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| Africa Horn |
| German navy foils Somali pirates |
| 2008-12-25 |
| 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 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'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. The injured crewman is being treated on the Karlsruhe. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #8 WTF? Is this catch and release combat fishing? Bloody insane. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2008-12-25 21:41 |
| #7 "German navy I think that fixes it. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2008-12-25 19:34 |
| #6 "I fail to see how releasing pirates is in German interests" If they captured all the pirates then there would be no more to foil and the German navy wouldn't have anything to do. As long as pirates are captured, Germany can be the hero and releasing the pirates ensures they can continue to be heros for as long as both sides wish to play the game. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2008-12-25 18:19 |
| #5 Not being able or willing to keep prisoners is no excuse. Pirates should simply be killed. What suprises me is the folks that believe in world government don't react stronger to those that try to work outside that system to screw with it (Terrorists and pirates). |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-12-25 17:03 |
| #4 Gitmo. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-12-25 16:00 |
| #3 I fail to see how releasing pirates is in German interests. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2008-12-25 15:26 |
| #2 the pirates were immediately released on the orders of the German government WTF???? I'd have released them through a trap door at the end of a rope, or off the end of a plank with some scrap iron on their ankles. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-12-25 14:28 |
| #1 Sinking? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-12-25 14:13 |