Posted on 01/13/2009 6:26:44 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- One of the pirates who held a Saudi oil supertanker off Somalia before releasing it for ransom has told CNN how five in his group drowned when the boat in which they left the ship capsized as they tried to evade rival pirates seeking a cut of the money.
Pirates seized the Sirius on November 15. A $3.5 million ransom payment -- down from the initial demand of $25 million -- was dropped by parachute onto the ship Friday, but the pirates delayed the vessel's release after the drownings.
"Other pirates on the shore wanted a tip from the pirates on the Sirius Star, so they started to fire in the air as our people approached the land," Libaan Jaama told CNN. "When our pirates heard the shots, they thought they would be robbed, so they tried to return to the tanker. In that quick turn the boat capsized."
Jaama said he was mourning his friends, who, along with other pirates on board, took 23 crew members hostage. The Kenya Seafarers Association said the crew -- which included citizens of Croatia, Great Britain, the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia -- was in "good health and high spirits" when the vessel was released Saturday.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
“It’s more of a guideline”.
To this day, I dont understand how a tanker (or any other large ship) can allow itself to be captured by a bunch of idiots in a speedboat.
If they would fire at the pirates with any type of automatic weapon, they would sink the boat and the other pirates on shore would be left wondering what happened to their buddies
The pirates main problem, as I understand it, was that the human body lacks the ability to process and utilize the oxygen in the water that surrounded them as they sank. If they had had some appropriate equipment, like scuba gear or a submersible device, they might have been able to get around the sinking problem. But hey, they're pirates, and they don't always think things through. Aaargh.
Right out of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.
I get the feeling that CNN would like to make folk heroes out of these people. But it’s hard when your associates tear you apart and cannibalize you like Tolkien Orcs the first time your back is turned.
...except that cockroaches wouldn’t have left a ring around the ocean.
I love stories that have a happy ending.
Blurp....blurp...glug..glug........gakkk....grkkkk...
Not enough pirates.
Apologies to lawyers.....NOT!
Read blog on how CNN contacted a pirate
http://inthefield.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/13/calling-up-a-pirate/
January 13, 2009
Calling up a pirate
San Francisco had first pick.
WHO got away with the cash?...
So did my 8 year old. When I told him that “international law” prohibited the tankers/merchant ships from arming themselves with guns, he said “that’s a stupid law.” We’ll all agree on that. *sigh*
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle ...
Wouldn’t you think the first thing a pirate would learn is how to swim or at least float?
Ha HA! Hope their dinner in h$ll is cold......
So I guess we need “Right to Carry” for the high seas.
Everywhere it has been enacted here in the US, crime has gone down.
If pirates knew they would face a blast from a .50 cal chain gun, there would be no piracy
A guy walks into a pub with a t-shirt that says “Pirates are stupid for 3 reasons!” He walks up to the bar, orders an ale. and sits down. He no more than gets his quaff when a smelly old sot comes up to him and says, “Aaargh, thar, matey! What’s that yer shirt be sayin’ thar?”
The guy looks around, looks the man straight in the eyes (well, in his one good eye, anyway), and says “Reason number 1 — Pirates can’t read!” Then he turns around to enjoy his beverage.
Not used to this sort of disrespect, the surly gent takes his hooked arm, lays it aggressively on the man’s shoulder, and slowly says, “What’s that ye be sayin’ thar, sonny-boy?”
The guy looks around again, looks his aggressor square in the eye this time, and enunciates, “Rea-son num-ber 2 — Pirates can’t hear!” And again, he turns around to face the bar.
Well, by this time, the old codger has had enough. He backs up, pulls his sword, and growls, “Aaaaargh, ye bilge rat, that be enuff of yer sass! Stand up and fight, ye lubber, yer soon to be acquainted with Davy Jones, his-self!”
With that, the guy stands up, pulls his pistol, and shoots the pirate dead through his one good eye. He drops his head as he watches him fall, sighs, and says, “Reason #3 — You pirates are constantly bringing swords to gunfights!”
Yep. Good luck with the UN though. *spit*
I guess these pirates are like our Democrats. Once a lot of money is involved, they don’t give a damn about who survives.
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