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Crew Fights Off Somali Pirates with Water Jets
CNBC ^ | 1/2/2009 | CNBC

Posted on 01/02/2009 11:52:47 AM PST by Red in Blue PA

Crewmen fired high pressure water jets Friday to fight off heavily armed Somali pirates trying to board a Greek oil tanker in the dangerous Gulf of Aden, officials said. It was the fourth pirate attack of the new year.

Armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades, pirates in three speedboats twice tried to board the Greek-flagged Kriti Episkopi but were driven away when the crew turned fire hoses on them and EU aircraft scrambled from a nearby European Union naval flotilla to help, shipping company and Greek government officials said.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: greece; greek; gulfofaden; islam; jizyah; maritime; oiltanker; piracy; pirates; somali; somalia; somalipirates
When is someone going to use appropriate force? (ie. not water)
1 posted on 01/02/2009 11:52:48 AM PST by Red in Blue PA
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To: Red in Blue PA

I know. I just don’t get it. Fire on them for crying out loud.


2 posted on 01/02/2009 11:55:03 AM PST by doodad
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To: Red in Blue PA

Fill those hoses with gasoline and toss a match............


3 posted on 01/02/2009 11:55:39 AM PST by Red Badger (I was sad because I had no shoes to throw, until I met a reporter who had no feet.....)
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To: Red in Blue PA

Now if instead of water, those water cannon had been squirting a mixture of gasoline and styrofoam...


4 posted on 01/02/2009 11:56:30 AM PST by fso301
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To: Red in Blue PA

I read in another thread at this site a while back that they are not allowed to be armed properly.


5 posted on 01/02/2009 11:56:59 AM PST by pepperhead (Kennedy's float, Mary Jo's don't!)
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To: Red in Blue PA

they cant use guns because UN approved docks do not allow ships to dock if they have firearms on board

they rather have loss in cash and material then give someone freedom to defend their life liberty and pursuit

those are the givers of hope the sages


6 posted on 01/02/2009 11:58:53 AM PST by Flavius
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To: pepperhead

I believe under international law, merchant vessels cannot be armed.


7 posted on 01/02/2009 12:00:06 PM PST by Always Independent
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To: Red in Blue PA

Euro-weenies! They didn’t have the balls to SINK the attacking boats, take prisoners and HANG the pirates by the neck until DEAD!


8 posted on 01/02/2009 12:01:24 PM PST by WellyP
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To: fso301

It’s a Greek ship. They should be using “Greek Fire”.


9 posted on 01/02/2009 12:02:28 PM PST by reg45
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To: Flavius

Put out a radio call oferring money to anyone who takes out the pirates ship.

Done!


10 posted on 01/02/2009 12:02:31 PM PST by Red in Blue PA (Guns don't kill people; abortion clinics do.)
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To: Red Badger

Now THAT’s an appropriate response.
Oh,and put it on Youtube.


11 posted on 01/02/2009 12:02:46 PM PST by Senormechanico
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To: Always Independent

If the pirates keep this up long enough, said international law will surely be amended.


12 posted on 01/02/2009 12:03:34 PM PST by Red in Blue PA (Guns don't kill people; abortion clinics do.)
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To: Red in Blue PA

You underestimate the depths of irrationality to which the typical anti-gun mindset descends.


13 posted on 01/02/2009 12:05:51 PM PST by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: Senormechanico

Or PPV.............


14 posted on 01/02/2009 12:06:46 PM PST by Red Badger (I was sad because I had no shoes to throw, until I met a reporter who had no feet.....)
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To: Always Independent
“I believe under international law, merchant vessels cannot be armed.”

During WWWII merchant vessels had small arms, 20mm, and 40mm cannon.

15 posted on 01/02/2009 12:08:24 PM PST by JSteff (It was ALL about SCOTUS. Most forget about that and may have doomed us for a generation or more.)
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To: mvpel

We are only as strong as our weakest link (in this case maritime laws which bind the hands of the ship owners), and the islamic radicals and now the priates are learning this and taking advantage of it.

The question is whether we adapt to meet their threats or not.


16 posted on 01/02/2009 12:10:11 PM PST by Red in Blue PA (Guns don't kill people; abortion clinics do.)
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To: Red in Blue PA

You underestimate the depths of irrationality to which the typical anti-gun mindset descends.


17 posted on 01/02/2009 12:10:27 PM PST by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: Red in Blue PA

Leaving them to attack the next boat!


18 posted on 01/02/2009 12:11:24 PM PST by nufsed
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To: Always Independent
I believe under international law, merchant vessels cannot be armed.

Naval "gun-free zones", with all the expected consequences.

Too many people just never learn.

19 posted on 01/02/2009 12:11:38 PM PST by TChris (So many useful idiots...)
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To: Flavius

“they cant use guns because UN approved docks do not allow ships to dock if they have firearms on board

they rather have loss in cash and material then give someone freedom to defend their life liberty and pursuit

those are the givers of hope the sages”

<<Sad but true!


20 posted on 01/02/2009 12:13:00 PM PST by bushwon
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To: JSteff

But that wasn’t to deal with pirates, that was to deal with the Nazi’s. I think these laws came about after WW II. If I was running a ship, I’d want it armed for protection against pirates.


21 posted on 01/02/2009 12:21:18 PM PST by Always Independent
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To: Always Independent
“I believe under international law, merchant vessels cannot be armed.”

No, I do not believe that is correct. It is not international law, but the laws of various nations, most importantly the nation the ship is registered in, that most commonly prevent this. They there is the policy of other nations on how they treat private weapons when the ship is in port.

We need international law to clearly recognize the rights of civilian ships to be armed for self defense, and to retain those arms aboard ship while they are in any port.

Requiring people to fight automatic weapons and RPGs with water hoses is an incredibly ludicrous example of political correctness.

22 posted on 01/02/2009 12:23:12 PM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

They there should be Then there.


23 posted on 01/02/2009 12:24:22 PM PST by marktwain
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To: Red in Blue PA
"An aircraft and a helicopter reached the ship very quickly, which scared the pirates off," a Greek Merchant Marine Ministry spokesman said,

"Scared the pirates off"?

To return another day, no doubt.

It's time these brigands learned that hot lead is an occupational hazard.

24 posted on 01/02/2009 12:27:31 PM PST by marshmallow ("A country which kills its own children has no future"- Mother Teresa of Calcutta)
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To: marktwain

A workaround: the owners of these merchant ships should invest in fleets of boats that would be used as weapons caches while the merchant ship is in port. When the ship leaves port it hooks up with the “cache ship”, picks up it’s weapons and goes to the next port where another “cache ship” is waiting.


25 posted on 01/02/2009 12:30:54 PM PST by LiberConservative ("I, you know, can see, you know, upstate, you know, from my house, you know.")
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To: marktwain

Well, I wasn’t quite sure but I watched a program on the history channel about the current piracy problem and I thought they stated it on the show. Another issue there had to do with armed merchant vessels be called a warship and would not be viewed favorably by most nations when they came into their territorial waters.


26 posted on 01/02/2009 12:33:16 PM PST by Always Independent
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To: Red in Blue PA
When is someone going to use appropriate force?

How many Americans would volunteer to go on board the merchant ships and then open fire on the vermin when needed? I'll bet we could staff every one of those ships with people who are just itchin' for a valid excuse to exterminate some pirates.

27 posted on 01/02/2009 12:36:47 PM PST by MahatmaGandu (Remember, remember, the twenty-sixth of November.)
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To: marktwain
We don't need to change laws, just enforce the existing laws. There hasn't been a major priate problem for several hundred years, and once a civilized nation starts destroying priate ships and the ports that protect them this pirate problem will fade away as well.

Or we could talk ourselves into thinking that "pirate-free" zones will work, kind of like liberal cities that declare themselves "nuclear-free" zones.

28 posted on 01/02/2009 12:48:32 PM PST by Bernard (If you always tell the truth, you never have to remember exactly what you said.)
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To: MahatmaGandu
How many Americans would volunteer to go on board the merchant ships and then open fire on the vermin when needed? I'll bet we could staff every one of those ships with people who are just itchin' for a valid excuse to exterminate some pirates.

IIRC a few weeks ago the pirates went after a cruise ship. If you're going to set up a bait ship, why not pick one where the defenders could eat good food, sleep comfortably, enjoy a show, gamble, catch a movie, and engage in a little target practice...??? Heck, you could probably find people to pay to get on board!

29 posted on 01/02/2009 12:52:24 PM PST by gieriscm (07 FFL / 02 SOT - www.extremefirepower.com)
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To: gieriscm

“could probably find people to pay to get on board!”

Give me a Gatling gun and free ammo, and I’ll pay for the rest of the fun. Heck, I’d do it for twin 50’s.


30 posted on 01/02/2009 1:47:33 PM PST by A Strict Constructionist (Hitler advocated the nationalization of education, health care, transportation...)
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To: Red Badger

I was thinking diesel and flare pistols, but gasoline works too.


31 posted on 01/02/2009 1:48:34 PM PST by Dr.Zoidberg
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To: Red in Blue PA

Soon they will learn the folly of bringing a water cannon to a gun fight.


32 posted on 01/02/2009 1:53:59 PM PST by Hacklehead (Liberalism is the art of taking what works, breaking it, and then blaming conservatives.)
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To: gieriscm

My idea of a fun cruise would include shuffleboard, a few Martinis, and shooting my .50 off the stern at muslime pirates. (-:


33 posted on 01/02/2009 2:02:34 PM PST by MahatmaGandu (Remember, remember, the twenty-sixth of November.)
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To: Red in Blue PA

Until the stupid UN rule is ignored, the pirates rule the seas. I’d say the God given right to protect one’s life tops any UN rule. Kill all the pirates, let God sort ‘em out. And most importantly, practice the 3 S’s after shooting the pirates. Not a word to anyone, and burial at sea, wrapped in bacon if possible.


34 posted on 01/02/2009 2:05:50 PM PST by TheConservativeParty ("A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not why the ship was built." by The First Gal of AK)
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To: Bernard
“There hasn't been a major priate problem for several hundred years”

I would like confirmation on this. I seem to recall some serious pirate problems off the coast of China into the early 1930s, but I could be wrong.
35 posted on 01/02/2009 5:56:50 PM PST by marktwain
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To: TheConservativeParty
And most importantly, practice the 3 S’s after shooting the pirates.

Shoot, sink, and shut up. No backhoe needed. I like it!

36 posted on 01/02/2009 7:39:20 PM PST by gieriscm (07 FFL / 02 SOT - www.extremefirepower.com)
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To: Red in Blue PA

That’s not water.


37 posted on 01/02/2009 7:40:32 PM PST by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
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To: All

Note: Click on the link below for more information regarding pirates, piracy, alerts and maps.

http://www.icc-ccs.org

#

THE WEEKLY PIRACY REPORT - QUOTE:

http://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=308:weekly-piracy-report&catid=32:weekly-piracy-report&Itemid=10

Weekly Piracy Report
23 December - 29 December 2008

Suspicious crafts

None reported

Recently reported incidents

26.12.2008: 0340 LT: Posn: 01:18.05N -104:08.9E: Johor outer port limit: Malaysia.
Six armed robbers boarded an offshore support vessel and stole ship’s stores and properties. Authorities informed who later boarded for investigation.

25.12.2008: 0030 LT: Posn: 10:41.22N -106:45.6E: mid stream Saigon River: Vietnam.
An AB stationed on forecastle deck heard some noises and he immediately conducted a search. Two robbers were seen escaping. Upon investigation store padlocks were found broken. Nothing stolen.

25.12.2008: 16:14 UTC: Posn: 14:13.7N – 050:51.5E: Gulf of Aden.
A bulk carrier underway was chased and fired upon by a pirate boat. The vessel sent a distress message which was relayed by a passing ship to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre for assistance. The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre immediately contacted the authorities for assistance. A warship and a helicopter was sent to assist the crew and the vessel. Seeing the naval helicopter approaching the pirate boat aborted and moved away. One crew member onboard the bulk carrier was injured on his leg from a bullet fired by the pirates. The injured crew was airlifted to a warship for medical treatment. Rest of the crew safe. Vessel proceeding to destination port

22.12.2008: 0340 LT: Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh.
Duty oiler onboard a tanker spotted armed robbers near the engine store area. The alarm was raised, crew alerted and authorities contacted. Robbers escaped with stolen engine spares.


38 posted on 01/03/2009 3:14:27 PM PST by Cindy
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To: Always Independent

I don’t think you will find any documents that specify on what hostile enemies could be engaged with those weapons.


39 posted on 01/03/2009 8:09:16 PM PST by JSteff (It was ALL about SCOTUS. Most forget about that and may have doomed us for a generation or more.)
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To: Red in Blue PA
For heaven's sake, follow the San Francisco law and shoot flowers at them! Lou Reed:

Vicious
You hit me with a flower
You do it every hour
Ohh, baby youre so vicious

40 posted on 01/03/2009 8:12:18 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Don't rush to be savage!.)
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To: Red in Blue PA

I’ll tell you something with absolute certainty: no great literature will emerge from this war against piracy.


41 posted on 01/03/2009 8:14:08 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Don't rush to be savage!.)
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