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Africa Horn

Somalia: Aramco says it will negotiate with pirates over seized oil tanker

2008-11-21

(AKI) - Saudi oil giant Aramco, whose subsidiary Vela International owns the hijacked supertanker Sirus Star said on Wednesday it would make contact with the Somali pirates who seized the ship on Saturday. The pirates have demanded a ransom for the release of the tanker, the largest one ever hijacked, which has a 25-member crew on board and is fully loaded with two million barrels of oil worth over 100 million dollars. The vessel is now anchored off the Somali coast.

"During the course of the day we will make contact with the Somalis and negotiate the release of our oil tanker," Aramco said in a statement quoted by Arabic satellite TV channel Al-Arabiya.

The pirates in an audio tape released on Wednesday demanded a ransom in exchange for the release of the Sirius Star and its crew, an unspecified and negotiable sum that could reportedly reach four million dollars.

In the tape, the pirates have warned that they have a machine that can detect false banknotes, said Bili Mahmoud Qabusad, spokesman for the Somali region of Puntland's president. According to Qabusad, the pirates probably come from the Somali capital, Mogadishu and set sail ten days ago on their mission to hijack the Sirius Star.

Also on Wednesday, the Indian navy said one of its warships in the Gulf of Aden opened fire on a ship belonging to pirates operating off the coast of Somalia, sinking the vessel. The Indian navy said the pirates on board were armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers and threatened to blow up the warship and then opened fire on it.

More than 92 ships have been attacked his year, more than three times the number in 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau. At least 14 of these vessels, carrying over 250 crew members, are still in the control of hijackers.

An estimated 25-30 million dollars has been paid in ransom to Somali pirates this year, according to a UN report released on Tuesday.

Multinational naval vessels began patrolling the Gulf of Aden in August and have reportedly thwarted two dozen attacks. Private US security firm Blackwater has announced it is launching a flotilla of gunboats for hire by the shipping companies crossing the Gulf of Aden's 2.5 million square miles of sea.

Posted by:Fred

#8 You're gonna have to get down to the Bush Co. for some warm chili and crackers Pual...ehhehehe.

Posted by: Besoeker 2008-11-21 18:29

#7 Frozen Al---speaking of frozen,it is 11F in anchorage and -7F in Fairbanks.

Puntland will tell you, dinars to donuts, that they don't have the power or resources to deal with the pirates. Maybe they don't. I just have a hard time believing them.

From Wiki:

Politics

President Mohamed Musa Hersi dismissed the parliament of Puntland on December 9, 2007, and effectively rules by decree.[6] This follows a year of defections and secessions from Puntland over the increasingly autocratic governing style of the president sparked initially by a demand earlier in 2007 for an audit of the budget. Fallout from this political crisis include the defection of Ahmed Abdi Xabsade to Somaliland and the invasion of Sool by Somaliland and his supporters, the secession of Puntland-controlled Sanaag and subsequent creation of the state of Maakhir, and recently the defection of the commander of Puntland military forces in Sool to Somaliland.

Economy
Bosaso is the largest city of Puntland

Puntland has 1600km of coastline, which is abundant with fish and other natural marine resources. However, after the collapse of the Somali central government in 1991, the coast was left unguarded against foreign intruders. As a result, many ships equipped with heavy trawls and other unlawful fishing equipment have worked in Puntland's territorial waters. These ships violate catch regulations, including some which keep their catch alive and stock them in waters where fishing has been depleted. Puntland's coastal authorities continue to receive complaints from local fishermen about the damage being done by these outsiders.

Puntland exports great quantities of seafood such as lobsters, dried fish, shark vines, and tuna. Sea salt is also produced.

Other economic products and activities of Puntland include livestock, frankincense, gum arabic, manufacturing and agriculture.

In Lasqorey district there is a medium size fish processing plant that produces and processes great quantities of tuna fish. The products of Lasqorey fish factory reach commercial level, and its tuna are found throughout Puntland and also outside the region. A fish processing plant is also being constructed in Habo, which locals hope will reduce poverty and unemployment and improve the economy of the area.

Piracy threatens shipping near the Puntland coast, with pirate crews operating out of ports on the coastline.[7] The pirates actually have an income of $30m per year [now $150 mil per year per Rantburg article], $10m greater than that of Puntland as a whole.

Posted by: Alaska Paul 2008-11-21 18:27

#6 S.Arabia has elite commando units don't they?

Yes, but they're committed to the NWF and Kashmir.

Posted by: .5mt 2008-11-21 17:57

#5 S.Arabia has elite commando units don't they? They certainly have a marginal regard for human life. Why wouldn't they try to retake the vessel? Are Aramco employees among the crew? Cause if they aren't, I don't see why they don't go 'all in' on this.

Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-11-21 17:39

#4 Alaska Paul,
From your map, it appears that all of the ships being held are being kept in Puntland. This suggests active collaberation by the Puntland government.

Posted by: Frozen Al 2008-11-21 17:04

#3 That last graphic is hard to read. I reloaded the graphic. Mods---please delete above graphic. Thanks!

Posted by: Alaska Paul 2008-11-21 15:27

#2 The price is under 50 a barrel. Maybe if they wait long enough the pirates will pay Aramco to take it back

Posted by: tu3031 2008-11-21 12:39

#1 Private US security firm Blackwater has announced it is launching a flotilla of gunboats for hire by the shipping companies crossing the Gulf of Aden's 2.5 million square miles of sea.

Oops! Things may get very ROUGH for the pirates, very soon.

Posted by: Old Patriot 2008-11-21 10:51

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