The Threat of Modern Piracy- A Merged Thread

[Nfld Sapper]

Where is this site located?

Too much Scotch *hic*

 

[FastEddy]

Heh.... maybe the Swiss will detach a group from the Swiss Guard - Use those halberds to repel boarders......

They'd probably do a better job than the lot Mr Davis puts on board for $14,000.00.

At least they'd have Sharp & Pointy ends on their Big Sticks.

Cheers.

 

[geo]

At least they'd have Sharp & Pointy ends on their Big Sticks.

.... and that's a good thing

(with the H&Ks they carry, they should send the right message.  Else the pirates will understand where swiss cheese really comes from)

 

[Yrys]

German navy foils Somali pirates

The German navy says it has foiled an attempt by pirates to hijack
an Egyptian cargo vessel off Somalia.

Six Somali pirates were captured by sailors of the frigate Karlsruhe
in the Gulf of Aden. However, the pirates were immediately released
on the orders of the German government, officials said.

Separately, three Chinese naval ships were due to leave their home
port of Sanya on Thursday to protect Chinese ships off Somalia.

There have been more than 100 pirate attacks this year in the Gulf
of Aden and several countries have deployed warships there.


Confiscated

The Karlsruhe sent a helicopter to protect the Egyptian cargo ship
Wadi al-Arab from the pirates, who shot and injured a member of
its crew as they tried to board the vessel.

A German navy spokesperson based in Djibouti told the BBC the
Somali attackers were disarmed by German sailors and their
weapons confiscated. He said the decision not to detain or arrest
them was taken by the German government in Berlin.

The injured crewman is being treated on the Karlsruhe.

The UN Security Council recently passed a resolution giving members
states extra powers to deal with pirates on the High Seas, including
the power of detention and arrest.

The Chinese ships - two destroyers and a supply ship - aim to defend
Chinese shipping from pirates, the ministry of defence said.

The BBC's Chris Hogg in Beijing says China has followed a doctrine
of non-interference in other nations' affairs and despite this new type
of deployment the ministry insists this has not changed.

 

[Yrys]

German navy foils Somali pirates

The German navy says it has foiled an attempt by pirates to hijack
an Egyptian cargo vessel off Somalia.

Six Somali pirates were captured by sailors of the frigate Karlsruhe
in the Gulf of Aden. However, the pirates were immediately released
on the orders of the German government, officials said.

Separately, three Chinese naval ships were due to leave their home
port of Sanya on Thursday to protect Chinese ships off Somalia.

There have been more than 100 pirate attacks this year in the Gulf
of Aden and several countries have deployed warships there.

Confiscated

The Karlsruhe sent a helicopter to protect the Egyptian cargo ship
Wadi al-Arab from the pirates, who shot and injured a member of
its crew as they tried to board the vessel.

A German navy spokesperson based in Djibouti told the BBC the Somali
attackers were disarmed by German sailors and their weapons confiscated.
He said the decision not to detain or arrest them was taken by the German
government in Berlin.

The injured crewman is being treated on the Karlsruhe.

The UN Security Council recently passed a resolution giving members states
extra powers to deal with pirates on the High Seas, including the power of
detention and arrest.

The Chinese ships - two destroyers and a supply ship - aim to defend Chinese
shipping from pirates, the ministry of defence said.

The BBC's Chris Hogg in Beijing says China has followed a doctrine of
non-interference in other nations' affairs and despite this new type of
deployment the ministry insists this has not changed.

 

[ironduke57]

Fascinating. That incident was wildly reported here, except that part which was absolute news to me:

...
A German navy spokesperson based in Djibouti told the BBC's Greg Morsbach the Somali attackers were disarmed by German sailors and their weapons confiscated.

"We had forces on board the frigate, and they used fast small boats, and together with the helicopter we were able to surround the pirates and disarm them," he said.

He said the decision not to detain or arrest them was taken by the German government in Berlin.

A spokesman for the EU's mission off Somalia, Cdr Achim Winkler, told the BBC's Europe Today programme that Germany would only bring pirates to justice where German interests were hurt.

This would be the case if a German ship was attacked or German citizens were killed or injured, he said.
...

Nothing was mentioned here about that.

Regards,
ironduke57

 

[Yrys]

CNN report the same think, with  some others  informations :

German frigate stops pirate attack

(CNN) -- German sailors foiled an attempt by pirates to hijack an Egyptian cargo ship off
the coast of Yemen, the German Defense Ministry said.

The German navy frigate Karlsruhe responded to an emergency call from the Wabi Al
Arab Thursday morning, sending helicopters to the stricken vessel. When the helicopters
arrived, the pirates broke off the attack, the ministry said.

A crew member on the Wabi Al Arab was wounded when the pirates attempted to board
the vessel. He was flown by helicopter for treatment aboard the Karlsruhe, the ministry
said. The German sailors captured the pirates and disarmed them, destroying the weapons,
the ministry said.

The German government in Berlin later ordered the Somali pirates released because they
were not caught while harassing German interests, according to BBC. The Karlsruhe joined
the fight against the pirates on Tuesday from Djibouti, the defense ministry said.

On Wednesday a top Japanese official said the country was considering sending vessels to
join U.S., Russian, NATO and Indian vessels in the waters off Somalia, a key shipping route
that sees around 20,000 oil tankers, freighters and merchant vessels each year.

China said Tuesday that two destroyers and a supply ship from its navy would set sail for
the region on Friday to protect Chinese merchant ships.

The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution last week aimed at combating piracy along
the Horn of Africa by allowing military forces to chase pirate onto land in cases of "hot
pursuit." The Security Council resolution, which passed unanimously, expands upon existing
counter-piracy tools, including a stipulation that would allow for national and regional military
forces to chase pirates onto land -- specifically into Somalia, where many of the pirates have
their bases.

Over 124 incidents -- attempted attacks, averted attacks and successful hijackings -- have
been recorded to date this year, according to Kenyan Seafarers Association.


Ironduke57, here being Germany, do you have any link to an English (or French  ) article ?

 

[Yrys]

CNN report the same think, with  some others  informations :

German frigate stops pirate attack

(CNN) -- German sailors foiled an attempt by pirates to hijack an Egyptian cargo ship off
the coast of Yemen, the German Defense Ministry said.

The German navy frigate Karlsruhe responded to an emergency call from the Wabi Al
Arab Thursday morning, sending helicopters to the stricken vessel. When the helicopters
arrived, the pirates broke off the attack, the ministry said.

A crew member on the Wabi Al Arab was wounded when the pirates attempted to board
the vessel. He was flown by helicopter for treatment aboard the Karlsruhe, the ministry
said. The German sailors captured the pirates and disarmed them, destroying the weapons,
the ministry said.

The German government in Berlin later ordered the Somali pirates released because they
were not caught while harassing German interests, according to BBC. The Karlsruhe joined
the fight against the pirates on Tuesday from Djibouti, the defense ministry said.

On Wednesday a top Japanese official said the country was considering sending vessels to
join U.S., Russian, NATO and Indian vessels in the waters off Somalia, a key shipping route
that sees around 20,000 oil tankers, freighters and merchant vessels each year.

China said Tuesday that two destroyers and a supply ship from its navy would set sail for
the region on Friday to protect Chinese merchant ships.

The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution last week aimed at combating piracy along
the Horn of Africa by allowing military forces to chase pirate onto land in cases of "hot
pursuit." The Security Council resolution, which passed unanimously, expands upon existing
counter-piracy tools, including a stipulation that would allow for national and regional military
forces to chase pirates onto land -- specifically into Somalia, where many of the pirates have
their bases.

Over 124 incidents -- attempted attacks, averted attacks and successful hijackings -- have
been recorded to date this year, according to Kenyan Seafarers Association.

 

[Yrys]

China sailor recalls pirate fight

The captain of a Chinese ship has told the BBC how he and his crew fought off
a gang of armed Somali pirates with petrol bombs and water cannon.

Nine pirates boarded the Zhenhua 4 on Wednesday but were forced off the ship
by Capt Peng Weiyuan and his crew after they mounted an unexpected fightback.
Helicopters from a multi-national force also took part in the four hour battle,
which saw the pirates back down.

China has announced it is to send naval ships to combat piracy in the region.

Speaking by satellite phone from the Indian Ocean, Capt Peng told the Newshour
programme on the BBC World Service that the pirates attacked the vessel using
two speedboats. "They opened fire, they wanted us to stop," he said.

'Very threatening'

"We had 27 crew members on the boat and we shouted at them saying 'go away',
but they were very fast." Capt Peng said he tried to manoeuvre his ship out of the
way but eventually the pirates climbed aboard after putting ladders up the side of
the Zhenhua 4. "Seven pirates got on our ship and two remained on the speedboat.
The seven that got on were very threatening," he said.

But instead of surrendering, the crew retreated to their living quarters, which
overlook the deck. "We had a lot of beer bottles and we made a lot of cocktail
[petrol] bombs," said Capt Peng. "We were well prepared. We threw them at
them.

"After the first attack they retreated but somehow they got very good weapons -
anti-tank weapons - which they fired at us, and succeeded in coming up to our
living quarters. "They came to the first platform which is very close to our living
quarters.

"We were locked inside and the door was very thick. They were shouting 'open
the door'. So we climbed further up and we used everything to threaten them,
bottles, petrol. "Eventually we used high-pressure water cannon to shoot at them.
They were also shooting at us and one bullet passed me about 10in (25cm) away.

"Eventually they retreated, they couldn't fight any more. There was smoke, there was fire."

Asked for shoes

The captain described how the defeated pirates made some unexpected requests
as they prepared to leave the Zhenhua 4.

"The head of the pirates said 'stop, stop, we can't go on fighting any more. Let us go'.
And I said: 'We will let you go. Leave our ship'." Mr Peng said that the pirates then
asked for shoes because they were barefoot and the deck was covered in broken glass.

Pairs of leather shoes were thrown to them and the pirates retreated - only to return
a few minutes later asking for fuel for their speedboats.

Capt Peng added that while the fighting was going on helicopters appeared overhead
and started firing at the pirates. "They helped us succeed," he said.

On Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told journalists that
preparations to dispatch naval vessels were under way.

BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says it will be the Chinese navy's first
active deployment beyond the Pacific Ocean.

 

[Yrys]

China readies for pirate patrols

Three Chinese naval ships are preparing to set sail for waters off Somalia
to protect Chinese vessels from pirate attacks there.

Two destroyers and a supply ship will leave the port of Sanya on Hainan
island to join warships from other nations already patrolling the area. It
will be the Chinese navy's first operation beyond the Pacific.

There have been more than 100 pirate attacks this year off Somalia and
in the Gulf of Aden.

On Thursday, the German navy said it had foiled an attempt by pirates to
hijack an Egyptian cargo vessel off Somalia. Six Somali pirates were captured
by sailors of the frigate Karlsruhe in the Gulf of Aden. However, the pirates
were immediately released on the orders of the German government, officials
told the BBC.

'International scourge'

The three ships from China's South Sea Fleet are due to leave Sanya at 0530 GMT.
The fleet commander, Rear Adm Du Jingchen, said his personnel were prepared
for a complicated and long-term mission.

"Acts of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters off Somalia have been
increasingly rampant since the beginning of this year, posing a severe danger
to the safety of ships and members from many countries, including China,"
China's Defence Ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said.

"Apart from this, pirates have also been threatening ships delivering humanitarian
relief items to Somalia by international organisations. Piracy has become an
international scourge."

The Chinese military says there have been seven attacks this year on Chinese
vessels in the area. It says its forces will board and inspect suspected pirate ships,
try to rescue those who are attacked and mount a vigourous defence if they
themselves come under attack. However, defence ministry officials insist that
China's doctrine of non-interference in other nations' affairs has not changed,
the BBC's Chris Hogg in Beijing says.

 

[Yrys]

Iranian navy joins fight against Somali pirates

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A group of Iranian warships steamed into the Gulf of Aden,
joining an expanding list of navies sent to protect shipping routes from Somali pirates,
state-run media reported Saturday. The report from Fars News Agency comes just
weeks after the European Union launched its first naval operation to protect vessels
and just days after China revealed its own plans to patrol the Horn of Africa's volatile
coastline.

Iran, along with other countries, has seen commercial ships fall prey to pirate attacks
that have dramatically increased in recent months.

This year, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast and hijacked
nearly 40, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The attacked vessels include
freight and cargo ships, cruise liners and private yachts.

In many of the hijackings, pirates have taken the crew and passengers hostage while
they demand a ransom.

 

[CougarKing]

It was already announced before that Tokyo was considering sending one of its warships there though it is obviously taking longer than the other nations who have recently decided to send warships there as well.

Japan mulls ship vs pirates off Somalia
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 14:35:00 12/25/2008
Filed Under: Sea piracy, Defense

TOKYO -- Japan said Thursday it was considering dispatching a destroyer to waters off Somalia to guard against pirates who are inflicting a costly toll on the shipping industry.

A growing number of nations are sending navy ships to fight pirates near the lawless East African country, with Japan's neighbor and sometime rival China set to dispatch three vessels on Friday.

"Japan has to deal quickly with this issue," Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura, the government spokesman, told a news conference.

But Japan has legal problems with sending warships because of its pacifist post-World War II Constitution. Under domestic laws, the navy can only protect ships flying the Japanese flag or carrying Japanese nationals.

"Are the current laws appropriate for a mission like this?" Kawamura said.

"The laws stipulate that, as a general rule, Japanese [military] ships can operate within our territorial waters. But is that OK when we are discussing cooperation with the international community?" he said.

Kawamura said ruling bloc lawmakers would study changes in legislation.

The Mainichi Shimbun, quoting unnamed sources, said that Prime Minister Taro Aso may announce a decision on an operation by the end of the year.

The UN Security Council has given nations a one-year mandate to act inside Somalia to stop the rampant piracy in the Gulf of Aden, part of the Suez Canal route from Europe to Asia.

Some shipping companies have chosen to travel around Africa, a longer and more expensive route, to avoid the increasingly brazen pirate attacks.

Japanese forces have not fired a shot in combat since World War II. But the country has tried to take on a larger role in international security, notably through a reconstruction mission in Iraq.

China's dispatch of two destroyers and a supply ship mark the first time in recent history that Beijing has deployed vessels on a potential combat mission well beyond its territorial waters.

 

[CougarKing]

More details on that PLAN fleet leaving for the Indian Ocean to fight those Somali pirates:

3 Chinese navy ships leave for Somalia

Missile Destroyer Haikou 171 of the PLA Navy’s South China Sea Fleet

By WILLIAM FOREMAN, Associated Press Writer William Foreman, Associated Press Writer – Thu Dec 25, 9:02 pm ET

GUANGZHOU, China – Chinese navy ships usually stick close to home guarding their own coasts.

But on Friday, warships armed with special forces, missiles and helicopters will sail for anti-piracy duty off Somalia — the first time the communist nation has sent ships on a mission that could involve fighting so far beyond its territorial waters.

The three vessels — two destroyers and a supply ship 887 Weisanhu — may increase worries about growing Chinese military power. The mission will also challenge China's ability to cooperate with other naval forces patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest sea lanes.

Warships from India, Russia, NATO and the U.S. are also cruising the Somali waters that have been plagued by pirate attacks in recent months.

The Chinese ships will sail from a base in Sanya on the southern island province of Hainan. China announced it was joining the anti-piracy mission Tuesday after the U.N. Security Council authorized nations to conduct land and air attacks on pirate bases.

Pirates have made an estimated $30 million hijacking ships for ransom this year, seizing more than 40 vessels off Somalia's 1,880-mile (3,000-kilometer) coastline.

Deploying ships to the Gulf of Aden marks a significant step in the evolution of China's navy, according to a report by Stratfor, an Austin, Texas-based intelligence company. The mission will be complicated, offering vital on-the-job training in refueling, resupply and repairs far from home as well as patrolling for pirates, Stratfor said.

"In the event of an accident or a run-in with pirates," Stratfor said, "would a Chinese vessel carry out repairs at sea, head to a nearby port, perhaps in Pakistan, or return to China?"

Stratfor also noted the waters will be awash with naval ships from around the world, making it essential for China to maintain effective communication with the vessels.

The Chinese "will very likely monitor the way NATO and especially U.S. warships communicate with each other and with their shipborne helicopters," the report said.

China's willingness to send ships so far from home is also the latest example of the growing power and confidence of the country's navy. In recent years, the military has been loading up on warships, planes, missiles and other weapons — a beef-up that has worried its neighbors and the U.S.

Those most concerned include the Japanese and South Koreans, who have long-standing disputes about territorial waters that occasionally flare up. China has also been locked in an uneasy stand off with the Philippines, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations over the ownership of the potentially oil-rich Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Denny Roy, a senior fellow at the East-West Center in Hawaii, said countries in the region will view China's mission off Somalia differently.

"For Japan and some in South Korea, this is another step in the unwelcome growth of the Chinese navy as a capable blue-water force, which has only downsides for Tokyo and Seoul," said Roy, an expert on China's military.

But he said most Southeast Asian countries may see China's involvement in the anti-piracy campaign as a positive thing. It would mean that China was using its greater military might for constructive purposes, rather than challenging the current international order.

However, the analyst added, "The Chinese deployment gets at a question the U.S. and other governments have been asking: `Why the big Chinese military buildup when no country threatens China?' Or more bluntly, `Why do the Chinese need a blue-water navy when the U.S. Navy already polices the world's oceans?'"

Roy said the answer is that China is unwilling to rely on the U.S. to protect China's increasingly global interests. Beijing still believes it needs to enter the field, Roy said, and that leaves open the possibility of a China-U.S. naval rivalry in the future.

China has said the mission's purpose was to protect Chinese ships and crews that have come under attack from pirates. The vessels would also be willing to share intelligence and conduct humanitarian rescue operations with other countries involved in the anti-piracy efforts, Senior Col. Huang Xueping, spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense, said Tuesday.

The two Chinese destroyers — the Haikou 171 and Wuhan 169 — will carry special forces, two helicopters and traditional weapons such as missiles and cannons Huang didn't say how long the mission will last, but a Communist Party newspaper has said the ships would be away about three months.

On Thursday, a German military helicopter rescued an Egyptian ship from pirates who shot and injured a crew member while trying to board the vessel off the Somali coast, said Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center. The bulk carrier with 31 crew was passing through the Gulf of Aden on its way to Asia when it was chased by gun-toting pirates in a speedboat, Choong said.

The pirates are spurred by poverty in Somalia, a nation of about 8 million people that has not had a functioning government since warlords overthrew a dictator in 1991 and then turned on each other.

Countries as diverse as Britain, India, Iran, America, France and Germany have naval forces in the waters or on their way there. On Wednesday, Japan said it was considering joining the coalition.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081226/ap_on_re_as/piracy

The Chinese navy was to weigh anchor for an anti-piracy mission off Africa, in the nation's first potential combat mission beyond its territorial waters in centuries. The two destroyers and one supply vessel comprising the task force were waiting off the Yalong Bay naval base on south China's tropical Hainan island, ready for the signal to set course for Somalia, the China Daily reported. (AFP/File/Toshifumi Kitamura)

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Navy's DDG-171 Haikou destroyer is seen in Sanya, capital of South China's Hainan Province Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008. On Friday, warships armed with special forces, missiles and helicopters will sail for anti-piracy duty off Somalia, the first time the communist nation has sent ships on a mission that could involve fighting so far beyond its territorial waters. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Zha Chunming)

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, soldiers of Chinese navy special force carry out an anti pirate drill on the deck of DDG-171 Haikou destroyer in Sanya, capital of South China's Hainan Province Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Zha Chunming)

Chinese navy soldiers. (AFP/File/Liu Jin)

Qiandaohu class fleet replenishment ship Weishanhu (887)

 

[1feral1]

This pirate shyte is getting out of hand. Perhaps its time to start deliberatly hunting for them, destroying them 'by suprise' instead of waiting and reacting to their aggression. Other words sink 'em in place.

Set an example by zero tolerence, and these cowards won't leave their rag-tag ports.

Regards,

OWDU

 

[geo]

What really dissapoints me is the German decision to "catch & release"
What kind of example is that for chri$t's sake ?
My demo of "catch & release" for pirates caught in the act would be to confiscate their weapons, sink their ship & then release them to their fate in the deep deep blue - and let Allah look after them & their souls

 

[CougarKing]

So will these JMSDF sailors prove to be as fierce in combat as their IJN forebears?

Japan PM orders preparations for Somalia mission

Japanese sailors during an international fleet review near the coast of South Korea. Japan has said it is considering dispatching a destroyer to waters off Somalia to guard against pirates who are inflicting a costly toll on the shipping industry. (AFP/File/Kim Jae-Hwan)

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan on Friday moved a step closer to sending its navy to piracy-plagued waters near Somalia, with Prime Minister Taro Aso instructing his cabinet to speed up preparations for a possible deployment.

Aso "told me to accelerate studies so that the Self-Defence Forces can take measures against piracy as soon as possible," Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters, referring to Japan's military.

A growing number of nations are sending navy ships to fight pirates near the lawless East African country, with Japan's neighbour and sometime rival China dispatching three vessels on Friday.

Japan has been pacifist since defeat in World War II. Under domestic law, the navy can only protect ships flying the Japanese flag or carrying Japanese passengers.

Aso, speaking with reporters late Thursday, called for Japan to revise the law so it can also guard foreign vessels but held out the option of sending ships that for now have a limited role.

"Japan should take action in a hurry," Aso said.

"We had better consider revising the law, but that will take time. If we have to hasten things, then we should take a defensive posture on the sea."

Japan's opposition controls the less powerful upper house of parliament and has repeatedly held up legislation in hopes of forcing the unpopular Aso to call early elections.

Kyodo News, quoting unnamed sources, said the government hoped to send a destroyer in February.

Japanese forces have not fired a shot in combat since World War II. But the country has tried to take on a larger role in international security, notably through a reconstruction mission in Iraq.

China's dispatch of two destroyers and a supply ship mark the first time in recent history that Beijing has deployed vessels on a potential combat mission well beyond its territorial waters.

The UN Security Council has given nations a one-year mandate to act inside Somalia to stop the rampant piracy in the Gulf of Aden, part of the Suez Canal route from Europe to Asia.

Some shipping companies have chosen to travel around Africa, a longer and more expensive route, to avoid the increasingly brazen pirate attacks.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/081226/afp/0812...acificnews.html

 

 

[karl28]

  I think it is great that all these different nations can put aside there difference to fight a common cause of defeating the pirates .

 

[Yrys]

I think it is great that all these different nations can put aside there difference to fight a common cause of defeating the pirates .

I think I've missed the article that says that they're there together  ???

 

[FastEddy]

I think I've missed the article that says that they're there together  ???

No ! you didn't, but it might-en be a bad idea.

Don't quote me, could the reason why Germany and Japan are dragging their feet feet have anything to do with 1939 & Pearl Harbour ?.

Cheers.

 

[geo]

Germany & Japan..... feet dragging prolly has everything to do with 1945 & the years following WW2.
Japan's constitution was written up in such a fashion as to limit their Self defence forces to Sea, Land and Air of Japan.  It is a recent thing that Japan has been encouraged or more precisely "told" to come out of it's shell & assume it's place in dealing with Global evemtsé

WRT Germany - a lot has to do with the reuinfication of the two German states