Posted on 09/03/2014 6:43:14 AM PDT by thackney
Armed pirates robbed a petroleum products tanker near Ivory Coast's port of Abidjan, a maritime agency and a private security advisor said on Wednesday, in an indication of the increasing mobility of Nigeria-based gangs.
The raid on the tanker came just a day after two failed pirate attacks that occurred just hours apart in waters off Nigeria's southeastern coast, according to the same sources.
Pirate attacks in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, a significant source of oil, cocoa and metals for world markets, have almost doubled from last year, jacking up insurance costs for shipping companies.
The vast majority of the region's maritime robberies and hijackings are believed to be carried out by criminal gangs based in Nigeria, and the security advisor said this was likely the case with the three incidents last week.
According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), a piracy watchdog, the attack occurred at 9.15 p.m. (2115 GMT) on Aug. 27 around 45 nautical miles southeast of Abidjan, one of West Africa's busiest commercial ports.
above was excerpted for Reuters, more content at the link.
Can you say ‘power vacuum’?
Is it AD 1500 again?
Starting up again. This country needs to eliminate the pirates. Oops, forgot. The pirates belong to two certified victim groups.
To the shores of Tripoli...
Possible list ping.
This happened on the west coast (the Atlantic side) of Africa.
The “pirates” actions sound more like that of a gang of “thieves” than hijackers.
-
The article says:
“... the International Maritime Bureau says the attack occurred
at 9.15 p.m. on Aug. 27 around 45 nautical miles southeast of Abidjan ...
“... Twelve armed pirates with guns boarded a drifting product tanker.
They took hostage all crew members, stole ship’s cash, crew cash,
and personal effects and escaped ...”
“... The attackers destroyed the vessel’s navigation equipment
before leaving the ship, but no crew were injured
and the tanker was not damaged ...”
-
I say:
Perhaps we should re-institute issuing “Letters of Marque and Reprisal”.
WIKI says:
“...Seven European nations signed the Paris Declaration of 1856 renouncing privateering
at the end of the Crimean War, and forty-five more eventually joined them.
The United States was not a signatory to that declaration.
Article 1 Section 8 of the United States Constitution lists issuing
letters of marque and reprisal as one of the enumerated powers of Congress.
However, the United States as a matter of policy has consistently followed
the terms of the 1856 Paris Declaration forbidding the practice.
The United States has not legally commissioned any privateers since 1815...”
Yes there was a time; now gone due to epic fornications.
Now, we have to depend on the kindness of strangers.
I wonder why the vessel was drifting and not either moored or under way?
Not much detail given
Live Piracy & Armed Robbery Report 2014
http://www.icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre/live-piracy-report
Wow. I had no idea. It looks like 2-3 incidents a day, worldwide. A few Q-boats might be in order. Sometimes it’s fair to hunt over bait.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.