Somali pirates hijack an oil tanker

[Chippy Keeper of Jobbies 37]

These Pirates are getting a bit out of hand! it can't be that a bunch of Rag Tags can hold the shipping world to ransom.

Although there is apparently quite a large international fleet of vessels policing the area , they seem to be getting away with it more and more often?

[Dostoyevsky 20]

"Yes, we can!"

[minga 732]

DW-World Report

 

 

The hijacking of the "Sirius Star" occurred near the border to Kenya, hundreds of kilometers south of the EU-NATO mission's operational area.

[Bell the cat 427]

they have been doing it for hundreds of years but theiur target used to be shipping from Mogadishu. Now that Somalia has completely imploded there is bugger all shipping in Mogadishu so they have switdched their attention northwards to international shipping lanes.

 

The solution lies first in restabilising Somalia so that the authorities can start dealing with these pirate townships north opf Mogadishu. That however looks a long way off with Eritrea delibrerately destabilising the country and the failure of the international communinity to treat seriously the Somalian problem.

 

Oh and about the OP's user name - you do realise that to anyone Scottish your name reads as if you are a coprophiliac fast food operative. is that the image you wish to convey? :huh:

[parnell 58]

India shows the world the way forward

 

Yay for India!

 

India 'sinks Somali pirate ship'

The navy said the pirates on board were armed with guns and rocket propelled

grenade launchers.

When it demanded the vessel stop for investigation, the pirate ship responded

by threatening to "blow up the naval warship if it closed on her", the statement

said.

Pirates then fired on the Tabar, and the Indians say they retaliated and that

there was an explosion on the pirate vessel, which sank.

[MadAxeMurderer 5,645]

When some engineers get seized in Afghanistan or Iraq they are often held hostage for weeks if not months, and everybody denies a ransom has been paid.

 

The ships are being hiajcked for ransom, not for the valuable cargo, which in this case is M$100 worth of oil.

 

But when a ship gets seized the ransom is openly paid within days. I don't understand. The crew are all Filipinos, and Indians, which are less face it expendable to the shipping companies. So is it the ship and cargo being ransomed?

 

I also find it absurd that with the power of modern navies, they're incapable of controlling pirates with a few AK47's, and grenade launchers in a speedboat.

 

Hopefully the pirate's have gone too far taking a supertanker, and people will get serious.

[minga 732]

From the BBC link...

 

 

Piracy off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden - an area of more than 1m sq miles (2.6m sq km) - is estimated to have cost up to $30m in ransoms this year, a UK think tank has said.

[HEM 9,737]

Re-introduce the convoy system & be prepared to shoot.

[perdido 6,082]

A Ukranian tanker is still held by the pirates. I been checking ebay lately for a slightly used T-72.

[Chippy Keeper of Jobbies 37]

 

Oh and about the OP's user name - you do realise that to anyone Scottish your name reads as if you are a coprophiliac fast food operative. is that the image you wish to convey?

Thanks for your concern! I often get questioned about my title , I come from a long line of constipated Scots,

But to me it's not about image .

[perdido 6,082]

its about the poop eh?

[parnell 58]

 

I come from a long line of constipated Scots

You mean there is another kind?

[Kommentarlos 983]

 

I come from a long line of constipated but nevertheless good humoured Scots,

That was always my assumption anyway. I do like a good user id myself.

[Chippy Keeper of Jobbies 37]

 

You mean there is another kind?

Cheeky

[Bell the cat 427]

 

The crew are all Filipinos, and Indians, which are less face it expendable to the shipping companies. So is it the ship and cargo being ransomed?

I thought that in the present case the crew were Brits?

[Chippy Keeper of Jobbies 37]

Anyway thats enough about my name , BACK TO THE THREAD PEOPLE!!

[perdido 6,082]

Additional CNN story.

[kitty-kat 20]

I say equip all of the ships goigng through there with defensive guns and the like. When those pirates start getting blown up trying to hijack ships, they might start thinking twice..

[Genie 28]

Negotiate with them and give them whatever they demand. After all, they must be wronged in someway so terrible that it drives them into this unruly lifestyle. Remember, violence is never the solution and only breeds more violence. I'm sure that if you get everyone to sit at a table and discuss their problems, a solution will be found without needless loss of life.

[worm 71]

I have heard that they are afraid of ticking crocodiles, so let's hope the Royal Navy can deploy one in the area soon. We could also consider an airdrop of treasure maps with more than one 'x' marking the spot on them to keep them occupied for long enough to ensure our ships get through