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! •  
• Comments (5) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

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