Posted on 05/01/2009 2:48:12 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Capt. Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama says, 'And I don't mean a security guard. I don't mean a mall cop. I mean someone who's sufficiently trained.' His boss disagrees.
Reporting from Washington -- The freed captain of a merchant ship attacked by pirates near Somalia last month called Thursday for military protection and armed crew members to thwart attacks in dangerous waters.
Capt. Richard Phillips, skipper of the Maersk Alabama, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that it was the "responsibility of the U.S. government" to protect any ship flying an American flag, through military escorts or onboard squads of highly trained security forces.
He added that an armed brigade of specially trained senior crew members also could deter pirate attacks in certain situations.
"And I don't mean a security guard. I don't mean a mall cop. I mean someone who's sufficiently trained," Phillips said
Phillips and the private shipping line's chairman, John Clancey, differed in their prescriptions for addressing piracy in testimony Thursday. Clancey said arming and training crew officers would be prohibitively expensive and would result in a potentially deadly arms race with pirates.
But the recommendations from Phillips, widely regarded as a hero for selflessly trading his freedom in exchange for that of his 20-person crew, are likely to pressure the U.S. military to consider steps he outlined in the hearing. At the same time, military officials have said that world navies could not protect every ship, and they have recommended that vessel operators adopt more aggressive defenses.
Since the Maersk Alabama attack, the military has held several meetings with shipping companies, looking for better ways to deter pirates. Clancey said those talks were continuing.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I’ve listened to some of the talking heads who are against arming ships.
Their first argument against it is the fire hazard - who would want gunfire on a tanker? I wouldn’t want gunfire on an LNG tanker, but it wouldn’t be a great fire hazard on a dry cargo or container ship.
Another argument made is that a seaman knows nothing about firearms. How many have military experience? How many have owned firearms? Give training to those with no knowledge - they don’t have to be trained to Special Ops levels.
The argument is made that seamen would be unable to actually kill. Unless seamen have changed a lot since I worked with them I don’t think that would be an insurmountable obstacle. How many seamen are extreme pacifists? I never knew any.
The final argument made is that it would escalate the violence! Armed pirates are firing rockets and automatic weapons at the ships! How much more violent can it get?
Remember too that pirates don’t want to destroy the ship - they want to capture it.
You could stand on a LNG tank on a ship and fire an RPG into it and nothing would happen.
The LNG is a not under pressure, frozen at , at least, 100 degrees below zero slush liquid and requires the precise amount of air and gas to burn.
99.9 percent of people are uneducated and ignorant of science and physics and get their information from equally ignorant MSM.
You give the same reason the Navy dolt, fancy pants dweeb officers wouldn’t arm their ships. 22 Cole sailors paid the price. Since those deaths, beurocratic murders really, the same officer corp has done a 180.
Normally skilled tradesmen can be shown to fairly operate and use automatic weapons in a hour.
Duh!
I was thinking more along the lines of poor ship’s maintenance. A leak in the wrong place, the LNG near it warms up and evaporates.
It’s a long shot, but possible.
This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard today. What is wrong with these liberal idiots? Arms race you say? Hell if that is too expensive then just agree to pay a nice tariff up front to these criminals.
I think a 10 year old with a 22 cal rifle could stop a guy from climbing up a rope on a ship.
I read somewhere yesterday that one country would be placing their military on their ships
Point and shoot until the threat stops.Repeat as needed.
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I found a Somalia cruise package that departs from Sawakin (in the Sudan) and docks at Bagamoya (in Tanzania). The cost is a bit high but it seems well worth it. What I found encouraging and enlightened is that the cruise is encouraging people to bring their own high powered weapons along on the cruise. If you don't have weapons you can rent them right there on the boat.
They claim to have a master gunsmith on board and will have reloading parties every afternoon. The cruise lasts from 4-8 days. All the boat does is sail up and down the coast of Somalia waiting to get hijacked by pirates. Here are some of the costs and claims associated with the package:
$800.00 US/per day per person, double occupancy (4 day minimum).
- M-16 full automatic: rental $25.00/day ammo at 100 rounds of 5.56 mm armor-piercing ammo at $15.95
- Ak-47 rifle: no charge. Ammo at 100 rounds of 7.62 mm com block ball ammo at $14.95
- Barrett M-107 .50 cal sniper rifle: rental $55.00/day. Ammo at 25 rounds 50 cal armor piercing at $29.95.
- Crew members can double as spotters for $30.00 per hour (spotting scope included).
- They even offer RPG's at $75 bucks and $200 for 3 standard loads.
- Mounted mini-gun available @ $450.00 per 30 seconds of sustained fire.
- Free complimentary night vision equipment.
Meals are not included but seem reasonable. Coffee and snacks on the Lido (top) deck from 7pm-6am They offer group rates and corporate discounts, and even offer a partial money back if not satisfied.
Text from the ad:
"We guarantee that you will experience at least two hijacking attempts by pirates or we will refund half your money including gun rental charges and any unused ammo (mini gun charges not included). How can we guarantee you will experience a hijacking? We operate at 5 knots within 12 miles of the coast of Somalia. If an attempted hijacking does not occur we will turn the boat around and cruise by at 4 knots.
"We will repeat this for up to 8 days making three passes a day along the entire length of Somalia. At night the boat is fully lit and bottle rockets are shot off at intervals and loud disco music beamed shore side to attract attention. Cabin space is limited so respond quickly. Reserve your package before April 29 and get 100 rounds of free tracer ammo in the caliber of your choice."
Here are a few testimonials:
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!!" ---- Stan, Denver, CO USA
"I got three confirmed kills on my last trip. I'LL never hunt big game in Africa again." ----Lars, Hamburg, Germany
"Six attacks in 4 days was more than I expected. I bagged three pirates and my 12 yr old son sank two rowboats with the minigun. PIRATES 0, PASSENGERS 32! Well worth the trip. Just make sure your spotter speaks English." ----- Ned, Salt Lake City, Utah USA
"I haven't had this much fun since flying choppers in NAM. Don't worry about getting shot by pirates as they never even got close to the ship with those weapons they use and their crappy aim--reminds me of a drunken 'juicer' door gunner we picked up from the motor pool back in Nam." ----"Chopper" Dan, Toledo, Ohio USA.
Don't say "clips", say "mags" or "magazines"...
Unless you are talking about the venerable M-1.... :)
How about we arm some of the crew with semi-auto shotguns and some with M-14 ?
I saw that testimony on C-SPAN. I am extremely disappointed with John Clancey. He is taking an utterly disgracefully weak, panty-waisted, cowardly stance. Where is the back-bone of a true American? When did he become a Euro-Weenie subordinate to “International” conventions that force us to LOSE?
The chip on you shoulder must be an awful burden.
Yes, I hate beaurocrats. Especially military bureaucrats.
Islamic car bombs for a decade and the Navy couldn’t put two and two together and imagine boat bombs.
Or, South Africa anti-road mine vehicles for the past 40-50 years and not one, single one in the Army. Not even tested.
Maybe 1,500 killed, plus another 5k seriously wounded. Of course now we have tens of thousands.
Even older, 100 dollar Aimpoint sights, first used in the Son Tay raid 1970, and not issued until 1990.
Yup, I just love bureaucratic ass covering that gets good young men killed.
That’s why I had senior NCO’s thank me for saying political incorrect things, since I wasn’t staying in anyways.
I thought so. You were a pain in the a$$ single enlistment sea lawyer. Good riddance.
Anyways, My dad was an up from the ranks major who got his arm shot off in Germany. I enlisted but failed my physical by having a slight allergy to bee stings, and was further rejected on appeal to the Army Surgeon General. Whereupon I just went to Oakland , enlisted again and lied, then volunteered for the 82nd and then later SF and ended up on SF Ateam..
So, good thing we never met, as entertaining as it would of been for me.
By the way in a more studious vein, you might of read the New England Journal of Medicine, or the Lancet. Where they often study failed procedures have harmed or killed. I'm curious where in your case the Navy, such cold analytical crizims can be found and read? After all, no large organization can truly prosper with out open communications of failure, right? Maybe you know of a book, say, entitled, US Military Failures, A Systematic Historical Review. I'd like to read it.
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