16 pirates died after handling substance on captured Iranian ship

World Tribune ^ | 22 Oct 08 | Unknown

[LSUfan]

LONDON — An Iranian ship captured by Somali pirates carried sealed containers of a powdery substance believed to be nuclear or chemical weapons agents.

Western intelligence agencies have been monitoring the capture of the Iran Deyanat, seized by Somali pirates on Aug. 21. The cargo ship, owned and operated by the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, or IRISL, contains sealed cargo thought to be linked to the death of 16 pirates.

[LSUfan]

This is a significant story that the mainstream media appears to be striving to ignore.

[Elpasser]

A two-fer!

[George from New England]

I would venture to suggest that some overflying plane seeded something above the plane one night that had this effect. Maybe even some secret chemical technology that had an antidote that was given later to the hostages. Secret so no one is talking about it.

[steveo]

baby milk powder...

[BGHater]

Toxic waste.

[boomop1]

I wonder where the target of this cargo was..

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

YAAARRGGHH!! Dis calls for me bottle of me finest Ayatollah rum!

[Reaganesque]

Arrrrr!!! Thud!

[Roccus]

It appears that the Somali pirates may very well have saved Israel from a dirty bomb attack. Someday we may even find that the CIA and/or Mossad had a hand in it as well.

[stefanbatory]

would have made an interesting boom in an Israeli port...thank God for muslim pirates...

[Islander7]

Hijacked Iranian Ship Was A Dirty Bomb Meant For Israel On Yom Kippur

The ship has since been released and story found here.

Hijacked Iranian Ship was a Dirty Bomb Meant for Israel on Yom Kippur

(שִׁירָת דְּבורָה)

On August 21st, 2008, the MV Iran Deyant, 44,458 dead weight bulk carrier was heading towards the Suez Canal. As it was passing the Horn of Africa, about 80 miles southeast of al-Makalla in Yemen, the ship was surrounded by speedboats filled with members of a gang of Somalian pirates who grab suitable commercial ships and hold them and their cargos and crews for ransom. The captain was defenseless against the 40 pirates armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades blocking his passage. He had little choice other than to turn his ship over to them. What the pirates were not banking on, however, was that this was no ordinary ship.

More at the link.

[MplsSteve]

I’m having a SCHADENFREUDE kind of moment right now!

[Principled]

Western intelligence agencies ben monitorin’ th’ capture o’ th’ Iran Deyanat, seized by Somali swashbucklers on Aug. 21. Th’ cargo ship, owned an’ operated by th’ state-owned Islamic Republic o’ Iran Shippin’ Lines, or IRISL, contains sealed cargo thought t’ be linked t’ th’ Davy Jones’ locker o’ 16 swashbucklers.

http://www.syddware.com/cgi-bin/pirate.pl

[farmer18th]

Oh, dear, dear, dear. Muslims killing Muslims. Don’t they brief each other at the jihad meetings?

[trailboss800]

Can we float that ship in pirate waters again and wait to see who boards?

[BenLurkin]

What do we know about this news source?

[Palladin]

They should be leading with this story. This is huge.

[Sooth2222]

Within days, the pirates sustained skin burns, lost hair and became critically ill. Soon after, at least 16 pirates died.

Not to dash our hopes -- but 40 pirates from a 4th world country could probably manage to do almost as much damage to themselves in the paint department of Home Depot.

(No, NO, NOOOOO! It's paint stripper not booze!)

[Rameumptom]

>>baby milk powder...

From China.

[garyhope]

Pardon me if I don’t understand why any ship in those waters goes unarmed. Seems like guys on tall deck shooting down into small boats would have an advantage.

Why is there no protective navy in that region more well equipped than the pirates?

Why not just kill the pirates on sight? Kill em all, heck with em.

[pfflier]

Did you forget the sarcasm tag?

[steel_resolve]

A floating roach motel.

[Natural Law]

There are reports that the ship contained radioactive sand and explosives that was to be detonated in the eastern Mediterranean so that the prevailing winds could carry the debris and dust into Israel...effectively a massive dirty bomb. Anyone want to bet how many of the pirates were really IDF or Mossad agents?

[Roccus]

This story has been around for a while here. Last I read was that the ship was carrying radioactive sand from China and was headed up through the Suez Canal to the Med.

[hockeyfan]

I suspect the ship carrying the “toxic waste” was attempting to go unnoticed, ie. without escort, lots of guns, etc. Or, maybe they are just so arrogant they thought they could do what ever they wanted in that areas and go unchallenged.

[AuntB]

Interesting!

[cyberaxe]

.....karma’s a b!tch.....

[P-Marlowe]

RRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

[toomanygrasshoppers]

“White powdery substance ping”

[Cyber Liberty]

The name is similar to “The Hooterville World Guardian.”

[SE Mom]

hhhmmm..

[AnAmericanMother]

the MV Iran Deyant, 44,458 dead weight bulk carrier

. . . plus about 1800 pounds dead weight of pirates, more or less . . .

[yazoo]

Seems a little farfetched that the Iranians would put a dirty bomb on one of their own ships and blow it up. First of all, it would have required tons of explosives to launch the powder into the air so it would drift over Israel. Secondly, the Israelies would have been very aware of the presence of this ship and known who was the culprit, particularly if the ship was abandoned before detonation. No doubt there were nuclear materials on board, but more likely to be provided to terrorists groups or to be used to produce nuclear weapons in Iran.

[Roccus]

"...particularly if the ship was abandoned before detonation."

Suicide dirty bombers?

[Revolting cat!]

What, no prayers for the families? I’m really confused as to when not to pray here!

[Cyman]

Now we know why us and the Roosskies didn’t seem to want to do anything except watch.

[cups]

How about the CIA hiring the pirates to board the ship?

[Cyman]

“Within days, the pirates sustained skin burns, lost hair and became critically ill. Soon after, at least 16 pirates died.
Not to dash our hopes — but 40 pirates from a 4th world country could probably manage to do almost as much damage to themselves in the paint department of Home Depot.

(No, NO, NOOOOO! It’s paint stripper not booze!) “

I love spittin Diet Coke out of my nose. Sooth you made my day!!!

[Gordon Greene]

“baby milk powder...”

From China...

[cups]

How about the CIA hiring the pirates to board the ship?

[Roccus]

Now we know why us and the Roosskies didn’t seem to want to do anything except watch.

The Russians are also keeping an eye on another hijacked ship (Ukrainian) loaded with Russian tanks and arms bound for Sudan. It's gettin' so you can't tell the players without a scorecard.

[AFreeBird]

This is a significant story that the mainstream media appears to be striving to ignore.

That way 0bama doesn't have to answer any sticky questions about what he would do about such a situation. That, and it would push Sarah's (perfectly justifiable IMHO) $150K campaign trail wardrobe story out of the limelight.

[Diogenesis]

" ....the MV Iran Deyanat is at anchor, watched closely by American, French and Russian naval units.

[Russian sources claim she] was an enormous floating dirty bomb, intended to detonate after exiting the Suez Canal
at the eastern end of the Mediterranean and in proximity to the coastal cities of Israel.
The entire cargo of radioactive sand, obtained by Iran from China
(the latter buys desperately needed oil from the former)
and sealed in containers which, when the charges on the ship are set off after the crew took to the boats,
will be blasted high into the air where prevailing winds will push
the highly dangerous and radioactive cloud ashore. ...."

[Battle of Tours]

Talk about a win-win situation!

[Scarpetta]

Muslims don’t care who they kill as long as there’s death.

[Safetgiver]

the ship was surrounded by speedboats filled with members of a gang of Somalian pirates.... I’ll betcha.

[freema]

Pat Dollard link at #11

[AFreeBird]

Pardon me if I don’t understand why any ship in those waters goes unarmed. Seems like guys on tall deck shooting down into small boats would have an advantage.

The History Channel has had a very good show on modern piracy. The same mentality of: give the mugger what he wants so he'll go away seems part of the shipping companies plans. It's cheaper just to write off the ship, collect insurance, and move on. Or pay the ransom for the crew and move one. Then there's the issue of; a lot of merchant seaman, you wouldn't want to trust with firearms, and even if you did, there's the issue of training, command and control. Another possible course of action; hiring mercs for all the ships you have in transit through pirate infested waters gets pricey. But they are out there, those special "security forces", and they're used for "critical cargoes".