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Africa Horn
Freed Dubai ship crew narrate ordeal
2008-04-24
BOSASSO, Somalia - The Pakistani crew members of a hijacked, Dubai-flagged ship said on Wednesday they were lucky to be alive after being tricked and captured by Somali pirates then rescued in a shootout at sea.

Admiral Alia Akbar, second-in-command of the Al-Khaleej, told Reuters seven pirates posing as thirsty fishermen in dire need of drinking water came alongside on Monday only to hijack the ship at gunpoint after being allowed on board.
"Hey! Youse on the ship! Give us somethin' for humanitarian reasons!"
"Uhhh... I dunno. You sure it's all right?"
"Yeah, sure. We do this all the time."
"Well, okay. Come aboard then."
'We let in three of them. Suddenly four others, who were armed, boarded the ship. They then ordered the captain to change course and took us between Mukalah (in Yemen) and Dubai. They held us there at sea all night,' he said in Urdu.
Next time cover them when they board. If you don't want to carry weapons, use a big honkin' fire hose ...
When the pirates came on board, the Pakistani crew scattered and tried to hide in different parts of the cargo ship that had been en route from Dubai to Puntland. But they were all found by the pirates, who promised not to hurt them.
"You in the coal bin! Come out witcher hands up!"
"No! You'll hurt me!"
"Nah. Not us!"
"You're sure?"
"Sure. We do this all the time!"
On Tuesday, scores of security officers from the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland stormed the ship and engaged the pirates in a gun-battle that lasted for an hour, rescuing the 16 crew members and arresting the pirates.

The rescue was terrifying, Akbar said. 'In the morning many troops on two speedboats surrounded our ship. Then the shootout started. It was really frightening. The pirates surrendered after three of them were wounded. I can't believe we are free. It was a nightmare,' he said, smiling.

Akbar, who spoke standing near the ship at Puntland's Bosasso port, said it was the crew's first encounter with pirates after 5 years sailing in the region. The Al-Khaleej will now offload its cargo -- food, cars and fuel -- in two days and sail back to Dubai to bring in more supplies under escort next time by Puntland authorities.

Another ship, a Spanish tuna fishing vessel, was hijacked over the weekend and is still held by pirates in Garad, a remote coastal town in the Indian Ocean waters off southeast Puntland.

Somali authorities said on Tuesday they had sent a force to try and release the boat. And Spain has sent one of its frigates, and its ambassador in Kenya, to try and rescue it. Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said no ransom demand had been received yet. 'First we have to hear what they are asking for, what they want,' he said on television in Spain.
"We must first hear their demands. Only then will we capitulate!"
"It ain't like we're Frenchies or somethin'!"
The rescue mission was the second against pirates operating from the lawless country this month after French commandos swooped to arrest six in the same area.
"Señor Capitan, we are here to rescue youse!"
"But where are your guns?"
"We need no guns! We have brought money!"
Posted by:Steve White

#1  I think from now on all Somali piracy has to be ransomed in Zimbabwe dollars at an exchange rate of 10$Z to the Euro. That should put an end to piracy in quick order (kinda hard to hijack ships when your pockets - and your vest, and your boat, and your car, and your house, and - well you get the drift) are full of worthless paper.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2008-04-24 14:20  

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