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Somali pirates hijack U.S.-bound oil tanker, the Maran Centaurus
NY Daily News ^ | 11/30/09 | staff

Posted on 11/30/2009 1:15:00 PM PST by pissant

NAIROBI, Kenya - Somali pirates seized a tanker carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia to the United States in the increasingly dangerous waters off East Africa, an official said Monday, an attack that could pose a huge environmental or security threat to the region.

The Greece-flagged Maran Centaurus was hijacked Sunday about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) off the coast of Somalia, said Cmdr. John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force. Harbour said it originated from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and was destined for the United States. The ship has 28 crew members on board, he said.

The shipping intelligence company Lloyd's List said the Maran Centaurus is a "very large crude carrier, with a capacity of over 300,000 tons." Officials could not immediately say how many barrels of oil were on board, but its value would be in the millions of dollars.

Pirates have increased attacks on vessels off East Africa for the millions in ransom that can be had. Though pirates have successfully hijacked dozens of vessels the last several years, Sunday's attack appears to be only the second ever on an oil tanker.

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


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: energy; larrysinclairslover; obama; oil; piracy; somalia; somalipirates; somaliteens; wot
I guess they really fear Obama, huh?
1 posted on 11/30/2009 1:15:02 PM PST by pissant
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To: pissant

No one outside of this country fears this assclown.


2 posted on 11/30/2009 1:19:32 PM PST by Texas resident ( Doing my part to piss off the heathen left.)
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To: pissant
All I know is when the Somali pirates tried to take the Maersk Alabama again, they were on the receiving end of the bullets!

Pirates attack Maersk Alabama Again (Guess who's ready for them?)

3 posted on 11/30/2009 1:21:27 PM PST by UAConservative (Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere)
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To: pissant
And there are not armed crew members on board because? This is so insane and the solution is so obvious. Welcome to Obamaworld.
4 posted on 11/30/2009 1:23:13 PM PST by JPG (Obama's plan for America...today, Labor Unions...tomorrow, Labor Camps.)
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To: UAConservative

Why is it that no one has thought of sinking the Somali mother ship? Those other small boats couldn’t do a dam thing 500 miles at sea.


5 posted on 11/30/2009 1:24:42 PM PST by RC2
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To: JPG

No, this is actually “UN World” where nations are so deluded that they can make allowances for private ships to defend from criminals when in port or at sea.


6 posted on 11/30/2009 1:27:16 PM PST by Little Ray (The beatings will continue until GOP comes to heel.)
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To: RC2

“Those other small boats couldn’t do a dam thing 500 miles at sea.”

But it sure would be fun watching them try to row back.


7 posted on 11/30/2009 1:27:35 PM PST by swain_forkbeard (Rationality may not be sufficient, but it is necessary.)
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To: RC2

The motherships may have prisoners on board. Nations don’t want to take the chance of killing one.


8 posted on 11/30/2009 1:30:53 PM PST by Little Ray (The beatings will continue until GOP comes to heel.)
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To: pissant

This whole pirate thing could have been avoided if klintoon had done his job and turned Somalia into a parking lot after Black Hawk Down happened. Instead he watched as our soldiers were killed and then degraded and drug through the streets AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT!!!


9 posted on 11/30/2009 1:31:23 PM PST by taillightchaser (When a democrat says "The American people" you know the next words out of his mouth will be lies.)
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To: pissant

Sink all ships/boats withing 200 mi of Somalia including bombing all boats hauled onshore. Do this for 40 years. Likely no problem for 40 years.


10 posted on 11/30/2009 1:31:37 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: JPG
And there are not armed crew members on board because?

It's Greek owned and operated. Why not ask them?

11 posted on 11/30/2009 1:32:16 PM PST by Non-Sequitur
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To: JPG; Non-Sequitur
“And there are not armed crew members on board because?...

Ships have not allowed crews to carry weapons for multiple decades. Has to do with a history of mutiny. Seriously.

That is why we had created the Sea-Bees so they could protect the ships they were on - and be liable to military law.

Even now the Maersk Alabama does not allow it's crew to carry guns - they have hired guards.

Maritime law is a funny thing.

I do agree that we need to execute each and every pirate we can. End this nonsense.

12 posted on 11/30/2009 1:53:22 PM PST by Leo Farnsworth (I'm not really Leo Farnsworth...)
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To: Paladin2
...bombing all boats hauled onshore.

A series of low-level napalm drops would work wonders - nothing left to repair.

13 posted on 11/30/2009 4:48:53 PM PST by Ben Hecks ("...a soldier's pack is not as heavy a burden as a prisoner's chains." - Eisenhower)
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To: pissant

The ship isn’t American flagged, so I really don’t care what happens to it.


14 posted on 11/30/2009 5:47:15 PM PST by Chewbacca (My gun has killed less people than Vice Pres Biden's motorcade.)
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