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Undeterred, Somali Pirates Hijack 4 More Ships
Fox News ^ | 04-14-09 | AP via Fox News

Posted on 04/14/2009 9:29:01 AM PDT by prismsinc

MOMBASSA, Kenya — Undeterred by U.S. and French hostage rescues that killed five bandits, Somali pirates brazenly hijacked four more ships in the Gulf of Aden, the waterway at the center of the world's fight against piracy.

Pirates have vowed to retaliate for deaths of their colleagues_ and the top U.S. military officer said Tuesday he takes those comments seriously. But Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that "we're very well prepared to deal with anything like that."

Still, despite Mullen's confident statement and President Barack Obama's warning Monday, pirates captured two more nautical trophies Tuesday to match the two ships they seized a day or two earlier.

NATO spokeswoman Shona Lowe said the MV Sea Horse, a Lebanese-owned cargo ship, was attacked and captured Tuesday by pirates in three or four speedboats. She had no further information.

That hijacking came only hours after the Greek-managed MV Irene E.M. was seized in a rare overnight attack by pirates.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: foreignpolicy; kidnapping; obamasfault; somali; somalia; somaliapirates; somalipirates
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To: George from New England
many of the ports currently will not allow an armed vessel to enter their docks.

That's true, which is why most vessels go unarmed. At best they have fire hoses around the ship with which to repel boarders.

Hey, that's an opportunity. Build a very high-pressure water cannon system with enough mounts to cover all aproaches to the ship. Water inlets front and back, a couple V-12 diesels to run the pumps. Remote-control from the bridge with night/day cameras. A serious water cannon has enough pressure to break bones and rupture internal organs on impact.

We'll call this the "Enhanced Firefighting System" if the pansy ports have problems with it.

41 posted on 04/14/2009 10:21:16 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Little Ray

“Besides, the Romans pretty darned savage with pirates, but nobody would call THEM uncivilized.”

###

To the cowardly pussies on the Left, anything short of careful, nuanced, meaningless Ivy League lawyerspeak is “uncivilized”.


42 posted on 04/14/2009 10:24:28 AM PDT by EyeGuy
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To: prismsinc
This was quite predictable. - For a dumb teenager type criminal.

Very, very stupid for an adult.
Personally, I would have toned it way down. - You cannot fight the World.
They are now running a very serious risk of concerted and unified action to wipe them out.

1st France, then the US.
Add in a couple of others into this mix, piss off somebody again, and they may disappear from the face of the Earth.

43 posted on 04/14/2009 10:27:23 AM PDT by bill1952 (Power is an illusion created between those with power - and those without)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra; 2ndDivisionVet
“Islamic natives in mud huts probably don’t get too much news from the outside world:”

By: MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN


MOGADISHU, SOMALIA – Somalia's increasingly brazen pirates are building sprawling stone houses, cruising in luxury cars, marrying beautiful women – even hiring caterers to prepare Western-style food for their hostages.

The Rest of the Story........

44 posted on 04/14/2009 10:35:17 AM PDT by Eaker (The Two Loudest Sounds in the World.....Bang When it should have been Click and the Reverse.)
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To: SWAMPSNIPER
I don’t care about all the stupid “reasons” to the contrary, it’s time to arm merchant ships, and permit private yachts to be armed if they choose.

And to issue "Letters of Marque".

45 posted on 04/14/2009 10:39:04 AM PDT by Just another Joe (Warning: FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: swain_forkbeard

A documented noncommercial vessel should be considered as sovereign territory of it’s home nation.


46 posted on 04/14/2009 10:40:24 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT, NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: savedbygrace
Did they attack any U. S. flagged ships? Didn’t think so.

Didn't attack any French vessels, either, did they? Probably just a coincidence, right? Yeah, that's it.

47 posted on 04/14/2009 10:52:58 AM PDT by Hoffer Rand (There ARE two Americas: "God's children" and the tax payers)
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To: mysterio
These ships are going to have to start arming themselves.

Been giving that some thought. It is my understanding that most board by throwing up some type of grappling hook and line

Even if the ship owner won't pay for it, the crews could equip themselves. Tools suggested.

Bolt cutters lashed to railings near locations that might need to be defended.

Some type of heavy object that can go down on the ascending pirates.

At first I was thinking of something as simple as a 4x4 post that would certainly maim anyone it hit. Better yet would be if the post had some device that would allow it to be slipped onto the rope or cable. At a fast descent this would certainly break fingers and hands, knock them in the water and keep them from any further climbing. Maybe someone else that knows of expendable stuff on a ship can think of something.

Certainly something like a Molotov cocktail hurled down on the small boat below would quickly rendered it useless.

I can imagine a small anvil being tossed over into a little boat might significantly knock it out of action.

My point, if the ship owner and insurance company forbid firearms, look for other means to be aggressive and fight back. A good trip to the hardware store before one sailed might save their life.

48 posted on 04/14/2009 10:57:39 AM PDT by Dustoff45 (A non-posting Freeper makes no spelling errors (Have a Misspell on me))
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To: swain_forkbeard

And it IS cheaper than the ransoms...


49 posted on 04/14/2009 10:59:03 AM PDT by Little Ray (Do we have a Plan B?)
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To: antiRepublicrat
Enhanced Firefighting System

I like it, and if properly designed to actually rotate around and fight fires, possibly worthy of an adjustment on the insurance policy for the ship. Might also justify a couple of extra crew members to help put out fires.

50 posted on 04/14/2009 11:01:12 AM PDT by Dustoff45 (A non-posting Freeper makes no spelling errors (Have a Misspell on me))
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To: Cheetahcat
Spray some diesel down into their boat, then throw a flare down into it. Once it ignites, it will burn for awhile.
51 posted on 04/14/2009 11:02:59 AM PDT by Dustoff45 (A non-posting Freeper makes no spelling errors (Have a Misspell on me))
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To: antiRepublicrat

Make the insurance company split the costs of the ransom with the country that banned the ship from arming itself.


52 posted on 04/14/2009 11:04:53 AM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT 2006; now living north of Tampa Bay)
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To: Dustoff45
“Spray some diesel down into their boat, then throw a flare down into it. Once it ignites, it will burn for awhile.”

Fiberglass loves to burn!

53 posted on 04/14/2009 11:05:22 AM PDT by Cheetahcat (Osamabama Wright kind of Racist! We are in a state of War with Democrats)
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To: savedbygrace

That’s what I was thinking. And frankly, I don’t care what they do or to whom. Let the Egyptians and whoever else decide what they want to do. Stupid pukes.


54 posted on 04/14/2009 11:06:29 AM PDT by Nuhna di Abuv
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To: EyeGuy
“Why are criminals tolerated? Why do they have any “rights”?”

####

I believe the diseased reasoning (which you can even read here on FR among the “progressive”, “open-minded” types) goes like this:

- We cannot allow ourselves to stoop to their level.

- If we simply exterminate them, we are no better than they are.

- What are we fighting for, if we become just as savage and uncivilized as our enemies.

But here is how I view it:

We do not stoop to their level when we are "protecting" our property and people, even if we employ the same methods.

If we exterminate them, we are better because we are doing it for the purpose of peace.

Fighting evil does not make us uncivilized or savages. Quite the opposite. Removing those who perpetrate evil makes us more civilized and less savage.

55 posted on 04/14/2009 11:18:13 AM PDT by Repealthe17thAmendment (Is this field required?)
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To: Dustoff45

They would need guns with a fair amount of range. The way I understand it, the pirates have RPGs. They get within communication range and tell the boat let us board or we fire the RPG at your ship and sink it. That is the strategy that they would have to have an effective defense against.


56 posted on 04/14/2009 11:33:38 AM PDT by mysterio
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To: Repealthe17thAmendment

Well-stated. I characterize it as the signs of a mature civilization that understands what must be done.

I have made similar arguments, even had to here on FR, sad to say.


57 posted on 04/14/2009 11:35:29 AM PDT by EyeGuy
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To: mysterio

Okay - Quad 50s then


58 posted on 04/14/2009 11:59:16 AM PDT by Dustoff45 (A non-posting Freeper makes no spelling errors (Have a Misspell on me))
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To: EyeGuy

LOL, good post.

You’re right.

What in the world would these types of people do if a thug walked up to them threatened them and their families with a gun and then thumbed the hammer back?

When would they fight back or would they just keep talkig and a wishing and a hoping that the thug really didn’t shoot them first?

Why aren’t the people who never fight back or “resort to violence” extinct?

How have they survived?

I guess it’s because of “those good rough men who will do violence on their behalf so that they can sleep peacefully in their beds at night”.

Typical “liberal” belief or philosophy, let somebody else do the dirty work while they stand around talking and drinking expensive wine and looking down their noses at the “ruffians” who saved their delicate little condescending elitist butts.


59 posted on 04/14/2009 2:09:07 PM PDT by garyhope (It's world war IV, right here, right now courtesy of Islam. VRWC. TWP.)
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To: OneWingedShark

Excellent idea, pirate ships just suddenly disappear in the middle of the night in the middle of an ocean. Can you say shark bait?


60 posted on 04/14/2009 2:12:33 PM PDT by garyhope (It's world war IV, right here, right now courtesy of Islam. VRWC. TWP.)
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