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| Africa Horn |
| Hong Kong tanker flees Somali pirates |
| 2009-11-10 |
| [Iran Press TV Latest] Somali pirates have attacked a Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker off the coast, says the European Union's anti-piracy mission. The BW Lion managed to escape pirates, who fired automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades at the tanker, said the EU's Atalanta naval mission, which is working in the pirate infested waters off Somalia. The incident, which left no casualties, took place some 400 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles and 1,000 nautical miles off the Somali coast, it said, adding, "This was the longest range of a pirate attack off the Somali coast ever." Also on Monday, maritime experts reported that pirates seized on Sunday a United Arab Emirates-flagged cargo ship loaded with weapons bound for Somalia in contravention of a UN arms embargo. Pirate groups have shifted the focus of their attacks to the wider Indian Ocean since other countries started to deploy warships in the Gulf of Aden in a bid to curb piracy. "There have been 12 pirate events in this area in the last 30 days," said Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Program. "There is a high probability of attacks in this area for at least the next 24-48 hours. Weather conditions are expected to remain favorable for piracy...through this period," he added. Seychelles has voiced concern that the expansion of Somali piracy in its waters could damage its tourism-based economy. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 Drinks! |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2009-11-10 15:10 |
| #4 I've been pondering the pirate problem, and think I've found at least a partial solution. The US has a dozen or so LSDs (Landing Ship Dock). Put a couple of them out patrolling the sea lanes the pirates concentrate on. Put three or four fast attack boats (Old PT?) aboard, and launch them whenever there's a pirate attack or suspected pirate activity within range. Most LSDs are designed to carry several companies of Marines and a small number of helicopters. Use them in the mission, also, attacking ships the pirates have captured. The only way to stop this piracy is to make it so expensive in lives and equipment to no longer be profitable. Since we won't ARCLIGHT the pirates' home port, this would be the next best thing. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-11-10 15:02 |
| #3 Then I'll be an outlaw. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-11-10 12:26 |
| #2 As the old saying goes.... When guns are outlawed only outlaws have guns. |
| Posted by: junkirony 2009-11-10 04:45 |
| #1 It would seem to me that if the ships' crews armed themselves that they would be in a far better position to fight than any would-be attackers. Who would know what happened to a pirate boat now and then if they just disappeared? "Where'd you get the bullet holes there, Captain?" "We have no idea." |
| Posted by: gorb 2009-11-10 00:29 |