Problem solved.
Posted on 11/24/2008 12:11:54 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates holding a Saudi supertanker after the largest hijacking in maritime history have reduced their ransom demand to $15 million, an Islamist leader and regional maritime group both said on Monday.
The November 15 capture of the Sirius Star -- with $100 million of oil and 25 crew members from Britain, Poland, Croatia, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines -- has focused world attention on rampant piracy off the failed Horn of Africa state.
Scores of attacks this year have brought millions of dollars of ransom payments, hiked up shipping insurance costs, sent foreign naval patrols rushing to the area, and left about a dozen boats with more than 200 hostages still in pirate hands.
The gang had originally been quoted as wanting $25 million to release the Sirius Star, which was captured far from Somali waters about 450 nautical miles southeast of Kenya.
But Islamist spokesman Abdirahim Isse Adow, whose men are in the Haradheere area where the ship is being held offshore, said the demand went down. "Middlemen have given a $15 million ransom figure for the Saudi ship. That is the issue now," he said.
Residents say pirates have taken the ship further out to about 100 km (62 miles) off the coast of central Somalia after Islamist militia poured into the town in search of the pirates.
Adow, who represents the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), says his men are out to confront the pirates and free the Saudi Arabian Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) because it is a "Muslim" ship. But residents say other Islamist militia want a cut of any ransom payment.
FOREIGN WARSHIPS
Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of Mombasa-based East Africa Seafarers Programme, said his sources were confirming a reduced $15 million demand.
(Excerpt) Read more at canada.com ...
Just bomb these damned Somali villages these guys are working out of and be done with it. If they decide to sink the damn thing and ruin their own fishing waters with the oil, let ‘em all starve.
“I’ve been marked down.” - Bette Midler “Ruthless People”
“I’ve been marked down.” - Bette Midler “Ruthless People”
Problem solved.
pirate islamics screwing Saudi islamics—let’em work out the deal w/o interference.
“Hide the rum”, but 15 mil will buy lots of rum! Aye!
To 6:
You sunk my battleship. My next move is to H 3
Saudi Special Forces will recapture the vessel and exterminate the pirate vermin
Rush Limbaugh has been advising the Somalian pirates in the skills of properly negotiating the value of their ransom requests. They raised the $10 million initial ransom as a result.
Let’s see. The pirates have lowered their demand from $25 million to $15 million. If this were oil or wheat and if we are to believe that the markets are predictors of the future value of something then it would seem that someone on the Pirate Futures Trading Desk is betting that it might be wise to get what you can now and run.
Where’s old Steve Decatur when you need him.
This is trivial, Citigroup wants $300B to release their hold on the economy.
Paging Hank Paulson — bailout cash needed by Saudi Royal clan. Bring large bills + case of rum. Arggh ...
Nuts!
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