Posted on 01/30/2009 4:40:25 PM PST by SandRat
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2009 – The presence of partner nations and the newly formed task force to reduce the number of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden seem to be working, the commander of Combined Task Force 151 said.
“I think the combination of the coalition working together [with] the maritime community has decreased the pirate activity over the last couple of months,” Navy Rear Adm. Terry McKnight, also the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 2, told bloggers and online journalists during a Defense Department bloggers roundtable yesterday.
The task force was formed earlier this month and comprises three ships -- USS San Antonio, USS Mahan and HMS Portland -- that are collaborating with other nations to deter future pirate attacks.
While a number of factors -- even the weather -- can impact the number of attacks, McKnight gave credit to the European Union and the nations involved in anti-piracy operations, as well as the task force, with helping to decrease attacks since early December.
“Some things have changed that have helped us in this case to combat piracy,” McKnight said. “The United Nations has come out with several resolutions … that give us more authority to combat piracy.”
U.N. Resolution 1846, approved by the United Nations Security Council on Dec. 2, authorizes states and regional organizations cooperating with the Somali transitional government to enter Somalia’s territorial waters and use ”all necessary means” to combat piracy. Two weeks later, U.N. Resolution 1851 was approved, and calls for those states and organizations to “actively participate in defeating piracy and armed robbery off Somalia’s coast by deploying naval vessels and military aircraft, and through seizure and disposition of boats and arms used in the commission of those crimes.”
The other recent change that has assisted in combating piracy is the maritime community itself, McKnight said.
“We have tried very hard to say to the maritime community, there are just not enough Navy ships out there to cover 1.1 million square miles,” he said.
McKnight added that creating a safe corridor allows the nations involved in combating piracy to offer protection to the maritime vessels transiting through the Gulf of Aden.
In standing up Combined Task Force 151, McKnight said, he hopes to “make it unpleasant to be in the pirate business.”
“Right now, we have about 14 nations out here with about 20 ships,” he said. “We’ve had some encouraging signs from other ships and other nations to join the task force. I expect that by the spring we will have quite a few ships joining.”
McKnight said these and other nations involved and those interested in participating in the future all share the same goal of “free commerce.”
“We have to make sure that we have free commerce throughout the open seas and throughout the world,” McKnight said.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media Directorate of the Defense Media Activity)
Hopefully the Somali's will impose that and tell the UN and Am-Nasty-Internationalto stuff it.
Now *that's* a 10% reduction in a military I can endorse.
Say what you like about the French. They don’t suffer fools and they don’t pussyfoot around with PC as much as other western nations do....
“The Somalian punishment for piracy, under sharia, is the removal of heads, arms, or other appendages.
Hopefully the Somali’s will impose that and tell the UN and Am-Nasty-Internationalto stuff it.”
Agreed! I still don’t know why international commercial vessels are not allowed to arm themselves in first place?!
Note: Click on the link above for piracy reports, alerts, map, etc.
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Note: The following LIVE PIRACY REPORT is a quote:
http://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=table&tableid=26&calculations=0&Itemid=82
Live Piracy Report
The IMB Live Piracy Report (replacing the Weekly Piracy Report) displays all Piracy and Armed Robbery incidents reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in the last ten days. Click on the map for more details.
Incident Details: Location Map
29.01.2009: 0340 UTC: Posn: 14:10N – 049:58E: Gulf of Aden.
Heavily armed pirates in a speed boat chased and fired upon a LPG tanker underway. Pirates boarded and hijacked the tanker and are sailing it to an undisclosed location in Somalia. Further reports awaited.
29.01.2009: 0345 LT: Posn: 06:10.4S - 108:25.5E, Balongan anchorage, Indonesia.
Four robbers boarded a chemical tanker at anchor. They tried to enter into the accommodation but were noticed by the duty crew who raised the alarm. Upon hearing the alarm, the robbers climbed down into their boat and escaped. Master broadcast a security alert message to all ships in the vicinity and tried to call Balongan radio but received no response.
29.01.2009: 0620 UTC: Posn: 12:27.7N - 044:10.5E, Gulf of Aden.
Armed pirates in a six speed boats surrounded a bulk carrier underway. Master raised alarm, took evasive manoeuvres and crew activated fire hoses. One of the speedboats chased the vessel for about one mile. Seeing the alert crew and the aggressive manoeuvres the pirates stopped chasing the ship. Later the Master noticed another five boats waiting in the vicinity of the ship. Master immediately activated SSAS and contacted the coalition forces. A Chinese coalition helicopter arrived at 0710 UTC and chased the pirates away. Later, a German coalition navy arrived at the location. Ship continues her voyage.
28.01.2009: 23.40 UTC: Posn: 06:43.7S – 039:18.5E, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Four robbers in a small wooden boat attempted to climb onboard an anchored container vessel. Alert duty watchmen informed the duty officer who raised the general alarm and directed the ship search light towards the robbers. Seeing that they were noticed the robbers aborted and moved away. Port control was informed.
27.01.2009: 0636 UTC: Gulf of Aden.
A crude oil tanker sighted a suspicious blue-hull speed boat, 10m length with 5-6 people on Hdg 358° Speed 14 kts. Vessel reported the craft to Indian warship in the vicinity. Helicopter deployed by the vessel. The warship later proceeded to the position and arrested the five pirates along with their weapons ammunition. THIS INCIDENT NOT INCLUDED IN IMB STATISTICS
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