Estonian Military to Combat Pirates
Estonian special forces recently completed training in Germany and will be joining ships crews off Somalia by November, Estonian TV reports :)
Not too sure who will take the armed crew members aboard, but looks like a step in the right direction.
Estonian Public Broadcasting in English
Somali pirates are holding over 435 sailors hostage
A report in The Daily Telegraph starts with:
Quote:
Figures gathered by the London-based International Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Crimes Services show that while the total number of attacks has declined, the numbers of crew kidnapped and ships hijacked has not. The pirates have had more success with less effort.(My emphasis).
(Finishes with)Eventually, an Indian naval officer involved in the counter-piracy mission told The Telegraph, a solution will have to involve dismantling the infrastructure of pirate gangs operating out of Somali ports—a fraught military enterprise no country wishes to become involved in.
Almost worthy of an essay question; so, Given the dilemma posed by Somali piracy (as outlined above) what should the international community do?
Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...s-hostage.html
USN & PLAN -v- pirates in the Arabian Sea
My attention was drawn to this incident by an Australian think tank's email, although dependent on a USN Central Command news release:
Quote:
Firstly, news has emerged that the US Navy and PLA Navy cooperated during a piracy response operation over the weekend. USS Winston Churchill and USNS Lewis and Clarke initially responded to a distress call made by MV Tai An Kou, which was being attacked by pirates in the North Arabian Sea. The PLA frigate Xuzhou then joined with the US ships and, following a handover, conducted the boarding operation. The US and Chinese ships remained in communication throughout.
Analysis: while the focus is on friction between the US and Chinese in East Asia and the South China Sea, don't miss the important steps towards cooperation and collaboration occurring further west.
Australian link, which starts on this and covers other developments:http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/...elopments.aspx
USN news release:http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/articles/2010/CMF070.html
Aside from the co-operation I noted several facts: an attack in the North Arabian Sea, 100 miles from Oman (so not Somali pirates), then who; the response times (10hrs) and the cordial handover.
Not seen this reported elsewhere, but have not searched.
Mod's Note on 6/12/10 moved four posts from a separate thread to this, the main Somali Piracy thread.
Somali pirates seize ship off the coast of Southern India
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bourbon
This past year Somali pirates have begun hijacking ships 100 miles off the coast of Oman. By using motherships they have extended their range into the Indian Ocean, almost to the Maldives.
Speaking of range, suspected pirates from Somalia have seized a Bangladeshi ship off the coast of Southern India, according to officials in the country of the ships origin.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11923676
One released, one captured
From the BBC News:
Quote:
Somali pirates have freed a German-owned chemical tanker, reportedly after a $5.5m (£3.6m) ransom was paid....(which was) seized in May...
Pirates now hold 25 vessels and 587 hostages after they seized another German-owned ship on Monday...taken..about 200 miles (325km) north-east of the port of Salalah in Oman.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12086627
South Korean commando raid kills eight Somali pirates
At last! From an unexpected partner too:
Quote:
.stormed a hijacked ship off Somalia, killing eight pirates, arresting five and releasing the crew of 21 to safety.
Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...i-pirates.html
Added later, Malaysian action in the Gulf of Oman, pirates arrested:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12258442
Witness to an attack and more
A well known UK retired journalist was aboard a cruise ship that was attacked, so some value in his article and then he adds a lot of familiar context, almost a litany of criticism:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/tr...i-pirates.html
About time! Mother ship seized
For reasons that elude me, from a landlubbers armchair, the reported mother ships for the pirates have escaped attention. So congratulations to the Danish warship:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12442330
Note the impressive map on the range of attacks.
Norwegian shipper: kill pirates 'on the spot'
http://ap.stripes.com/dynamic/storie...02-16-10-32-49
Quote:
Jacqueline Smith, president of the Norwegian Seafarers Union, described Stolt-Nielsen's views as "barbaric" and said killing pirates could endanger the 700 seafarers now held as hostages in Somalia
another view is if we did follow the good captain's advice we may not have 700 seafarers held hostage in Somalia, and of course Jacqueline didn't offer any other suggestions for suppressing this problem.