Posted on 04/17/2009 12:08:52 AM PDT by Jet Jaguar
French naval forces have detained 11 suspected pirates after raiding a pirate "mother ship" in the Indian Ocean, French military officials said Wednesday.
The French forces had been responding to a distress call from a Liberian cargo ship that was being attacked by pirates using rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. A French military helicopter reached the scene, then reportedly followed the two small pirate skiffs back to a 30-foot boat apparently being used as a base for the pirates.
French forces from the Nivose — part of a European Union anti-piracy task force — then raided the larger boat, seizing the men, some weapons and barrels of fuel. The French ship towed the "mother ship" toward port in Mombasa, Kenya, the French Defense Ministry said.
The raid, which occurred about 460 miles off the Somali coast, is the second time in recent days that French forces have taken military action against pirates. Last week, French commandos freed a yacht that had been hijacked. During that operation, two pirates and a hostage were killed. Three other pirates arrested in that incident were sent to France for trial.
Piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa has increased in recent months. The number of ships and crew held by Somali pirates varies, depending on the source. The NATO anti-piracy mission reports 16 ships are being held for ransom, while the International Maritime Bureau says 19 ships and some 300 crewmembers are being held.
The U.S. Navy says that 23 hijackings have occurred so far this year — well ahead of 2008’s pace, when a record 40 hijackings were reported.
Officials are now debating responses to the problem, including possible land incursions into Somali ports from which the pirates operate.
For shame to us, the cheese eating surrender monkeys are doing what we dare not do.
Second, this is one instance where Sarkozy's short man disease may actually benefit the people of France and the mariners in the Indian ocean.
It's a sad day when the French are more militarily forceful than the US.
Go Sarko!
“followed the two small pirate skiffs back to a 30-foot boat apparently being used as a base for the pirates”
at which point the helicopter used its twin set of miniguns to
strafe the pirate crafts and ‘mothership’ , shredding everything and everyone , leaving no survivors and only smoking wreckage dispersing with the currents .
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Chapeau! to Jet Jaguar for the Post.
Felicitations to Sarko and the french military for this operation. His Barackness talks, and visits foreign lands; Sarko takes action!
Yes, the French have a Navy.
Yes, the French have Warships, they even have Air Craft Carriers
France is a Nuclear Power and has Mirage Jets armed with Nuclear weapons.
Nicolas Sarkozy is President of France. He hates Socialists, and always calls a Spade a Spade.
I never thought I would hear myself say it, but, “Hooray for the French!”
There fixed it for ya'.
I would have preferred the title line to have replaced the word ‘seized’ with ‘sunk (with all aboard dying).’
France had an election, apparently for the better...and they don't like Obama, which says something about growing some wisdom as well.
>>I would have preferred the title line to have replaced the word ‘seized’ with ‘sunk ’<<
Look at the bright side - they can always sink it later after they search it for evidence - these “pirates” have a financial network, PR people and hiding places - the more info we and our allies get, the better. And the French have a bit more stomach than in the the past.
They don't have a Neville Chamberlain in office right now...we do.
saving
I am liking the French more every day! They are taking up the slack from our losing a real President for this Imposter in Chief we have now who gave four pirates in a row boat the world stage to spew their propaganda from for four days.
I wonder if George Clinton was there.
My only problem with this action is that “detaining” the pirates doesn’t do much to deter them. I’m sure the average French prison is much more comfy than whatever sh1t-hole these people come from in Somalia. And then, after they serve their time, I’m sure they’ll have good immigration lawyers and end up living in France.
Join the Pirates! Move to France!
You have to give credit where it is due.
I have knocked France over and over and I feel the Pirates will not be adequately punished by them, but even so they are doing something. Obviously they also can recognise a phony, and that’s what we have as President.
Excellent. I’d rather the pirates be killed than arrested. If the arrest is a formality prior to their hanging, then so be it.
Sad but makes sense because Obama doesn't want to hurt his fellow Muslims. If politically feasible, he'd side with the Somali pirates.
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