More Piracy Near Somalia

[davidbfpo]

Clearly the Somali pirates have not gone away and here are just a few recent reports:

UK yachting couple seized as RN auxiliary watches:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-Chandler.html

Gunmen kill Somalia pirate judge:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8356228.stm

Somali pirates have attacked an oil tanker some 1,000 nautical miles (1,850km) off the coast, the EU's anti-piracy mission says:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8350850.stm

davidbfpo

[davidbfpo]

Somali pirates have released a Spanish fishing boat and its crew after holding it for six weeks, Spain's prime minister has confirmed. The pirates earlier told reporters they were leaving the ship after being promised a ransom of $3.5m (£2.1m). There was no immediate government confirmation of money having been paid.

The bad news:

More than 10 ships and 200 hostages are currently being held by pirates operating in waters off Somalia.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8364530.stm

[davidbfpo]

On SWJ Blog today a startling report that all is not well: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...rmen-in-yemen/

One third of the piracy in the world takes place in the gulf, a roughly 200-mile wide strip of water that separates Yemen from Somalia. ...despite the display of military might, piracy in the area doubled in 2009, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). One of the world's busiest sea lanes, more than 25,000 merchant ships pass through the Gulf of Aden every year. Between January and September this year, there were 100 attempted and actual pirate attacks. There were half as many during the same period last year. In 2005, there were eight.

[davidbfpo]

Two updates: The Dutch navy has arrested 13 Somali pirates who attempted to hijack a cargo ship south of Oman, 275 km offshore (150 miles); http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8392669.stm (3/12/09)

The Greek-owned Maran Centaurus, a 300k oil tanker (full) was about 1,300km (800 miles) off Somalia when it was hijacked on Sunday, said the EU Naval task force (Navfor); http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8385845.stm (30/11/09)

As Somalia sinks, with a steady flow of refugees to Yemen, only the robber-pirates, fanatics and the unlucky will be left.

[tpjkevin]

Choice of a Singaporean seems reasonable because it links the two bounds of the Indian Ocean pirate problem, from the Horn of Africa to the Straits. It also accords with my policy beliefs that the Indian Ocean is not a US or NATO lake. It also is not a Chinese lake (despite Menzies' book, "1421").

Sort of takes us back to the pre-colonialization trade routes of the "Indonesian" (using that term generically for the SE Asian end of the arc) to India to Madagascar arc (that island being settled by folks from "Indonesia"). I wish your country good fortune in assuming this responsibility.

We've taken command today.

All the best to the naval personnel who have to make this work.

[marct]

We've taken command today.

All the best to the naval personnel who have to make this work.

Break a leg as the saying goes in the theatre! Drop us a line once in a while and let us know how things are going.

Cheers,

Marc

[tpjkevin]

Break a leg as the saying goes in the theatre! Drop us a line once in a while and let us know how things are going.

Cheers,

Marc

Thanks for the good wishes but I'm not part of it. Just sharing the news here and there.

[davidbfpo]

A Libyan-owned merchant ship flying the North Korean flag has been hijacked by Somali prates in the Gulf of Aden...There was no immediate information about the cargo of the ship, a 4,800-ton merchant vessel called the Rim.

I await Gadafy and Kim 2 despatching an appropriate response.

Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/wo...html?ref=world

[davidbfpo]

The first time I've heard of the UK Somali community saying anything on this topic:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8514104.stm"

TV and radio stations serving the community are broadcasting regular appeals for the Chandlers' release, while demonstrations and public meetings demanding their freedom have been organised by Somali leaders across the country.

Anecdote suggests a good proportion of the UK community come from Puntland, where many of the pirates are based.

[davidbfpo]

The USN catches some pirates:http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/...=Google+Reader

Eight suspected pirates were apprehended after a counter-piracy task force foiled an attack on a vessel in the Gulf of Aden, authorities said Monday.

Nothing on where the suspects will appear in court, I suspect the victim vessel being Tanzanian does not make matters simple.

[davidbfpo]

The roundabout off Somalia's coast and beyond continues to alter course. This time with a Singapore registered ship released:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100226/ap_on_re_af/

[davidbfpo]

An interesting and perplexing report:

A Norwegian ship owner says a vessel (a tanker with fuel oil) with 21 crew members has been hijacked by Somali pirates near Madagascar.

Link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...4-H2wD9E92GTO1

Recalling the previous mapping this is a long way south.

[davidbfpo]

The piracy continues, sometimes with an incredible far reach and some attacks are violently repulsed - this article reports the first Somali pirate fatality by a private guard:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100324/ap_on_re_af/piracy

The killing raises questions over who has jurisdiction over a growing army of armed guards on merchant ships flying flags from many nations.
There's currently no regulation of private security onboard ships, no guidelines about who is responsible in case of an attack, and no industrywide standards, said piracy expert Roger Middleton from the British think tank Chatham House.

The article has more than this issue; like this:

The International Maritime Bureau says 39 ships were fired off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden in 2008, but that number increased to 114 ships by 2009.

[davidbfpo]

There's always another story with Somali piracy, the pirates detained yesterday by a Spanish warship have now been released as the attacked ship crew (and PMC) refused to be witnesses.

I assume those released will have a safe journey home.

Link:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8586729.stmand a more analytical article:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8585967.stm

[davidbfpo]

Pirates seized a cargo ship on Monday with 24 crew members off the port of Aden, Yemen...A spokesman for traders in Mogadishu, Somalia, said that seven other ships had been seized in the Indian Ocean over the weekend.

Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/wo...efs-Yemen.html

I am prepared to accept the first seizure, so close to Aden beggars belief; the 'traders' claim is unverified and is not reflected in other news coverage.

[davidbfpo]

A South Korean navy destroyer is pursuing a South Korean-owned oil supertanker believed to have been hijacked by pirates off Somalia's coast...The 300,000-ton-class Samho Dream was about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) southeast of the Gulf of Aden at the time of the apparent hijacking..

Link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...ss_world/wires

The BBC link has a map:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/8603098.stm

[Rex Brynen]

Not the first time that a "safe room" onboard has made all the difference...



Dutch marines storm cargo ship seized by Somali pirates
Commandos rescue crew by abseiling on to German vessel from helicopter

By Tony Paterson in Berlin
The Independent, Wednesday, 7 April 2010

The Dutch navy claimed a rare victory in the war against international piracy yesterday after marines abseiled from a helicopter to seize control of a captured container ship following a shootout with Somali hijackers.

One Dutch marine was slightly injured during the storming of the German ship MS Taipan, which had been boarded early on Monday by 10 Somali pirates from small boats armed with machine guns. The 15-man German crew of MS Taipan had radioed for help after taking refuge in a secure cabin on board the ship.

The Dutch frigate Tromp was called to the scene and caught up with the MS Taipan some 560 miles off the Somali coast because the German crew had managed to shut down the ship's engines. The vessel was almost at a standstill as the pirates boarded, the Dutch navy said.

What followed was the stuff of a James Bond film: after the Dutch frigate attempted to negotiate with the pirates but failed, a helicopter gunship from the Tromp took off and machine-gunned the bridge of the MS Taipan. Minutes later the helicopter hovered over containers on the bow of the MS Taipan allowing a unit of heavily armed marines to abseil on to the deck, storm the vessel and retake it.

Despite the damage to the ship's bridge, the MS Taipan was then able to continue its voyage from the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Djibouti. The marines detained the 10 Somali pirates on board the ship.

[davidbfpo]

In a wide ranging article on the PLAN (Chinese Navy), in an IISS Strategic Comment, there is an excellent review of their activity and lessons learnt:

...since December 2008 it has deployed naval vessels to the multinational anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden. Each four-month rotation usually consists of two destroyers or frigates and one replenishment ship.

The navy has gained experience from the deployment and has surmounted significant logistical problems. The first flotilla suffered from a shortage of fresh food because it did not have a supply port. Unlike Western vessels, which put ashore on average every 10–14 days, the first flotilla remained at sea for the whole rotation, eventually jeopardising the health of the crew and the flotilla's effectiveness. In addition, its handling of the first few pirate attacks was clumsy and poorly coordinated because the PLAN had not established effective rules of engagement.

By the second and third rotations, China had established arrangements for resupply ports. Chinese vessels now put in at ports such as Djibouti, Salalah in Oman and Aden in Yemen. China's task force has also begun to participate in monthly 'shared awareness and deconfliction' meetings at which navies exchange operational information. The PLAN flotillas have participated in joint exercises and officer exchanges, and have been keen to gain experience of anti-piracy tactics from other navies.

Link:http://www.iiss.org/publications/str...aval-strategy/

[JMA]

Not the first time that a "safe room" onboard has made all the difference...



Dutch marines storm cargo ship seized by Somali pirates
Commandos rescue crew by abseiling on to German vessel from helicopter

By Tony Paterson in Berlin
The Independent, Wednesday, 7 April 2010

OK, so how do they get off the pile of containers and onto the deck now?

...on second thoughts... what are they aiming at? Is this a Photoshop creation?

[Dayuhan]

OK, so how do they get off the pile of containers and onto the deck now?

...on second thoughts... what are they aiming at? Is this a Photoshop creation?

Even from the perspective of a non-military guy it seems odd that everyone in the picture is looking in the same direction... seems like possibly a bad practice if there's a possibility of a bad guy in the other direction, but WTF do I know?