Monday - February 08, 2010

Holes In The News

Danish seals storm pirate ship

Danish special forces from the Absalon command and support vessel have freed 25 people from a vessel hijacked by pirates off the Somali coast.

The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Ariella was under attack from pirates and sent out an SOS earlier today. Danish special forces from the Absalon answered the call and freed 25 crew members who had locked themselves into a store-room according to a spokesman for the EU naval force in area.

“The Danish forces did a great job,” John Harbour tells Politiken.

The current situation on the vessel remains unclear, whether the operation has ended or whether pirates have been detained.

Latest reports say the vessel is being searched for pirates.

Outstanding news! Same incident, different source:

NATO forces recapture vessel seized by pirates

(CNN)—NATO forces recaptured a ship Friday that had been taken over by armed Somali pirates, a spokesman for the European Union Naval Forces told CNN.

The ship’s 25 crew members were freed, Commander John Harbour said.

The Ariella, an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged shipping vessel, was following a route from the Red Sea, through the Gulf of Aden, and into the Indian Ocean Friday when it was seized by the pirates, according to Harbour.

A European Maritime patrol airplane arrived on the scene shortly after receiving a distress call from the Ariella, he noted. After the plane verified the presence of pirates on the ship, nearby NATO Danish Special Forces approached and boarded the ship.

Special Forces members found the ship’s crew hiding in a compartment, unharmed. Both the Special Forces and the EU Naval Forces believe the pirates fled when the warship arrived.

The Ariella is owned by the Slovenian company Splosna Plovda, according to Harbour. The route being followed by the Ariella at the time of the attack is a frequent target for pirates. It is strongly patrolled by anti-piracy forces, including NATO and individual countries’ navies.

Ok, that sort of answers one question and fill one hole: What happened to the pirates? Especially important when you consider the third source:

Danish Forces Storm Somali Pirate Ship, Free 25 People On Board

NAIROBI, Kenya — Danish special forces stormed a ship captured by armed Somali pirates Friday and freed the 25 crew on board, marking the first time a warship has intervened during a hijacking, naval spokesmen said.

After the vessel Ariella sent out a distress signal early Friday, the Danish warship Absalon sent a helicopter to confirm the presence of pirates, and communicated with the crew to ensure they were in a safe location, said Cmdr. John Harbour, spokesman for the European Union Naval Force.

“Once NATO were absolutely sure that the crew onboard were safe and not going to be caught up in any cross fire, the decision was made to send in the specialist teams,” said Lt. Col. Wolfgang Schmidt, a spokesman for NATO’s Lisbon-based Joint Command.

Ten Danish special forces aboard the Absalon approached the Ariella in an inflatable dinghy, he said. The forces scaled the side of the ship and freed the 25 crew, who had locked themselves in a secure room, and continued to search the vessel for the pirates.

In the meantime, sailors from the nearby Russian Navy ship Neustrashimyy boarded and detained pirates aboard a second skiff, said Schmidt.

So, the Russians captured pirates on another little boat, but nobody knows where they went? That don’t make no sense. But the bigger hole in the story is found in this last article, and it begs some follow-up that just isn’t there:

Warships typically do not intervene in hijackings because of the danger that crews may be hit by crossfire. Forces were able to intervene in this case because the ship had registered with naval authorities, was traveling along a recommended transit corridor and was part of a group transit, ensuring the ships had a helicopter within 30 minutes’ reaction time, Harbour said.
...
The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Ariella sent out a distress signal early Friday that was picked up by the Indian warship Tabar in the Gulf of Aden. The Indians relayed the signal to a French plane overhead, which spotted a group of armed pirates on the deck. Then the Danish troops were notified.

You see? Look close enough and the truth sneaks out. The Ariella had registered with authorities, which probably means that their crew, cargo, manifest, and course was on file somewhere.  Maybe they’re required to have a Panic Room and an emergency plan in writing. They were following the “safe transit” path, under the eye’s of the world’s navies. AND they were part of a convoy. A convoy! “Group transit”. And yet they were attacked anyway. The French had eyes on the pirates, and the Russians caught a whole boat full of them. And yet nobody knows where the pirates went? What a crock.  I smell a rat in this piece of swiss cheese.

Posted by Drew458     on 02/08/2010 at 02:36 PM   
Filed Under: • Pirates, aarrgh! •  
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   Monday - November 30, 2009

FEAR OF ARRESTING PIRATES DUE TO CLAIMS FOR ASYLUM.  THEN KILL THE SCUM. problem solved.

H/T LiveLeak

There isn’t anything to add that I might get away with.
Sad state of the world though.  Maybe the future belongs to the muzzies and pirates after all.

UK = Don’t nick pirates, they claim asylum!

THE Royal Navy has been ordered not to arrest pirates — in case they claim asylum.

Warships must simply watch if merchant vessels are attacked, it was revealed yesterday.

Meanwhile crews have been warned that fighting modern-day cut-throats could violate their HUMAN RIGHTS.

Last night seadogs were enraged by the shock decree to our proud fleet — once the scourge of buccaneers across the seven seas.

It comes amid an explosion of piracy off the East African coast, where ships have been hijacked by armed gangs and crews held for ransom.

Earlier this year Colin Darch, 70, of Appledore, North Devon, was freed with his five crew after 47 days when his ship’s owners stumped up £350,000.

Yesterday respected shipping newspaper Lloyd’s List revealed: “Foreign Office officials are understood to have advised the Royal Navy not to confront or arrest pirates in the region, for fear of transgressing human rights legislation or encouraging their seeking asylum once taken to the UK.”

Furious shipping chiefs confirmed the order following a summit with EU anti-piracy officials in Brussels — who said the Navy had been told its presence in the region was simply to act as a “deterrent” to kidnappers.

The European Community Shipowners’ Association demanded “direct action be taken against the pirates” — like the French Navy has been pursuing.

One captain stormed: “As a nation we should hang our heads in shame.” [yeah, you should!]

A dozen ships have been attacked in the past two months — and almost 200 seamen are currently being held captive.

Last night it was unclear who gave the order to the Navy.

The MoD said its rules of engagement were an issue for the Foreign Office.

But the FO insisted: “We don’t give the MoD instructions on how to operate.”

LiveLeak.com

Posted by peiper     on 11/30/2009 at 09:30 AM   
Filed Under: • CULTURE IN DECLINE • Pirates, aarrgh! •  
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   Saturday - November 28, 2009

Not the finest hour for the Greek Navy. They sunk a pirate boat. That’s the good news.

A Greek frigate stopped a pirate ship near the Seychelles and sank one of it’s fast boats.
BUT ... They released the crew.  Oh good. Instead of killing the sub human life forms, they let em go so they can do it all over again.
What way is that to fight pirates? What kind of message are the bad guys getting here?

This was apparently an EU naval mission.

The Greek frigate was led to the pirate boat by a patrol aircraft after an attack on a French ship.

ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM RICHARD LITTLEJOHN

Nelson: I didn’t know the half of it!

Back in 2005, I wrote a spoof account of the Battle of Trafalgar, imagining it being fought under modern elf’n’safety constraints. It was inspired by a newspaper photograph of an actor playing Nelson in a 200th anniversary re-enactment being forced to wear a lifejacket over his 19th century Admiral’s uniform and has been doing the rounds on the internet ever since.

At the time, it was supposed to be a joke. Little did I imagine that four short years later, the Royal Navy would refuse to rescue a couple of British hostages hijacked at sea off Somalia because someone might get hurt.

Or that any Somali pirate wounded or captured would be entitled to seek asylum in Britain and could sue for damages under the ‘yuman rites’ act.

Sometimes, even I can’t make it up.

Last week, I told you about the group of students refused a bottle of wine and a packet of candles for a birthday cake by the Warwick branch of M&S because only five out of six of them could prove they were over 18.

It gets sillier. Peter O’Brien writes to tell me that his daughter and her partner, both over 18, were told they couldn’t buy a bottle of vanilla essence from Waitrose, in Buxton, Derbyshire, because only one of them had proof of identity.

Vanilla essence is approximately one per cent alcohol and each bottle contains about enough to fill a thimble. But as far as the cake police are concerned, you can’t be too careful.

More Littlejohn HERE

Posted by peiper     on 11/28/2009 at 03:42 AM   
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous • Pirates, aarrgh! •  
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   Wednesday - November 18, 2009

If at first you don’t succeed

Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama on Wednesday for the second time in seven months and were thwarted by private guards on board the U.S.-flagged ship who fired off guns and a high-decibel noise device.

Pirates hijacked the Maersk Alabama last April and took ship captain Richard Phillips hostage, holding him at gunpoint in a lifeboat for five days. Navy SEAL sharpshooters freed Phillips while killing three pirates in a daring nighttime attack.

Four suspected pirates in a skiff attacked the ship again on Wednesday around 6:30 a.m. local time, firing on the ship with automatic weapons from about 300 yards (meters) away, a statement from the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain said.

An on-board security team repelled the attack by using evasive maneuvers, small-arms fire and a Long Range Acoustic Device, which can beam earsplitting alarm tones, the fleet said.

Vice Adm. Bill Gortney of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said the Maersk Alabama had followed the maritime industry’s “best practices” in having a security team on board.

“This is a great example of how merchant mariners can take proactive action to prevent being attacked and why we recommend that ships follow industry best practices if they’re in high-risk areas,” Gortney said in a statement.

The owners of the Maersk Alabama have spent a considerable amount of money since the April hijacking to make the vessel pirate-proof, Murphy said, including structural features and safety equipment. The most dramatic change is what he called a security force of “highly trained ex-military personnel.”

“Somali pirates understand one thing and only one thing, and that’s force,” said Capt. Joseph Murphy, who teaches maritime security at the school. “They analyze risk very carefully, and when the risk is too high they are going to step back. They are not going to jeopardize themselves.”

Posted by Drew458     on 11/18/2009 at 12:59 PM   
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   Tuesday - November 03, 2009

Pirates vs IslamoGangstas

Pirates face gun battle to hold Paul and Rachel Chandler

Somali pirates who kidnapped a British couple last month were preparing to defend their hostages from Islamist extremists, who they said were heading to the area with plans to seize them.

The captors of Paul and Rachel Chandler said that they believed the militants would try to take the Britons by force. “We heard that Islamists with battlewagons are on the way. I believe they will not succeed in confiscating the British couple,” Mohamed Shakir, a pirate commander, told The Times yesterday. A battlewagon refers to a pick-up truck with a heavy machinegun mounted on the back — the favoured fighting vehicle in the war-torn region.

The commander denied reports that there had already been a gun battle between rivals struggling for ownership of the Chandlers, who were seized ten days ago aboard their 38ft yacht, Lynn Rival, but added that preparations were being made to defend their human prizes in what threatens to become a deadly tug-of-war. Mr Shakir said that the hostages, who are aged 59 and 55, had been taken inland to Bahdo, a town 125 miles northeast of the notorious pirate haven of Haradheere, and that more pirates were on their way to the town to act as reinforcements.

“Armed pirates are flowing into Bahdo to defend against any Islamists’ attack,” he said.

So Somali thugs can fight Somali pirates, and that’s Ok. Over who gets to have the prisoners for ransom. But the armies of the world won’t step in and rescue them. This is messed up.

Posted by Drew458     on 11/03/2009 at 12:46 PM   
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   Tuesday - October 20, 2009

Pirates Seize Chinese Ship

Pirates Threaten to Execute 25 Chinese Sailors

Somali pirates responsible for hijacking a Chinese cargo ship in the Indian Ocean threatened Tuesday to kill its 25 crew members if a rescue operation was attempted.

“We tell China not to endanger the lives of their people with any rescue operation,” Hassan, a member of the gang that seized the vessel on Monday, told Reuters by phone.

“If they try that we will execute the whole crew ... we tell them to change their mind regarding any rescue, otherwise they will regret it. We know what they are planning to do.”

A government spokesman said China is making an “all-out” effort to rescue the cargo ship.

The De Xin Hai and its 25 crew members were seized by pirates in the Indian Ocean about 700 miles east of the lawless Somali coastline.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said China has launched a “contingency mechanism” in the wake of the hijacking and ordered missions abroad to verify developments and notify relevant countries.

It has also issued warnings to Chinese ships to stay away from the area “in case of accident or danger.”

“We will continue to follow closely the developments and make all-out efforts to rescue the hijacked ship and personnel,” he said, without elaborating on details.

The bulk carrier De Xin Hai was hijacked Monday about 550 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles and 700 nautical miles off Somalia’s eastern coast. The European Union Naval Force said Tuesday the ship was 650 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia and appears to be headed toward there.

John Harbour, a commander with the British Royal Navy who serves with the EU Naval Force, said the UK Maritime Trade Organization in Bahrain called the ship but received no response. An EU force aircraft is monitoring the ship and reported seeing four pirates on deck.

The De Xin Hai is owned by the Chinese Ocean Shipping Company and was carrying coal from India to South Africa when it was seized.
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The ship had been dragging two skiffs behind it, much like the kind of skiffs that pirates have been known to use to hijack ships in the waters off Somalia.

Let’s see what happens. I think this is a very bad case of biting the hand that feeds them; China has a huge investment in Africa, buying up their resources left and right. And for this they get hijacked? Major insult. Huge loss of face. I think it calls for more than just a rescue effort. I think it calls for more than mere reprisals. I think it calls for the evil yellow hordes to descend and to do some serious bitch slapping of these hos. Obama would not dare to speak out against such an action. China owns his ass and he knows it.

My only concern is that if such an incursion happens, China won’t go home afterwards. On the third hand, a lawless shithole like Somalia needs an iron handed tyranny to keep it behaving, and China fits that bill perfectly.

Fortunately or unfortunately, China will probably do little more than negotiate a ransom. At most they attack the ship and kill the pirates. And probably lose half the crew in the process. But that doesn’t really matter. They’ll spin the story however it works best for them, and the West will swallow every tasty sticky drop. Because right now, China holds all the chips, and can do whatever it wants.

Somali pirates have recently ramped up attacks after a period of quiet during poor weather. They use sophisticated equipment and so-called larger “mother ships” to enable them to strike hundreds of miles offshore. The multimillion-dollar ransoms they share are a fortune in their impoverished and war-ravaged country.

A total of 146 people, including the crew of the De Xin Hai, are currently being held hostage by pirates.

I strongly hope that the pirates have cracked open a really nasty Misfortune Cookie with this order of take-out. One with angry dragons inside. And it would be damn high time if they did.

Imagine that. I’m rooting for our undeclared but perpetual enemies very best friends and trading partners to take up arms in a big way against a gang of punks that Evil Boosh or Teh Won could obliterate in a matter of hours but don’t have the guts for.

And another thing ... it seems to me that when I did my previous pirate post, there were only 82 hostages. Now there are 148, including these 25. Guess I missed a few ship’s worth of hijackings, even though I check the ICC Pirate News twice a week.

Posted by Drew458     on 10/20/2009 at 08:38 AM   
Filed Under: • CHINA in the news • Pirates, aarrgh! •  
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   Saturday - October 10, 2009

Fearsome Froggies

French soldiers successfully defended two fishing boats from capture by pirates in the Indian Ocean on Saturday, and 11 men suspected of involvement in the failed attack were pursued at sea and captured, officials said.

The chain of events illustrated the teamwork in the international community to crack down on piracy in the Indian Ocean, where pirates cruise the waters searching for boats to hijack for ransoms.

After French soldiers chased away the pirates, the coast guard of the Seychelles archipelago, south of where the attack took place, chased the assailants. The coast guard captured two boats — a small craft with eight men aboard and a larger ship carrying three that was the pirates’ suspected mothership, said Jacqueline Sherriff, chief press officer for the maritime unit of NATO in Northwood, outside London.

It was not clear how many pirates had been involved in the attack, and whether any got away. The nationality of the suspects was not known, but Somali pirates are active in the Indian Ocean.

The two tuna trawlers, the Drennec and Glenan, were heading toward the Seychelles after a fishing trip when they were attacked. The pirates approached at sunrise, when they were about 300 kilometers (190 miles) north of the Seychelles, said French military spokesman Rear Adm. Christophe Prazuck. French soldiers stationed aboard the fishing boats first tried to warn the pirates away with flares and warning shots. But once the pirates used their weapons, the soldiers returned fire, Prazuck said. The pirates then fled.

All those aboard the French boats were unharmed, but it was not clear if any pirates were injured, he said.

...

One of the fishing boats involved in Saturday’s incident — the Drennec — had already escaped a rocket attack by pirates in September 2008, an event that led the fishing industry to ask for military protection.

France is a key member of the EU’s naval mission, Operation Atalanta, fighting Somali pirates in the area, which has aggressively tracked and caught suspected pirates.

France is, however, the only nation to station military escorts aboard its fishing boats in the region, though Spain’s fishing industry has petitioned its government unsuccessfully for similar help. About 10 French fishing vessels are currently under military protection, Prazuck said. Cable-laying ships have used on-board military escorts as well.

On Wednesday, the French military foiled another attack by pirates, under different circumstances. Somali pirates fired on a French navy vessel — after apparently mistaking it for a commercial boat. The French ship gave chase and captured five suspects.

Hey, Obama - how many pirates did your guys get this week? What? Huh? Speak up, and take off that silly medal. I can’t hear you!

Hmm, protecting your nation’s vessels by putting troops on board (France has no Marines??). Sounds like a PLAN, maybe even a SOLUTION. Sounds like DOING SOMETHING.

Posted by Drew458     on 10/10/2009 at 10:52 PM   
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   Saturday - September 26, 2009

Piracy News And Numbers

(September 26, 2009) Somali pirates attempted to hijack a ship Thursday night in the Mogadishu port but were eventually scared away by a rescue effort. The Syrian captain on the Panama-flagged ship was killed in the incident.  The African Union forces and Somali police responded after receiving a distress call from the ship. Barigye Ba-hoku, the spokesman for African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM, says

“We deterred them, we were able to stop them from taking the ship. I’m not aware if they took any other valuables, but what is a fact is that the ship was saved, it was rescued, and it was delivered to the harbor, and it is still there,” he said.

But the captain was killed after reportedly refusing to turn the ship back out to sea.

“The gunman injured the captain of the ship, and he later succumbed to his wounds and died. And another crew member was also injured; he’s undergoing treatment,” said Ba-hoku.

(September 26, 2009)Turkey’s military says navy commandos aboard a frigate have captured seven pirates in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia’s coast.

The military says the commandos aboard the TCG Gediz raided the skiff early Saturday following a request to block it before it could attack two ships bearing the flag of Panama.

A statement on the military’s Web site says a navy helicopter aboard the frigate also took part in the operation.

The Turkish frigate is in the area as part of a NATO force patrolling the seas.

(September 20, 2009) South Korea’s military says one of its destroyers has repelled pirates pursuing cargo ships off the coast of Yemen and rescued five Yemeni fishermen.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff say the destroyer dispatched a helicopter Saturday after learning that pirates were chasing the three cargo ships off Yemen’s southern coast.

They said in a statement Sunday that the destroyer later arrived at the scene, inspected the two pirate ships and rescued five Yemeni fishermen held by them. It said no fighting or injuries occurred.

Piracy attacks around the world more than doubled to 240 from 114 during the first six months of the year compared with the same period in 2008, the ICC International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB) said today (July 15, 2009).

“As in the last quarterly report, the rise in overall numbers is due almost entirely to increased Somali pirate activity off the Gulf of Aden and east coast of Somalia, with 86 and 44 incidents reported respectively,” the report said.

The year’s second quarter saw 136 reports of piracy compared with 104 in the first three months of 2009, an increase of almost a third.

A total of 78 vessels were boarded worldwide, 75 vessels fired upon and 31 vessels hijacked with some 561 crew taken hostage, 19 injured, seven kidnapped, six killed and eight missing. The attackers were heavily armed with guns and knives in the majority of incidents. “Violence against crew members continues to increase,” the report concluded.

Nevertheless, the presence of navies in the Gulf of Aden from several countries have made it difficult for pirates to hijack vessels and has led them to seek new areas of operation such as the southern Red Sea and the east coast of Oman, where Somali pirates are believed to be responsible for a spate of recent attacks.

The report said that attacks off the eastern coast of Somalia had decreased in recent months after peaking in March and April, with no attacks reported in June. But the Piracy Reporting Centre attributed the decline to heavy weather associated with the monsoons that are expected to continue into August. The centre said vigilance should nevertheless remain high during this period.

Nigeria continues to be a high risk area, with 13 incidents reported in the second quarter to the IMB and at least 24 other attacks which have not been directly reported.

“The majority of attacks are against vessels supporting the oil industry,” remarked IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan.

(September 23, 2009) The number of piratical incidents reported so far in 2009 has surpassed the total number reported in 2008, according to the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

The total number of attacks reported to the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC), to date this year, is 294. Of these, 34 resulted in successful hijackings of vessels. A total of 559 hostages have been taken in these hijackings.

As with the figures of 2008, the lion’s share of hijackings have taken place off the coast of Somalia, either in the Gulf of Aden or off the country’s east coast in the Indian Ocean. Ninety-seven of the 294 attacks have taken place in the Gulf of Aden, whilst a further 47 have taken place off the rest of the coast of Somalia. In addition, four attacks have taken place off the coast of Oman, although they can also be attributed to suspected Somali pirates. Somali pirates accounted for 32 hijackings with 532 crew taken hostage. Four crew were killed.

Somali pirates are currently holding four ships and 82 crew off the east coast of Somalia.

Over half the worldwide attacks are attributed to Somalia pirates according to IMB PRC figures 2009

Obviously these attacks are pretty much continuous. There’s one nearly every single day. And it looks like 2009 will see about a 35% increase in the total number of attacks compared to 2008, and 2008 was bad enough. But right this, right now, only 4 ships and 82 crewmen are being held captive.  That’s got to be the smallest numbers in a long time. Sounds like a perfect time to go in and blast the pirates to Kingdom Come, burn the place to the ground, and salt the earth. Take over their bases and they’ll have no place to land. (All your base are belong to us!)

Oh, if only our Dear Leader had a pair.

Posted by Drew458     on 09/26/2009 at 05:07 PM   
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   Saturday - September 05, 2009

JOURNALIST FLEES RUSSIA AFTER MYSTERY OF SHIP HIJACK

Out of sight out of mind. Til now.  Hadn’t thought about this aspect. Wonder if there’s anything to it, or has this guy been talking to Elvis?

Kinda sorry the Russians dropped the letters, KGB.  Had a certain sinister ring to it that FSB just doesn’t have.

BBC WORLD NEWS

Russia ship mystery editor flees
A journalist has fled Russia after suggesting the Arctic Sea cargo ship that was apparently hijacked in July may have been carrying illegal weapons.
Mikhail Voitenko said he had been told to leave Moscow or face arrest.

The editor of Sovfracht, an online maritime journal, fled on Wednesday, saying he may not be able to return as his life would be in danger.
Eight men, mainly from Estonia, have been charged with hijacking and piracy over the case.

The men are suspected of seizing the ship and its 15-man Russian crew after raiding it disguised as police.
The alleged hijackers were taken to Russia after the ship was spotted 300 miles (480km) off the west coast of Africa on 16 August.

Secret shipment
Mr Voitenko - who was among the first to cast doubt on official explanations about the ship’s disappearance - told the BBC it was nonsense to suggest pirates had been involved.
Instead he suggested the ship may have been carrying a secret shipment of weapons as part of a private business deal by state officials.
Speaking to the BBC from Turkey, Mr Voitenko said he had received a threatening phone call from “serious people” whom he suggested may have been members of Russia’s intelligence agency, the FSB.

The caller told Mr Voitenko that those involved in the mysterious case of the Arctic Sea were very angry with him because he had spoken publicly, and were planning on taking action against him, he said.
“As long as I am out of Russia I feel safe,” Mr Voitenko told the BBC. “At least they won’t be able to get me back to Russia and convict [me].”
He also said Nato knew exactly what had happened to the Arctic Sea.

A Nato spokesman said the alliance had been in contact with Russia throughout the crisis, but would not say anything more.
The FSB refused to comment on the allegations.
Observers have questioned why the alleged hijackers would risk seizing the Arctic Sea in one of Europe’s busiest shipping lanes for a relatively inexpensive cargo.

BBC NEWS

Posted by peiper     on 09/05/2009 at 02:51 AM   
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   Wednesday - August 19, 2009

Still Sounds Fishy To Me

The crew of the Russian ship Arctic Sea are being flown home Wednesday evening after they were questioned in Cape Verde. Russian authorities continue to hold the pirates, who took the ship and are said to have threatened to blow it up unless they were paid a ransom.

Russian defence Minister, Anatoly Serdyukov said the ship was commandeered on 24 July in Swedish territorial waters by two Russians, two Latvians and four Estonians.

“Crew members confirm that the hijackers demanded a ransom and threatened to blow the ship if their orders were not obeyed,” Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed Russian defence ministry spokesperson as saying.

The pirates are reported to have abandoned their claim after they were ordered by a Russian warship to stop the Vessel.

The suspects were taken on Monday aboard a Russian anti-submarine ship Ladny, off the coast of Cape Verde archipelago.

So far, the two Baltic states say they have not received any details from Russia regarding the alleged involvement of their nationals.

Furthermore, in Malta, maritime authorities on Tuesday said the cargo ship had “never disappeared” as the media had claimed but that it was continuously tracked between the moment of the hijack and the moment the Russian army recuperated it.

Oh really? So why was the “we can’t find our ship” story even put out there then? Was it because a Russian ship taken hostage had to be rescued by Russian forces, even if they had to sail across a whole sea to get there?

Or was there something hidden in the ship’s cargo, and the whole “pirates” thing is a ruse to explain a clandestine delivery, or an attempt at one. Nukes to North Africa? A Spetznatz insertion somewhere? Like I said the other day, we’ll probably never get the pravda truth.

But if they are telling the truth, then the EUropeans better get their navies out of mothballs and put to sea. Because they’ve got Swedish Pirates of the Baltic Sea!

Posted by Drew458     on 08/19/2009 at 09:51 PM   
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   Friday - August 14, 2009

Half a Story Is Better Than None

A Russian-manned cargo ship that vanished last month in the Atlantic was found Friday near Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa, according to French and Russian officials. There was no immediate information about the condition of the crew or whether there was anyone else on board.

The Arctic Sea — carrying a load of timber and 15 Russian sailors — disappeared after passing through the English Channel on July 28. The Maltese-flagged freighter sent radio messages as it sailed along the coasts of France and Portugal, but then all contact was lost.

“Cape Verde coast guards said they have located the boat” about 520 miles (840 kilometers) off Cape Verde, said French Defense Ministry spokesman Capt. Jerome Baroe. France was involved in search efforts together with several other countries.

Two military officials in Brussels separately confirmed the ship had been tracked and located off West Africa. The officials asked not to be named while the operation was ongoing.

Russian naval ships were ordered to pursue the ship after the Cape Verde coast guard reported the freighter was outside the country’s territorial waters to the north, Russian Ambassador to Cape Verde Alexander Karpushin told The Associated Press.

The ambassador did not say when the naval ships were expected to arrive in the area. The four ships involved in the search, including a frigate, had entered the Atlantic late Tuesday. Their whereabouts Friday were unknown.

It also was unclear whether the freighter had laid anchor or was continuing to sail south. It had enough food and fuel to last through the end of the month, the ship’s Russian operator said.

The ship’s crew had reported a June 24 attack in Swedish waters by up to a dozen masked men, who they said tied them up, questioned them about drug trafficking, beat them and searched the freighter before leaving 12 hours later in a high-speed inflatable boat.

The alleged attack, unusual in itself, raised further concerns because it was not reported until the freighter had passed through Britain’s busy shipping lanes and was heading out into the wide Atlantic. There have been fears that some of the attackers might still be aboard.

The Arctic Sea, which left from Finland on June 23, had been due to make port Aug. 4 in Algeria with its euro1.3 million ($1.8 million) haul of timber.

It has been suggested the vessel may have come under a second attack. “Radio calls were apparently received from the ship, which had supposedly been under attack twice, the first time off the Swedish coast and then off the Portuguese coast,” said Martin Selmayr, a spokesman for the European Commission. But the ship’s Russian operator, Solchart Arkhangelsk, said it had no information about a second attack. There has been intense speculation over the ship’s fate, with theories ranging from a commercial dispute to a secret cargo. The ship had been due to make port in Algeria on August 4.

On Wednesday, Russia said naval vessels authorized to use force were hunting the Arctic Sea with the aid of “space-based” detection systems. The Maltese Maritime Authority said Wednesday that the ship appeared to have headed into the Atlantic Ocean, but mystery surrounded the ship’s movements and the fate of its crew.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on its Web site that Black Sea Fleet patrol ship Ladny was heading the search operation and had passed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Atlantic.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev instructed Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov to “take all necessary measures to locate, monitor and, if necessary, to free the missing vessel,” a statement issued by the president’s office said.

Nato was monitoring the situation due to the unusual nature and location of the attacks, but was not directly involved in the search.

The sighting off Cape Verde, a key staging post for cocaine trafficking from Latin America, will renew speculation that the vessel could been have been hijacked by drug or arms smugglers.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, was in Cape Verde on Friday on the final leg of an 11-day tour of Africa.

Ok, so now we learn it was heard from off the coast of Portugal, and there may have been more trouble there. Aside from that, we don’t know much of anything, other than that the Russian Navy can get one of it’s ships from the Black Sea all the way across the Mediterranean to the Atlantic in just a couple of days. Speedy!

I think there will be a very interesting story here, although we might only be told “radio breakdown and rudder damage” to explain the whole thing. This smells quite fishy. 

Posted by Drew458     on 08/14/2009 at 04:18 PM   
Filed Under: • Pirates, aarrgh! •  
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Egypt 2 Pirates 0

The crew of two Egyptian fishing vessels overpowered Somali pirates after being held hostage for four months and, with machetes and tools, killed at least two pirates before sailing to freedom, a pirate and businessman said Friday.

The case marked a rare instance of crewmen fighting back against Somali pirates, who usually hold their hostages for months in anticipation of million-dollar ransoms.

One pirate was in custody after local fishermen found him near shore with machete wounds, police said.

A pirate who told The Associated Press he escaped the ordeal said the fight took place near the coastal town of Las Qorey off the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest waterways and where Somali pirates carry out most of their attacks.

”They attacked us with machetes and other tools, seized some of our guns and then fought with us,” the pirate, who gave only his nom de guerre, Miraa, told the AP in a telephone interview. “I could see two dead bodies of my colleagues lying on the ship. I do not know the fate of the nine others.”

Said Jama Hussein, a businessman in Las Qorey, said local fishermen told him the Egyptian ships left Thursday. He said the crew, who number up to 24, apparently took some of the pirates hostage.

Pirate attacks worldwide more than doubled in the first half of 2009 amid a surge of raids on vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the east coast of Somalia, according to an international maritime watchdog. The attacks come despite international patrols, including U.S., European, Chinese, Russian and Indian ships.

The higher attacks worldwide were due mainly to increased Somali pirate activity off the Gulf of Aden and east coast of Somalia, which combined accounts for 130 of the cases.

Awesome. Outstanding. After months of being held captive, they seized the moment and kicked some ass. And I love that they are now hold the pirates hostage. Though I doubt they’ll be able to get more than a bowlful of stale cous-cous for ransom.

I saw that “piracy has more than doubled” story a few weeks ago but didn’t get around to posting it. Funny how we used to see those stories in the news, at least online, all the time. They haven’t been in the news much at all lately, even though there are now twice as many. You don’t think the media is trying to paint a rosy picture, do you? Make the world seem more peaceful for some reason? Now, why would they want to do that?

Posted by Drew458     on 08/14/2009 at 08:10 AM   
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   Monday - July 13, 2009

An update in lousey news and oh hell. Here we go again. Yeah. Travelers.

OK, let me say it again ... without saying it out loud.

Everyone here knows my solution to this sort of totally unreasonable problem.  No. I just can’t resist.  Kill ALL the bastards! Make no exceptions. The good ones are the dead ones.  Otherwise this will only continue to get worse and worse as more and more find how easy it is to get away with this.

What makes this case (reported on some months ago) even more urgent, is that a group of hapless Navy vets are the ones being booted out after 30 years.
THIRTY FREEKIN YEARS PPL.  And the biggest fault is with the council or whoever approved this outrage. So they need to be greased also, to set a proper example for the rest of the country. 

You folks outside the UK can’t begin to imagine how big this problem is, made all the worse by the politically correct, socialist/ commie scumbags who have forced this on the country.  And those responsible including the legal eagles who pave the way are no less then traitors.

Think of these life forms as land pirates, and maybe my suggestion with regard to their elimination won’t seem quite as harsh or outlandish.

War veterans’ clubhouse faces demolition - to make way for travellers’ caravans

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:44 PM on 13th July 2009

A group of war veterans face being evicted from their clubhouse after travellers demanded it be torn down to make way for more caravans.

The 40-strong group of travellers moved on to a plot of land next to the veterans’ clubhouse last week following a council decision to relocate them.

Members of the Royal Naval ex-servicemen’s club are now in talks with Gravesham Council who will decide if the veterans are to be relocated permanently.

The veterans, who have been on the site for more than 30 years, were shocked when the travellers set up home on a disused patch of grass 20 yards away.

But it came as more of a surprise when they discovered the travellers were evicted from a previous site for breaching government greenbelt land planning laws.

Their eight static mobile homes were bulldozed after a four-year wrangle costing £40,000 for numerous court orders and legal fees.

As a result, a concession was made to the small group which allowed them to move to the former allotment land off Springhead Road in Northfleet.

But that brought them into direct contact with the Naval Association club who are fighting to stay.

The move comes just six months after the local council pledged they would ‘not abandon’ the 160 members of the Naval Association of Gravesend.

Association chairman and Korean war veteran John Down said the group would fight to remain where they are.

‘A lot of our members are elderly people who live nearby and don’t want to have to go elsewhere,’ he said.

A council spokesman confirmed it was ‘in talks’ with the veterans to decide whether they will be relocated.

The spokesman said: ‘There is a meeting scheduled with the Naval Association - we are in talks with regards to the gypsy site.

‘The gypsies have a spokesman allocated by them who is liaising with our officers.’

On its website, the council noted it had to be sensitive to the needs of the women and children on the site who were ‘all considered vulnerable’.

It emerged the council even offered to tarmac the new site at taxpayers’ expense - until travellers told them they could do it themselves for free.

Gypsy traveller Anne Scarrott said: ‘The council are going to knock the navy club down so we can have more space.

‘There is not enough space while the navy club is here. We are all too close to each other and can see into each others’ windows.’

The ex-servicemen said the decision could mean the end of the road for their association which was formed 76 years ago.

They admit their scout hall-style building is old but would prefer it to be updated rather than move out of the council-owned property.

Veteran Terry Moore, 56, said: ‘It’s a quaint old place - I don’t see why we should be the ones moving.

‘The hall has memorabilia, old medals and pictures. We definitely don’t want to move - especially to make way for people who don’t pay their taxes.

‘The club is in a great location for many of our members. If we have to go somewhere else they simply won’t be able to make the journey.’

THE MAIL

So it cost it taxpayer £40,000.00 to remove illegals from land after four years, and now they move in and DEMAND this. They DEMAND!

Alright. I can understand perhaps the Brits being a bit civilized might also be a tad squeamish about doing the job themselves.
No Problem.  Hire Russians. No. Even better.  Rent a Chinese regiment. Maybe only a squad and see how fast this problem can go away.

Posted by peiper     on 07/13/2009 at 11:06 AM   
Filed Under: • Pirates, aarrgh! • Politically-Incorrect • Travelers/Gypsies/Squatters •  
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   Saturday - June 20, 2009

This Week On Pirates

14.06.2009: 1700 LT: Posn: 12:33.5N - 043:29.5E: Bab el Mandab, Red Sea.

Several speed boats were spotted in the vicinity of a LPG tanker. The speed boats picked up speed and started to cross the tanker’s bow. The boats came very close to the tanker and opened fire with automatic weapons. The tanker continued to make evasive manoeuvres and prevented the pirates from boarding.

15.06.2009: 1305 LT: Posn: 12:58N – 048:27E, Gulf of Aden.
One skiff approached an oil tanker underway at a speed of around 20 knots. At around ten meters distance from the tanker, the pirates fired several shots with guns and two RPG rounds. Master mustered all crew, increased speed, carried out evasive manoeuvres, fired parachute flares and informed Iranian warship in the vicinity. After about 20minutes the pirates gave up the attempt and move away. The Iranian warship was in attendance. Later a coalition helicopter arrived at scene. Ship moved away without any casualties and damage.

14.06.2009: 1435 UTC: Posn: 12:35N - 043:28E: Bab el Mandab, Red Sea.
Several skiffs chased a LNG tanker with intent to board. Tanker enforced anti piracy measures and prevented the boarding.

14.06.2009: 1740 LT: Posn: 12:57.9N - 043:09.3E: Bab el Mandab, Red Sea.
Four speed boats with 5-6 persons in each boat, armed with automatic weapons approached a tanker underway. Tanker made evasive manoeuvres, activated fire hoses. Later, the speed boats aborted the attempt.

14.06.2009: 1453 UTC: Posn: 12:59N - 043:09E: Bab el Mandab, Red Sea
Speed boats approached a bulk carrier underway. Ship took evasive manoeuvres and prevented the boarding.

13.06.2009: 0110 LT: Posn: 12:36N - 043:25E: Bab el Mandab, Red Sea.
Two skiffs were detected on radar by a chemical tanker underway. Tanker made evasive manoeuvres; increased speed warned other ships on VHF Ch.16 and contacted coalition warships. Later, skiffs aborted the attempt.

Alas, such was not the case:

12.06.2009:1334 UTC: Posn: 21:55N – 059:51E, Off Oman.

Armed pirates attacked, boarded and hijacked a general cargo ship underway.

This attack happened at the east end of Oman, right on the horn, just south of the city of Sur. You know, just across the bay from Pakistan.  Most of the way to India just about. Note the latitude and longitude - this attack happened within sight of land, maybe 5 miles out to sea. Oman has a navy, right? 10 or a dozen ships perhaps? Lasers mounted on aqua-camels or something?

MUSCAT, Oman, June 13 (UPI)—A cargo vessel was hijacked off the coast of Oman by suspected Somali pirates in what is believed to be the first pirate attack in the area, officials said.

The MV Charelle, a small German-owned cargo vessel sailing under the Antigua and Barbuda flag, was attacked 60 nautical miles south of Sur on the Omani coast, Ecoterra reported Saturday.

The U.S. Navy warned this week that Somali pirates were expanding their range of operations far beyond the East African coast.

So what happened? The pirates were gunned down, right? Captured and hung? Or at least caught and then let go with a stern warning and a nice warm lunch? Not hardly. Not at all actually. With the combined navies of The United States, Great Britian, France, Germany, Russia, India, Iran, and probably Singapore just sitting around like leaky rubber ducks in a dirty bath tub, they let them go. With the stolen ship. All the way the hell back to Somalia. 1500 miles. Through the busiest international waters on the planet. Past all the navies of all the world. And nobody did a damn thing. Not. A. Thing.

Pirates take hijacked ship and Lankan crew to Somali waters

The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry is tracking the whereabouts of the New Zealand registered vessel with seven Sri Lankan crew members, including its captain and engineer, which was hijacked by Somali pirates in Omani seas a week ago. Ministry sources said it was watching the developments through our High Commissions in Nairobi and Canberra. Our High Commissioner in Canberra is also accredited to New Zealand.

According to available information the hijacked vessel “MV Cherralla” has reached Somali waters, but the pirates had still not found a safe location to drop anchor, they said adding that once they have a safe location they would follow the usual procedure of contacting the owners to obtain a ransom for the release of the ship and its crew.

In addition to the Sri Lankan crew of seven there are believed to be three Philippinos and one New Zealander on board the vessel.

[ German owned, New Zeeland registered, Sri Lankan and Philippino crewed. The shipping industry truly is international. Even though the two reports spell the ship’s name differently, it’s still the same one. ]

Posted by Drew458     on 06/20/2009 at 07:16 PM   
Filed Under: • Pirates, aarrgh! •  
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