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What are the Pirates (holding U.S. Captain) armed with? Prediction by marktwain: Knives.
10 April, 2009 | marktwain

Posted on 04/10/2009 9:22:26 AM PDT by marktwain

There are four Somali pirates holding a U.S. merchant captain hostage. I have followed the story a bit, but I have not heard any coverage of what the pirates are armed with.

I would like to know what they used to hijack the ship.

I suggest that people make predictions about what they are armed with. I will make mine first.

They were and are armed with edged weapons, knives, perhaps fairly large ones such as machetes or pangas.

This is based on the lack of coverage of the weapons used, perhaps because the media knows that a great many people in the U.S. will be embarrassed to find that an American flagged ship could so easily be taken over by a bunch of rag-tag extortionists with common garden tools.

If anyone has any more information on this, please post. The truth will come out, as the crew is going to be on leave and will be interviewed.


TOPICS: Government; Military/Veterans; Miscellaneous; Politics
KEYWORDS: arms; banglist; pirates; somali
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To: cripplecreek

> There are also hatchets and a few knives as part of the lifeboat’s provisions.

You’re right. I was just reading “South by Java Head” by Alistair McLean the other week. A significant part of the story takes place on lifeboats, and the boat knife and hatchet are both used...

...as well as something called a “crutch” — I don’t know what it’s proper use is on a lifeboat, but it gets used as a weapon at some point in the story. There are two per boat IIRC.


21 posted on 04/10/2009 9:48:48 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: marktwain

They’re armed with a weak US President. A very dangerous thing.


22 posted on 04/10/2009 9:50:35 AM PDT by Made In The USA (Liberalism is a sign of stupidity.)
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To: marktwain
Officials: Pirate Fired Weapon in Foiled Escape
23 posted on 04/10/2009 9:50:37 AM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

Lots of good info here.

http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/maersk-alabama-lifeboat-faq/


24 posted on 04/10/2009 9:56:08 AM PDT by cripplecreek (The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
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To: Made In The USA
They’re armed with a weak US President.

A very dangerous thing.

All 0bama needs to do is Goggle for:

Thomas Jefferson, President, pirates

He might have a clue as to a course of action.

25 posted on 04/10/2009 10:01:47 AM PDT by TYVets
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To: Made In The USA

Post of the day.......and so dead on correct. I will pray for this man, it is his only chance.


26 posted on 04/10/2009 10:06:08 AM PDT by tioga
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To: marktwain; All
“American cargo ship captain Richard Phillips jumped overboard overnight. He was apparently hoping to reach a U.S. warship standing guard several hundred yards away. The destroyer USS Bainbridge has rescue helicopters aboard, as well as lifeboats. The Bainbridge is keeping its distance, in part to stay out of the pirates’ range of fire.”

Yes, it looks as though the U.S. military’s teeth have been pulled, at least under this administration.
27 posted on 04/10/2009 10:08:34 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: cripplecreek

Interesting — thanks for this.

I have to wonder at the wisdom of Maersk putting this info on the web at this time. It’s a huge assumption that the pirates won’t find it, and thereby discover what the Captain may/may not have done to the engines.


28 posted on 04/10/2009 10:14:25 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: marktwain

Your theory is a good one. If the pirates had AK47s or other firearms, it’s hard to see how the crew could have freed themselves.


29 posted on 04/10/2009 10:18:10 AM PDT by I Shall Endure
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To: Made In The USA

Bingo. You nailed it.


30 posted on 04/10/2009 6:46:49 PM PDT by TheConservativeParty ("Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force." George Washington)
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