New wave of Somali pirate attacks ( 4 more in last 48 hours )

BBC ^ | Tuesday, 14 April 2009 18:39 UK 17:39 GMT, | BBC Staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

New wave of Somali pirate attacks

There have been an estimated 10 hijackings by Somali pirates this month Somali pirates have hijacked a fourth vessel in 48 hours, seizing a Lebanese-owned cargo ship. The 5,000-tonne Togo-flagged MV Sea Horse was taken by gunmen in up to four skiffs, Nato officials said. Earlier, pirates hijacked a Greek-owned bulk carrier, the MV Irene, in the Gulf of Aden a day after Somali raiders captured two Egyptian fishing boats. Analysts say the gangs are clearly not put off by recent US and French hostage rescues that left several bandits dead. Somali pirate leaders - who have generally treated captives well in the hope of winning big ransom payouts - vowed on Monday to avenge the deaths. Attacks rise Nato officials said another ship - the Liberian-flagged Safmarine Asia - escaped on Tuesday after coming under fire from pirates in several small boats.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It didn’t slow down for long.

[DieHard the Hunter]

SEALs are going to be busy.

[NormsRevenge]

Nope.

I just stuck an ap article in Breaking about the Somali ‘surge’.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2228937/posts

[Tzimisce]

Isn’t it time we admit defeat at the hands of Somali Community Organizers?

[NormsRevenge]

Sounds like a mission for ‘Puff’ 7 The Predator ... a few at sea bursts and then head to land and their main bases.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ROFL!

[DieHard the Hunter]

> Sounds like a mission for ‘Puff’ 7 The Predator ... a few at sea bursts and then head to land and their main bases.

(grin!) That would be an amazing sight...

I am of the view that this is a defining moment in America’s history. The US can either clean up the pirates and establish a safe beach-head in the basket-case that is Somalia, or China will — and thereby get a nice tight lock on the Arabian Gulf, cementing its hegemony on Africa for at least 100 years.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Your article must have not been up when I did a search...BBC was quick ...usually ap is hours ahead of them.

[SampleMan]

I don't really care about other country's ships. That is there problem and if they don't have the stones to deal with some rag tag pirates, then too bad.

But the United States is different. The answer is as simple as the nose on our face. Put guns on board our ships and make them more difficult to board by pulling up ladders, putting cameras and lights down the sides, etc.

We could even find some stones ourselves and have a CVN pay a call on the pirates as they traverse back from the Persian Gulf. If we simply make it clear that any attack on a U.S. flagged vessel or kidnapping of a U.S. citizen will result in the demolition of all their nice homes, they will seek out a better business model.

U.S. flagged shipping will then see a resurrection in numbers.

[albie]

BO’s got Michelle overseeing the 24 hour “White Flag” factory personally! WE NEED MORE!!~sarc

[Nick Danger]

Unless these pirates want to be killed, they need to find a safer hobby. Like, say, enriching Uranium or shooting missiles over Japan.

[NormsRevenge]

Some times search engines burp. :-)

I do a simple search on exact title only usually and do a deeper any word match when in doubt.

BBC has been kicking butt lately.

[Skid Marx]

One of these babies... from the deck of that ship through the bottom of one of those little boats. Or would that violate some kind of UN treaty.

[DieHard the Hunter]

(grin!) That would give “don’t rock the boat” a whole new meaning.

[Cicero]

Well, as long as the rest of the world wimps out, I don’t know whether the U.S. should get deeply involved—especially if it involves going back into Somalia yet again and putting everyone there on welfare.

The impression I get from the headline is that it’s all our fault that the pirates have gotten more active. I don’t see how the U.S. can straighten this out alone, with the rest of the world blaming us for being mean and nasty to the poor, downtrodden people of Somalia. That was the kind of stupid talk that got GWH Bush in there in the first place, and then led to Mogadishu under clinton. If we do anything, it should be limited to something practical, like sinking all their ships and boats.

[Skid Marx]

heh!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I just posted this:

Navy says it can do little to stop future pirate attacks

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

i think they should try uranium....

[Marine_Uncle]

For all we know a lot of these pirate groups may not be aware of what happened regarding the US ship. And they are just going about business as usual. It is free pickings.
I would be interesting to see some reporting on how many land bases and mother ships the whole business has to operate from.