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| Africa Horn |
| Russia approved to use force against Somali pirates |
| 2008-10-01 |
| Excessive force in the apprehension of the NAIROBI (Reuters) - Somali authorities have given Russia's navy the go-ahead to use force against pirates holding a Ukrainian ship hijacked with 33 tanks on board, a maritime official said on Wednesday. Russia has sent a warship, but it has yet to arrive off lawless Somalia, where gunmen demanding $20 million seized the MV Faina last week. U.S. naval ships are watching the vessel, hijacked near one of the world's busiest shipping routes. "The Somali government has given permission to the Russian navy to enter Somali waters and use force," said Andrew Mwangura, an official of the Mombasa-based East African Seafarers Assistance Program. "On behalf of the seafarers' families, we are requesting them not to use force because it will put the men in danger." The crew of 20 are mostly Ukrainians, but include two Russians. Another Russian died of illness after the hijacking. Germany announced on Wednesday it would provide a frigate for an EU naval task force comprised of three frigates, a supply ship and three maritime surveillance ships to fight piracy off the African coast. Twice this year, French commandoes have stormed hijacked yachts, rescued captured French nationals and taken pirates away for prosecution. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #13 Practice? To set an example? ... less expensive Practice what? Shouting "Full speed ahead!" and sailing in big ovals? Example? Can you point out the examples the US Navy has made of these pirates? The bodies hanging from the yardarm? Bases burned? Just last week a US Navy ship was attacked. It fired warning shots and kept going. I can imagine the stories those pirates are telling their mates, "Holy crap, Achmed. The US Navy missed us by a mile. The infidels can't shoot worth a damn. Allah ackbar!". Less expensive? Here's an idea. Call up a Somali bigwig and tell them that any American ship hijacked will result in the immediate destruction of their base/town and all their wealth and wives destroyed. Costs 50 cents a minute. I just saved the taxpayers $50 million/year per ship in operating costs and another excuse to build a billion dollar weapon to babysit barbarians. One, this is a unique situation. It's a hijacked ship, just like 30 other ships this year. The weapons cargo concerns us because it probably will be sold on to islamists? Is the Navy doing anything about that? Two, it isn't a "tramp steamer". It's a POS Motor Vessel that should be broken for scrap and couldn't in any way get certification to sail in our waters. Mahan's treatise We have zero obligation to defend the world's oceans. What we are doing is lowering the cost of business for America's competitors and shifting the burden onto American taxpayers. Extremely self defeating. Take care of our own and our good friends and the rest of the world can take care of their own. If you want reading material, read about empires and over extension. An good analogue in that part of the world is the Ottoman Empire. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-10-01 21:54 |
| #12 Which men? The crew? Yes, the crew. I highly doubt that the East African Seafarers Assistance Program would be pleading for the pirates. Why would the US launch a rescue? Practice? To set an example? Because perhaps it may be less expensive in blood and treasure to do something in the near future than have to deal with it later? No need for billion $ destoyers racing around after every distress call from tramp steamers. Wrong. One, this is a unique situation. Two, it isn't a "tramp steamer". Three, Alfred Thayer Mahan's treatise on seapower still has some relevancy. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-10-01 21:12 |
| #11 Wile E. Coyote mental moment: Russian ship on one side, US ship on the other; both lobbed shells at pirate held boat, both were too high. fast forward to only one boat left (hint: it ain't the Russians or the US) sorry; this tragic comedy has just got to end in no good. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-10-01 17:29 |
| #10 Why would the US launch a rescue? No American ships have been hijacked and, as far as I know, no US crewman held hostage. The only US interest is to see that these weapons are not sold to the islamists. No need for billion $ destoyers racing around after every distress call from tramp steamers. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-10-01 17:18 |
| #9 Actually, I think the Somali "government" is giving everybody permission to blast away... MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia will allow foreign powers to use force if necessary against pirates who are holding a ship loaded with tanks for US$20 million ransom, raising the stakes for bandits who are facing off against the United States and soon Moscow on the high seas. And at least eight European Union countries want to join an international operation to protect shipping from pirates off Somali, according to France's defense minister. "The international community has permission to fight with the pirates," Mohammed Jammer Ali, the Somali Foreign Ministry's acting permanent director, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Somalia's president, Abdullahi Yusuf, also urged foreign nations to help Somalis fight piracy. "The government has lost patience and now wants to fight pirates with the help of the international community," he said Wednesday in a radio address. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-01 16:36 |
| #8 Russia can sometimes do revenge well. After some Americans had been kidnapped in Lebanon, the kidnappers got the bright idea to kidnap some Russians. The Russians counter-kidnapped their spiritual leader, and FedEx'ed a few of his body parts to them, asking where they should send the rest. They not only released the Russians hostages, but drove them to the Russian embassy, begging them to ask their government to not mutilate their spiritual leader any more. For once, I appreciated the Russian way of doing business. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-10-01 14:48 |
| #7 It's an attempt to pre-empt US action. Only Russia has permission now to enter Somali waters, is the claim. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-10-01 14:21 |
| #6 Like Russia really NEEDED permission from Somalia. That works real well, kind of like litle Brother telling big Brother not to hit him...... |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-10-01 14:19 |
| #5 Maybe they'll send them over some of Vlad's "Special Sushi"... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-01 14:01 |
| #4 no force is being used against them. that's the whole problem |
| Posted by: sinse 2008-10-01 13:35 |
| #3 MOSCOW, October 1 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Navy said Wednesday that no force would be used against pirates who seized a Ukrainian ship off the Somali coast last week, a Navy spokesman said. "The issues of releasing the ship and the crew will be resolved in line with international practice. The use of force is clearly an extreme measure as it could threaten the lives of the multinational crew," Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo told RIA Novosti. The pirates, who are demanding $20 million for the release of the ship, said earlier they would kill a hostage if an attempt was made to free the hostages by force. Among the hostages are three Russians, 17 Ukrainians and one Latvian. The ship's captain, Russian Vladimir Kolobkov, earlier died of a heart attack. Three pirates were killed in a shootout onboard, media reported, adding that none of the ship's crew was injured during the shootout. Russia sent the Neustrashimy (Fearless) warship to the region on Saturday, but the Russian Navy said the decision had been made long before the seizure of the Faina. "The Russian Navy has repeatedly maintained that the goal for the Neustrashimy is to arrive in Somalia and protect Russian vessels for an indefinite period of time in areas dangerous for pirate attacks," Dygalo said. Earlier Wednesday, Somali Ambassador to Russia Mohamed Handule said his country's President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed had authorized Russia's military to fight pirates off Somalia's coast and on land. "This permission allows the warship to use the whole range of the weapons on board," a Navy official said. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-01 13:22 |
| #2 Update: Somalia: World can use force against the pirates That is all... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-01 13:13 |
| #1 requesting them not to use force because it will put the men in danger." Which men? The crew? They're already in danger, witness the death of one of them. The pirates? I should hope they're in danger; I'd hang any I caught alive by the end of the day. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-10-01 13:10 |