Somalia pirates - not very smart.

drawp

drawp

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U.S. Navy Pirate Battle.

U.S. guided missile cruiser USS Cape St. George & guided missile destroyer USS Gonzalez on Int'l Somamila Pirate Patrol -- in Indian Ocean 25 miles off coast of Somalia -- spotted vessel towing 2 smaller skifs. U.S. Navy boarding teams prepared to conduct routine boarding for checking of cargo & papers, but Navy ships noticed suspected pirates brandished what appeared to be rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Pirates suddenly opened fire on Navy ships. USS Cape St. George & USS Gonzalez returned fire with small arms -- 1 pirate killed & fire ignited aboard main pirate vessel. U.S. Navy boarding teams confiscated rocket-propelled grenade launchers & automatic weapons and captured 12 pirates, including 5 injured. (Sat.. March 18 2006)
 
[ QUOTE ]
USS Cape St. George & USS Gonzalez returned fire with small arms

[/ QUOTE ]

I have to say I would have been tempted to use a little more of what I had available if someone fired an RPG at me......

part of a new US charm offensive?
 
I think using small arms is more psychologically smart, sort of shows them that we can do this with our small stuff, so watch out!
They're more likely to get laughed at back at base too... Not that they give a damn, these guys are presumably driven to such extents by greed/desperation, and probably not fazed. Am I being guilty of the anthropological equivalent of anthropomorphism? Assuming that all "humans" are alike, and react in similar ways to stimuli?
But then, that's assuming pirates are human, I don't think they should class as such. Mind you, I don't rate humans much anyway...
Jem.
 
Anotherincident Jan 2006

U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill and other U.S. naval forces pursued suspected pirate ship in Indian Ocean off Somalia's coast & fired warning shots to capture its crew -- U.S. Navy sailors who boarded vessel discovered small-arms weapons on board. USS Churchill began aggressive maneuvering in attempt to stop the vessel -- which continued on its course speed untill USS Churchill fired warning shots over the bow of the pirate vessel with her 5" main gun. Pirates surendered. All Indian crew rescued. Piracy has become epidemic in the unpatrolled waters off the coast of lawless Somalia, where at least 23 hijackings & attempted seizures have been reported since mid-March 2005. Indian dhow had been taken by the pirates with her crew held hostage.

USS Winston S. Churchill had steamed at 40 knot flank with no smoke in response to a report from the Int'l Maritime Bureau in Kuala Lumpur on Jan. 20, that said pirates in captured dhow -- now a pirate ship had fired on Bahamian-flagged bulk M/V Delta Ranger passing 200 miles off central E. coast of Somalia.

Piracy rampant off the coast of Somalia which is torn by renewed clashes between militias fighting over control of the troubled African country. Many shipping companies resort to paying ransoms, saying they have few alternatives. Last month, Somali militiamen finally relinquished a merchant ship hijacked in October. In November, Somali pirates freed a Ukrainian ore carrier & her 22 member crew after holding it for 40 days. Unclear whether a US$700,000 ransom demanded by the pirates had been paid.
 
Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

As the Romans correctly put it, followed by medieval Christendom.

Pirates are enemies of the entire human race. And should be exterminated without mercy.
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

As it happens, I was born in Baghdad, and brought up in Somalia.

I commute to work, Monday to Friday, like most people! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

[ QUOTE ]
As it happens, I was born in Baghdad, and brought up in Somalia.

I commute to work, Monday to Friday, like most people!

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you one of those War Lord's we hear about?
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

No; my late father was the British Council representative in Mogadishu.

Most Somalis are perfectly decent people.
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

And I am sure Peter Blake's family and many others who've fallen foul of them will agree.
They put the fear up me for sure, and would make me think twice, thrice and more about using certain routes.
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

In view of your confession, I think you should be a bit more specific about your occupation - 'messing about with ships' could be misinterpreted! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

Peter Blake was killed in South America and I don't think the Somalian pirates go quite that far.
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

I was referring to pirates in general, mostly in response to Mirelle's quote. I am sure Pirates are equally awful when encountered in S America, Somalia, W Africa, SE Asia or wherever.
Jem.
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

My only experience, and that indirectly, was with the Southeast Asian variety.

Several colleagues were aboard ships that were pirated by Indonesians - three different occasions. These were quite obviously members of the Indonesian armed forces - "moonlighting". They handcuffed the senior officers, went for the ship's safe and selectively helped themselves to other stuff, from watches to engine spares.

Also some experience of Thai fishermen pirating Vietnamese refugee boats back in the days when these were numerous. Much nastier, involving rape and murder. The refugees were known to be carrying gold, hence the interest.
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

Oh! I read your comments as a response to Mirelles statement that "Most Somalis are perfectly decent people. "

I'm sure you are right that few pirates are pleasant people to bump into on a dark night!
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

Oddly enough, Somalis were very regularly employed as crew aboard British merchant ships, back in the days when there were such things. There were quite large Somali communities on Tyneside and in South Wales as a consequence.

But our ships are manned entirely by Chinese and Filipinos.
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

Think my brain was working too slowly and didn't consider the later replies!

My own (possible) experience was off the Philippine coast, but the boat we suspected never came alongside; think we offered no incentive. Father's ship got boarded as have some colleagues, so certainly no fan.
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

Well something has changed at last. When I was attacked and robbed by Pirates in the Gulf of Aden the American Navy found them - circled them - then let them go without boarding or interrogation. When the same pirates attacked a fleet of 6 yachts exactly one week later a US Navy frigate intervened - and circled the pirates and let them go. One week later the same pirates attacked 3 yachts and two American aircraft 'buzzed' them and a cruiser made all speed to the position and did nothing!

Politics!

Michael
 
Re: Pirati hostis humani generis sunt.

[ QUOTE ]
Well something has changed at last. When I was attacked and robbed by Pirates in the Gulf of Aden the American Navy found them - circled them - then let them go without boarding or interrogation. When the same pirates attacked a fleet of 6 yachts exactly one week later a US Navy frigate intervened - and circled the pirates and let them go. One week later the same pirates attacked 3 yachts and two American aircraft 'buzzed' them and a cruiser made all speed to the position and did nothing!

[/ QUOTE ]What's changed is that they are now attacking ships in a big way, having used the proceeds from yachts to buy fast intercept boats (the "Volvos") and RPG's in order to do so.

We are not talking about "poor guys" here. These are the same people who up to recently were making money running slave ships beween Somalia and Yemen.

President Hassan's recent appeal for international assistance in dealing with Somalian pirates may, and then again may not, have had something to do with it.
 
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