Pirates Raise The Game, Seize Supertanker

WWJ.COM ^ | 11-18-2008 | CBS

[Westlander]

In a dramatic escalation of high seas crime, Somali pirates hijacked a Saudi supertanker loaded with crude oil hundreds of miles off the coast of East Africa - defeating the security web of warships trying to protect vital shipping lanes.

[Westlander]

[wolfcreek]

What ever happened to the boat load of radioactive material?

[stylin_geek]

I see that Somalia needs the 90,000 tons of diplomacy known as a US Super Carrier.

[Vigilanteman]

Piracy is an age-old problem in need of an age-old solution.

[1curiousmind]

It was apparently released in early October. Funny how it just disappeared off the headlines about the time of the “mortgage meltdown”.

Here’s an interesting read: a 2004 report to congress which states the danger of a dirty bomb being loaded onto a supertanker while at sea. http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RS21997.pdf

Hmmm....

[Eva]

I think that it would it would be pretty difficult to bring an unidentified super tanker into a US port. The government oversight on tankers is enormous.

[VaBthang4]

It wasnt meant for the US.

It was meant for Israel.

[The Toll]

Uh....how in the world are they going to bury the thing?

[anymouse]

With the rash of piracy, world-wide of large valuable ships carrying valuable and volatile cargo, one might think that al Queda has diversified into the piracy/ransom game. Hope our guys are seeing, thus attacking this as an organized global terrorist threat, not just letting the ship owners fill up al Queda’s war chest with Millions in ransom $$s.

[Allegra]

I've got the supertanker hidden in my closet.

But don't tell anyone.

[ClearCase_guy]

The US is on it! One of the first thing President Obama plans to do is to sit down and negotiate with these Somali pirates. It will be an open and frank discussion with no preconditions.

And Vice President Biden will be prepared to offer $200M for the eventual release of President Obama. Although Secretary of State Clinton may over-rule the VP on that.

[wolfcreek]

Maybe that’s why the Chinese ae building huge container ports in Mexico.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Where is Stephen Decatur when you need him....

Nuke Mogadishu...mine the entire Somali coastline....patrol the Red Sea and nearby waters....

But, of course....Decatur didnt have to worry about “political correctness” when dealing w the Barbary Pirates

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

http://www.hutchison-whampoa.com/eng/ports/international/the_americas.htm

These folks are good at what they do.

They are doing a great job here in Panama.

[wolfcreek]

Are they spending the money for radiation detectors and checking every container?

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

“Are they spending the money for radiation detectors and checking every container?”

Good question!!!

I have no idea. The person that would know and I could ask is in Europe at the moment. I will ask her in a couple of weeks upon her return.