Pirates seize ship carrying tanks, ammo

Bad news for some of our videogamers!! LOL.

Somali Pirates Threatening Western Videogame Shipments

And by piracy, we mean the real, dangerous, guys-with-guns-on-boats kind of piracy.

By Kris Pigna, 11/15/2008

Gamers are well used to reading about the repercussions of piracy in the videogame industry, but this story about piracy has one important distinction: it's about real pirates. As Reuters reports, increased attacks by Somali pirates around the Horn of Africa are threatening shipping routes, which could interrupt supplies of videogame hardware and software in the West.
While Somali pirates have plagued the Horn of Africa for years, what's of particular concern now is that they've been encroaching into the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, imperiling access to the Suez Canal -- a major shipping route that connects Europe to the Middle East and Asia. It's used by firms to transport oil, gas, coal, toys, and yes, videogames, but the attacks have gotten so frequent that firms are considering diverting shipments around Africa to the south, through the Cape of Good Hope instead. Doing so, according to PC World, could increase transit times by up to three weeks.
"Despite all the publicity over piracy it will really hit home when consumers in the West find they haven't got their Nintendo gifts this Christmas," said Sam Dawson, of the International Transport Workers' Federation, to Reuters. "If there isn't a let up and active intervention by navies in the region, the impact on trade will come within weeks or months because we've gone from one attack every couple of weeks to four in a single day."
While the opportunities for pirate jokes are tempting, the situation is in fact gravely serious -- some of the shipments being attacked by Somali pirates are even aid shipments to war-torn Somalia itself. Reuters reports that the British killed two pirates this week as part of increased efforts by foreign navies to curb the surge in attacks, but Somali pirates continue to seize boats all the same. As for whether this will actually affect your ability to find a Wii in stores this holiday season (if you could find one anyway, that is), PC World makes a good point -- this will likely affect European shipments more than the U.S., as shipments to the U.S. out of Asia likely go east rather than through Africa to the west.

Somali Pirates Threatening Western Videogame Shipments

 

Damn! WW2F is going to die off!!!

 

LOL. Maybe they can use their superior knowledge of war that they have gained from playing the games to take out the pirates LOL. Imagine all those millions and millions of joysticks and game controllers!!

 

That's right keep underestimating the power of the motherland.

 

A nation who invented Pigs in Space is capable of anything

 

Oh look!! Another incentive for the pirates. The owners and countries should not cave in to thier demands.

Somali pirates release ship after $1.1 million ransom

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Somali pirates have released a chemical tanker, the Stolt Valor, after they received a $1.1 million ransom, a regional maritime official said on Sunday.
Two other ships could be released before November 25 because negotiations between the owners and pirates had been going well, said Andrew Mwangura, director of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme that monitors piracy.
But he said the pirates, who have made shipping routes off Somalia among the most dangerous in the world, had seized another ship, a Japanese cargo vessel.
"It (the Stolt Valor) was released last night and after release, another ship was taken, a Japanese one with South Korean connections," Mwangura told Reuters, adding that a $1.1 million ransom had been paid for the Stolt Valor.

Somali pirates release ship after $1.1 million ransom - Yahoo! News

 

It also appears that they are getting the attention of the Chinese too. There has to be a point where enough is enough. Or just take the easy way out and pay them bribes to leave shipping alone. That way they can just save time and frustration.

 

That "pay them to not bother the shipping" didn't work too well with the Barbary Pirates in the early 19th Century. No reason to believe it would work any better this time.

 

Yup. LOL.HMMMM I wonder what did work? .

 

The French invaded North Africa in the 1830's and permanently occupied the ports the pirates used. End of problem.

 

Now, what's stopping the powers that be from adopting a solution that worked in the past? Hmm?

 

Somalia has a long coast and there's a lot of Somalis who follow no leader but their nose, and even then.

They could do like the Portuguese in India in the old days, go down the coast and at evey port they passed they would fire a few cannon shots loaded with assorted human limbs. Somehow I'm not seeing this method working nowadays...

 

Well it looks like they are gearing up for the holidays.

Somali pirates seize supertanker loaded with crude

By BARBARA SURK, Associated Press Writer Barbara Surk, Associated Press Writer – 42 mins ago
AP – This undated picture made at an unknown location shows the Sirius Star tanker conducting a trial run …



DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Somali pirates hijacked a supertanker hundreds of miles off the Horn of Africa, seizing the Saudi-owned ship loaded with crude and its 25-member crew, the U.S. Navy said Monday.
It was the largest ship pirates have seized, and the farthest out to sea they have successfully struck.
The hijacking highlighted the vulnerability of even very large ships and pointed to widening ambitions and capabilities among ransom-hungry pirates who have carried out a surge of attacks this year off Somalia.


Somali pirates seize supertanker loaded with crude - Yahoo! News

 

Jeep carrier, destroyers, blimps/awacs.

 

I know this is going to sound a bit "mercinary", but why don't the companies who own the ships, or those who are shipping the goods hire blimps to oversee their own shipments, and place professional security personell on each "high-value" shipment?

As individual contractors, on private territory (ships at sea) they would have authority (I believe) to repell borders with deady force. I doubt it would take too many failed pirate attempts, with resultant deaths to at least curb the problem.

When China found, tried, and executed those who were complicate in the piracy off of their southern coasts, the pirates moved elsewhere. The global economic downturn may be as much to blame for this rise in crime on the high seas as anything.

But that is just an opinion of my own, perhaps some other force is driving this latest "outbreak".

 

It's actually quite simple, Somalia is a mess. As other countries saw(from US experience), going in there is a losing propostion. That's why I suggest a specialized fleet to not only only cripple their capabilities at sea, but hit the base they're coming from (they're not just launching from a beach?).

There are many in the powers that be section who worship at the altar of technology, but I think this is foolish. The US has an excellent blue water navy, but it should retain a brown water fleet (now non existent) to deal with our less tech proficient enemies.

 

This is what I posted in post #174 about "Security" firms.

Security firms join Somali piracy fight By KATHARINE HOURELD, Associated Press Writer 1 hr 16 mins ago

NAIROBI, Kenya – Blackwater Worldwide and other private security firms — some with a reputation for being quick on the trigger in Iraq — are joining the battle against pirates plaguing one of the world's most important shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia.
The growing interest among merchant fleets to hire their own firepower is encouraged by the U.S. Navy and represents a new and potential lucrative market for security firms scaling back operations in Iraq.
But some maritime organizations told The Associated Press that armed guards may increase the danger to ships' crews or that overzealous contractors might accidentally fire on fishermen.
The record in Iraq of security companies like Blackwater, which is being investigated for its role in the fatal shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians in 2007, raises concerns about unregulated activity and possible legal wrangles.
"Security companies haven't always had the lightest of touches in Iraq, and I think Somalia is a pretty delicate situation," said Roger Middleton, who wrote a recent report on piracy in Somalia for Chatham House, a think tank in London.
NATO, with a flotilla of warships due to arrive in Somali waters this weekend, is trying to work out legal and regulatory issues surrounding the use of armed contractors before adopting a position on private security companies.
But the U.S. Navy, part of the coalition already patrolling off the coast of Somalia, says the coalition cannot effectively patrol the 2.5 million square miles of dangerous waters and welcomes the companies.
"This is a great trend," said Lt. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet. "We would encourage shipping companies to take proactive measures to help ensure their own safety."
Somali officials also approve of the private contractors.
Abdulkadir Muse Yusuf, deputy marine minister of the semiautonomous region of Puntland, said private firms are welcome in Somali waters. As well as fighting piracy, he said, they could help combat illegal fishing and toxic waste dumping.
Some security companies — not all of which let their employees carry lethal weapons — blame trigger-happy operators in Iraq and Afghanistan for tarnishing the reputation of legitimate businesses.
After a series of shootings that killed civilians, Iraqi legislators negotiated an agreement with the U.S. that will remove some of the private contractors' immunity from prosecution. U.S. authorities are investigating Blackwater for improperly bringing weapons into Iraq and for its role in the 2007 Iraqi civilian deaths.
The removal of immunity, Iraq's stabilizing security situation and a glut of security operators in the country have combined to tempt some companies to seek a new market in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden off Somalia.
Last week, Blackwater announced it was hiring a ship fitted with helicopters and armed guards for escorting vessels past Somalia's pirate-ridden coast. Spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said it had received 15 inquiries so far.
Peter Singer, an expert on private security companies, agrees Africa is a potential growth market, but he says it's unlikely many firms will abandon work in Iraq and Afghanistan, where there are dramatically more business opportunities as long as the wars continue.
"If somehow Iraq ends and you see a shrinking amount of contractors there, most of them are in logistics and training services," Singer added. "None of that carries over to this role."
British firms dominate security work in the Gulf of Aden, but American companies are increasingly getting into the action, according an Associated Press examination of new anti-piracy efforts through interviews in East Africa, Europe and Washington.

In addition to Blackwater, Mississippi-based Hollowpoint, which has not been active in Iraq, says it will provide guards and recover seized ships.
"We'll get your crew and cargo back to you, whether through negotiations or through sending a team in," said CEO John Harris, who is discussing contracts with several companies.
There have been 63 reported attacks on ships off the Somali coast this year alone and probably many more have been carried out. Almost a third of the recorded attacks have been successful.
Ransoms can reach into the millions of dollars. That's a fortune in a failed state like Somalia, where almost half the people depend on aid and warlords plunder food shipments meant for starving children. The money goes to clan-based militias, some of which are fighting in Somalia's civil war.
Cyrus Mody, the manager of the International Maritime Bureau, says private security personnel can offer useful advice to ship captains, but he worries not all companies have clear rules of engagement or have sought legal advice about the consequences of opening fire.
So far hijackings are rarely fatal: One Chinese sailor was executed by pirates when ransom negotiations were going badly, and the two other known deaths resulted from a ricochet and a heart attack.
Mody says armed guards onboard ships may encourage pirates to use their weapons or spark an arms race between predators and prey. Currently, pirates often fire indiscriminately during an attack but don't aim to kill or injure crew. The pirates usually use assault rifles but have rocket-propelled grenades; some reports also say they have mini-cannon.
"If someone onboard a ship pulls a gun, will the other side pull a grenade?" Mody asked.
British contractors stress the importance of intelligence and surveillance, a safe room for the crew to retreat to if the ship is boarded, and the range of non-lethal deterrence measures available.
"The standard approach is for (pirates) to come in with all guns blazing at the bridge because when a boat is stopped it's easier to board," said David Johnson, director of British security firm Eos. "But if you have guns onboard, you are going to escalate the situation. We don't want to turn that part of the world into the Wild West."
Johnson's employees don't carry arms, relying on tactics that can be as simple as greasing or electrifying hand rails, putting barbed wire around the freeboard — the lowest area of the deck — or installing high-pressure fire hoses directed at vulnerable areas of a ship.
One tugboat confused its attackers by going into a high-speed spin when pirates approached, causing the attackers to give up — and leaving the crew sick but safe.
High-tech but non-lethal weapons include dazzle guns, which produce disorienting flashes; microwave guns, which heat up the skin causing discomfort but no long-term damage; and acoustic devices that can blast a wave of painful sound across hundreds of yards.
Johnson believes his company's refusal to carry guns has helped attract business: inquiries have gone up three- to fourfold in the past few months.
Other companies do arm their employees, pointing out that while non-lethal weapons are also carried and greatly preferred, they can be taken out by bullets or a grenade, sustain damage from salt water, and may have a shorter range than some weapons of pirates.
Pirate attacks have driven up insurance premiums tenfold for ships plying the Gulf of Aden, increasing the cost of cargos that include a fifth of the world's oil. But some insurers will slash charges by up to 40 percent if boats hire their own security. Earlier this month, British security firm Hart launched the first joint venture with an insurance company, offering discounted premiums for ships sailing past Somalia that used Hart's guards.
The 20,000 ships that pass through the Gulf of Aden on the way to or from the Suez Canal each year can't avoid the 1,800 miles of Somali coastline without sailing around the entire continent of Africa.
The jump in interest in private contractors — spurred by last month's hijacking of a Ukrainian ship loaded with tanks and other weapons — has brought new players into the market and a flood of business for well-established firms.
Drum Cussac, a specialist maritime security company, says its business has increased 50 percent the last few months. Not operating in Iraq or Afghanistan, the firm has traditionally supplied security teams to luxury yachts like the French Le Ponant, which was hijacked last April with 22 crew members onboard.
Maritime operations manager Michael Angus says the yacht business has doubled. And now, he says, merchant ships such as bulk carriers or oil tankers are asking the company for teams of armed guards, making what was once a seasonal business off Somalia a year-round enterprise.
London-based Olive Group, which protects Shell operations in Iraq, began offering services in the Gulf of Aden earlier this year. Its security consultant, Crispian Cuss, says just the presence of armed guards may be a deterrent. Pirates get information on crews and cargos from contacts in ports or at shipping companies and avoid vessels with armed men on board, he said. "No client's ship has been approached by pirates while we've been on them," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081026/...rotection#full

 

Didn't see that post Robert, but still a valid concept which I think is being largely ignored (for whatever reason).

Something else which I have thought of (but which has no validity in application), is modifying that Israeli "Trophy" anti-RPG system used on land based line armor units. Attempt to make it a bit longer ranged, at water level, mounted on the ships hull.

Not just to "knock" an RPG or other rocket out of the problem, but to have a "hit back" projectile of its own which would be launched toward the "fire point" of the incoming weapon.

I.e. you launch an RPG at a ship in order to intimidate it, the RPG is knocked out of the air, and the boat/ship from which it is laucnhed is immediately hit with returning fire. Might be a deterent, n'es pas?

 

I seem to remember something about International Law having something to do with security forces and what they can and can't do too.

 

It took the French something like 30 years, the deployment of a huge army, and hundreds of thousands of casualties before the indigenous trouble makers were finally subdued. It was the age of imperialism when such efforts weren't closely questioned and the assumption was no matter how much it cost, the returns would be worthwhile.

Today, if any attempt is made to impose order on a disorderly territory, a half a dozen civilian deaths will result in international hysteria directed at whichever country is making the attempt. Nobody is going to spend he blood and treasure only to be accused of genocide or worse.