The Threat of Modern Piracy- A Merged Thread

[Colin Parkinson]

Apparently they dropped the price to $5 million now. Hoping for a quick deal before Vlad gets into town. I wonder if the Russian will rake the pirates home port as a message?

 

[Jacqueline]

Just goes to show what can really happen... governments are weak.

 

[HItorMiss]

Just goes to show what can really happen... governments are weak.

Do you have anything constructive to say because really you are getting boring with your constant police are evil...governments are weak etc etc. Could you take your useless self and go away and leave this forum to those of us that have contructive and informative post that add to a conversation. Vice you who just eat up band width!

 

[Jacqueline]

What I say is constructive... how could anyone let that happen in the first place? That is weak.

 

[HItorMiss]

On a serious note

I am curious, if the US Navy has this ship under observation I wonder if they have agreed a not interfer and leave it to Ivan...or if they have chosen to not retake the boat themselves  by there own volition.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Maybe to retake it would be akin to attacking it?  Rules of the sea and all that?

Anyone?

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Just goes to show what can really happen... governments are weak.

Yup, and little old ladies also......

 

[CougarKing]

What I say is constructive... how could anyone let that happen in the first place? That is weak.

Please take your anarchist hogwash somewhere else.

Anyways. One of the crewmembers is now dead, the FAINA's captain has reported, obviously under duress.

These AEGIS destroyers like the USS HOWARD have no boarding parties of Marines; perhaps the NBPs aboard VDQ might be needed? hehehehe.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/09/28/somalia.piracy.ukraine/index.html

Hijacked ship captain: Crew member dead
Story Highlights
Captain of hijacked Ukrainian vessel says one crew member has died

Somali pirates seized ship carrying Russian tanks, ammunition on Thursday

Captain said could see U.S. ship about one mile from his vessel

(CNN) -- The captain of a Ukrainian vessel loaded with tanks and weapons that was seized off the African coast says one crew member has died.

Viktor Nikolsky spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday one day after pirates who seized the Faina demanded a $5 million.

Nikolsky said via a satellite phone that a Russian sailor died Sunday due to hypertension. Other crew members were fine though, he said, adding that he could see three ships about a mile away, including one carrying an American flag.

The pirates initially demanded $35 million and no military action, said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya Seafarers Association. They decreased their demands for several reasons, Mwangura said.

Those reasons include that the crew is from eastern Europe and not the United States, the weapons the ship carries are secondhand, and there is no way to unload the tanks without coming onto land, he said.

The vessel Faina, flying a Belize flag, was headed to the Kenyan port of Mombasa after departing Nikolayev, Ukraine, according to Lt. Col. Konstantin Sadilov, spokesman for the Ukrainian defense ministry. He said it was seized by pirates Thursday not far from its destination.

According to the defense ministry, the ship was carrying 33 Soviet-made T-72 tanks, tank artillery shells, grenade launchers and small arms.

The weapons were sold to Kenya by the Ukraine, said Ukraine Defense Minister Yuri Yekhanurov, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. He said that the entire shipment was contracted and carried out by Ukrspetzexport, Ukraine's state arms exports monopoly, and that it would know better exactly what was on board.

The ship deliberately took a route far from the coast of Somalia, where pirates are known to operate, in an attempt to avoid them, the minister said.

The Kiev-based source told Interfax on Saturday that radio contact was made with the ship's captain, who reported that the crew has come down with malaria. However, the source said the claim might have been an attempt to hasten negotiations.

Ukraine's anti-terrorist center in its capital, Kiev, is analyzing the situation and consulting with military and security experts, Sadilov told CNN. Ukrainian diplomats are also working in Kenya to resolve the situation, he said.

The Pentagon said U.S. naval ships in the area are "monitoring the situation."

"I think we're looking at the full range of options here," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said, because the United States does not want the pirates to dock the ship in Somalia and offload the weapons.

The ship's crew consisted of 17 Ukrainians, three Russians and a Latvian.

U.S. officials said the ship reported being surrounded by three small boats of pirates while sailing 250 miles off the coast of Somalia.

The Russian patrol ship Neustrashimy, which left Wednesday for the coast off Somalia, may help crack down on pirates, a source in the Russian Baltic Fleet headquarters told Interfax-AVN on Friday.

And the Russian Navy's commander, Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, told Interfax that Russia plans to send combat ships to the Somali coast to fight piracy.

"We have such plans for the near future," he said. "However, Russian ships will not be involved in any international operations. They will do this job on their own."

U.S. officials, meanwhile, said they are urging all commercial shippers to carry security personnel on their decks when sailing near Somalia. Earlier this week, a U.S. Navy warship fired warning shots at a small boat that got too close to it, fearing a possible attack.

Meanwhile, Mwangura said an Egyptian ship seized by pirates has been released, and a Japanese ship was released after a $2 million ransom was paid.

In addition, a Greek ship was seized by pirates Friday, he said. The ship has a Romanian crew and was heading from Europe to the Middle East.

CNN's Maxim Tkachenko and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.

 

[HItorMiss]

Bruce

I think it's covered under international law of Terrorism meaning if I read it right they could with Ukraine permission assault the boat. That right there might be the reason they do not have Ukraine permission to retake Ukraine property?


JDro

GO away will you. saying something is weak is not constructive. it's prattle , drivel. You have not a clue on what you are commentating on. Run along now back to your little fantasy world and leave the real world to us grown UPS

 

[HItorMiss]

CG,

This is a little more complex then the BDP can handle. This requires high level CT skills and the BDP's just aren't there. This is more of a Tier 1 Op.

 

[aesop081]

no helipad in their sterns-

Wrong.

http://navysite.de/dd/ddg-images/ddg83_8.jpg

 

[oligarch]

Forgive my ignorance, but how would one go about retaking "Ukraininan property" without destroying it, all the while making sure the hostages are alive and well? I'm just having a hard time imagining such an action. Maybe if anyone here is in the navy they can help explain.

 

[HItorMiss]

Oligarch

There are Units in the world that are trained to undertake such mission. SEAL's (DEVGRU), SBS, GSG9 etc etc...

 

[tomahawk6]

We are watching the Ukrainian ship for the Russians but I think our real interest is in the Iranian ship with its suspicious cargo. Oligarch the video below will give you an idea of the range of options available to us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsaeqlH6rQM&eurl

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Oligarch

There are Units in the world that are trained to undertake such mission. SEAL's (DEVGRU), SBS, GSG9 etc etc...

not to mention the Russians have their own Naval Spetznaz units...

 

[aesop081]

These AEGIS destroyers like the USS HOWARD don't normally carry any helos

I see the edit but still wrong.

 

[HItorMiss]

Exactualy Ex D

Lot's groups out there with the training to retake that ship as fast as pissible while keeping the hostages alive. I was just giving a small sample of more commonly known units.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

no worries BM..I was just illustrating that the Russians have the capability.

These AEGIS destroyers like the USS HOWARD don't normally carry any helos and have no boarding parties of Marines; perhaps the NBPs aboard VDQ might be needed? hehehehe.

Since when do you need to have Marines to conduct boarding ops? The USN has conducted boarding ops with their own sailors in the past and in the present. Why do you feel they can't today?

 

[tomahawk6]

Well taking on 100 pirates high on kat would probably be better handled by specialists. ;D

 

[HItorMiss]

I still contest that the retaking of this ship and it cargo with the hostages is way way above the skill set of the avg Marine MEU or NBP. This is IMO a serious CT Op requiring very specific skill sets. Like said earlier Tier 1 Op.