'Mother ship' behind pirate raids

BBC Online (UK) ^ | 11/11/2005 | Unattributed

[1066AD]

'Mother ship' behind pirate raids Pirate attacks off Somalia's coast are being organised from command vessels, or "mother ships", the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has said. It says speedboats are being launched from ships that prowl the routes of the Indian Ocean, searching for targets.

Last week, a luxury cruise liner off Somalia's coast was attacked by pirates with rocket-propelled grenades.

The IMB says pirates are still holding seven ships and their crews, seized in the world's most dangerous waters.

In the past few days, at least four other vessels are reported to have been attacked.

'Out of control'

Captain Pottengal Mukundan, director of the IMB, says pirate attacks are being launched from at least two "mother ships".

Capt Mukundan says speedboats carry out the attempted hijacks before returning to the larger vessels floating at sea.

This means even ships sailing far off the coast are vulnerable to attack. He says the situation off the coast of Somalia appears to be completely out of control.

The IMB has recorded more than 30 hijack attempts in the region since March.

These latest attacks follow a thwarted attempt by pirates in small boats to commandeer the luxury liner, the Seabourn Spirit, which was steaming some 100 miles (160km) off the Somali coast last week.

But the liner's crew took evasive action, repelling the attackers without returning fire.

To scare off the pirates, they deployed a military-grade sonic weapon, capable of causing permanent damage to hearing from a distance of more than 300 metres (984ft).

Somalia has been without any effective government for 14 years.

Despite attempts to establish a new administration earlier this year, the country remains divided between rival warlords.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/4428808.stm

[r9etb]

Hah! I predicted this several days ago.

[r9etb]

Question: what are the little black things around the spent brass?

[Drew68]

Question: what are the little black things around the spent brass?

Belt links.

[yarddog]

Probably links of the disintegrating belt.

[evets]

Beam up to the mutha ship!

"19"!

[r9etb]

Thanks.

[Bob]

One would need a Q-ship (an armed ship camouflaged to look like a juicy pirate target).

Not at all. Think satellite surveillance and a fast attack sub or two. :=) They'd never know what hit 'em.

[WesternPacific]

Mother Ship = Mother-of-a-Ship

[dead]

[anymouse]

Now it's the alians fault? (/sarcasm)

[smartin]

INDEED!

[Alter Kaker]

What's to prevent a collective announcement by all non-pirate countries that any ships identified as "mother ships" for pirates (there are many ways to determine this) should be sunk on sight with no warning whatsoever?

International law already allows this. Not only do pirates have virtually no rights under international law, but all nation states are actually required to hunt them down and destroy them.

[Feiny]

I can buy into a Mother Ship, but not a Wheel.
A wheel makes no sense, but a ship with 4 1/2 foot black men orbiting the earth waiting to destroy the white mans world....that makes perfect sense.

[Alter Kaker]

That ships continue to sail unarmed through Somali waters amazes me.

The ship wasn't unarmed, nor was it within Somali waters. It was 100 miles offshore.

[Minnesocold]

I googled "mother ship" and this mug shot was in the page one collection:

[Carling]

Explains why such small craft are so far offshore. Seems to be just piracy & ransom to date but I wonder how long before it becomes hijacking & atrocity by you know who.

---

An old article from World Net Daily on AQ's plans for the oceans.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35047

[KenmcG414]

Probably the mother ship is captained by "Calypso Louie".