[reagan4palin]

This is going to be very interesting. Somali Pirates may have stepped in it big time. They hijacked a Russian tanker with 23 Russian sailors aboard. To top it off the tanker is loaded with Chinese owned oil.

A Russian warship with combat troops and helicopters in on the way.

[Islander7]

Oh, this should be fun. The Russians aren’t someone you want to mess with.

[babygene]

Obama should probably take notes...

[sappy]

I hope this has a happy ending. e.g., dead pirates.

[the invisib1e hand]

cue the popcorn graphic.

[jakerobins]

One shipload of DEAD somalis coming up...the Russians deal with the terrorist brutally........ I would like to see the video of the Somali Pirates trying to surrender to the Rooskies....We Sur....BANG BANG!!!

[vladimir998]

I heard a story about this once:

In the 1980s, Lebanese Muslim terrorists took some Russians hostage. The Russians tracked down their families and started to send them their family members in packages - one or two pieces at a time. The terrorists learned never to take Russians as hostages.

Anyone know if that story is true?

[Argus]

Can’t wait for our liberals to get the vapors over the Russians’ non-pc response to this.

(Oh what am I talking about? Our liberals always give the Russians a pass.)

[bgill]

Ooops!

[Riley]

This is going to be very interesting. Somali Pirates may have stepped in it big time.

Exactly right. The Russians don't give a crap what 'world opinion' has to say about it.

If I had to guess, I'd say that one night the ship will be under pirate control, and the next morning it'll inexplicably change course for a friendly port amidst a cacophony of burping fish.

[tarheelswamprat]

As the phrase goes, “Big Mistake”. ;)

[farlander]

Well the moron pirates win the “deathwish of the month” award.

[EGPWS]

Somalis hijack Russian tanker, warship dispatched

That's how it's done!

[Ted Grant]

And now we find out if the Russians are serious in the 21st Century. My instinct says they are. Big trouble is coming to those Somali pirates, and soon!

[Nachoman]

These pirates are going to be surprised that the Russians will shoot them - even if a hostage is in the way.

[Thunder90]

The Somalis have pissed off the wrong people.

The Spetsnaz and Chinese special forces will destroy the Somali pirates.

[Polynikes]

I wonder how you say Spetsnaz in Somali?

[ElkGroveDan]

If any of the old Soviet spooks are around, this won't be pretty:

When Islamic fundamentalists kidnapped four Soviet diplomats in Beirut on 30 September 1985, at the height of the foreign hostage crisis in Lebanon, and demanded Moscow press its client state Syria to stop shelling Sunni Muslim militiamen in the northern port of Tripoli, the KGB responded with characteristic vigor.

After clandestine negotiations failed to secure the men's release, Soviet agents grabbed half a dozen fundamentalists in West Beirut and reportedly sliced off a few of their fingers, sending the severed digits to the fundamentalist leadership with the message: "Release our people or you'll get your people back piece by piece."

source

[Hunton Peck]

[Billthedrill]

Uh, Somali fellers? I may have misled you a little when I said the Russians were Europeans...I mean, it's technically true but you may have gotten the wrong imp...

Incoming.

[SunkenCiv]

from the archives:

• Iran Deploys Troops, Ballistic Missiles To Eritrea
• Report: Eritrea supplying arms to Somali jihadists
• Israelis warn of Eritrea flashpoint