And it's a real shame that they were forced to manufacture their own weapons in order to do their job
Denied guns by law, the men were forced to used improvised weapons including mini grenades made out of light bulbs and paint thinner.
So a three-man security team was hired to protect the vessel...with what weaponry? did their employer expect them to engage AK-47's and RPG's with hand-to-hand combat? It seems that quite a bit is missing from this initial report...hopefully other sources will fill in the blanks in the days to come.
In the meantime I hope that these brave men will be given substantial awards for such bravery and valor.
These three xheroes are back in Britain, and more than likely the pirates have been released and are back on the bounding main.
It is crazy to force ships to cross pirate infested waters unarmed. By this time whoever made such an idiotic law should have looked at it and changed it,but that might stop the pirates, and it sure looks like that isnt the objective here. One good hand grenade here would have solved the problem for good and all.
When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
I STILL think it would be great to outfit a Carnival Cruise Lines Somali Pirates NRA/GOA cruise. “Barbary Tour 2009 — Great Eats, Great Shooting!”
Agreed
Sea Marshalls needed... (sic)
“Former Royal Marine Kevin Brewin”
It would RAH was correct - there are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous people.
I can only wonder what the outcome might have been had the RM beeen granted access to a MPMG or (horrors) a Ma Duce.
I wouldn’t even consider getting on a ship sailing through that area without my Mini-14 onhand...
I think going forward some of these hired teams will be having real weapons. The crew will not report it, the ship's owner will gladly finance it, and obviously the pirates will not be talking to anyone from many fathoms down.
Or maybe it is already happening ....a lot could happen to pirates without anyone ever knowing, and I am sure there MUST be some pirate boats that head out in the morning and never return.
Who’s law prohibits them from carrying guns? They were at sea.
I think I see why the pirates are so bold, as usual the law favors the wrong side.
Some enterprising fishermen could make a bundle from selling small arms from their boats on the high seas. A few old AKs and a couple of RPGs could make a big difference in the hands of ex-military personnel.
Well there's your problem....in a nut shell. They need to be able to ARM THEMSELVES!
No kidding. If these guys really signed on under such terms, they're brave bordering on insane.
Can ANYBODY explain the logic behind the restrictions which prevent merchant vessels and their crews from carrying weapons to protect themselves?
> And it’s a real shame that they were forced to manufacture their own weapons in order to do their job
These four guys are just like Hannibal Smith and the A-Team!
Improvised weapons — I love it!
I was going to call BS on this until I read:
mini grenades made out of light bulbs and paint thinner
That is more believable. At first I assumed drinkable alcohol. None of the Brits I worked with would ever have thrown something they could have drunk, even in self defense.
(Its a joke folks, don't take it too seriously...)
In some ways, in fact many ways, the world has gone insane. Making these ships sail unarmed is nothing less than crazy.
Man, this reads like a Steven Segall movie. Good for them. Next time take a gun. Screw’em!
Sounds like the police vs. the DNC brownshirts at the GOP convention in 2008.
Handed over to Puntland...” No good. It becomes just a frustrating and unprofitible day for the brigands. The navy should have held quick court before the vessel’s commander and then hanged the pirates to a boom, a “yardarm” as it were. Perhaps the bodies could then have been offloaded at Puntland.
This is a great story; it’s always good to see and hear of brave men defending decency and civilization. It’s primal.