Pirates Seize U.S.-Flagged Ship

[red-beard]

I didn't think we had any cargo ships left...

From the WSJ this morning

DUBAI -- Pirates on Wednesday seized an American-flagged cargo vessel off the coast of Somalia, according to the U.S. Navy command in Bahrain.

The incident marks the first time an American-flagged ship has been hijacked in the region's notoriously pirate-prone waters, and it dramatically raises the stakes for American commanders who have moved ships to the region to battle a recent surge in ship attacks.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Fifth Fleet said 21 crewmembers were believed to be taken captive in the attack, which took place about 240 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. A spokeswoman declined to provide further details about the identity of the ship, saying it was allowing the shipping company time to notify families of crewmembers taken.

America's commercial shipping fleet has diminished sharply in recent years, but there remain several dozen America-flagged general cargo carriers plying global waters. The U.S. military also contracts out many cargo ships to meet its logistical needs, immediately raising worry that Wednesday's attack involved one of these ships.

While declining to provide further detail about the ship, the U.S. Navy spokeswoman said current information indicated the ship seized on Wednesday wasn't contracted to the U.S. military.

The Navy declined to detail its immediate reaction to the attack, but the spokesman said the closest U.S. Navy warship was still some 300 nautical miles away, or as much as 10 hours steaming.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

You'd like to think at least that if this particular ship had any munitions of value to the military that they'd have been provided some escort...

[Sunroof]

Part of the US Navy 5th Fleet is patrolling the waters, but this captured ship was way out of the known Somali range. It was captured 240 miles off the coast of Somali!!!!!

These pirates now have tens of millions of dollars collected in ransom money, so they can buy anything large, fast and state of the art these days. Imagine a 150 foot most excellent FedShip with high output turbo's, a 70 knot speed, 1800 mile range, state of the art navigation equipment, etc, etc. Add a small fleet of swift high powered Zodiacs and new weapons coupled with sound experience now and you have piracy that has yet to be stopped by all Navy's on the chase.

I have yet to hear of any captured crew being injured or even harassed. I read that the Somali's treat their victims with the best food and aim to keep them comfortable and entertained while waiting for the ransom to come in. They do not want the crew, its the owners with the dough that they have to reach.

......................."no treasure to blunder, no cannons to thunder, I am just an over forty victim of fate".

Sign me up

[onewhippedpuppy]

Send in the SEALs!

[crb07]

Thank God we pulled out of Somalia in the 90's. How many soldiers will we lose when we go back to finish the job?

[LakeCleElum]

Hire Clint Eastwood to be the Captain of the next ship heading that way. I want to see the movie.......

[Rot 911]

We should enter into a dialogue with the pirates and if that doesn't work then demand UN Sanctions!

[Drdogface]

The coastal towns where these pirates reside need to be turned into a pile of smoking rubble. I fear that Pres. Zero has no balls for that. He seems to have failed all the tests so far.

[K. Roman]

Yeah, let's nuke 'em. Show some "balls".

[masraum]

pay them with cash that's destined for the incinerator and then when the guys take off in their little boat, incinerate it.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

The Navy planted the ship allowing us to open a can of whoopass. SAT.

[kstar]

Originally Posted by Kurt V

We should enter into a dialogue with the pirates and if that doesn't work then demand UN Sanctions!

Exactly, LOL.

This ship is Danish owned and contains food-aid, including 232 containers from the UN's World Food Program, among other stuff. I would guess the UN may release an extra-stern condemnation letter!

See: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE53721Z20090408

[charleskieffner]

im on the edge of my seat...............this will be good.............very good!

[Drdogface]

Originally Posted by K. Roman

Yeah, let's nuke 'em. Show some "balls".

I did not say nuke them. I said clean out the rat's nest. The method I referred to is exactly what was done in the past days of piracy and was the actual origin of the U.S. Marine Corps !

[BeyGon]

Don't get to excited, the North Koreans took the Pueblo and LBJ did nothing.
I don't expect anything from the man that bowed to the Saudi King. Maybe an apology for being in the wrong waters, after all, it must be our fault.

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by kstar

Exactly, LOL.

This ship is Danish owned and contains food-aid, including 232 containers from the UN's World Food Program, among other stuff. I would guess the UN may release an extra-stern condemnation letter!

See: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE53721Z20090408

Yes, foreign owned and US flagged. Most likely some US crew and flying with a US flag because that is the specs on the aid program. Who knows, maybe some other cargos aboad too..

[daepp]

The cargo of the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama was UN food aid destined for Somalia and Uganda. Rand would be proud!

[kstar]

Apparently American crewmen have re-gained control of the ship!

Not confirmed yet, but on the wire.

[varmint]

In 1786, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy to London, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman or (Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). Upon inquiring "concerning the ground of the pretensions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury", the ambassador replied:


It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every muslim who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise. He said, also, that the man who was the first to board a vessel had one slave over and above his share, and that when they sprang to the deck of an enemy's ship, every sailor held a dagger in each hand and a third in his mouth; which usually struck such terror into the foe that they cried out for quarter at once

[varmint]

Originally Posted by kstar

Apparently American crewmen have re-gained control of the ship!

Not confirmed yet, but on the wire.

was the crew armed? i've heard that some companies were talking about having mercenaries on their vessels while sailing in dangerous areas. is that it?