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| Africa Horn |
| Somali pirates say they will fight commando raid |
| 2008-10-03 |
| Somali pirates on a hijacked cargo ship holding battle tanks and hostages said Thursday that they were ready to battle any commando-style rescue attempt. The warning came a day after the Somali government gave foreign powers a blank check for using force against the pirates, while U.S. warships continued to circle nearby and a Russian frigate headed toward the standoff. "Anyone who tries to attack us or deceive us will face bad repercussions," the pirates' spokesman, Sugule Ali, told The Associated Press by satellite telephone from the Ukrainian ship MV Faina. Ali sounded calm and relaxed despite being surrounded by a half dozen Navy vessels and buzzed by American helicopters. Navy officials decline to comment on the possible use of force, but they warn the pirates against harming the 20 crew members or trying to unload the ship's cargo of 33 Soviet-designed T-72 tanks and other weapons. They make clear they won't allow the arms to fall into the hands of an al-Qaida-linked Islamic movement that is battling Somalia's government. Ali said the pirates planned to release the ship with crew and cargo intact after receiving the $20 million ransom they have demanded. They seized it Sept. 25 and are no anchored off the coast of central Somalia. "We have nothing to do with insurgents or terrorist organizations. We only need money," he said. "We would never reduce the ransom." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #10 Or follow the vermin back to the nest and 'fumigate' it. Then place their heads on stakes at the entrance. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-10-03 18:38 |
| #9 How has it been managed in the past. When the special ops team attacks, you don't have a lot of time to run around killing hostages. You can either give up, run, or try to fight. But they will be shooting at you while you are thinking, so think fast. Reality is, some hostages will probably die in a raid, but some might get killed anyway. It is time to disassemble this entire criminal network in Somalia. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-10-03 16:49 |
| #8 The only real question is how to avoid crew casualties, not whether these mokes have a prayer against a special ops raid.... |
| Posted by: Cromort Sinatra7735 2008-10-03 14:17 |
| #7 ...and lots of them will probably die. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-03 13:09 |
| #6 The pirates pay us $20 million and we will let them go, heh. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2008-10-03 11:29 |
| #5 i like the idea floated here earlier about SEALS and underwater activity; cut some holes in the hull and watch the thing slowly sink. it would be hard to get to them since there are all those tanks and stuff in the way. no guns, no explosions, just the "ship slowly sinking in the west as the sun pulls away from the shore" (old Spike Jones line) |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-10-03 11:29 |
| #4 "We have nothing to do with insurgents or terrorist organizations." We just be pirates! Arrgh! |
| Posted by: Darrell 2008-10-03 09:51 |
| #3 Um, when the warships show up and have you surrounded its game over dumbass. A ransom is the least of your worries now. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-10-03 09:49 |
| #2 "In the midst of life we are in death. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust." -- burial service, Book of Common Prayer |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-10-03 09:37 |
| #1 You'll lose. |
| Posted by: Spanky Jairong5704 2008-10-03 00:32 |