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Pirates fire at U.S. Navy ship off Somalia
Reuters ^ | May 7, 2009

Posted on 05/07/2009 6:49:21 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

MANAMA (Reuters) - Pirates have fired small arms weapons at a U.S. Navy supply ship off the coast of Eastern Somalia, the first attack of this kind since last year's surge in pirate attacks, the U.S. Navy said on Thursday.

The USNS Lewis and Clark was chased for about an hour on Wednesday morning by two pirates skiffs, but neither came closer than about one nautical mile to the U.S. vessel, the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet said in a statement.

The small arms fire fell well short of the U.S. ship which speeded up to evade the skiffs.

The USNS Lewis and Clark earlier served as a temporary detention facility for suspected pirates arrested at sea, but its operations are now limited to providing supplies to other U.S. ships operating in the area.

Somali pirates have increased their activities in recent weeks, defying the presence of international navies in the area.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: africa; maritime; somalipirates; usnavy
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

21 posted on 05/07/2009 6:59:41 AM PDT by C210N (A patriot for a Conservative Renaissance!)
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To: GeorgiaDawg32

Right.

The staterooms are bigger and the food is better.


22 posted on 05/07/2009 6:59:49 AM PDT by Francis McClobber
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To: BubbaBasher

***This is just sickening. They should have turned around and blown those skiffs out of the water. We now have a metrosexual Navy. ****

Not necessarily. Possibly there is a new directive that Ship’s Captains have to contact a JAG who contacts the White House to get permission to return fire. No doubt the WH must make up “Rules of engagement” to micro-manage each incident. Sarc/ off


23 posted on 05/07/2009 7:00:04 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (14. Guns only have two enemies: rust and politicians.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Supply ships are usually UNarmed, because they have to go into countries that believe that common folks should not be armed. My question is why was there not an armed ship nearby! We do have to guard our supplies in a VERY dangerous world....
24 posted on 05/07/2009 7:00:09 AM PDT by TMSuchman (I'll heat up & bring the tar, you bring the feathers & we'll meet in DC!)
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To: ArrogantBustard
United States Naval Ships (USNS) are not warships. They are civilian cargo ships owned by the Unite States Navy, crewed by civilians, and unarmed.

Surely some of the crew or the officers are former navy. Even if not, they are still American males. Should have simply rammed the attackers. Get everybody under some decent cover from small arms and like the character D-Day from Animal House scream: Raaaaaaammmmming Speeeeed! Even if they couldn't run them over certainly the bow wash or wake would capsize the craft. Then just let them drown like rats. Sorry, didn't mean to call you Shirley.

25 posted on 05/07/2009 7:00:44 AM PDT by ExSoldier (Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on dinner. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.)
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To: GeorgiaDawg32

Is the USNS today’s MSTS ?


26 posted on 05/07/2009 7:01:00 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

I’m not sure if that’s sarcasm or not..I’d be tempted to believe it’s true myself..


27 posted on 05/07/2009 7:01:25 AM PDT by GeorgiaDawg32 (I'm a Patriot Guard Rider..www.patriotguard.org for info..)
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To: Hodar; BubbaBasher; lormand; Boston Blackie; All

See #9.
“USS Whatever” is a commissioned warship, operated by United States Navy military enlisted sailors and commissioned officers, and armed.

“USNS Whatever” is a cargo ship, owned by the United States Navy, operated by civilian employees thereof, and unarmed.


28 posted on 05/07/2009 7:01:31 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

We’re going to have another Cole on our hands.


29 posted on 05/07/2009 7:02:02 AM PDT by bgill (The evidence simply does not support the official position of the Obama administration)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

“Haze gray and running away” the new O-Navy SOP.


30 posted on 05/07/2009 7:02:09 AM PDT by wrench
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Tell me they blew them out of the water, or don’t report on this at all!


31 posted on 05/07/2009 7:02:12 AM PDT by NordP (CONSERVATIVE AGAIN IN 2010 ..... Now, is it 2012 yet ???)
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To: ExSoldier

Her sister ship is the USNS Sacagawea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS_Sacagawea_(T-AKE-2)

Complement: 49 military, 123 civilian

Electronic warfare
and decoys: Nulka decoy launchers

Armament: 2–6 × 12.7 mm machine guns
or 7.62 mm medium machine guns

Aircraft carried: two helicopters, either Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk or Aerospatiale Super Puma


32 posted on 05/07/2009 7:02:45 AM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: Constitution Day
They are lightly armed but not unarmed. And they do have military aboard.

OK I stand (partially) corrected ... they're still not warships, and shouldn't be expected to act as such.

What are they armed with?

33 posted on 05/07/2009 7:03:39 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

The MSTS is now the Military Sealift Command. The USNS ships are the fleet of the MSC.


34 posted on 05/07/2009 7:03:46 AM PDT by Francis McClobber
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To: GeorgiaDawg32

The bigger question is why was the ship carrying the fuel and ammo for our entire squadron in the combat zone. Heck one RPG in to the jet fuel or ammo magazine and the ship goes away with a big flash/bang. And if it had to be forward deployed why wasn’t there an FFG providing escort. Those DDGs are fuel hungry b@stards and won’t be of much use with empty tanks. Take out a destroyer you loose one ship, take out the fuel and ammo and the entire squadron would be crippled due to lack of supplies. Isn’t the first thing you learn in the military to always protect your logistics?


35 posted on 05/07/2009 7:04:24 AM PDT by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Any chance we can get Greenpeace to come over there?


36 posted on 05/07/2009 7:05:32 AM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: al baby

That far out to sea there is no need to waste the bullets on strafing.


37 posted on 05/07/2009 7:05:39 AM PDT by Angry_White_Man_Syndrome (I'm Okies love Dubya 2's "other half")
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To: ArrogantBustard

Her sister ship (see post above) has the following:

Armament: 2–6 × 12.7 mm machine guns or 7.62 mm medium machine guns

So when I said lightly armed, I meant VERY lightly armed.

At any rate, I think we both agree everyone is expecting this ship to blow the pirates out of the water when that just isn’t possible.

Freepers overreacting...what a shocker! :)


38 posted on 05/07/2009 7:05:47 AM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
The USNS Lewis and Clark was chased for about an hour on Wednesday morning by two pirates skiffs, but neither came closer than about one nautical mile to the U.S. vessel, the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet said in a statement.

The small arms fire fell well short of the U.S. ship which speeded up to evade the skiffs

That's the trouble with relying on the AK-47

A WWII BREN would have put the bullets on target.

39 posted on 05/07/2009 7:05:52 AM PDT by Oztrich Boy (Obama in Office for 100 days: Wall Street panics.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

those pirates should be DEAD.

what are we becoming?????


40 posted on 05/07/2009 7:06:17 AM PDT by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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