Posted on 05/25/2010 12:33:25 PM PDT by Cindy
Note: The following text is a quote:
U.S. Navy Destroyer Locates Pirated Vessel
By From a Combined Maritime Forces, Public Affairs News Release American Forces Press Service
MANAMA, Bahrain, May 24, 2010 – The USS McFaul, a U.S. Navy Arleigh-Burke class destroyer, located the pirated M/V Iceberg I off the coast of Somalia with up to 50 pirates and more than 20 crew members on board. The Panamanian-flagged vessel had last been seen off Garacaad, a Somali town and known pirate haven. The Iceberg’s exact location was unknown until the McFaul made a positive identification of the pirated ship on May 19.
The ship initially communicated to the McFaul that it had not been pirated and instead was off course for its next port-of-call due to mechanical difficulties. Visual identification was at first confusing, because the name on the vessel's hull read, “Sea Express.” Further investigation showed that the name of the ship had been crudely painted over.
After the McFaul requested to board the ship to check on the health and safety of the crew, the Iceberg radioed that they had been taken hostage, noting that the pirates on board were heavily armed.
The McFaul continued to shadow the ship for more than 36 hours, before the Iceberg reversed its course toward the Somali coast.
"We cannot be sure what the pirates plan was if they had not been interrupted. The vessel may have been on its way to either assist other pirates in distress, or look for another merchant vessel to attack," said Republic of Korea Rear Adm. Beom Rim Lee, commanding officer of Combined Task Force 151, the Combined Maritime Forces’ counter-piracy task force that operates in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin. "First and foremost, our responsibility is to ensure the safety of the crew. Given the report of heavily armed pirates on board, it was more prudent to monitor the ship's movement, rather than attempt a rescue," said Commander Ronald W. Toland, Jr., the McFaul’s commanding officer. "My crew executed their instructions perfectly and I'm proud of each and every one of them."
Successful pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin decreased by 40 percent in 2009, increased in part to the presence of coalition warships and also by the use of best management practices by the shipping industry. These practices include the use of razor wire, 24-hour watches, fire hoses and high-speed maneuvers by vessels transiting throughout the area.
CTF 151 is a multinational task force established by CMF in January 2009 to conduct counter-piracy operations. CMF patrols more than 2.5 million square miles of international waters to conduct both integrated and coordinated operations to increase regional security and prosperity.
Related Sites: Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs Office
The crew on the Russian ship was locked away in a safe room. Here, if the Navy assaults they could start killing hostages.
The name was "crudely" written over.
They ordered the pirates to follow them to Massachusetts for free health care, food stamps, and in-state tuition paid for with US government loans.
The Russians need to get involved to put the pirates on another raft 2,000 miles from any shore (and without food/water/paddles/etc.).
The Russians do this particular job better than any other country in the world, in my book.
Hostage situations are pretty frequent, and there are plenty of people who know how to resolve them. I can understand that Navy people seldom encounter such a thing, but here they are, and they need an advice. I'm not a specialist, but even I can think of an offer that is very hard for pirates to refuse. In parallel Navy can start planning the assault (they probably already do.) Pirates are not good fighters, so when bullets start flying they often surrender, knowing that "catch and release" is the norm.
Didn't read the article, did you?
How true. Stupid cannot be fixed.
Yes, I understand. And we have never had an Anti-American Commie sleeping at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Call the Russians. Call the Chinese... They know how to deal with pirates.
Or in simplified terms: coalition warships running scared through the area.
The US needs to call in the Russian Navy!!! They are the only ones who know how to handle this situation!!!
Laughing so hard it hurts!!!
As always.
Prayers up for the hostages.
We should pay Speznaz forces to patrol these waters with no questions asked when they catch pirates.
I bet he misses your ironic point, thus proving it again.
The simple solution to killing of hostages is that for every hostage killed, a 500 bomb will land in the nearest excuse for a town which has sheltered the pirates.
That is for the first piracy case.
For the second piracy, give the offending village a MOAB.
For the third, simply clear the coast of villages.
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