Maybe the WWII Q ship, the HMS President, docked in the Thames, could be sent for a cruise.
Posted on 11/06/2005 2:40:49 PM PST by mdittmar
Edited on 11/07/2005 12:17:34 AM PST by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
AN unexploded missile is embedded in an accommodation unit after a possible terrorist attack off the east African coast, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has said today.
The passengers on the US-owned Seabourn Spirit were woken by machinegun fire and a rocket-propelled grenade crashing into the vessel at dawn on Saturday about 160km off the coast of the lawless nation of Somalia. The luxury cruise ship is about to dock in the Seychelles, but Mr Downer said that could be delayed while officials disarm the unexploded ordnance.
"We're not sure whether in the early stages the ship will be able to tie up at the wharf there because of concern about an unexploded rocket that is embedded in some of the passenger accommodation of the ship," Mr Downer told the Nine Network.
"American officials are going to board it initially to deal with that problem, and once that problem's dealt with then our consular officer will be able to go on board as well."
The attack was believed to have been carried out by pirates, but Mr Downer said it may have been a terrorist act.
"The whole thing is an extraordinary story, that it would be attacked by, we're not quite sure who at this stage, but it's possible the people who attacked the ship were terrorists," he said.
Mr Downer said it was not known exactly how many Australians were on board, with 13 named on the ship's passenger list and another six who were thought to have joined the cruise.
The ship, with more than 300 people on board, was on its way to the Kenyan port of Mombasa where it was due to pick up more passengers, including Australians.
Those Australians will now be met by a consular official from Australia's embassy in Nairobi.
The passengers awoke about 5.30am on Saturday to the sound of gunfire as two armed vessels approached the Seabourn Spirit.
Sydney couple Gayle and Bob Meagher, who are aboard the ship, described the moment they realised they were in the firing line.
Mr Meagher said he could see the pirates shooting at the ship.
"It was a frightening experience to see the flash of a rocket launcher and you just wonder what's about to happen to you in the next couple of seconds," he told the Seven Network.
Ms Meagher said the captain stayed calm, warning passengers: "We have people shooting at us, we are going to try to outrun them."
"(It was) a little bit more exciting than we planned for," she said.
"The sounds were very sharp like doors banging."
The 7.5-metre inflatable boats approached the vessel and fired as their occupants attempted to get on board the liner.
Seabourn Spirit was not boarded, managing to outrun the attackers and change its course.
One member of the crew was slightly injured before the attackers were repulsed, a London-based Seabourn Cruises spokesman said. The crew member was reportedly hit by flying debris.
The ship has 161 crew members and 151 passengers.
The company said the ship, registered in the Bahamas, sustained minor damage and was safe to sail.
Maybe the WWII Q ship, the HMS President, docked in the Thames, could be sent for a cruise.
No, they certainly weren't democratic. I'm sure they were from the bizarre part-criminal/part-ideological/part-Islamic/part-Marxist movement that seems to dominate much of Africa.
There's no reason for Africa, which has all sorts of riches, to be as badly off as it is, except for the political/ideological mismanagement there.
That boat didn't look very inflatable. Anyboday have a link to the video?
The picture doesn't look like any rubber dingy I've ever seen.
If they are ordinary pirates running them down is a good idea. If they are suicide bombers, running them down places the bomb right where it will do the most damage.
A cruise ship should be able to outrun most of these. I wonder what is going to happen when the bad guys decide to use a faster boat?
Personally, I've suspected the pirates going after that Seabourne ship were secretly there for boat drinks on the Lido deck....
I gather that these cruise ships do not carry weapons even if they are going into dangerous waters? Someone is nuts.
If it has a pizeo-electric crystal in its nose element and some type of graze sensitive feature, it can not be disarmed. You normally blow those in place. You put the charge on the side of it in order to crush the cone so there will be no shaped charged formed.
However there are times when you can not blow it place and you have to handle it and move it to a place where you can. These are the times you earn your hazardous duty pay.
The RPG 7's or what ever they are now normally have the crystal and the graze sensitive feature.
If they never got on board how do they know what they are?
"Oh good. I thought they were going to send me in there to get it."
Those things used to be called the Detachment Commander. I guess that kind of helps explain the PTSD problem I have.
Actually, I don't believe these were pirates. I've seen pictures of the ship that was attacked. This being a rather isolated part of the world, they likely have just begun to see "Love Boat" episodes, and, not realizing it was only a sitcom and mistaking this ship for the similar "Pacific Princess", were simply trying to keep
Gopher, the Doc', Isaac, Julie and Captain Stubing from coming ashore with hundreds of over-the-hill actors and actresses looking for love.
Strategypage.com has written many times about the high level of pirate activity in this part of the world. This is far from a rare phenomenon. They are probably pirates first and moslems second, but should be hunted down and eliminated either way.
They look like the "Pirates who don't do Anyhting - Right" /sarcasm
Arrgh, ye got off easy this time, matey!
<< "Pirate" rocket 'embedded in ship' >>
"Pirates," my arse.
Those bastards were islamanazi terrorists, Hell-bent on mass-murder.
What in the world will it take to sheet home that we are engaged in a World War for the survival of our very Civilization??
Civil War in France, perhaps?
E-2 remote pull....:o)
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