Blackwater meet Blackbeard
Blackwater's a little too small and just late
Hoorah, the Brits finally got a few pirates with an exchange of gunfire.
Well, the HMS Cumberland slightly outclasses a rubbermaid dhingi :D
Quote:
Navy shoots pirate suspects dead
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the incident took place on Tuesday, when HMS Cumberland crew members tried to board a traditional wooden dhow.
The Good Guys Strike Back
Here's a great story from Hurriyet on-line.
Quote:
The Indian frigate INS Tabar, one of dozens of warships from several countries protecting shipping lanes in the area, attacked the Somali pirate ship late Tuesday after coming under fire, navy spokesman Nirad Sinha was quoted by AFP as saying.
The incident came as shipping groups reported a new surge in hijackings off Somalia and the International Maritime Bureau said pirates based in the lawless African nation were now "out of control".
"The INS Tabar closed in on the mother vessel and asked her to stop for investigation," the New Delhi navy spokesman said.
"But on repeated calls, the vessels threatening response was that she would blow up the naval warship" if it approached," he added.
An exchange of fire ensued, causing explosions and the Indian navy ships then used heavy guns.
Who'd a thunk the Indian Navy would be the guys to strike this kind of blow?
well, I wouldn't hire those guards again...
Somali pirates hijack ship, British guards escape
By KATHARINE HOURELD – 28 November 2008
Quote:
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Somali pirates hijacked a chemical tanker with dozens of Indian crew members on board Friday, and three British security guards were rescued by helicopter after jumping into the sea, officials said.
A warship on patrol nearby had sent helicopters to intervene in the attack, but they arrived after pirates had taken control of the Liberian-flagged ship, diplomatic officials said on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak with media.
Still on board were 25 Indian and two Bangladeshi crew members, after the British security guards escaped by jumping into the water, the diplomats said.
the struggle against pirates
FIIA - Making a big problem smaller – extracting a functioning mini-state from a larger failed-state?
Quote:
Topical comedians everywhere are having endless pirate-related fun but the story, of course, has a darker side when you look at what is happening on land and not just on the high seas.
A new country of Somaliland will not solve the problems of the Horn of Africa, but as all other international policies on Somalia seem to have failed, recognising Somaliland is surely worth considering.
Words of wisdom from Thomas
Quote:
"...Instead we tried for 40 years to do the wrong thing--preserving a region as a state--for all the right reasons. All the best intentions in the world are fruitless when the end state is unachievable."
With present day other locale applicability...