Posted on 11/11/2005 8:45:41 AM PST by 1066AD
'Mother ship' behind pirate raids Pirate attacks off Somalia's coast are being organised from command vessels, or "mother ships", the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has said. It says speedboats are being launched from ships that prowl the routes of the Indian Ocean, searching for targets.
Last week, a luxury cruise liner off Somalia's coast was attacked by pirates with rocket-propelled grenades.
The IMB says pirates are still holding seven ships and their crews, seized in the world's most dangerous waters.
In the past few days, at least four other vessels are reported to have been attacked.
'Out of control'
Captain Pottengal Mukundan, director of the IMB, says pirate attacks are being launched from at least two "mother ships".
Capt Mukundan says speedboats carry out the attempted hijacks before returning to the larger vessels floating at sea.
This means even ships sailing far off the coast are vulnerable to attack. He says the situation off the coast of Somalia appears to be completely out of control.
The IMB has recorded more than 30 hijack attempts in the region since March.
These latest attacks follow a thwarted attempt by pirates in small boats to commandeer the luxury liner, the Seabourn Spirit, which was steaming some 100 miles (160km) off the Somali coast last week.
But the liner's crew took evasive action, repelling the attackers without returning fire.
To scare off the pirates, they deployed a military-grade sonic weapon, capable of causing permanent damage to hearing from a distance of more than 300 metres (984ft).
Somalia has been without any effective government for 14 years.
Despite attempts to establish a new administration earlier this year, the country remains divided between rival warlords.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/4428808.stm
Just a LITTLE OVERKILL...
Then check my tagline....
A battleship would be overkill and a violation of economy of force.
A nice little corvette with a deck gun would do just fine. Or just have a sub over there periodically check the area for mother ships and deal with them as they reveal themselves.
What is this? Looks stealthy. Is it like a stealth "hanger" for a attack craft? Our's I hope.
I think she's just right for taking out the 'mothership'. One torpedo, and the bad guys are off to enjoy their 72 raisins.
Re: this picture
LOL!
I had to look twice, before I saw the New Orleans looter and the fake 9/11 guy!! LOL!
Why not a sniper on board the cruise liner?
Why would anyone take a luxury cruise to Somalia? Sounds like the last place in the world I'd like to go.
Ping...
Fantastic. Did you do that? I just sent it off to 20 of my closest friends.
Yes, I just did it. I thought maybe the Tourist Guy was too overdone to include, but he looks good there. Like he's having a fun time.
Nothing says sea power like 9 - 16 inch rifles....all going off at once.
No - not overdone. I saw Tourist Guy immediately but didn't see Looter Man. The two of them in there together are hysterical.
Let's not forget that the Soviets also shot a U.S. Army officer in East Germany (Berlin ? ) and left him to bleed to death in the street (pictures were in the papers). They told his driver that if he went to help the officer, he also would be shot.
Yup, It's all Clinton's fault.
George Clinton, that is.
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