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Pirates Take German Ship Towards Comrades Off Somalia
Radionz.co.nz ^ | 11 April 2009 | Staff

Posted on 04/10/2009 4:45:16 PM PDT by BarnacleCenturion

Pirates on Friday sailed a hijacked German freighter and its crew toward a lifeboat off Somalia where an American hostage is being held.

They are reportedly doing so an attempt to help their comrades in a standoff with the US Navy.

Four pirates are holding the American captain of a cargo ship, Richard Phillips, in a drifting lifeboat and demanding $US2 million for his release and a guarantee of their own safety.

They have been holding him since a foiled attempt on Wednesday to hijack the 17,000-tonne, Danish-owned Maersk Alabama in the Indian Ocean.

A destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, is close by.

Another group that hijacked a 20,000-tonne German container vessel, the Hansa Stavanger, a week ago is reportedly heading to the scene of the standoff.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: piracy; pirates; somalipirates
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To: BarnacleCenturion

No Fair! The pirates are “ganging up” on our poor helpless Navy! LOL.


181 posted on 04/11/2009 5:44:13 AM PDT by 2harddrive (...House a TOTAL Loss.....)
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To: combat_boots

This may have been a test, at least that’s what I would consider it, and now the world knows we will not destroy a private plane. The next test will come when the plane goes into another building, or stadium.... If the pilot wanted to die, just fly towards the ground.


182 posted on 04/11/2009 5:45:32 AM PDT by huldah1776 ( Worthy is the Lamb)
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To: All
FBI, US Navy and Somali Pirates Sing Easter Hymns together [Pirate/humor/satire]
183 posted on 04/11/2009 6:02:16 AM PDT by Girlene (Congratulations, Sgt. Ryan Weemer)
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To: Girlene

notice how the French have gone in and stormed a boat and yet we are still just watching and waiting.

Even when the capt jumped over we just sat there and watched

Never thought I would say this but the French are showing more balls than we are

Hey phony , how about doing something and when you are asked a question about this you should answer instead of saying guys we’re talking about housing.

Now he enjoys his Easter egg hunt with the homos and cross dressers

How Lincoln would be proud


184 posted on 04/11/2009 6:32:41 AM PDT by manc (Marriage is between a man and a woman no sick queer sham--- end racism end affirmative action)
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To: Ted Grant
Can you think of a good reason the crew of cargo ships aren’t armed? I can.

Mutiny?

185 posted on 04/11/2009 6:59:30 AM PDT by SteamShovel (Global Warming, the New Patriotism)
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To: a real Sheila
This is a real "Katrina".
186 posted on 04/11/2009 7:28:49 AM PDT by Principled (Get the capital back! NRST!)
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To: manc
I'm guessing it was too dangerous (for his safey) to rescue the captain when he jumped overboard. Don't know.

So far, it seems the Navy is prepared to end this through negotiations. Thankfully, the one German cargo ship with their own hostages has returned to port since they couldn't find the lifeboat. Right now all the pirates have is the captain, and nothing else.

Seems like some other pirates have been busy, though. AP Top News at 10:39 a.m.

"The head of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Program says Somali pirates have hijacked an American-owned tugboat with 16 crew in the Gulf of Aden. Andrew Mwangura says maritime industry sources told him that the Italian-flagged boat was towing two barges when it was attacked."
187 posted on 04/11/2009 7:48:08 AM PDT by Girlene (Congratulations, Sgt. Ryan Weemer)
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To: Talisker

Someone up there said, its not filled with air, so popping it won’t work. Overturning it would work. So would sniper bullets.


188 posted on 04/11/2009 8:17:53 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: angkor

I’m not stupid; I understand that. But these men are facing worse repercussions ON the high seas. Aren’t they?

And don’t these huge boats know where they’re going to port well in advance? Why not plan for whatever the laws are and deal with it accordingly? The ports with the least resistance to defense measures will undoubtedly become the most popular. Yeah sounds like a logistical nightmare, but to me it beats the alternative.

Bottom line is it’s a US vessel in international water at risk for piracy. So this gun-control-gone-wrong scheme is something for which I’d somehow find a workaround if I could. But that’s just me.


189 posted on 04/11/2009 9:02:36 AM PDT by lainie (The US congress is full to the brim of absolutely disgusting thieves who deserve humiliating ouster.)
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To: Girlene

I can’t understand why no one has brought up the point (or pounded it home anyway) the fact that the U.S.A. is now officially NEGOTIATING WITH TERRORISTS as a diplomatic procedure, something is not right. I can feel it. I was trained to be alert to certain social signals. I feel a revolt in the air, and I’m not talking about the tea parties. I was in Naval Intelligence and I know our Government only tells us 1/4 of what is really going on...Either Obama is the most naive politician in centuries, not having a clue of what he hath wrought, maybe the greatest appeaser in history, or he is a ONE MAN SLEEPER CELL. Yes, I said it..and think about it. When he bowed to the king, he may not have said “ It is an honor to meet you sir” I think rather because he is so flaky in his faith, and getting caught up in enormous ego, and the influence of his middle name, etc. he may have just gotten carried away and said “How can I be of use to you Sire?” America is in BIG trouble. It is getting flushed down the toilet right before our eyes.


190 posted on 04/11/2009 9:16:30 AM PDT by Rainwaves (Rianwaves)
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To: Girlene

I can’t understand why no one has brought up the point (or pounded it home anyway) the fact that the U.S.A. is now officially NEGOTIATING WITH TERRORISTS as a diplomatic procedure, something is not right. I can feel it. I was trained to be alert to certain social signals. I feel a revolt in the air, and I’m not talking about the tea parties. I was in Naval Intelligence and I know our Government only tells us 1/4 of what is really going on...Either Obama is the most naive politician in centuries, not having a clue of what he hath wrought, maybe the greatest appeaser in history, or he is a ONE MAN SLEEPER CELL. Yes, I said it..and think about it. When he bowed to the king, he may not have said “ It is an honor to meet you sir” I think rather because he is so flaky in his faith, and getting caught up in enormous ego, and the influence of his middle name, etc. he may have just gotten carried away and said “How can I be of use to you Sire?” America is in BIG trouble. It is getting flushed down the toilet right before our eyes.


191 posted on 04/11/2009 9:16:49 AM PDT by Rainwaves (Rianwaves)
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To: BarnacleCenturion

If you filled a ship like that with ANFO, how close would you have to get it to another ship to sink, or do serious damage to it?


192 posted on 04/11/2009 9:27:28 AM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: Rainwaves
I can’t understand why no one has brought up the point (or pounded it home anyway) the fact that the U.S.A. is now officially NEGOTIATING WITH TERRORISTS as a diplomatic procedure,

You got me. I think the gov't is not officially calling them terrorists, but instead calling them criminals. This is considered criminal activity, except we're using our military to catch or deter the perps.
193 posted on 04/11/2009 9:32:49 AM PDT by Girlene (Congratulations, Sgt. Ryan Weemer)
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To: Bon mots

I was thinking the exact same thing. A diver quietly puts a hole in the pod, as it sinks its every man for himself. I bet these hajis cant even swim. Then our divers extract the captain.


194 posted on 04/11/2009 11:04:19 AM PDT by culpeper ( When traitors are called heroes, dark times have fallen - Roland Deschain)
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To: ItisaReligionofPeace

Sorry for using the wrong terminology. I had not heard it was an excape pod. I was under the impression it was one of the rafts used by the pirates to approach the ships, as I had not seen a picture of the actual boat.


195 posted on 04/11/2009 11:21:14 AM PDT by Conservative4Ever (Man the pitchforks and torches.......let the revolution begin)
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To: All

Thanks for informing me on the correct type of boat. Haven’t seen any pictures of what the craft looks like.


196 posted on 04/11/2009 11:22:53 AM PDT by Conservative4Ever (Man the pitchforks and torches.......let the revolution begin)
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To: BarnacleCenturion

As someone else said: a 3 ring circus.

The whole thing stinks to high heaven. Are we getting set up to go into Somalia again? Under the Huseein’s command?


197 posted on 04/11/2009 11:30:07 AM PDT by eleni121 (The New Byzantium - resurrect it!)
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To: bboop
Um, just a wild idea here — could they not send some cloud of SOMETHING their way, put them all to sleep, pick up the captain and sink the ship? Just a thot.

Why not quietly, at night time, send over full armed Navy Seals and hook on a tow line and tow the lifeboat alongside "Bainebridge"!

With megaphone tell the pirates if the hurt the captain they all will all be shot!!

If the try to open the hatches and shoot, the Navy Seals shoot them first. They should have all the advances of night vision goggles!!!

198 posted on 04/11/2009 12:25:27 PM PDT by danamco
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To: BarnacleCenturion
Anyone remember seeing, Under Ten Flags?

It is story about a rarely mentioned weapon of WWII, the German Surface Raider. They were ordinary merchant ships lined with amour plating and medium-sized navel guns.

Surface Raiders relied on disguise to blend in with normal shipping traffic until they could find a lone ship they could surprise and sink.

This is exactly what we need to patrol the Somali seas: to sucker them in and then blast them to Kingdom come. That will put a stop to this distraction.

199 posted on 04/11/2009 1:33:42 PM PDT by Polarik (("Forgeries don't validate claims -- they repudiate them"))
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To: Rainwaves

Re your #190:

“...he is a ONE MAN SLEEPER CELL. “

I completely agree. I have maintained that he is a “Closet Muslim” since the early campaign.
We’ve been set up, checked, and just waiting for the enemy to checkmate us.

Probably only God can save us now. If he wants to.
Not that America deserves it or anything.


200 posted on 04/11/2009 9:52:07 PM PDT by George Varnum (Liberty, like our Forefather's Flintlock Musket, must be kept clean, oiled, and READY!)
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