[marktwain]

Please post your prediction as to what you believe they were armed with. If you have actual information, please post that as well.

[ctdonath2]

One photo I have shows an RPG, rifle, and possibly a couple SMGs.

[cripplecreek]

Small arms and possibly a grenade launcher or two.

[Above My Pay Grade]

I have no idea what type of weapons they have, but I’m sure 90% came from the U.S. /sarc

[Redbob]

My guess is they were armed with Strong Words, perhaps in ALL CAPS!
</sarc>

[ClearCase_guy]

At best they have “small arms” — and so we become the bad guys because of our “disproportionate response”. I mean, these guys may have knives, and we show up with a guided missile cruiser! How unfair! We are such beasts. No wonder everyone hates us. [/s]

[12Gauge687]

If these pirates are affiliated with the Islamist group al Shabab, they might have AK-47s.

[WayneS]

The media yesterday reported AK-47s.

But those jack-asses wouldn’t know an AK-47 from an F250.

[Star Traveler]

Well, this is not about the pirates, but about the shipping company itself and what it’s armed with. Just fire hoses... that’s all they want their crews to be armed with (according to the President of the company...).

[mosaicwolf]

Soon we will be told that the weapons came from an evil gun shop owner in El Paso TX who sold them to the Mexican Drug Cartel, who sold them to the Venezuelans, who sold them to the Iranians, who sold them to the Palestinians, who sold them to the Kenyans, who sold them to the Somalians, who sold them to the pirates.

If only we had better gun control laws none of this would have happened donchano.

[LibLieSlayer]

AK’s in 7.62x39

LLS

[zwerni]

straws and spitballs

[Tax-chick]

Defense officials say that one of the pirates holding an American captive fired an automatic weapon ...

[DieHard the Hunter]

Inside the covered lifeboat with the captain, I’d be surprised if they had anything larger than pistols, or maybe machine-pistols. Knives almost certainly: they would be the most convenient weapon to use to hold the captain at close quarters, without risking injury to each other.

I’m going to guess switchblade or lockblade knives, the sort that are easy to carry. Machetes would have been useful for taking the ship, as they’d be something like cutlasses. Inside the lifeboat they would be much harder to use effectively.

[lacrew]

If CNN is to be believed, they are armed with rods, reels, bait, and a hatred of America instilled in them by George Bush.

But really, these are complex operations, 300 miles from shore. I’m not thinking knives. Photos of these guys shows RPGs and AK47’s usually, which I assume is what these particular pirates have.

There has been alot of conflicting information on why the cargo ships aren’t armed. Does anyone know for sure why?

[Made In The USA]

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

[mass55th]

Officials: Pirate Fired Weapon in Foiled Escape

[marktwain]

“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.

[I Shall Endure]

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.