Danish take on Somali Pirates

[Seven Spades]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8500611.stm

But, he added, "this is the first where a warship has been able to send forces to stop a hijacking while it was in progress".

Warships typically do not intervene in hijackings because of the danger that crews may be hit by crossfire, the spokesman pointed out.

But forces were able to intervene in this case because the ship had registered with naval authorities, was travelling along a recommended transit corridor and was part of a group transit, ensuring the ships had a helicopter within 30 minutes' reaction time.

I wonder is Sandi Toksvig will harp on about it on the News Quiz this evening?

In all seriousness I fail to understand how "Registering" makes any difference as to whether it is safe to intervene or not.

This action is required for every hijacking no mater what the risk. It is the only way to stop the pirates.

 

[rivonia]

That is truely GREAT news. Please send your findings to the MOD-Whitehall London. Perhaps just perhaps the Royal Navy might start to re-act in the smae way.

As for registering, well that could be a good idea. Then at least the Navy would know where everyone was.

Peter

 

[Blue5]

That is truely GREAT news. Please send your findings to the MOD-Whitehall London. Perhaps just perhaps the Royal Navy might start to re-act in the smae way.

As for registering, well that could be a good idea. Then at least the Navy would know where everyone was.

Peter

Dont start another UKBA debate

 

[rivonia]

Dont start another UKBA debate

WHY NOT?

 

[Dyflin]

In all seriousness I fail to understand how "Registering" makes any difference as to weather it is safe to intervene or not.

I think perhaps you are judging based on information from a second (or third) hand source, i.e. BBC.

At the risk of doing the same, I thought the following was a telling piece of information;

The special forces, who set out from a Danish warship in the area, scaled the side of the ship and freed the 25 crew members, who had locked themselves in a secure room, Cdr Harbour said.

So there was limited risk to the crew being caught in any crossfire. This procedure was probably agreed and confirmed before the action was taken.

 

[Kukri]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8500611.stm

[I wonder is Sandi Toksvig will harp on about it on the News Quiz this evening?

In all seriousness I fail to understand how "Registering" makes any difference as to weather it is safe to intervene or not.

This action is required for every hijacking no mater what the risk. It is the only way to stop the pirates.

That would be "whether" and the answer is perfectly simple - the ship was in a convoy and the Eunavfor operation knew all about her.

 

[Blue5]

WHY NOT?

Well I suppose UKBA and PIRACY might be quite entertaining, get some blood pressures raised

 

[reginaldon]

Might this be another reason why our brethren might hate the Danes?
Cherie Blair, sitting as judge, let a Moslem off for for breaking the jaw of another in a queue at Lloyds Bank because he, the assaulter, was a 'very religious man'.

Thank goodness one nation is left with a sense of justice.

 

[Sandyman]

"Absalon's action today demonstrates Nato's resolve to deter and disrupt piracy off the Horn of Africa," he said in a statement.

Is he joking ?? What a prat.

 

[Seven Spades]

I think perhaps you are judging based on information from a second (or third) hand source, i.e. BBC.

At the risk of doing the same, I thought the following was a telling piece of information;



So there was limited risk to the crew being caught in any crossfire. This procedure was probably agreed and confirmed before the action was taken.

The story was updated otherwise I would not have posed the question.

 

[idpnd]

Contradicting the gun-ho types on this forum, the actual innovation here was the crew locking themselves up in a safe room, an excellent idea that will probably catch on. The pirates probably cannot operate the ship by themselves, and eventually someone will turn up and scare them off. A satcom terminal in the safe room would probably be the best improvement for shipping at this time.

 

[Nico]

I wonder is Sandi Toksvig will harp on about it on the News Quiz this evening?

You can rest easy in your bed tonight. She didn't mention it.

 

[prv]

Contradicting the gun-ho types on this forum, the actual innovation here was the crew locking themselves up in a safe room, an excellent idea that will probably catch on.

When I was on Stavros S Niarchos's bridge last year, there was an MCA piracy booklet which recommended such a room. If anything was new in this case, it was probably the crew retiring to the secure room early, in the knowledge that help was on the way, and / or the military knowing that they had done so and so were safely out of the way of an assault.

The pirates probably cannot operate the ship by themselves,

Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it. It's probably not rocket science to keep it moving and steer.

and eventually someone will turn up and scare them off.

...or they'll get the ship to their base, gas-axe the crew out of their bunker, and hold them and the ship to ransom.

A satcom terminal in the safe room would probably be the best improvement for shipping at this time.

It's a good idea, and would let the crew retire early without someone having to judge when to run from the bridge, but if it becomes the norm I wouldn't expect such terminals to keep working long after the pirates come aboard. Satcom antennas can't really be hidden away, and pirates are just as clever as you or I.

Pete

 

[KenMcCulloch]

........ Satcom antennas can't really be hidden away, and pirates are just as clever as you or I.

Pete

Are you sure about that? Much of the debate about pirates on here seems premised on the notion that they are some kind of inferior creature who should be shot at the slightest sign of a threatening movement?

 

[prv]

Satcom antennas can't really be hidden away, and pirates are just as clever as you or I.

Are you sure about that? Much of the debate about pirates on here seems premised on the notion that they are some kind of inferior creature who should be shot at the slightest sign of a threatening movement?

One may think they're inferior due to their actions, and that they should be shot if threatening, but that's not the same thing as thinking they're stupid. They're human beings built the same as the ones reading these forums; stands to reason the average intelligence will be similar too. Underestimating the enemy rarely pays.

Pete