Pirates seize ship carrying tanks, ammo

Its going to be hard to figure out who is and who isn't a Pirate. Though I think most "Fishermen" may not be operating speedboats.

 

U.S. Navy plans to chase, capture Somali pirates

By David Morgan David Morgan – Thu Jan 15, 7:25 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Navy plans an aggressive effort to capture pirates off the coast of Somalia with the aid of a country in the region that would agree to prosecute and hold them, a naval commander said on Thursday.
U.S. Navy Vice Adm. William Gortney, commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet, said the United States is nearing a deal with an unidentified country that would agree to take the pirates into custody once captured by U.S. forces in Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden waters off the Horn of Africa.
Up to now, U.S. forces in the region have limited their operations to deterrence and disruption because no country including the United States has been willing to hold the pirates.
"The State Department is close on finalizing an agreement," said Gortney, who declined to identify the other country involved.
"We're expecting it ... this week, next week. But we're very close," he told reporters at the Pentagon.
"We are going to aggressively go after pirates," he told reporters at the Pentagon. "It's going to be a mixture of surveillance and then rapid action once we observe them."
Pirates pose a growing threat to shipping off the African coast, forcing insurance prices to rise and bringing naval vessels from an unprecedented 14 countries including China, India and Russia to protect shipping.
But the threat continues to grow. Gortney said about a dozen attempted boardings have occurred in early January, a number about equal to the monthly averages of the last quarter of 2008.
Four boardings have proved successful in the past six weeks, bringing to 11 the number of vessels held by pirates and to 210 the crew members as hostages, he said.
The admiral blamed an upswing in pirating since August on a tribe in northern Somalia. But he said there was no evidence to link the tribesmen to Islamist terrorism.
"It's all about the money," he said. "They're fishermen and we have to get them back to fishing."
Gortney said his expected capture orders would require the U.S. Navy to monitor pirate boardings and positively identify individual pirates who could then be tracked and captured.
Suspects found at sea with "pirate paraphernalia" such as AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and ladders could also be taken into custody. The Navy currently confiscates such materiel but allows the suspects to go free.

U.S. Navy plans to chase, capture Somali pirates - Yahoo! News

 

I wonder if they will be "Rushing" too ?


Russia Sends More Warships To Fight Somali Pirates - Report




MOSCOW (AFP)--Russia Friday sent two more warships to the waters off Somalia to join its anti-submarine vessel to battle pirates there, RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing a Russian Defense Ministry source.
"The ships will shortly start passing through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. Later the two large landing ships will cross the Suez Canal and set off for the coast of Somalia to fight the local pirates," the source said.
He identified the ships as the Yamal and Azov, based in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol which Russia leases from Ukraine.
Both ships are capable of landing large quantities of vehicles and troops on shore.
Russia's navy said in a statement that the Azov and Yamal had left for the Indian Ocean, but it said they would participate in joint exercises with the Indian navy and did not mention the anti-piracy mission.
The Russian anti-submarine vessel Admiral Vinogradov is currently patrolling the waters off Somalia along with warships from other countries, having replaced the frigate (Fearless) earlier this month.

Russia Sends More Warships To Fight Somali Pirates - Report

 

FACTBOX-Foreign navies combat Somali pirates
19 Jan 2009 15:07:21 GMT
Source: Reuters

</SPAN> Jan 19 (Reuters) - Foreign navies have foiled a string of pirate attacks off Somalia this year, raising hopes that the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean shipping lanes can be made safer.
Around 20 warships from 14 different countries are patrolling the area, their exact numbers and location unknown for security reasons.
COMBINED TASK FORCE 151
* The U.S. Navy on Jan. 8 announced a new task force specifically dedicated to combating piracy in the region. The San Antonio, an amphibious transport dock, serves as the command-and-control ship with two aircraft and two other U.S. Navy ships. More than 20 nations are part of the Combined Maritime Forces. U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Terence "Terry" McKnight has been named the commander of the new task force which will be fully operational by the middle of January.
EUROPEAN UNION
* The EU deployed an air and naval force off Somalia from December, replacing NATO ships. Up to ten EU nations are participating, including Greece, France, Germany and Britain in the first phase from December to March. The German frigate FDS Karlsruhe fought off a pirate attack in the Gulf in late December.
CHINA
* Three Chinese warships arrived in the area in January in the first such naval deployment by Beijing outside its waters.
INDIA
India deployed INS Tabar in October to escort Indian ships. According to the Indian navy, the Tabar came under fire from a suspected pirate mother ship on Nov. 18, returned fire and sank the pirates.
MALAYISA
A Malaysian warship sent a helicopter to help scare away Somali pirates trying to attack an Indian vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Jan. 1.
RUSSIA
Russia's navy sent a Baltic Fleet frigate, the Neustrashimy (Fearless), to the Gulf of Aden in September to combat pirates. Russian forces helped foil an attempted hijacking of a Dutch-registered cargo ship laast week.
- - - -
Below are some of the dozen or so ships believed to be still held:
FAINA: Seized Sept. 24. The ship was carrying 33 T-72 tanks, grenade launchers and ammunition destined for Kenya's Mombasa port. Pirates have demanded $20 million in ransom.
STOLT STRENGTH: Seized Nov. 10. The chemical tanker had 23 Filipino crew aboard. It was carrying 23,818 tonnes of oil products.
TIANYU 8: Seized Nov. 13/14. The Chinese fishing boat was reported seized off Kenya. The crew included 15 Chinese, one Taiwanese, one Japanese, three Filipinos and four Vietnamese.
CHEMSTAR VENUS: Seized Nov. 15. The tanker was travelling from Dumai, Indonesia, to Ukraine. It had 18 Filipino and five South Korean crew.
BISCAGLIA: Seized on Nov. 28. The Biscaglia, a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker, had 30 crew on board: 25 Indians, three Britons and two Bangladeshis.
NAMES UKNOWN: Seized on Dec. 10. Pirates hijacked two Yemeni fishing vessels with a total of 22 crew in coastal waters in the Gulf of Aden. Five crew reportedly escaped.
NAMES UNKNOWN: Seized on Dec. 16. A yacht with two on board, an Indonesian tugboat used by French oil company Total and a 100-metre (330-ft) cargo ship belonging to an Istanbul-based shipping company were hijacked.
BLUE STAR: Seized on Jan. 1, 2009. The Egyptian merchant ship was sailing east with a cargo of 6,000 tonnes of urea, a product used as a fertiliser. It had 28 Egyptian crew aboard.
NAME UNKNOWN: A product tanker was seized on Jan. 3 in the Gulf of Aden. 15 crew members were taken hostage.
A total of 14 incidents have been recorded this month with 8 vessels fired upon 4 attempted boardings and the two hijackings.
Sources: Reuters/International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre/Lloyds List/Inquirer.net

Reuters AlertNet - FACTBOX-Foreign navies combat Somali pirates

 

Now it looks like the Spanish,Japanese and South Koreans will be sending forces.

SKorea approves troop dispatch near Somalia
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea decided Tuesday to send a warship to waters off Somalia to help fight piracy.
The presidential office said the Cabinet approved a plan to dispatch a 4,500-ton navy vessel with 310 soldiers to the Gulf of Aden on a mission to protect South Korean commercial vessels from Somali pirates.
SKorea approves troop dispatch near Somalia - Yahoo! Philippines News

Spanish parliament approves troops for anti-piracy mission

MADRID (AFP) – Spain's parliament approved Wednesday to send up to 395 troops to the European Union's naval mission to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia.
Spain will also contribute two navy ships and a patrol plane to the mission under the plan which is expected to receive final approval at the government's weekly cabinet meeting on Friday.

Spanish parliament approves troops for anti-piracy mission - Yahoo! News

Japan's ruling parties agree to dispatch navy to Somalia

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner New Komeito party basically agreed Tuesday to a government plan to dispatch the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) for an anti-piracy mission off Somalia, local media reported.

Japan's ruling parties agree to dispatch navy to Somalia - People's Daily Online

 

Now it looks like the Spanish,Japanese and South Koreans will be sending forces.

SKorea approves troop dispatch near Somalia
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea decided Tuesday to send a warship to waters off Somalia to help fight piracy.
The presidential office said the Cabinet approved a plan to dispatch a 4,500-ton navy vessel with 310 soldiers to the Gulf of Aden on a mission to protect South Korean commercial vessels from Somali pirates.
SKorea approves troop dispatch near Somalia - Yahoo! Philippines News

Spanish parliament approves troops for anti-piracy mission

MADRID (AFP) – Spain's parliament approved Wednesday to send up to 395 troops to the European Union's naval mission to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia.
Spain will also contribute two navy ships and a patrol plane to the mission under the plan which is expected to receive final approval at the government's weekly cabinet meeting on Friday.

Spanish parliament approves troops for anti-piracy mission - Yahoo! News

Japan's ruling parties agree to dispatch navy to Somalia

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner New Komeito party basically agreed Tuesday to a government plan to dispatch the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) for an anti-piracy mission off Somalia, local media reported.

Japan's ruling parties agree to dispatch navy to Somalia - People's Daily Online

 

Is Japans ships currently equiped for the task? I though the MSDF was defensive minded, and this seems like an awfully offensive mission.

 

Well according to Article 9 only if they are flying the Japanese flag or carrying Japanese nationals. The JMSDF ships and boats are armed well enough to take on and deter the pirates.

Japanese Warships

 

I also forgot to post that the JMSDF has been used a couple of times in the past.


"When two North Korean spy boats were later discovered in Japanese territorial waters, Japanese Naval Forces fired their guns in anger for the first time in 54 years. Japan’s sensitivity to spy infiltrations and abductions are driving Tokyo’s probe. With some evidence indicating the ship is from North Korea; Tokyo will have to weigh the merits of raising the ship against the economic cost and the political fallout from Pyongyang that may follow. Beijing’s willingness to allow the recent probe probably indicates that it will also approve a salvage operation should Tokyo decide to attempt one. Moreover, it may also indicate that Beijing has no connection with the ship’s activities or doubts that any connection can be drawn. Should Tokyo receive permission and decide to conduct the salvage, look for North Korea to protest and threaten to cancel future talks.
On 21 December 2001, Tokyo scrambled 20 patrol vessels and 14 planes in pursuit of a suspected North Korean Spy Boat that was cruising within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The ship, which did not appear to be carrying any fishing gear, ignored repeated orders to stop. According to Japanese Coast Guard (JCG) officials, its patrol boats fired 13 warning shots from 20mm machine guns. On the evening of 22 December, the ship's stern caught fire, reportedly from a round fired by one of the coast guard patrol boats and came to halt 90 minutes later after it was surrounded by four Japanese vessels. While held at bay, the suspect crew used submachine guns to fire back at the patrol boats and injured two coast guard sailors. The boat sank abruptly at 2213 local time within China’s EEZ in approximately 90 meters (297 feet) of water. This was the first time in 48 years that Japan's coastguard had directly attacked an illegally operating foreign ship. After much discussion and initial reluctance, Beijing gave Tokyo the approval to probe the sunken vessel. On 1 May, several Coast Guard Ships and two ships from a private salvage firm began what the JCG termed as a “criminal investigation” of the sunken vessel. Chinese ships were also in the area to monitor the probe. Divers wearing special suits were assigned to search both sides of the ship and its stern, while the manned submersible Hakuyo was used to search areas surrounding the vessel. Originally scheduled for six days, the search had to be extended into a seventh day because of sea conditions. Divers saw a gaping hole in the deck just below the bridge, raising speculation that the crew may have scuttled the boat to avoid capture. Overall, two bodies and four weapons (including what the JCG believes to be a RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher; built by the former Soviet Union), several cartridges and "an object that looks like a bullet" were recovered from the site. The corpses were badly decomposed and some bones were visible. Both bodies were male. According to one media source, the Japanese government, judging from physical evidence recovered so far, has concluded that the boat came from North Korea and it has begun considering punitive measures. Among sanctions being considered is a restriction on the port calls made periodically by North Korean ships in northern Japan (based on a report from the nationally circulated Sankei Shimbun, quoting government sources it did not identify). "

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force

 

I also forgot to post that the JMSDF has been used a couple of times in the past.


"When two North Korean spy boats were later discovered in Japanese territorial waters, Japanese Naval Forces fired their guns in anger for the first time in 54 years. Japan’s sensitivity to spy infiltrations and abductions are driving Tokyo’s probe. With some evidence indicating the ship is from North Korea; Tokyo will have to weigh the merits of raising the ship against the economic cost and the political fallout from Pyongyang that may follow. Beijing’s willingness to allow the recent probe probably indicates that it will also approve a salvage operation should Tokyo decide to attempt one. Moreover, it may also indicate that Beijing has no connection with the ship’s activities or doubts that any connection can be drawn. Should Tokyo receive permission and decide to conduct the salvage, look for North Korea to protest and threaten to cancel future talks.
On 21 December 2001, Tokyo scrambled 20 patrol vessels and 14 planes in pursuit of a suspected North Korean Spy Boat that was cruising within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The ship, which did not appear to be carrying any fishing gear, ignored repeated orders to stop. According to Japanese Coast Guard (JCG) officials, its patrol boats fired 13 warning shots from 20mm machine guns. On the evening of 22 December, the ship's stern caught fire, reportedly from a round fired by one of the coast guard patrol boats and came to halt 90 minutes later after it was surrounded by four Japanese vessels. While held at bay, the suspect crew used submachine guns to fire back at the patrol boats and injured two coast guard sailors. The boat sank abruptly at 2213 local time within China’s EEZ in approximately 90 meters (297 feet) of water. This was the first time in 48 years that Japan's coastguard had directly attacked an illegally operating foreign ship. After much discussion and initial reluctance, Beijing gave Tokyo the approval to probe the sunken vessel. On 1 May, several Coast Guard Ships and two ships from a private salvage firm began what the JCG termed as a “criminal investigation” of the sunken vessel. Chinese ships were also in the area to monitor the probe. Divers wearing special suits were assigned to search both sides of the ship and its stern, while the manned submersible Hakuyo was used to search areas surrounding the vessel. Originally scheduled for six days, the search had to be extended into a seventh day because of sea conditions. Divers saw a gaping hole in the deck just below the bridge, raising speculation that the crew may have scuttled the boat to avoid capture. Overall, two bodies and four weapons (including what the JCG believes to be a RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher; built by the former Soviet Union), several cartridges and "an object that looks like a bullet" were recovered from the site. The corpses were badly decomposed and some bones were visible. Both bodies were male. According to one media source, the Japanese government, judging from physical evidence recovered so far, has concluded that the boat came from North Korea and it has begun considering punitive measures. Among sanctions being considered is a restriction on the port calls made periodically by North Korean ships in northern Japan (based on a report from the nationally circulated Sankei Shimbun, quoting government sources it did not identify). "

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force

 

Pirate fighters relive drama off Somalia Last Updated(Beijing Time):2009-01-23 07:44.

They used water cannons, self-made bombs, and beer bottles on the high sea to ward off an attack by Somali pirates.

​

Cargo ship Zhenhua 4 is seen at a Shanghai port in this picture, January 22, 2009. [China Daily]​

But it was their courage, more than the weapons, which kept the pirates at bay for four long hours in the Gulf of Aden. Help in the shape of two Malaysian warships and a helicopter did, of course, play the major part.​

The 30 sailors who fought off the pirates on December 17 sailed into Shanghai on board Chinese cargo ship Zhenhua 4 yesterday. They returned home to the relief of their families and friends and a warm welcome from people around.
Thankfully, no one was injured in attack, said the 57-year-old captain, Peng Weiyuan.
"I think we did what we were supposed to do," Peng said. "To say we were not afraid at all would not be true. But we held on and that helped deter the pirates."
"All the sailors showed immense courage. I'm very proud of them," Peng said.
Nine pirates armed with rocket launchers and heavy machine guns boarded the ship at 12:43 pm (Beijing time) on Dec 17. The 30 sailors locked themselves in the cabins, using fire hydrants and self-made firebombs to keep the attackers at bay.
The beer bottles worked as real weapons, flying like missiles and exploding on impact. And the shards of broken glass made walking on the deck difficult for the pirates because most of them were barefoot.
Peng said they succeeded because of careful preparation.
Ten days before the ship entered the Somali waters, the captain began a drill to fend off a possible pirate attack.
The drill was thorough to the last detail, and that helped the sailors maintain calm during the real attack.
Peng ordered the crew to cut off the ladder that connected the deck with the cabin area. The pirates had a difficult time attacking the sailors locked in the cabins six meters above the deck.
Wu Minxiang, the helmsman, said the fight against the pirates was a "heart-shaking experience". The 57-year-old had traveled through the Somali waters "scores of times" but never thought he would be engaged in "a real fight" with the pirates.
Wu recalled seeing pirates' speedboats charging at them at 19 nautical miles an hour, while their 30-year-old cargo vessel could move at less than 10 nautical miles.
"We were very nervous at first seeing the first pirate climbing on board," Wu said. "But minutes later, we were in battle using whatever we could lay our hands on to attack them."
Zhu Dingming, Wu's wife, did not share his excitement, though. She said she had not slept properly for more than a month, ever since reports about her husband's experience emerged.
Zhou Xiufeng, spokesman for Shanghai Yuhai Shipping Company, the agency that provided the sailors, said the ship is scheduled to sail through Somali waters in February again.
"The best way to avoid a pirate attack is to seek Chinese navy ships' protection," Zhou said. Two Zhenhua Machinery Co ships crossed the troubled waters off Somalia, escorted by the navy ships, earlier this month.
Pirate fighters relive drama off Somalia _Politics—China Economic Net

 

Now that's one of the most stupid/brave things I've read in some time Nice one. The beer bottle touch was a really smart move! That shows them pirates not to mess with Chinese kung-fu



Cheers...

 

Hats off to the Captain and his forethought!!!

"The 30 sailors locked themselves in the cabins, using fire hydrants and self-made firebombs to keep the attackers at bay.
The beer bottles worked as real weapons, flying like missiles and exploding on impact. And the shards of broken glass made walking on the deck difficult for the pirates because most of them were barefoot.
Peng said they succeeded because of careful preparation.
Ten days before the ship entered the Somali waters, the captain began a drill to fend off a possible pirate attack.
The drill was thorough to the last detail, and that helped the sailors maintain calm during the real attack."

 

US to hand over any suspected pirates to Kenya

By TOM MALITI, Associated Press Writer Tom Maliti, Associated Press Writer – Mon Jan 26, 1:46 pm ET
NAIROBI, Kenya – The United States will hand over any suspected pirates its forces capture off the coast of Somalia to Kenya for trial, the American ambassador to Kenya said Monday.
The U.S. is leading anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia, where piracy is flourishing off the lawless coast.
The question of where to bring pirates to justice is among the many issues frustrating naval forces struggling to curb rising attacks on merchant vessels off Somalia, where pirates made more 100 attacks on ships last year and took away millions of dollars in ransom.
U.S. Ambassador Michael Ranneberger said it is "a little early to say how (the deal) will be implemented."
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Kenya signed a memorandum on the U.S.-Kenya agreement on the pirates because the hijackings had made it riskier for ships coming to Kenya's main port, Mombasa, which is south of Somalia.
"Because of this piracy the insurance premiums for goods that are coming into our country have gone up substantially," Odinga told journalists at a joint news conference with the U.S. ambassador.
Somalia has not had a functioning government for 18 years and does not have a coast guard or navy. The country's weak, U.N-backed government has been battling an Islamic insurgency for two years.
Britain has already agreed to hand over captured suspects to Kenya.

US to hand over any suspected pirates to Kenya - Yahoo! News

 

Well, either they'll hang them or throw back into circulation....

 

Well we can always hope that they will be dealt with harshly.

 

Somali pirates hijack German gas tanker, 13 crew

By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY, Associated Press Writer Elizabeth A. Kennedy, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 7 mins ago
NAIROBI, Kenya – Somali pirates hijacked a German tanker loaded with liquefied petroleum gas Thursday off the Horn of Africa. The ship's 13-man crew was reported safe even though gunshots were heard over the ship's radio.
The MV Longchamp is the third ship captured this month in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
The Longchamp, registered in the Bahamas, is managed by the German firm Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, which said in a statement that seven pirates boarded the tanker early Thursday.
Spokesman Andre Delau said the ship's master had been briefly allowed to communicate with the firm and had said the crew of 12 Filipinos and one Indonesian were safe.
"We think that everything is in order, nobody is injured," he told The Associated Press.
No ransom demands have been made yet, the company said.
Lt. Nathan Christensen, a Bahrain-based spokesman for the U.S. 5th Fleet, said the ship was seized off the southern coast of Yemen, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) from the town of al-Mukalla, the capital of the Hadramaut region.
Robin Phillips, deputy director of the Bahamas maritime authority in London, said the Longchamp had been traveling in a corridor secured by EU military forces when it sent a distress signal before dawn.
"Ships and helicopters were dispatched, but they arrived too late," said Phillips, adding that gunshots could be heard over the radio. He said the ship later set a course for Somalia, to the south.
Liquefied petroleum gas is a mixture of gases used to fuel heating appliances and vehicles.
Piracy has taken an increasing toll on international shipping, especially in the Gulf of Aden, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal with the Indian Ocean. Pirates made an estimated $30 million hijacking ships for ransom last year, seizing more than 40 vessels off Somalia's 1,900-mile (3,000-kilometer) coastline.
Somali waters are now patrolled by more than a dozen warships from countries including Britain, France, Germany, Iran and the United States. China and South Korea have also ordered warships sent to the region to protect their vessels and crews from pirates.
The warships have helped many cargo ships fight off the pirates, but Christensen said they were not near the Longchamp when it was taken.
He also said 21 ships since Dec. 1 have taken "aggressive, evasive maneuvers" and successfully evaded pirate attacks.
The German military reported two more suspected attempts by pirates to attack ships in the Gulf of Aden early Thursday.
A German navy frigate received an emergency call from a cargo ship, the European Champion, which reported that it was being followed by a skiff. A military statement said the skiff backed off after the German ship sent its on-board helicopter to the scene.
A second cargo ship, the Eleni G., radioed that it was being pestered by several skiffs. A German frigate sailed toward the ship, which shook off the suspected pirates.

Somalia, a nation of about 8 million people, has not had a functioning government since warlords overthrew a dictator in 1991 and then turned on each other. Its lawless coastline is a haven for pirates.
Cyrus Mody of the International Maritime Bureau said 166 crew on nine ships were still being held off the coast of Somalia, not including the Longchamp. Six other hijacked ships have been released this month, including an oil tanker freed for a reported $3 million ransom.
Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center, said Thursday's hijacking was the first attack since Jan. 14. For the past two weeks, strong winds have made it difficult for pirates to launch their small boats, but the weather has now improved, Choong said. There have been 15 attacks so far this year, and three ships seized, he said.

Somali pirates hijack German gas tanker, 13 crew - Yahoo! News

 

Japan to send warships against Somalia pirates

TOKYO, Jan 28 – Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered the Maritime Self-Defence Forces (MSDF) Wednesday to prepare for an anti-piracy mission off Somalia in a bid to protect Japanese and Japan-linked ships from pirates' attacks.
In line with Article 82 of the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) Law, which governs policing action on the seas, the MSDF will dispatch two destroyers, China's Xinhua news agency quoted an outline of the operational guidelines for the MSDF.
Each of the vessels will be equipped with two SH60K helicopters and two high-speed boats, to be used by the Special Boarding Unit in the event of a pirate attack on a merchant ship.
Under the maritime policing provision, the MSDF can protect only Japan-related vessels, including Japanese-registered ships and foreign vessels with Japanese nationals or shipments aboard.
The dispatch of the MSDF, the first overseas military deployment under the SDF law, is expected to take place in March at the earliest after training and other preparatory work is finished. – Bernama



The Malaysian Insider

 

I wonder what class of Destroyer they will be sending?

 

More countries vow to fight Somalia piracy

News Desk
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Publication Date: 01-02-2009

Indian Ocean and Red Sea countries have pledged to cooperate in seizing, investigating and prosecuting pirates off the coast of war-ravaged Somalia in a stepped-up campaign to curb a scourge that has wrought havoc with international shipping, including United Nations delivery of emergency food aid.
“The adoption of this instrument shows that countries in the region are willing to act concertedly and together, contributing to the ongoing efforts of the broader international community to fight the scourge of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the area,” UN International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos said of the Code of Conduct adopted on Friday at a high-level meeting in Djibouti convened by his agency.
Nine countries -- Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and Yemen -- have already signed the Code, which calls for shared operations, such as nominating law enforcement or other authorized officials to embark in the patrol ships or aircraft of another signatory.
The meeting was attended by ministers and senior officials from Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania and Yemen, as well as observers from other IMO members, UN specialised agencies, and international and regional inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations.
The Code is open for signature by the 21 countries in the region.
“Like the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (RECAAP), which was concluded in November 2004 by 16 countries in Asia, I have every faith that the Code of Conduct will prove to be the starting point for successful cooperation and coordination in the region, which will bear fruit in the suppression of piracy and armed robbery against ships,” Mitropoulos said.
Representatives of states that have sent naval forces to protect shipping off Somalia, including China, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and United Kingdom, also attended the four-day meeting, as did the UN World Food Programme (WFP), whose chartered food aid ships have been hijacked on several occasions.
Mitropoulos stressed that the contributing alliances of governments, organisations, and individual countries such as the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organistion (NATO) and China, India, Russia, and Saudi Arabia had done their duty in seeking to protect shipping and the time had now come for regional States to add their own contribution.
But he stressed that that while the contribution of regional states was hugely important, the long-term solution to the problem still lay onshore, within Somalia itself, which has not had a functioning central government since 1991 and is riven by warring factions.
In December, the UN Security Council unanimously called on countries and regional bodies with the necessary capacity to deploy naval ships and military aircraft off the Somali coast to fight piracy, including possible action against pirate bases on land.
Apart from chartered WFP ships, recent seizures by pirates have included a Saudi oil tanker and a Ukrainian ship with arms on board.

More countries vow to fight Somalia piracy

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