someonesomewhere Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD97EDHE80NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The American crew of a hijacked U.S.-flagged cargo ship retook the vessel Wednesday from the Somali pirates who seized it far off the Horn of Africa, Pentagon officials said....A U.S. official said the crew had retaken control and had one pirate in custody....It was the sixth vessel seized within a week, a rise that analysts attribute to a new strategy by Somali pirates who are operating far from the warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden....Somali pirates are trained fighters who frequently dress in military fatigues and use speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and various types of grenades....The Combined Maritime Forces issued an advisory Wednesday highlighting several recent attacks that occurred hundreds of miles off the Somali coast and stating that merchant mariners should be increasingly vigilant when operating in those waters....Perhaps the vigilance of ship crews has changed, much like the rules changes on 9/11 when aboard a hijacked aircraft.Or perhaps, in the economic downturn, this batch of pirates employed wooden swords and BB guns and lit paper bags of doggie poo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7637257.stmLast summer they took a ship full of tanks. remember that one?How come i just started hearing about pirates in the past year or so. is this a new thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nascar Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Or perhaps, in the economic downturn, this batch of pirates employed wooden swords and BB guns and lit paper bags of doggie poo.Aye matey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jq26 Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 What an amazing finish to this saga. Three sniper bullets from long distance that killed these creeps instantly. And the captain is returned unharmed. Good job Navy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1time2many Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 The shots were from 75 yards as the ship was towing the lifeboat back out to sea.Though that was not a far distance, it was still a hell of a shot by 3 snipers at once into a moving, rocking boat, there were alot of things taken into account before this shot was made.One thing is for sure, we will see more of this, and we will never know what realy happened, just the tid-bits they want us to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
someonesomewhere Posted April 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 I daresay the last thing to go through those pirates minds was a 175 grain bullet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWFan Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 This was the first test of the Nobama Administration. If he were not president, the pirates would never have even attempted to hijack a US flagged ship.I finally gained .000009% respect for Nobama for authorizing the SEALS to do their thing.One thing is for sure - a US flagged vessel will never be the target of pirates again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nascar Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 I daresay the last thing to go through those pirates minds was a 175 grain bullet.It was a fleeting thought at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
someonesomewhere Posted April 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 It was a fleeting thought at best. Might not be Christmas time, but it's the thought that counts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reverserguru Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 This was the first test of the Nobama Administration. If he were not president, the pirates would never have even attempted to hijack a US flagged ship.I finally gained .000009% respect for Nobama for authorizing the SEALS to do their thing.One thing is for sure - a US flagged vessel will never be the target of pirates again.The US flagged liberty has since been attacked. Looks like that prophecy was as off as the first one ("If he were not president, the pirates would never have even attempted to hijack a US flagged ship"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jq26 Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 These pirate attacks are non-political and have been going on for years. There's been a huge uptick in recent months as the world has been actually delivering cash to these creeps in exchange for return of their ship and crew. It gives HUGE incentive to the next group of marauders to attack the next ship. I think the U.S. needs to put their drones to work. It is time to clean house. Anyone engaged in piracy on the seas should be killed on the spot. As of yesterday, the world's answer to this terrorism was to extend a "no shipping" zone 500 miles off the coast of Somalia. The net effect of this policy is to slightly increase the cost of all goods shipped ever so slightly to appease these goofs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
someonesomewhere Posted April 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 I daresay U.S. SpecOps people could, if the order were given, take a huge bite outta piracy by hitting their bases of operation. Finding them at sea could be a needle/haystack exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasen Posted April 18, 2009 Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 These pirate attacks are non-political and have been going on for years. Non-political? I heard Somalians are avid followers of American politics. They have such an excess economy they have time to sit around and watch CSPAN on their cable TV's all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jq26 Posted April 18, 2009 Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 Non-political? I heard Somalians are avid followers of American politics. They have such an excess economy they have time to sit around and watch CSPAN on their cable TV's all day.LoL. Yah right! Life is so easy in Somalia. There will be a crackdown sooner than later imo. This problem has been building for yars and is coming to a creascendo. So far reactions have been muted so the pirates have taken it as a sign of weakness. I could see a multinational strike coming in the near future that will crush them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefdr Posted April 19, 2009 Report Share Posted April 19, 2009 I somehow just don't see a multinational strike on Somalia. Having the sniper take out the pirates was quite a surprise from the current administration. Rather than attacking the piracy at its source, I would expect our fearless leader to write a strongly worded letter, and then give them a firm talking to if the letter is ineffective. If the Somali pirates are avid viewers of US news broadcasts, they will probably end up applying for a financial bailout, and Congress will send them a check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
someonesomewhere Posted April 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 Don't count out a tough no-nonsense approach to piracy. Even the NY Times is advocating that the U.S. seek out, hunt down, and kill pirates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta1 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 I don't really think the pirates care who flag is raised on a ship - nor do they care who is president/monarch/ruler/dictator/king or queen of a country. They are opportunists that want what they want, when they want it at any cost, including their own lives. They should be hunted down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
someonesomewhere Posted April 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 One HUGE negative over the decision to use force and let SEAL snipers take out the pirates.It's going to put a big damper on September 19th, Talk Like A Pirate Day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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