http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=28193
“Energy Squeeze”
By Frederick W. Stakelbeck Jr.
FrontPageMagazine.com | May 8, 2007
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The international energy market of the twenty-first century is witnessing an unprecedented period of turmoil and instability, an indication of an indisputable global power shift that holds serious, long-term implications for U.S. national security interests throughout the world.”
ICC-CCS.ORG - THE WEEKLY PIRACY REPORT - REPORT SNIPPET - QUOTE:
http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php
Weekly Piracy Report
2-8 May 2007
The following is a summary of the daily reports broadcast by the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre to ships in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions on the SafetyNET service of Inmarsat-C from 2 to 8 May 2007.
ALERT
Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh
Forty seven incidents have been reported since 28.01.2006. Pirates are targeting ships preparing to anchor. Ships are advised to take extra precautions.
The 2006 Annual IMB Report on Piracy and Armed Attacks against Ships is now published. Please see the end of this page to order.
Suspicious crafts
18.04.2007: 2320 LT: Entrance Cartagena Colombia.
A container ship, while disembarking her pilot on the port side noticed, on radar, one unlit suspicious boat approaching from the stbd side at high speed. The master alerted the crew. The boat came very close to the vessel (about 10 m from the hull). On seeing the alert crew on ship’s side, the boat retreated and disappeared into the darkness. The master informed the Centre to alert other vessels calling Cartagena, Colombia.
Recently reported incidents
03.05.2007: 0300 UTC: Posn 03:59N - 007:17E, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Armed pirates in four boats attacked a FPSO and tried to board it via the anchor chain. There were eight security personnel on the FPSO. The pirates were successful in their attempt. Five persons from the FPSO kidnapped. .
03.05.2007: 0700 LT: 12 miles Off Mogadishu, Somalia.
A group of Somali pirates armed with guns boarded a general cargo ship underway. They hijacked the ship and took it to Hobiyo anchorage. Negotiations with the pirates are going on.
03.05.2007: 0315 LT: Posn 01:11.7S - 116:46.8E, Balikpapan Port, Indonesia.
Robbers boarded a bulk carrier while berthed. The vessel was in her final stages of cargo operations and all crew and officers busy. The robbers stole ship’s stores and escaped unnoticed.
30.04.2007: 2345 UTC: Posn 06:40S - 039:44E, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
A black hull boat with five pirates attempted to board a general cargo ship drifting 27 miles ENE of the port. Alarm raised and crew mustered. Pirates aborted attempt and moved in SW direction towards another vessel drifting 7.5 nm away. All vessels in the area warned via VHF radio.
18.04.2007: 1100 LT: Chebilang Bay, Satun Province, Thailand.
About six pirates in a small boat attacked a fishing boat and hijacked it. All eight crew were taken hostage and landed at Le - La Island. Pirates stole ship’s equipment, properties and abandoned the boat at Yanud Port, Tha - Phae District, Satun Province. Police located the fishing boat and returned it to the owners in Malaysia. No one was injured
14.04.2007: 0700 LT: Posn 17:25N - 059:56E, Arabian Sea.
While underway, a general cargo ship received a call on VHF Ch 16, from a fishing boat, that they had no fresh water. The ship threw some mineral water bottles into the sea to be picked up by the fishing boat in order to prevent any close contact with the fishing boat and to prevent any boarding.
12.04.2007: 0600 UTC: Posn 15:13N - 052:57E, Gulf of Aden.
A fast boat, doing about 20 knots and steering various courses, approached a RO RO ship underway several times and at one stage came on a collision course with the ship. Later, it proceeded in a southerly direction and disappeared. The boat was light coloured, about six meters in length and had 2 - 3 men in it.