| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Horn |
| US to try five suspected Somali pirates |
| 2010-11-08 |
| [Iran Press TV] Five Somali pirates are set to go on trial in the United States on charges of firing assault rifles at a US navy ship off the coast of Horn of Africa state. The suspected pirates shot at the US Navy guided missile frigate USS Nicholas on April 1, during a failed hijacking attack on the frigate they had mistaken for an unarmed merchant ship. The federal trial for the men will begin on Tuesday and is expected to last about a month. Due to an unwavering surge in piracy since 2007, the waters off the Indian Ocean coast of Somalia are considered the world's most dangerous maritime trade route. The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the fastest route for more than 20,000 merchant vessels traveling from Asia to Europe and the America. However, The infamous However... attacks by the heavily armed Somali pirates in speedboats have prompted some of the world's largest shipping firms to switch routes from the Suez Canal and send cargo vessels around southern Africa, causing a hike in shipping costs. The pirates usually hold the hijacked ships and their crew hostage against millions of dollars in ransoms. On Saturday, pirates onboard a South Korean tanker seized in April claimed they were freeing the ship after receiving a record 9 million dollar ransom payoff. Somalia, located in the strategic Horn of Africa, does not have a functional government, and the Transitional Federal Government does not have much control beyond the capital city Mogadishu. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Aww! With all the sharks in those waters .. keelhauling would be a so much more entertaining way to try pirates. |
| Posted by: Water Modem 2010-11-08 20:55 |
| #2 Court Martial the Captain for refusal to follow standing law, Hanging them when caught. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-11-08 20:31 |
| #1 Kind of like Obumble is going to 'try' to bring the economy back to life. look for these losers to be releaesed on probation in the US. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2010-11-08 14:03 |