Somali pirates hijack ship; 20 Americans aboard
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I should pretty well expect ' commodity prices to go up ' if only a percentage of ships get through !!!
Have you read ' Black Hawk Down ' ?
What's your suggestion for dealing with this lot then, harsh language ?
Have you read ' Black Hawk Down ' ?
What's your suggestion for dealing with this lot then, harsh language ?
Cunning Artificer
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Who should they notify - the ones that aren't pirates? Have you any idea how big the area is that has to be patrolled and policed? The number of ships / boats / fishing vessels etc involved?
Since the Russian bulk carrier was boarded in the Malacca Straight in 1997; when the Russian crew captured the pirates, lined them up at the rail and machine-gunned them into the water; keeping one survivor and putting him back in his boat to go ashore and warn his friends, no Russian ship has been attacked by pirates in that region. It is necessary to speak to these loveable old rascals in their own language.
According to initial reports, three pirates were killed in the operation to free Captain Richard Phillips. Another is in custody.
A few volts strategically applied to the dangly bits would provide a little encouragment, perhaps?
Bravo, I have no complaint - the pirates were seen threatening the life of the captain and three highly trained SEAL snipers shot three pirates a fourth being captured.
Not everyone has the capability of the US to protect its citizens.
I do like comments such as 'inform the harbour master' and 'have you read Black Hawk Down' - not since Battle comic.....classic. Maybe we can get a big policeman to give these hooligans a good clip around the ear, I blame the parents etc. Do you think that the three dead pirates were the Big Boss Pirate and the Head Man of the Criminal Organisation?
But solving the piracy situation in that area of the world - is going to take something more than SEAL snipers - something is going to have to be done about Somali itself - which will be a rather tricky.
Gurnon stressed that while Phillips was rescued, more than 200 mariners remain captives at sea.
I do like comments such as 'inform the harbour master' and 'have you read Black Hawk Down' - not since Battle comic.....classic. Maybe we can get a big policeman to give these hooligans a good clip around the ear, I blame the parents etc. Do you think that the three dead pirates were the Big Boss Pirate and the Head Man of the Criminal Organisation?
But solving the piracy situation in that area of the world - is going to take something more than SEAL snipers - something is going to have to be done about Somali itself - which will be a rather tricky.
Having just returned from a conference in the US, it is abundantly clear to me that the US now attaches huge importance to the lives of its personnel on overseas service. This has now clearly been proven to include all US citizens. No asset will be spared in rescuing and recovering those being held hostage.
The message to the lawless ba$tards involved in piracy is simple; attack US personnel and you will be killed.
According to the BBC:
The so-called pirate can rest assured that his location will already be known and his days are now numbered.
Congratulations to the US Navy SEALs! And to President Obama for his clear leadership.
Official U.S. Navy SEAL Information Web Site
The message to the lawless ba$tards involved in piracy is simple; attack US personnel and you will be killed.
According to the BBC:
In Eyl, a pirate stronghold on the Somali coast, one self-proclaimed pirate said the US navy had become the "number one enemy".
"From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them [the hostages]," he told the Associated Press by telephone.
"From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them [the hostages]," he told the Associated Press by telephone.
Congratulations to the US Navy SEALs! And to President Obama for his clear leadership.
Official U.S. Navy SEAL Information Web Site
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Saw a note on BBC World News (or whatever it's called) stating that the captured pirate is "co-operating". Love it.
Surely not!
Not until his finished co-operating.
Sounds like a good SOP.
A few volts strategically applied to the dangly bits would provide a little encouragment, perhaps?
Hang 'em by the yarrd arrm.
when the Russian crew captured the pirates, lined them up at the rail and machine-gunned them into the water; keeping one survivor and putting him back in his boat to go ashore and warn his friends
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Clockwork Mouse: Broadly speaking I agree. There must be a fightback against piracy - at present pirates are making millions in a chronically deprived country, which only serves as an advertisement of recruitment for others. I am not convinced that identification of pirate vessels at sea is wonderfully easy, but my major disagreement with you is on 'pussyfooting with human rights' as you put it.
Human rights must be regarded as universal and sacrosanct for us(which at this point is who ever will be standing against piracy) to have any international credibility. We cannot and must not ignore law as and when we feel like it to justify our own ends. We certainly cannot play the good guy policeman unless we play to the rules. Ignoring rules whilst in pursuit of our goal of securing free transit for our businesses and shipping will likely result in disaster at the first dubious scuttling or death.
Very much as world opinion galvanised against the west in the wake of the Iraq conflict. Any one with enough anger and possibly little to lose can be a suicide bomber, or wield an RPG or SA7, and so long as 'we' (broadly the west, esp US and UK) give sufficient moral ammunition away, we will have a problem somewhere in the world, even on our own shores.
The problem in Somalia must be firmly dealt with, but in accordance with the rule book. And no, I don't know enough about the rule book to make the logical next post.
Human rights must be regarded as universal and sacrosanct for us(which at this point is who ever will be standing against piracy) to have any international credibility. We cannot and must not ignore law as and when we feel like it to justify our own ends. We certainly cannot play the good guy policeman unless we play to the rules. Ignoring rules whilst in pursuit of our goal of securing free transit for our businesses and shipping will likely result in disaster at the first dubious scuttling or death.
Very much as world opinion galvanised against the west in the wake of the Iraq conflict. Any one with enough anger and possibly little to lose can be a suicide bomber, or wield an RPG or SA7, and so long as 'we' (broadly the west, esp US and UK) give sufficient moral ammunition away, we will have a problem somewhere in the world, even on our own shores.
The problem in Somalia must be firmly dealt with, but in accordance with the rule book. And no, I don't know enough about the rule book to make the logical next post.
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If, as it has been suggested, the pirates are 'collecting' money for Al Queda then it is vital that military resources should always be on standby in the area. No question in my view.
Whether they are collecting for Al Chlamydia or not they have to be stopped - but what evidence is there to suggest that is what hey are doing.
- How are sums as large as the pay offs they have received in ransom deals being laundered?
The pirates had not killed a hostage up until now I understand - I hope they don't start looking for retribution.
- How are sums as large as the pay offs they have received in ransom deals being laundered?
The pirates had not killed a hostage up until now I understand - I hope they don't start looking for retribution.
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Load Toad,
When I asked you if you've read ' Black Hawk Down ', you came back with a flippant answer about comic books...I get the impression that the film may come over that way - haven't seen it - but the book is most definitely worth your reading.
It certainly doesn't glamourise the Americans, and gives a huge amount of detail including mistakes made, names names, and their subsequent careers or lack thereof.
It does also describe what the Somali's are like; the main pastime is indulging in a drug called Khat, and local tribes shooting each other; until someone like the U.S. Turn up, when they all suddenly join forces, in thousands - shooters hiding among crowds as they know Westerners won't fire back, and women with a baby in one arm & gun in the other.
" How would they launder such large ransom fees ? " MMM, let me see, weapons and Al Queda require money, but I'm sure they've spent it on all those civic building projects, schools & hospitals which of course are everywhere...
Shooting a few 'footsoldiers' will barely register with them, their families have probably forgotten them by now; if they are 'pirates' then they can't really 'up the ante' if they want intact ships to steal.
If they are Al Queda led ( which even they would probably find difficult, probably easier just to take the Somali money and do the 'spectaculars' themselves ) then they may try more destructive methods, and would have anyway - as I say, if they can get their act together beyond waving AK-47's & RPG's around.
Seriously, BHD is a good, well written, detailed book; give it a try and you'll see what I'm getting at.
I don't read comics.
When I asked you if you've read ' Black Hawk Down ', you came back with a flippant answer about comic books...I get the impression that the film may come over that way - haven't seen it - but the book is most definitely worth your reading.
It certainly doesn't glamourise the Americans, and gives a huge amount of detail including mistakes made, names names, and their subsequent careers or lack thereof.
It does also describe what the Somali's are like; the main pastime is indulging in a drug called Khat, and local tribes shooting each other; until someone like the U.S. Turn up, when they all suddenly join forces, in thousands - shooters hiding among crowds as they know Westerners won't fire back, and women with a baby in one arm & gun in the other.
" How would they launder such large ransom fees ? " MMM, let me see, weapons and Al Queda require money, but I'm sure they've spent it on all those civic building projects, schools & hospitals which of course are everywhere...
Shooting a few 'footsoldiers' will barely register with them, their families have probably forgotten them by now; if they are 'pirates' then they can't really 'up the ante' if they want intact ships to steal.
If they are Al Queda led ( which even they would probably find difficult, probably easier just to take the Somali money and do the 'spectaculars' themselves ) then they may try more destructive methods, and would have anyway - as I say, if they can get their act together beyond waving AK-47's & RPG's around.
Seriously, BHD is a good, well written, detailed book; give it a try and you'll see what I'm getting at.
I don't read comics.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Interestingly, Gordon Kent, in a novel, links AQ and the Somali pirates. I have given the book away but I think it was writter 3 years of so ago. In the story the pirates were targetting a US BG with predictable consequences.
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I do hope that you, dustona twerp, are not invoved in real fissticuffs nor in the policy pertaining to them. Admirable words but totally unrealistic. They belong to the University debating lobbies where it is well understood that they have no place in the real world.