The Threat of Modern Piracy- A Merged Thread

[Yrys]

Somali 'pirates' taken to Paris at the BBC

 

[geo]

Oooooo.... can I pull the lanyard for Madame Guillotine :warstory: :warstory:

 

[Yrys]

France charges Somali 'pirates'

A Paris court has charged six Somalis with taking a French luxury yacht's crew hostage off Africa this month, officials say.

The six were flown to Paris after being detained on Friday by French commandos in a helicopter raid, soon after the 30 hostages were released. The hostages
- 22 French citizens, six Filipinos, a Cameroonian and a Ukrainian - were seized a week earlier. No passengers were aboard the Ponant at the time of the abduction.

This will be the first trial of its kind in France, says the BBC's Alasdair Sandford.

A senior legal source said Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed had given his consent for the suspects to be taken out of the country, our correspondent adds.
French authorities are said to consider the matter a criminal one rather than one linked to terrorism. Police specialising in organised crime are to investigate the case.
They are also expected to question the crew members who were flown to Paris earlier this week.

The yacht's 30-member crew was released after its owners apparently paid a ransom of $2m (£1m; 1.3m euros).

Threat

Gen Jean-Louis Georgelin, the chief of staff of the French armed forces, described on Saturday how troops moved in after the Ponant came ashore, seized six pirates
- said to be part of an original group of 12 - and found part of a probable ransom paid by its owners. The 88-metre (290ft) boat and its 30 crew were seized in the Gulf
of Aden on 4 April. It was then moored near the port of Eyl in the northern Somali semi-autonomous Puntland region, while the pirates held negotiations with its owners,
French charter company CMA-CGM.

The suspected pirates are believed to be fishermen and were detained in the village of Jariban. France has troops in nearby Djibouti and also participates in a
multi-national naval force that patrols this part of the Indian Ocean. Somali coastal waters are known to be among the most hazardous in the world. More than 25 ships
were seized there by pirates in 2007. Somalia has not had an effective central government for more than 17 years and is plagued by insecurity.

40 seconds video of the 'French commandos chase and detain Somali 'pirates'' at  link

 

[Nemo888]

Does anyone know the position of the ship when it was captured or how close it was to the coast? Is the story about "Pirates" or pirates if you get my drift.

 

[geo]

no... don't get your drift....
The persian gulf is pert narrow - even at it's widest.  Considering the territorial claims of countries on either side and you're always going to get stuck in someone's territorial waters.

In this case, regardless of where the ship was, these fine specimen of gentlemen chose to board a foreign flagged ship, take the crew hostage, ask for ransom and moved the ship into somalian waters.... pert much sound like PIRATES to me.

 

[Yrys]

No, I don't get your drift (except if you're talking about if the ship was in international waters, it was not in  jurisdiction of anyone ) ...

 

[armyvern]

I don't get his drift either.  :-\

 

[CougarKing]

Those Somali pirates- well another group anyways- are up to no good again. This time they seized a Spanish tuna fishing boat.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7357831.stm

Somali pirates seize Spanish boat

A Spanish fishing boat with 26 crew on board has been seized by pirates off Somalia, officials in Spain say.

They say the Playa de Bakio - a Basque tuna boat - was attacked about 250 miles (400km) off the coast.

A source from the Basque regional government said the boat was in "international waters". The fate of the crew is unknown.

Somali coastal waters are among the most hazardous in the world, despite the presence of US navy patrols.

Grenade launchers

A source from the Basque government's Agriculture, Fisheries and Food department told Spanish news agency Efe that four armed pirates took control of the boat using grenade launchers.

The source said the crew was made up of 13 Africans and 13 Spaniards, and the boat suffered "some damage" in the attack but is "navigable".

The boat is currently heading towards Somalia, the source added.

It comes a few days after a Paris court charged six Somalis with taking a French luxury yacht's crew hostage earlier this month.

The yacht's 30-member crew were held hostage for a week but released after its owners apparently paid a ransom of $2m (£1m; 1.3m euros).

The pirates were then picked up by French commandos in a helicopter raid.

Last year, more than 25 ships were seized by pirates in Somali coastal waters.

Somalia has not had an effective central government for more than 17 years and is plagued by insecurity.

 

[geo]

Well, methinks it's time for the Spanish foreign legion ( I think they still have one ??? ) to step up to the plate & demonstrate to the Somalis that they too won't take too kindly to Piracy on the high seas.  Make em understand that ANY vessel plying international waters is to be left alone.

 

[CougarKing]

Well, methinks it's time for the Spanish foreign legion ( I think they still have one ??? ) to step up to the plate & demonstrate to the Somalis that they too won't take too kindly to Piracy on the high seas.  Make em understand that ANY vessel plying international waters is to be left alone.

They still have one, but it's only called the Spanish Legion, IIRC. And I think, they stopped accepting foreigners in 1987.

 

[OldSolduer]

I agree with Cougar Daddy......catch em and string em up ....then broadcast the executions to Somalia and any other "nation" that condones this activity. Why do we stand for this garbage.

 

[CougarKing]

Here's a little update on the situation of that Spanish boat seized by another group of Somali pirates:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/26/pirates.spain/index.html

Pirates free Spanish boat, crew
Story Highlights
Crew seized Sunday from tuna boat off Somalia is released, officials say

Tuna boat, 26-member crew headed to Seychelles under escort

Pirates had demanded money, Spanish officials say

Incident is latest in series of attacks on boats off Horn of Africa

MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- The crew of a Spanish fishing boat seized by pirates last week off the coast of Somalia has been freed, officials said Saturday, and the boat was being escorted to the Seychelles Islands.

Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, deputy prime minister of Spain, said at a news conference that all 26 crew members of the Playa de Bakio are being brought to safety.

She said the tuna boat "has been liberated" and was navigating on its own, headed toward the Seychelles escorted by a Spanish naval frigate. The crew, de la Vega said, is in "perfect condition."

The boat was seized Sunday. On Monday, Spanish state radio RNE reported that the pirates had demanded a ransom payment for the release of the crew.

Asked Saturday whether a ransom was paid, de la Vega said, "I can't give you details." But she said the "kidnappers" abandoned the boat, allowing it to sail away with the frigate.

The government had received the news about 5 p.m., she said.

"We're satisfied, because we have preserved the safety of the crew and diplomacy has worked," she said.

But, she added, the Spanish government is working with its allies in the United Nations to prevent such piracy from happening again.

The Playa de Bakio could take a few days to reach the Seychelles.

The government had sent the frigate in response to the hijacking and sent Spain's ambassador to Kenya, the closest nation to Somalia. Spain also sent some planes into the region.

Half the boat's crew members are Spanish nationals from the Basque and Galicia regions of the country.

On Monday, RNE reported that it had called the ship several times and that during a brief conversation, a man who was apparently a pirate told them in English that the demand was for money, according to Ana Rosa Alonso, RNE's master control room chief.

Alonso said the man claimed there were four heavily armed pirates. In another call, a man who said in Spanish that he was the boat's captain assured listeners, "We are all right, and for the moment there's no problem."

The Spanish Foreign Ministry said the incident with the Playa de Bakio occurred in Somali waters, but it was not immediately known how far the ship was from the coast.

Earlier this month, more than a dozen pirates seized a French yacht off the Somali coast and held its 30-member crew hostage for a week. No passengers were on board. The hostages eventually were freed, and six of the pirates are in French custody after a raid in the Somali desert.

U.S. and NATO warships have been patrolling off the Horn of Africa for several years in an effort to crack down on piracy of long-lawless Somalia, where a U.N.-backed transitional government and Ethiopian troops are now battling Islamist insurgents.

But the pirate seizures have continued despite several run-ins between the pirates and the international fleet in recent months.

 

[geo]

But the pirate seizures have continued despite several run-ins between the pirates and the international fleet in recent months.

Obviously, the international fleet has been too lenient with the Pirates.  Come down hard several times - make everyone understand that there will be ZERO tolerance for this kind of behavior & only then will we see this problem come under control.

 

[CougarKing]

Obviously, the international fleet has been too lenient with the Pirates.  Come down hard several times - make everyone understand that there will be ZERO tolerance for this kind of behavior & only then will we see this problem come under control.

Apparently the "international fleet" will not be too lenient now with this latest development:


http://www.indiaenews.com/america/20080603/122444.htm

From correspondents in New York, United States, 03:03 AM IST

The UN Security Council Monday unanimously voted to authorize states to enter Somalia's territorial waters to fight piracy, which it said has become a threat to international and regional peace and security.

The 15-nation council allowed states to use 'all necessary means' to 'repress acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea' that have gotten bolder recently with more ships being captured by pirates off the coasts of Somalia.

The resolution authorized states with naval vessels operating in the region to enter territorial waters of Somalia 'for the purpose of repressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea, in a manner consistent with such action permitted on the high seas with respect to piracy under relevant international law.'

The council proclaimed that acts of piracy off the Somali coasts and on the high seas have become threats to international peace and security in the region. It invoked Chapter 7 of the UN Charter to authorize the fight against piracy, which in fact allows states to use force.

It called on naval vessels and military aircraft of states operating on the high seas and airspace off the coast of Somalia to be 'vigilant' of piracy acts and armed robbery and try to deter those acts.

The authorization to fight piracy is good for six months.

States are called to cooperate with the transitional government in Mogadishu, which admitted helplessness in fighting piracy off its coasts. The authorization would apply only to the situation in Somalia.

The council called on states to cooperate with each other and with the International Maritime Organization, share information about acts of piracy and provide assistance to vessels threatened by or under attack by pirates or armed robberies.

African maritime officials said Somali pirates last week seized three cargo ships flagged to Gibraltar, Turkey and the Netherlands.

Piracy is rife off the Somali coast, which is close to key shipping routes. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) says 31 hijackings and attempted hijackings were reported last year.

Andrew Mwangura, the head of the East Africa Seafarers' Assistance Programme, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that pirates Wednesday captured the Gibraltar-flagged MV Lehmann Timber, which is run by Germany's Kehdingerland GmbH, and the Turkey-flagged MV Arean.

No information on demands from the pirates, the ships' crews or their cargo was available.

Mwangura said the two ships were captured in the same area as Dutch cargo ship MV Amiya Scan, which was seized Sunday along with its nine Russian and Filipino crew.

In April, pirates captured a luxury French yacht and attempted to ransom its crew members. French troops recovered the hostages and captured six of the pirates, although another six are believed to have escaped.

The IMB Wednesday issued an alert for the region, warning that pirates were using automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades to stop ships. The body has also advised vessels not scheduled to call on Somali ports keep at least 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast.

 

[geo]

While piracy near Somalia has been spectacular in recent times, there has probably been much more piracy off of Indonesia & the Phillipines.  Any news on intentions to curb those ?

 

[AlphaQup]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/08/21/somalia.pirates/

(CNN) -- Pirates hijacked three ships off the coast of Somalia on Thursday in the "worst number of attacks" in one day in many years, an international maritime watchdog said.

"Four attacks in two days, ships being hijacked and crews being taken, and large ransoms being demanded is completely unacceptable," said Capt. Pottengal Mukudan of the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crime.

Pirates fired at a ship sailing under an Iranian flag and boarded it about 2:20 a.m. local time Thursday (10:20 p.m. ET Wednesday), said Noel Chong, head of the International Chamber of Commerce's Piracy Reporting Centre, a multinational coalition naval task force that monitors the region

They hijacked a ship operating under a Japanese flag a few minutes later, he said.

A German ship was hijacked about 8 a.m. local time, Mukudan said. He said the pirates are still on board the German vessel, but he had few details.

Pirate attacks are frequent in the waters off Somalia, a notoriously unsafe area for unescorted vessels. Canada announced this month that it was dispatching a warship to the area to protect U.N. aid ships after more than two dozen reported pirate attacks in the region this year.

"This is the worst number of attacks that we have seen in a short period of time for years," Mukudan said, calling on CTF-150 to "give piracy a much higher priority to bring this under control. There have been seven vessels [hijacked] since the 20th of July."

Thursday's spate of attacks in the Gulf of Aden came two days after pirates boarded a Malaysian tanker off the coast of Somalia. They continue to hold it, Chong said.

The IMB monitors shipping crime and reported Thursday's incidents to CTF-150, which is based in Djibouti, and the task force is "monitoring the situation," Mukudan said.

"They have some of their vessels ,which are tracking some of these hijacked ships, but the problem is it's very difficult to take action once the hijackers are on board," he said. "The lives of the hostages is at risk."

He said he understood that the task force was busy with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but noted that the IMB would like to see the task force do more to respond to the problem before the hijackings occur.

The IMB said in April that 49 pirate attacks on ships were reported in the first three months of 2008, compared with 41 for the same period last year. It recorded 263 pirates attacks last year, up from 239 the year before and the first increase in three years

Seems like the problem is growing worse.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

So the question is what is the force assigned to patrol these waters now (in total, not just the VDQ) and will it be increased? 

 

[George Wallace]

I think that the Powers that Be are getting fed up with these acts of piracy on the High Seas and we may see Super Cobras in the near future blowing Somali fast boats out of the water, and perhaps more raids on their home villages to capture and bring the pirates to court.  The French have already done this, and brought the guilty parties to France for trial.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I think some freighters travelling in disguise, like the WWII raiders, would fit the bill. Let 'em get close and make their demand, drop the side plates, shoot them up and sail away leaving them for shark chum. ;D

 

[armyca08]

I'm really suprised that with advanced shipping technologies, the US state department can't minitor the area and post radio warnings to shipping companies. Although I'm a little surpised shipping companies are still shipping in an area of known piracy.

Although I somehow am currious as to the legality of Canadian Military Vesels interfering in Somalia's National Waters, I can only geuss that the somoli government(s) have OKed the Canadian Vesel operating on a security detail in the area.

Maybe doing some arming of boards like the decoys in WWII would help out here..  but I geuss the legality of arming a commercial shipping vessel with Guided Misses SSM etc.. would probably be out of the question.... however it'd probably save the hastle for the cost of some shoulder launched rockets and Hatf's.


A bunch of suprlus small arms, depth charges etc..