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U.S. warship sinks two pirate skiffs
CNN ^ | October 29, 2007 | Unknown

Posted on 10/29/2007 1:57:33 PM PDT by decimon

The destroyer USS Porter enters port at Souda Bay, Greece, in 2006.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. Navy warship fired on and sank two skiffs used by pirates Sunday to hijack a merchant vessel off the coast of Somalia, U.S. officials said Monday.

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At the request of Somalia's government, a second U.S. warship, the destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, is now shadowing the merchant ship inside Somali waters, the officials said.

In recent years, warships have stayed outside the 12-mile limit when chasing pirates.

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(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: islam; maritime; pirates; somalia; usn; wot
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To: mc5cents
The missiles might be a little pricey for a pair of $20.00 skiffs.

But fun.

41 posted on 10/29/2007 3:10:17 PM PDT by magslinger (I will not submit.)
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To: decimon

42 posted on 10/29/2007 3:10:46 PM PDT by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
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To: SolidWood

Think of it this way: Target Practice. ;o)


43 posted on 10/29/2007 3:12:03 PM PDT by SW6906 (6 things you can't have too much of: sex, money, firewood, horsepower, guns and ammunition.)
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To: SolidWood

>> I resent that we use our Navy on request of Somalia’s government.

Think of it as “live target practice”. You know... a drill. Keeps all hands sharp!


44 posted on 10/29/2007 3:13:38 PM PDT by Nervous Tick
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To: SW6906

See #44 — G. M. T. A. !


45 posted on 10/29/2007 3:14:56 PM PDT by Nervous Tick
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To: river rat
From my reading of the article — the pirates SUCCEEDED..

They had ALREADY hijacked the ship before their “skiffs” had been sunk...

I agree that it reads that way. Have to wait for some update to be sure.

46 posted on 10/29/2007 3:15:08 PM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon; null and void

WOOHOO! Go Navy! America’s finest! Thanks for the link on this thread to the other story, null and void.


47 posted on 10/29/2007 3:16:49 PM PDT by PGalt
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To: Sybeck1

5 inch gun crew needed some live fire exercise training.Hell, I think they have a 5 inch deck gun.We need to dig out WW2 destroyer and turn em loose.


48 posted on 10/29/2007 3:19:04 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Defeat liberalism, its the right thing to do for America.)
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To: decimon; PGalt

The question is whether or not we care (or have the stomach for) being the World’s Policeman.

Because if we don’t, then who does (or has the capacity to do so)? Otherwise the question merely boils down to whether or not we want one or two Big wars per century (aka WWI & WWII) instead?

Because that’s what WILL happen if we don’t step up and act in that capacity.

Perhaps we should just let all these little “Somalia” incident/situations just fester until it’ll cost 500,000 lives later its all said and done for the next 30 years or so.

What I’d like to know is whether we, or the world, would be better off without Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. And if not for those “policing events” where would be we be right now?

Certaintly conventional wisdom holds that the world would be a better, kinder, gentler place and the Pol Pot’s, Rwanda’s and Idi Amin - two A’s, two I’s and a gun - Dada would merely be figments of somebody’s horribly askewed nightmare.


49 posted on 10/29/2007 3:19:34 PM PDT by raygun (Get away from my station at the public trough if you know what's good for you.;.)
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To: SolidWood
I sure support sinking Pirates, who in this region often are the same bunch as the terrorists, but I resent that we use our Navy on request of Somalia’s government.

If you should take a cruise ship someday you might think differently about our guys taking our the sea pirates!

50 posted on 10/29/2007 3:19:41 PM PDT by restornu (Improve The Shining Moment! Don't let them pass you by...PRESS FORWARD MITT!)
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To: Paleo Conservative
I sure hope the US Navy left any survivors for the sharks.

I think 'river rat' (post #37) is probably right in saying it sounds like the pirates succeeded in the hijack. Could be interesting.

51 posted on 10/29/2007 3:20:21 PM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon

Right on!


52 posted on 10/29/2007 3:21:46 PM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
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To: SolidWood

They owe is one.


53 posted on 10/29/2007 3:22:22 PM PDT by Bob J (For every 1000 hacking at the branches of evil, there is one striking at its root)
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To: raygun

Well stated, raygun. Thanks for the ping.


54 posted on 10/29/2007 3:24:25 PM PDT by PGalt
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To: magslinger
I have only been on a DD once, many years ago, so I don't know what they may have available, but I would think a Ma Deuce or a M-60 would be most cost effective.

I wouldn't want to trade .50 cal rounds, let the 3" Mount do it's job. No sense risking the sailors by making it an "even fight".

55 posted on 10/29/2007 3:24:33 PM PDT by Tallguy (Climate is what you plan for, weather is what you get.)
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To: magslinger

...err, that would be a 5”/54 caliber gun... not a 3” gun.


56 posted on 10/29/2007 3:30:01 PM PDT by Tallguy (Climate is what you plan for, weather is what you get.)
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To: decimon
We're the Somali Coast Guard.

Ron Paul would say it's unconstitutional. But Thomas Jefferson and I approve.

57 posted on 10/29/2007 3:32:17 PM PDT by Larry Lucido (Hunter 2008)
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To: decimon
Waste of a $1.2 Billion destroyer.
This is what frigates are for. The Oliver H. Perry's becoming less valuable as the SM-1M (RIM-66) cannot hit many low-flying cruise missles. However with a Phalanx, a 76mm canon, 4 .50 m2 machine gins, and a Mk-13 launcher for missles including Harpoons, this would be very effective. Moreover the Two Seahawks it carries can fire Hellfire anti-tank and penguin anti-ship missiles.
We could eaily deploy 3 Perrys for less than 2 Burkes.
58 posted on 10/29/2007 3:37:12 PM PDT by rmlew (Build a wall, attrit the illegals, end the anchor babies, Americanize Immigrants)
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To: American Quilter
Yo ho, yo ho....

And a bottle of zinfandel.

59 posted on 10/29/2007 3:39:18 PM PDT by dearolddad
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To: raygun

Our “Leaders” Republi-Con and DEMON_Crat alike have created a situation of Perpetual War for Perpetual Profits.

They are not interested in smothering this sort of stuff. Neither are they interested in dealing with it in a cost efficient manner.

2 Skiffs cost what 10-15 thousand dollars? On the High Side?

The AB burns up that kind of coin in a few min..Those skiffs cost millions to sink.. that is one way to lose a war. Go broke fighting it. Every time you see the US GQ Generals sending F16s with $100,000 JDAMS out to kill three Taliban or AQ you are watching the enemy win a fight. The WOT will break US unless someone learns that we are not made of money and if we spend ourselves into the poorhouse AQ and Taliban will win by default.

W

Cheaper to set a couple guns and a Squad of PS personell on all US Merchant Ships.

Other Nations can do the same at their expense or they can pay US to do it at a fair rate of compensation..That is unless you think the US Taxpayer thru the use of the US Navy should subsidize profits margins for Loyd’s of London Merchant Ship Insurance.

Not for free.


60 posted on 10/29/2007 3:40:14 PM PDT by WLR (Armed Staff on School Campus. Build the Fence, Iran delenda est)
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