Posted on 03/07/2011 7:42:19 AM PST by Travis McGee
Pirates hijacked 53 ships and held a total of 1,181 hostages for ransom last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Forty nine of those ships and 1,016 of those hostages from commercial and private vessels -- were seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia, a statistic that was brought into sharp relief last month when Somali pirates hijacked a yacht and on Feb. 22 murdered the four Americans aboard. Two days later, a Danish family, including three children, was taken from their yacht by Somali pirates and as of this writing had been moved to a larger pirate vessel off the Somali Coast.
These very unfortunate events and statistics are renewing and raising awareness about Somali piracy, and many piracy experts echo the advice of Amb. David H. Shinn, former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, who notes that leisure travelers have no business going into the Western Indian Ocean until the crisis caused by Somali pirates has ended. The International Maritime Bureau also reports that there were 445 pirate attacks worldwide last year, underscoring that piracy is not just a Somali problem. Hostile boardings happen all over the world, especially in South Asia, the Caribbean, and even off the coast of Florida, says Charles Clifton, founder and director of non-profit security company Humanitarian Defense.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
This situation is ripe for creative conservative entrepeneurship. If I had a couple million to invest, I’d purchase a medium sized cruiseliner and sell tickets to pirate fishing expeditions. For $25,000 you get a luxury room on my ship, including food, beverage and entertainment. Entertainment being we cruise slowly up and down the coast of Somalia and when the ship is attacked, ticket paying passengers are given high caliber weapons and have at it. First 500 rounds are included in the cost of the cruise, additional magazines available for purchase!!!!
It’ll take a leader with nerve, that’s for sure.
So the hostages will be there at least until Obama is gone.
Reagan would announce his policy in advance, directed to the money men backing the pirate voyages, ransoming hostages etc.
We follow the money, and identify the key players. I’m sure this has already been done.
Announce “hostages released by this date or else.”
The or else: all your offshore assets frozen or seized. Your famliy unable to travel outside of Somalia (no more shopping in Paris.) YOur ports wrecked by hellfire missiles, no more profit. Your vessels destroyed by hellfires, no more pirate voyages. Release the hostages, and we’ll talk about your issues with fishing rights etc.
They won’t release the hostages, so you go ahead and destroy the ports. You will lose a lot of hostages, but you will end piracy.
It sure ain’t rocket science. It just takes a leader like Reagan or Thatcher.
When merchant ships sail through pirate waters at night they shine very bright lights aft and have fire hoses running full blast over the transom.
One other trick pirates used was to run two boats with a line between them in front of an on coming ship. A short little Nantucket sleigh ride and they would have a boat positiond on both sides of the ship.
Tons more awesome pictures here: Megayacht Su-Ri
All true points. What is that old saying about “A ship in a harbor is safe...”
Yep. The long rope across the bow also works at anchor. We used to plan demo charges that would result in an explosion on each side of a ship. Just get up-current of an anchored ship and let them go.
Not sure if an on board taxidermist would be considered crass.
Kill them all where they live. That’s how.
Speaking of passivity, the quote from Amb. David Shinn left me shaking my head:
leisure travelers have no business going into the Western Indian Ocean until the crisis caused by Somali pirates has ended.
He makes it sound like piracy is like a weather event. “The typhoon will end soon, then it will be safe to sail.”
It will end when a serious nation decides to enforce civilized mores on Somali savages without worrying about lawyers or collateral damage. In fact, it may take significant so-called collateral damage to get it to stop. It needs to be more painful for the Somalis to let the pirates operate in their midst, than for them to enjoy the rewards piracy brings their society.
Mine is the 4X32 and I luv it. I'd buy more acogs, but a friend told me that after 6-7 years, the illumination degrades and you have to have it recharged which today costs $400, spendy; not an easy keeper for sure. How long have you noticed until an acog's illumination getting weak? I've bought 2 leupold tacticals that were same price as acogs over this issue.
I'm going to pick up a 308 AR when I see a deal on AK List. I've also looked at a couple 338 Lapuas; Sako, Savage, and Armalite. Which one is the way to go?
That was you?! Great idea!
Stay away from the Somali coast.
Stay away from the Gulf of Oman.
Stay away from the coast of Aden.
That's it.
>>Searching for pirates on the ocean is a fools errand, like getting rid of ants one at a time with tweezers. You destroy the nest to destroy the pirates.
It’s just like establishing air superiority. You don’t swat the hornets, you destroy the nest. Which, in an age of advanced IADS, is non-trivial, on the air superiority side. With the pirates, the issues are, 1) hostages, as you note and 2) unwillingness to cause pain to the local citizenry, despite the fact that they are “in” on the deal.
Most BW sailors are not rich. They are living their dream on a shoestring budget.
I'm surprised Matt, I assume you mean as a private citizen?
I'll bet you used an M-14 professionally.
One of the problems is that now most pirates operate from a mothership with the original crew still held hostage.
Ju got a boat, right??? Man???
I tink we could make big ju-ju suprise for dem pirates, huh???
I bring me own bang bang (mojo) and some FRiends...ja???
I’ll buy the first round of cold Tusker beer in Mombasa, I know just the place...
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