pez Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040800940.html?hpid=topnews Somali pirates hijack ship; 20 Americans aboard By KATHARINE HOURELD The Associated Press Wednesday, April 8, 2009; 9:12 AM NAIROBI, Kenya -- Somali pirates on Wednesday hijacked a U.S.-flagged cargo ship with 20 American crew members onboard, hundreds of miles from the nearest U.S. military vessel in some of the most dangerous waters in the world. The 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama was carrying emergency relief to Mombasa, Kenya, when it was hijacked, said Peter Beck-Bang, spokesman for the Copenhagen-based container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk. It was the sixth ship seized within a week, a rise that analysts attribute to a new strategy by Somali pirates who are operating far from the warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden. In a statement, the company confirmed that the U.S.-flagged vessel has 20 U.S. nationals onboard. Cmdr. Jane Campbell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said that it was the first pirate attack "involving U.S. nationals and a U.S.-flagged vessel in recent memory." She did not give an exact time frame. Click the link for the full story... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IONTOP Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Damn, that's some scary stuff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pez Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040800940.html?hpid=topnews Somali pirates hijack ship; 20 Americans aboard By KATHARINE HOURELD The Associated Press Wednesday, April 8, 2009; 9:12 AM NAIROBI, Kenya -- Somali pirates on Wednesday hijacked a U.S.-flagged cargo ship with 20 American crew members onboard, hundreds of miles from the nearest U.S. military vessel in some of the most dangerous waters in the world. The 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama was carrying emergency relief to Mombasa, Kenya, when it was hijacked, said Peter Beck-Bang, spokesman for the Copenhagen-based container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk. It was the sixth ship seized within a week, a rise that analysts attribute to a new strategy by Somali pirates who are operating far from the warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden. In a statement, the company confirmed that the U.S.-flagged vessel has 20 U.S. nationals onboard. Cmdr. Jane Campbell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said that it was the first pirate attack "involving U.S. nationals and a U.S.-flagged vessel in recent memory." She did not give an exact time frame. Click the link for the full story... Normally I am for some sort of diplomacy, but screw it... Somalia needs to be wiped off the map... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrapeApe Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Hey Pez, you need to post this one more time, I don't think twice is enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMike619 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 we need to publicly execute a few of these "pirates" and send a message to the rest of them.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IONTOP Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Damn, that's some scary stuff... On a related note, I've got the worst case of Deja-vu today... we need to publicly execute a few of these "pirates" and send a message to the rest of them.. "We have RULES, that's what makes us better than them...." "Not today" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pez Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 Hey Pez, you need to post this one more time, I don't think twice is enough. Yeah I don't know how that happened... maybe a double click or something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#98QBKiller Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Somali pirates are trained fighters who frequently dress in military fatigues and use speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and various types of grenades. Far out to sea, their speedboats operate from larger mother ships. Most hijackings end with million-dollar payouts. Piracy is considered the biggest moneymaker in Somalia, a country that has had no stable government for decades. Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the London-based think-tank Chatham House, said pirates took up to $80 million in ransoms last year. These two quotes jumped out at me. I don't remember the last time a group of Americans was kidnapped by Somali pirates (if ever) but what would be the protocol here? Offer them a ransom to get the hostages back or try to go in and get them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chump Bailey Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 If it's indeed Americans aboard this could get ugly because in no way do I see us dropping a crate of cash via parachute onto the deck to secure their release. SEAL / Delta Force time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sideshow24 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Its time to staff some of these ships with special ops guys and bait these suckers. Blow em up real good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pez Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 "We have RULES, that's what makes us better than them...." Typically I am with you on this, but these guys are getting out of control... How do you deal with people who just don't give a crap about anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOF44 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Read Corsair by Clive Cussler. You'd love how they handled it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Where's Stephen Decatur when you need him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Good thing al qaeda isn't operating in Somalia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodBits Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Good thing al qaeda isn't operating in Somalia I don't understand the sarcasm here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#98QBKiller Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 we need to publicly execute a few of these "pirates" and send a message to the rest of them.. Maybe not publicly but going in there and slaughtering a big group of them would send a message. But that's just me talking out of anger. I posted in the other thread, what's the best course of action here? Do we go in there and try and get the hostages back or do we give up a ransom to make sure we get them safely and then take action? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IONTOP Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 How do you deal with people who just don't give a crap about anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 How do you deal with people who just don't give a crap about anything? Send in the Seals. They'll take care of things real quick. They probably have the boat surrounded as we speak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IONTOP Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 These two quotes jumped out at me. I don't remember the last time a group of Americans was kidnapped by Somali pirates (if ever) but what would be the protocol here? Offer them a ransom to get the hostages back or try to go in and get them? Just charge it to a credit card, then dispute the charges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanleys Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 There's only one answer to pirates; Ninjas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonniey Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 These two quotes jumped out at me. I don't remember the last time a group of Americans was kidnapped by Somali pirates (if ever) but what would be the protocol here? Offer them a ransom to get the hostages back or try to go in and get them? Long time American (Government) policy is to never pay ransom. Which is why Americans are rarely kidnapped or targets of piracy. I expect the Pirates will surrender after a long standoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GibbsFactor Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Long time American (Government) policy is to never pay ransom. Which is why Americans are rarely kidnapped or targets of piracy. I expect the Pirates will surrender after a long standoff. The shipping industry or insurance company will pay the ransom and the hostages will be released unharmed. This goes on all the time over there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IONTOP Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 This is FSM's fault... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GibbsFactor Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Happens all the time, ransom will be paid by insurance, hostages released. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 There's only one answer to pirates;Ninjas Next best thing = Seals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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