Somalis say U.S. fired first in high-seas gunbattle

CNN.com ^ | Sunday, March 19, 2006

[river rat]

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Somali militiamen who skirmished with U.S. Navy vessels claimed Sunday they did not fire the first shot and that they had been patrolling Somali waters to stop illegal fishing vessels.

On Saturday, two U.S. Navy ships exchanged gunfire with suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia, killing one suspect and wounding five others. (Full story)

It said that the incident took place on international waters and the Navy had taken 12 suspects, including the wounded, into custody after the gunbattle.

Saleban Aadan Barqad, a spokesman for the militias, confirmed the casualties Sunday to The Associated Press.

He said that in total 27 Somali militiamen had been patrolling off the Somali coast before the gunbattle. Fourteen returned to shore safely, Barqad said on two-way radio from the central Somali town of Harardhere.

The militiamen, "were in an operation to protect the country's sea resources from illicit exploitation by foreign vessels," Barqad said............

SNIP....

On Friday, Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju renewed a call for a peacekeeping mission to Somalia to help disarm the country's various militias.

SNIP....

[Recon Dad]

We have the ships. Let's load them Kenyan troops up and drop them off on the beach in Somalia.

[GoDuke]

Time to send in the U.S.S. Stephen Decatur (DDG 73)?

[river rat]

"I still say "Q" ships are the way to go."

I believe that's called "shooting over a baited field"...

Illegal when shooting birds, but productive when killing Jihadists....

Semper Fi

[CurlyDave]

Fourteen returned to shore safely

How did our Navy fail to get every last one of them?

You look at that motley collection of boats & people, having any of them escape moves this incident into the category of a defeat at sea.

[JustDoItAlways]

At first glance, the question is why are there any witnesses/terrorists left alive anyway?

At second glance, nothing like five bullet-ridden witnesses/terrorists to clean up the Somalia coastline.

[Paulus Invictus]

It's George Bush's fault?

Of course it is and we should pull out of Somalia right now! (Oh, that's right, we're not in Somalia any more and someone else pulled our troops out after letting the islamos kill and wound a lot of our guys. Who could have done such a cowardly thing? Hint: it wasn't Bush.)

[river rat]

Roger that!

The next "mission to Somalia" should be from 25,000 feet and leave waste and desolation in it's wake.....

Unacceptable behavior, should result in unsurvivable consequences...

Time to get over the concept of salvaging savages...

Semper Fi

[righttackle44]

"Time to send in the U.S.S. Stephen Decatur (DDG 73)?"

And all else they want to send in support.

[poetknowit]

Sneaks and pirate types hate "Q" ships. "Q" for Queens boats in WWI played havoc on the old Kaiser's pig boats (subs). I knew an old Brit that was on one as a lad. Quite some interesting stories from his experiences on the seas. Britania's seas that is.
A "Q" here and there is a very good idea. Unless, of course, it 'offends' someone.

[river rat]

"...patrolling Somali waters to stop illegal fishing vessels."

Typical of a lying African Muslim -- the Somalians have NO fishing rights to protect in INTERNATIONAL WATERS....

Semper Fi

[gotribe]

I've got to believe there is a zone of safety surrounding every ship and if you trespass it's lights out. Anyone know if that's how it works?

[MinorityRepublican]

Pictures please

[fso301]

Somalis say U.S. fired first in high-seas gunbattle

I'd be very satisfied if the title turns out to be true.

[Malsua]

If you can't have big guns on board, and I understand many port facilities have issues with that, I think there's an opportunity to build computer guided catapults. Load them up with 500 pounds of rocks, bananas or manure. Launch it and send these filth down to Davy Jones' locker.

[river rat]

As a respected freeper (Squantos) suggested -- there is ONE valid justification for allowing any of these bastards to survive the act of firing on a warship....

That was to "tag" and release, then follow the sonuvabitch back to his home base and kill everyone there.

Other than that - it was a waste of time, waste of medical supplies to tend to the wounded and an unacceptable risk to our sailors to put them at risk collecting and handleing prisoners.. Plus we have to feed the bastards Islamic approved food, provide new Korans and point their stinking asses to Mecca...

Semper Fi

[Cvengr]

Let them lead you back to the nest. Target list develops accordingly.

[Fatuncle]

Load them up with 500 pounds of rocks, bananas or manure.

Load them with pig offal in a plastic bag, one which air-bursts and paints the whole target with blood and guts. And advertise what you are doing and will do.

[TADSLOS]

Gun battle? LOL! A little one sided, I'd say. Good shootin'.

[IonInsights]

Somalis say U.S. fired first

OK with me.

[csvset]

Indian Ocean (March 18, 2006) - A suspected pirate vessel ignites in flames before burning to the waterline. USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) and USS Cape St. George (CG 71) were conducting maritime security operations in international waters off the coast of Somalia and attempted to perform a routine boarding of the suspicious vessel towing two skiffs. The suspected pirates opened fire on the U.S. Navy ships and the ships’ crew members returned fire. One suspect was killed and 12 were taken into custody. Coalition forces conduct maritime security operations to ensure security and safety in international waters so legitimate mariners can operate freely while transiting the region. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Journalist Daniel Sanford (RELEASED)