage will be the easier way for the shipping companies

Besides, the reason a lot of these ships captured are Panamanian registered so as to avoid paying taxes. These companies will have to start paying some other sort of tax to Somalia soon to prevent rising costs of shipping delays.
Or they can push the cost on to western governments when the pirate kings demand "All humanitarian aid due to arrive in Somalia will have to be doubled or else."

And Somalia gets alot of western food aid and you know a country like Zimbabwe can't offer food aid under their agricultural programs that fail to yield bumper crops.

[Posteritatis]

11. The region is absolutely thick with ships

Thousands, not counting smaller fishing boats and the like. Arming everyone would be completely unfeasible and ludicrously expensive, not to mention running into all sorts of laws and regulations in the various ports the ships would stop in to and from the region. To make things even better, if a ship was boarded despite resistance the crew would probably be killed - if they were lucky.

[Hugabear]

12. I think it's time to send McCain and Palin on a little cruise...

We'll call it the Conservative Victory Cruise. Invite Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck, Savage, Coulter, and the rest of those no-good blowhards, and set sail on a nice leisurely cruise around the world. Of course, part of that journey might just happen to pass near the coast of Somalia... :evilgrin:

[watanabe]

13. that's what Krakens are for...

HARRRR HARRRR HARRR

[ohio2007]

14. We’ll pay Somali pirates’ ransome – families of seized crew

crime pays


Relatives of the crew of a Ukrainian freighter seized by pirates off the Somali coast say they have collected enough money to pay the ransom. Families of the 17 Ukrainians on board the arms ship say the cash came from the Party of Regions and its leader Viktor Yanukovich.
The pirates originally demanded $US 22 million U.S. dollars ransom but later reduced it to $US 8 million. But the final figure has not been made public.

snip
http://russiatoday.com/news/news/32047

[davepc]

16. Don't we have a damn Navy?

Send some frigates and destroyers to the area maybe a Coast Guard cutter, make sure they're well stocked with some Navy VBSS teams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VBSS).



Why can't we stop this?

Hell, this kind of stuff is why nations HAVE Navys!

Mission of the Navy

The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.

(emphasis added)


http://www.navy.mil/navydata/organization/org-top.asp

[dysfunctional press]

18. this seems like the perfect niche market for blackwater...

repelling boarders and killing pirates- how would they ever get rid of their hard-ons?

[davepc]

19. They're already volunteering for the job

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/10/navy_blackwater_pirates_101708w/

The military contractor Blackwater Worldwide is offering to protect merchant ships from pirates, the company announced Thursday, advertising the security services of its ship for use off the coast of Somalia or elsewhere.

A rash of pirate attacks has driven up the cost of insurance and pay for crew members aboard the thousands of merchant vessels that pass off the Horn of Africa, the company said, making it comparatively economical to engage its ship, the McArthur, and its crew of ex-military specialists.

“Billions of dollars of goods move through the Gulf of Aden each year,” said Blackwater vice president Bill Matthews in the announcement. “We have been contacted by ship owners who say they need our help in making sure those goods get to their destination safely. The McArthur can help us accomplish that.”

Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrell told Navy Times that the company has initially proposed protecting individual vessels — for example, the owner of a dry cargo ship would pay to have an escort by the McArthur as it passed off the lawless coast of Somalia, where pirates now are ransoming 11 ships.

But she didn’t rule out the idea that a shipping company could also engage the McArthur to loiter in a heavily traveled patch of ocean, patrolling for pirates or responding to requests for help.

...