Pirates....now with tanks!

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by BeBro


There's a NATO naval mission going on for years at the coast of Somalia to combat terrorism (within OEF), with ships from various countries. Some time ago, in another incident with pirates, one of our frigates was near the scene but couldn't do anything since the UN mandate that is the ground for the mission covers only action against terrorists, but not pirates.



I heard meanwhile they are going to change that (or already did, didn't check)

Either it has been changed or we don't care.

http://www.marinebuzz.com/2008/09/23/danish-warship-absalon-is-a-nightmare-to-somali-pirates/

[Dr Strangelove]

There's not a whole lot of difference between terrorists and pirates.

The article mentions the difficulty deciding what to do with the pirates. I thought that there already was a body of international law dealing with piracy.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Yeah, but it's really hard to keelhaul somebody on an aircraft carrier.

[Dr Strangelove]

No it's not. Aircraft carriers are considerably faster than 18th century sailing vessels. You just get the ship underway, say to a speed of 20 knots, then lower the pirate from the stern end of the flight deck. When he reaches the surface of the ocean you let out an additional 50 feet of rope so the pirate is dragged a respectful distance behind the ship. You continue to drag him as long as necesary.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

[Jaybe]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
No it's not. Aircraft carriers are considerably faster than 18th century sailing vessels. You just get the ship underway, say to a speed of 20 knots, then lower the pirate from the stern end of the flight deck. When he reaches the surface of the ocean you let out an additional 50 feet of rope so the pirate is dragged a respectful distance behind the ship. You continue to drag him as long as necesary.

Then they get sucked down into the propeller blades, drown and perhaps chopped into mincemeat (which local sharks appreciate).

--
Actually, if there still isn't any legal recourse to the piracy, then the recourse should be ...
illegal.

If they are captured, then "disappear" them. Document their being released but slit their throats or just give them some concrete shoes and drop them overboard after dark.

Piracy there obviously has too little risk.

[Alinestra Covelia]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove I thought that there already was a body of international law dealing with piracy.

I want to say it's soft law rather than hard law, i.e. nations have generally observed a common practice of punishing that in all its forms, but have not yet written anything specific.

I remember hearing that it's one of the few offenses under UK law that still carries the death penalty. But this would have been in the early 1990s and they may have changed it.

[Krill]

I hope not...

[Alinestra Covelia]

The other thing that I recall carried the death penalty in Britain was "high treason", which was a vague crime that could potentially include having a sexual relationship with a woman who was in line for producing an heir.

I recall that this was particularly relevant in the allegations of marital infidelity for Princess Diana. She couldn't have been charged but anybody apart from Prince Charles who had an affair with her could conceivably have been.

I don't know how seriously the law was taken though. I imagine it might be one of those centuries-old laws that live on because nobody overturned them.

[BeBMan]

Warships surround Somali pirates

Pirates in small boats sail close to the MV Faina (Photo: US Navy)

Enlarge Image

Somali pirates aboard a ship carrying tanks and weapons that they have seized say they are surrounded by at least three foreign warships.

One is the American US destroyer USS Howard, another is from Russia but the nationality of the third is not clear.

But one of the pirates said they were not afraid and had enough food to withstand a siege.

A maritime expert said the ship was carrying "dangerous chemicals" and warned against using force.

Andrew Mwangura, of the Kenya-based Seafarers' Programme, also told Reuters news agency that a military helicopter had flown over pirate speedboats heading to reinforce the Ukrainian-operated ship, the Faina, moored near the town of Hobyo.

"With the helicopter and the Howard watching them, the tactic is clearly to scare the pirates."


We are not afraid of their presence, that will not make us to abandon the ship or to refrain from asking for money
Sugule Ali
Spokesman for the pirates

Life in Somalia's pirate town
Somalia's pirates face battles at sea
Somalia: Special report

Pirate Sugule Ali told the AFP news agency by satellite phone that his group wanted a ransom of $20m (£11m) and were not interested in the weapons.

Earlier, the pirates had demanded $35m.

"It is true we are surrounded by three foreign military vessels and there are some others we can see in the distance," Mr Ali said.

"We are not afraid of their presence, that will not make us to abandon the ship or to refrain from asking for money.

"There is no shortage of food supply and all the crew members are healthy and well, including ours."

He admitted that one of the kidnapped sailors had died, but said this was from natural causes.

Meanwhile, Kenya has insisted that the shipment of 33 72-T tanks on board were destined for its military.

Various sources have suggested that they were really bound for the autonomous government of South Sudan, in possible contravention of a UN arms embargo.

'Propaganda'

Mr Mwangura said two previous shipment of Ukrainian weapons had already passed through Kenya.

"There have been alarming propaganda by the pirates to media that the weapons are not for the Kenyan military. This is a tactic by the terrorists to try and fend off reprisals against them," Kenya's government spokesman Alfred Mutua said.

The former rebel SPLA which governs South Sudan has denied any links to the tanks, reports the UN-sponsored Radio Miraya FM.
Map

However, it also quoted the SPLA's Major General Byor Ajang as saying that the army had the right to import weapons from anywhere in the world without co-ordination with the government in the north.

Earlier, a spokesman for the US Navy's 5th Fleet, Lt Nathan Christensen, said the USS Howard was within 8km (5 miles) of the Ukrainian vessel, but refused to say whether they were preparing to attack the pirates.

He said the ship's cargo of battle tanks made it a particularly worrying situation.

"We're concerned that this might end up in the wrong hands, such as terrorists or violent extremists," he said.

Islamist insurgents, not known to have links to the pirate gangs, are battling government troops, their Ethiopian allies and African Union peacekeepers in the capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia has been without a functioning central government for 17 years and has suffered continual civil strife, with rival armed groups fighting for control.

The waters off the coast of Somalia are considered some of the world's most dangerous.

Even ships carrying food aid are often targeted, hampering the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the estimated three million Somalis in need of aid.

France, which has troops in nearby Djibouti and also participates in a multi-national naval force patrol in the area, has intervened twice to release French sailors kidnapped by pirates.

Authorities in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland say they are powerless to confront the pirates, who regularly hold ships for ransom at the port of Eyl.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7641468.stm

US and Russian warship near to eachother I bet the mysterious third ship is again the French. They demonstrated recently how they deal with pirates Let's hope it's not the Danes, they only take the tanks and release the guys

Edit: Oh, and I'm glad pirates use a spokesman these days

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by BeBro
Edit: Oh, and I'm glad pirates use a spokesman these days

qft

[onodera]

I guess these pirates have relatives in this town of Hobyo. Why not take them as hostages? Or better, send some SEALs or Russian marines (our marines are an elite force) onto the ship in the dead of the night, kill the bastards and then torch the town for harbouring pirates?

[pchang]

Send in the Russians

US forces are too namby pamby. We lack the will to go "Medieval" on their asses.

[Felch]

Sirius Star, an oil tanker, has just been taken by the pirates over the weekend.

Don't they realize that touching America's oil is not cool? Now they will seriously get ****ed up.

EDIT: I tried posting a link, but it's apparently broken.

[Asher]

There's a thread on this, it's disguised as a Patty birthday thread