Thagarr's Pirate News!

[Thagarr]

It's been kinda slow news piratewise the past couple of weeks, looks like the water hoses have been fairly effective lately. But now they are at it again.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Armed Somali pirates seize Danish cargo ship: watchdog</b>

16 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — Heavily-armed Somali pirates seized a Danish-managed general cargo ship with 13 crew off the coast of Somalia, a maritime watchdog said Saturday.

Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, told AFP Somali pirates hijacked the ship on Friday at 1240 GMT in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia.

The vessel was heading from the Middle East to Asia and flying the national flag of the Bahamas.

"The ship has been captured by the pirates," Choong said.

"These attacks are going up, despite the increase in international patrols and we are concerned over the ongoing attacks and hijackings," he added.

Choong said that the latest incident brought to 81 the number of attacks in the area this year. The total includes 32 hijackings, of which 11 ships and more than 200 crew are still being held by Somali pirates.

The latest hijacking follows the capture of a Turkish-operated bulk carrier with 20 sailors on board last week as it travelled from North America to Asia.

Pirates are well-organised in the area where Somalia's northeastern tip juts into the Indian Ocean, preying on a key maritime route leading to the Suez Canal through which an estimated 30 percent of the world's oil transits.

The pirates operate high-powered speedboats and are heavily armed, sometimes holding ships for weeks until they are released for large ransoms paid by governments or owners.

NATO warships, along with ships and aircraft from several other nations have been deployed in the region to protect commercial shipping.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j4GSSF21Un8HgOnHK3pRNaj3_UDA" target="_blank">http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j4GSSF...OnHK3pRNaj3_UDA</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b> Indian Navy repulses pirate attack on Indian merchant vessel</b>
14:18 IST
ON 11 NOV 08, AN ATTACK BY PIRATES ON AN INDIAN SHIP MV JAG ARNAV IN THE GULF OF ADEN WAS REPULSED BY AN INDIAN NAVAL WARSHIP PATROLLING IN THE AREA. THIS ATTACK ON MV JAG ARNAV TOOK PLACE AT ABOUT 1030 H ON THE MORNING OF 11 NOV 08, WHEN THE SHIP WAS 60 NM EAST OF ADEN. THE ALARM RAISED BY THE MERCHANT SHIP WAS MONITORED BY AN INDIAN NAVAL SHIP PATROLLING IN THE VICINITY.

AN ARMED HELICOPTER WITH MARINE COMMANDOES WAS LAUNCHED FROM THE NAVAL SHIP TO INTERVENE AND PREVENT THE PIRATES FROM BOARDING AND HIJACKING THE MERCHANT VESSEL. THIS TIMELY AND SUCCESSFUL INTERVENTION LED TO THE PIRATES ABORTING THEIR ATTEMPT. THE NAVAL SHIP THEREAFTER CLOSED THE INDIAN MERCHANT SHIP TO ESCORT HER TO SAFETY.

MV JAG ARNAV, A 38,265 TONNES BULK CARRIER IS OWNED BY THE GREAT EASTERN SHIPPING CO LTD. THE SHIP HAD TRANSITED THE SUEZ CANAL A FEW DAYS AGO AND WAS EASTWARD BOUND IN THE GULF OF ADEN WHEN SHE CAME UNDER ATTACK FROM THE PIRATES.

THE INDIAN NAVY HAS BEEN CONDUCTING ANTI PIRACY PATROLS IN THE GULF OF ADEN SINCE 23 OCT 08 AS A SIZEABLE PORTION OF OUR COUNTRY'S TRADE FLOWS THROUGH THE GULF OF ADEN AND THERE HAS BEEN A QUANTUM INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PIRACY ATTACKS IN THIS REGION OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. THESE PATROLS ARE CARRIED OUT IN COORDINATION WITH THE MINISTRY OF SHIPPING AND ARE INTENDED TO PROTECT INDIAN MERCHANT VESSELS FROM BEING ATTACKED BY PIRATES AND ALSO TO INSTILL CONFIDENCE IN OUR LARGE SEAFARING COMMUNITY.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44730" target="_blank">http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44730</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b> Philippines ship, 23 crew seized near Somalia</b>

The Associated Press , Kuala Lumpur | Tue, 11/11/2008 4:17 PM | World
Pirates hijacked a Philippines chemical tanker with 23 crew near Somalia, bringing the total number of attacks in waters off the African nation this year to 83, a maritime official said Tuesday.

The tanker was heading to Asia when it was seized Monday in the Gulf of Aden by pirates armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, said Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.

He said there was an attempted attack the same day on a refrigerated cargo ship in eastern Somalia, but the vessel managed to escape with evasive maneuvering. The ship flies a Saudi flag but is operated out of Britain.

The bureau has issued an urgent warning to ships to take extra measures to deter pirates even while sailing in a corridor of the gulf patrolled by a multinational naval force.

"The corridor is protected, but safe passage is not 100 percent guaranteed. The patrol boats cannot be everywhere at the same time. The ship master must maintain a strict radar watch for pirates," Choong said.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/11/11/philippines-ship-23-crew-seized-near-somalia.html" target="_blank">http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/11...ar-somalia.html</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>STOLT TANKER HIJACKED</b>

Tuesday, 11 November 2008

THE 33,209 dwt products tanker Stolt Venture has become the latest ship to be hijacked by Somali based pirates. The ship's charterers, Stolt Tankers BV, issued a statement this morning confirming reports of the hijacking. It says that the vessel was seized while transiting the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia yesterday yesterday. It says: “We understand that the vessel was within the recognised Coalition corridor at the time of the seizure.”

The company adds: “There has been limited communication between the master and the ship manager and it has been confirmed that the fully Filipino crew is safe and accounted for. Stolt is in close communication with the vessel’s managers and owners and will do all it can to ensure the timely and safe return of the crew on board.”

The Stolt Strength was bound for Kandla on passage from Dakar with a cargo of phosphoric acid. Meanwhile, Indian Newspaper The Hindu reports, the Indian Navy has intervened to stop pirates boarding the Indian-flag, Great Eastern-owned bulk carrier Jag Arnav.

The Hindu quote naval sources as saying: "An armed helicopter with marine commandos was launched from the naval warship to intervene and prevent the pirates from boarding and hijacking the merchant vessel. This timely and successful intervention led to the pirates aborting their attempt."

As with other interventions by warships, it appears the Indian Navy did not try to sink or capture the pirate vessels. The ICC International Maritime Bureau is urging governments to set rules of engagement that allow warships to act robustly against pirate craft and especially the mother ships, typically large fishing vessels.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.mgn.com/news/dailystorydetails.cfm?storyid=9350" target="_blank">http://www.mgn.com/news/dailystorydetails.cfm?storyid=9350</a>

 

[Fred Bob]

Check dis one out, Thagarr! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />

<a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5141745.ece" target="_blank">Royal Navy in firefight with Somali pirates</a> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

 

[Old Salt]

I guess it was the wrong time to try to mess with the Brits after they were still smarting about that incident earlier in the year with the Iranians. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/urgh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":urgh" border="0" alt="urgh.gif" />

 

[Fred Bob]

Aye, Fred Bob be a thinkin' it be time fer 5" gunnery practice onct a clear ID be made on de offendin' vessel! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />

No sense riskin' de lives o' commandoes in rubber boats! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mybad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="mybad.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

Great find Fred Bob! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbs1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":2up" border="0" alt="thumbs1.gif" /> I was just about to post this story from a different link. Great to see someone other than the French standing up to these thugs! According to the story I was reading, the Russian frigate Neustrashimy was also involved, finally seeing her first action since arriving in the Gulf of Aden.

You can find that story here :
<a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD94DJS6O1" target="_blank">http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gB7YMED...I4-H2wD94DJS6O1</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Pirates threaten crew of seized Chinese fishing boat.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Pirate leader: hijacked Chinese vessel off southern Somalia port, crew "fine"</b>
www.chinaview.cn 2008-11-14 17:12:10

MOGADISHU, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The hijacked Chinese fishing vessel is being held off the coast of the southern Somalia port city of Kismanyu, while the 24 crew members on board are "fine", a pirate leader told local radio in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, Friday.

The pirate leader, who did not identify himself, told local Shabelle radio, that his group abducted the Chinese ship 30 miles off the coast of southern Somali port city of Kismanyu, 500 km south of the Somali capital Mogadishu, late Thursday afternoon.

The leader of the pirates holding the ship claimed that the vessel was fishing off the Somali territorial waters, adding that the ship and crew "will be put before the law and punished accordingly".

But a source with the Chinese Ministry of Transport said the ship named Tianyu No. 8, was fishing off the Kenyan coast when it was abducted by unidentified persons.

The source told Xinhua that the abductors demanded the Chinese fishing boat sail towards the coastal area off southern Somalia.
Editor: Jiang Yuxia<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Original story here :
<a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/14/content_10359201.htm" target="_blank">http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/...nt_10359201.htm</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Magnetic acoustic device, or sonic laser, used to fend off pirates
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Private guards ward off Somali pirate attack</b>

David Osler - Friday 14 November 2008
BRITISH private security guards have repulsed a Somali pirate attack on an unidentified chemtanker, using equipment billed as the the sonic equivalent of a laser, according to the principle of a company that specialises in such services.

Nick Davis, a former army pilot who launched Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions earlier this year, claims to have three-man teams of ex-special forces personnel currently working on six vessels in the Gulf of Aden, with this engagement marking the first actual clash.

He says he has been inundated with inquiries in recent weeks, and is looking to open offices in Aden and Salalah.

The incident took place just 18 miles off the coast of Yemen, inside the Maritime Security Patrol Area established in August by a coalition of international navies, and over 300 miles north of the Somali coast.

“There was a direct approach at high speed towards our ship. We then activated our procedures. The ship started evasive manoeuvres, all the hoses were on full power. Then we used the magnetic acoustic device,” said Mr Davis.

“They closed to within 500m and then turned away to a ship that was due south of ours by approximately five miles.

“Based on intelligence from our team leader on board, there was intent to attack the vessel and clearly, if no one had been on board, we do not know what the outcome would have been today.”<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/private-guards-ward-off-somali-pirate-attack/20017590589.htm" target="_blank">http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/private-...20017590589.htm</a>

More info on the "sonic laser" here :
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_range_acoustic_device" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_range_acoustic_device</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
Somali pirates 'seize cargo ship'
</b>
South Korean officials say gunmen have hijacked a Japanese cargo ship off the coast of Somalia carrying 23 crew including five South Koreans.

The ship was seized in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday, officials said.

The condition of the crew is not known and it is not clear if the pirates are demanding a ransom.

So far this year, Somali pirates have seized more than 30 vessels, making the shipping lanes through the Gulf of Aden the most dangerous in the world.

A South Korean foreign ministry official said the 23 abducted sailors included Filipinos as well as the five South Koreans.

Last Wednesday, the Russian navy said Russian and British ships had repelled a pirate attack on a Danish ship in waters off Somalia.

Tanker seized

Hours earlier, pirates had seized a Turkish chemical tanker off the coast of Yemen, along with its 14-member Turkish crew.

And last Monday Somali pirates hijacked another chemical tanker with 21 Filipino crew on board.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7731920.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7731920.stm</a>

 

[Old Salt]

Those Somali pirates be out fer plunder. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

Aye, they are indeed Old Salt! And they don't seem to be to particular about what ships they attack. But it looks like NATO forces are starting to have at least a little impact on their plans.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>NATO: possible pirate attack prevented off Somalia</b>

1 day ago

ROME (AP) — NATO says a Italian naval destroyer responding to a merchant vessel's distress signal prevented a likely pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia.

The military alliance says in a statement that the Panama-flagged merchant ship Kirti was sailing toward Suez on Saturday afternoon when it reported two skiffs attempting to approach it at high speed.

The Italian destroyer Luigi Durand de la Penne was patrolling nearby as part of NATO's anti-piracy operation and immediately scrambled its helicopter.

NATO says the skiffs changed course and left after seeing the helicopter.

Somalia has become a world piracy hotspot, with at least 85 attacks on ships this year. Twelve vessels remain in the hands of pirates along with more than 200 crew.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD94FIDF02" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...I4-H2wD94FIDF02</a>

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Russia's navy repels pirate attack on Saudi ship in the Gulf of Aden</b>

19 hours ago

MOSCOW — Russia's navy says one of its frigates has repelled a pirate attack on a Saudi ship in the Gulf of Aden.

The navy says the guided-missile frigate was guarding three cargo ships when it received a distress signal from the Saudi ship Rabih on Saturday.

Russian navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo says today the frigate sailed immediately toward the Rabih, which had been approached by several speedboats with pirates on board.

He says the frigate sent up a helicopter and the attack was repelled.

Somalia, which has had no functioning government since 1991, is the world's top piracy hotspot.

It is located along the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and is one of the world's busiest waterways.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hFhRH0_aN1H4z1LM3XGoxGxRvvTQ" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianp...1LM3XGoxGxRvvTQ</a>

 

[Fred Bob]

Arrr! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> Looky here Thagarr! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_eek.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="icon_eek.gif" /> Pyrates seize dem a Saudi oil tanker! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

<a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5172770.ece" target="_blank">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle5172770.ece</a>

 

[Old Salt]

What got into the water they be drinkin'? Those Somali pirates be attackin' everything in sight. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

 

[Stallion]

Being the conspiracy nut that I am, could these not be Shell/Esso/BP/whoever else employees masquerading as pirates, in hopes the tanker's capture will drive oil prices back up? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/389_robber.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":robber:" border="0" alt="389_robber.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

[/quote]
<!--quoteo(post=289152:date=Nov 17 2008, 08:15 AM:name=Fred Bob)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Fred Bob @ Nov 17 2008, 08:15 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=289152"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Arrr! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> Looky here Thagarr! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_eek.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="icon_eek.gif" /> Pyrates seize dem a Saudi oil tanker! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

<a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5172770.ece" target="_blank">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle5172770.ece</a><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I saw that on CNN when I woke up yesterday afternoon Fred Bob, didn't have time to get on and comment before I had to go to work. I was wondering when they were actually gonna get themselves a nice fat oil tanker. 2 million barrels of crude oil is quite a haul! I'm curious to see just how this effects the response of the coalition. Coalition forces have used a lot more force recently then I was expecting them to. Maybe they are going to show a lot more backbone than I was giving them credit for, but I think they should call in the French for this one!

Updated information about the tanker :
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Hijacked Oil Tanker Nears Somalia `Pirate Stronghold' (Update2)</b>

By Alaric Nightingale

Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- A Saudi Arabian supertanker hijacked off the east coast of Africa is nearing an anchorage point close to the Somalian coast, the U.S. Navy said.

Pirates directed the Sirius Star, the largest merchant ship ever seized, to the Eyl coastal area to the north of Somalia, navy spokesman Lieutenant Nate Christensen said by phone from Bahrain today. Saudi Arabia's state-owned shipping line said it created response teams to free the vessel and its crew of 25.

``What we've seen typically in the past, the vessel will be held in anchorage off the coast in a pirate stronghold, for want of a better word,'' Christensen said. ``We've had no communication. Sometimes it's a couple of hours, sometimes a couple of days.''

Ships passing close to Somalian waters carry oil from the Middle East via the Suez Canal and Asian-made goods to Europe and the U.S. Some companies including Odfjell SE, the world's largest chemicals shipping line, have said they will shun the canal because of the attacks off Somalia, threatening one of Egypt's biggest foreign-currency earners.

About 11 percent of the world's seaborne petroleum passes through the Gulf of Aden en route to the Suez Canal or regional refineries. Shipping lines should ``seriously consider'' sailing around Africa rather than using the Gulf of Aden, said Simon Stonehouse, a hull underwriter at Brit Syndicates Ltd., a Lloyd's of London syndicate.

Insurance premiums will rise and unless the Egyptian government becomes ``more actively interested'' in combating piracy in the region they risk damaging the business of the Suez canal, Stonehouse said.

Grappling Hooks

The pirates are likely to have fired grappling hooks at the supertanker, allowing them to scale the side of the ship using rope ladders, said Roger Middleton, an analyst at Chatham House in London. Middleton has researched Somalia for the past three years and piracy for nine months.

Somalian pirates have asked for $1 million ransoms on average this year, he said. New supertankers cost $148 million, according to data from Oslo-based shipbroker Astrup Fearnley. The ship is designed to carry more than 2 million barrels of crude, which at the current price would be worth about $110 million on the New York Mercantile Exchange.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=aMtAY5hcOJ8w&refer=africa" target="_blank">http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...mp;refer=africa</a>

<!--quoteo(post=289164:date=Nov 17 2008, 09:30 AM:name=Old Salt)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Old Salt @ Nov 17 2008, 09:30 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=289164"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What got into the water they be drinkin'? Those Somali pirates be attackin' everything in sight. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Captain Morgan? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

<!--quoteo(post=289287:date=Nov 17 2008, 07:25 PM:name=Stallion)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Stallion @ Nov 17 2008, 07:25 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=289287"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Being the conspiracy nut that I am, could these not be Shell/Esso/BP/whoever else employees masquerading as pirates, in hopes the tanker's capture will drive oil prices back up? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/389_robber.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":robber:" border="0" alt="389_robber.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I am almost willing to buy that theory Stallion! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="me.gif" />

 

[Old Salt]

<b>After Hijacking, Saudi Foreign Minister Says Nation Will Join Anti-Piracy Efforts</b>

Pirates Seize Supertanker Loaded With Crude
A supertanker loaded with 2 million barrels of oil is hijacked by Somali pirates far off the coast of Kenya. An official in Somalia is vowing to rescue the ship, using force if necessary.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008; Page A12
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 19 -- Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Tuesday condemned the hijacking of a Saudi supertanker carrying $100 million in crude oil, calling piracy "a disease that has to be eradicated."

The 1,080-foot Sirius Star was seized by Somali pirates Sunday off East Africa. Its owner, Vela International, said the tanker is now believed to be anchored off the coast of Somalia.

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said his country would join international efforts to battle piracy, which has surged to levels unseen in modern times.

"This outrageous act by the pirates, I think, will only reinforce the resolve of the countries of the Red Sea and internationally to fight piracy," Saud said during a visit to Athens, the Associated Press reported.

Vela International, a subsidiary of the Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco, said in a statement that the company was "awaiting further contact from the pirates in control of the vessel."

The company's president and chief executive, Salah B. Ka'aki, said the "first and foremost priority is ensuring the safety of the crew. We are in communication with their families and are working toward their safe and speedy return."

The crew is composed of two Britons, two Poles, one Croatian, one Saudi and 19 Filipinos.

The tanker, which had been heading toward the United States via the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, held as much as 2 million barrels of oil, more than a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily exports. News of the hijacking helped push global oil prices to more than $58 a barrel on Monday, though they later lost some gains.



More than 80 pirate attacks have been registered this year. Last month, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved resolutions calling on nations to send naval ships and military aircraft to Somalia's coastline and allowing foreign powers to enter Somali waters to fight piracy.

"This is an initiative in which we are going to join and so are many other countries of the Red Sea," Saud said without elaborating.

Negotiations between pirates and shipowners often take months, with the hijacked crews held captive in Somalia until a deal is reached.

 

[Thagarr]

Yeah Old Salt ...I think that kinda annoyed the Saudi's! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Looks like the Koreans want in on the fun too!<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Officials Prepare Manual For Pirate Kidnapping</b>

By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter

Government officials are putting together a response manual on how to deal with pirates and their kidnapping activities off the coastal regions off Somalia.

There have been numerous cases of kidnappings carried out by heavily armed pirates around coastal waters off the African nation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Tuesday that ``there continues to be kidnapping cases involving Korean nationals (around coastal waters off Somalia). The government is working on a response manual containing official response policies in case such kidnappings occur in the future."

On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was able to confirm the safety of five Koreans who were kidnapped over the past weekend. Officials are still working to get kidnapped Koreans released. Five South Koreans and 18 Filipinos were taken when a group of pirates seized their 20,000-ton cargo ship.

Last Saturday, a Japanese freighter carrying Korean and Filipino crew members was hijacked by armed pirates off Somalia in the Gulf of Aden.
The ministry said that Somali pirates usually have one thing in mind with their kidnap victims: the ransom money. This stands in contrast to some other types of kidnappings committed around the world, and so that a separate, different type of response manual was warranted, according to the ministry.

The manual is expected to include procedures on contacting relevant local governments and authorities when emergencies occur. It will also cover procedures on contacting kidnap victims' family members and how to deal with the media and inquiries from reporters.

The Ministry of National Defense plans to submit to the National Assembly next month a motion calling for sending naval ships to waters off Somalia, a ministry official said Monday.
If approved, the naval ships will take part in patrolling the dangerous coastal waters off the African country.

Last Thursday, Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee told an Assembly committee that his ministry was reviewing details, including the overall size of the naval forces that may be dispatched to Somalia. He said his ministry could reach a final decision on the matter before the end of the year.
If lawmakers ratify the measure, the Korean Navy is expected to be able to deploy surface ships early next year.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/11/116_34624.html" target="_blank">http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/natio.../116_34624.html</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Looks like India is pretty serious too!
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>India 'sinks Somali pirate ship' </b>
The Indian navy has said that one of its warships in the Gulf of Aden has destroyed a ship belonging to pirates operating off the coast of Somalia. The INS Tabar opened fire on a pirate "mother ship" after it came under attack, a government statement said.There has been a surge in piracy incidents off Somalia. The Saudi-owned Sirius Star supertanker is currently anchored off the Somali coast after the vessel and its 25 crew were seized by pirates.

Vela International, operators of the Sirius Star, told the BBC no demands had yet been received from the pirates. The company also said all the crew were safe. The biggest tanker ever hijacked, Sirius Star is carrying a cargo of two million barrels - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - worth more than $100m (£67m).

India is among several countries are already patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.


Fire broke out on the vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored in the vessel
Indian naval statement The Indian navy said the Tabar spotted a pirate vessel while patrolling 285 nautical miles (528km) south-west of Salalah in Oman, on Tuesday evening. When it demanded the vessel stop for investigation, the pirate ship responded by threatening to "blow up the naval warship if it closed on her", the statement said. The navy said the pirates on board were armed with guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers. They threatened to blow up the INS Tabar and then fired on it.

The Indians say they retaliated by opening fire and that there was an explosion on the pirate vessel, which sank. "Fire broke out on the vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored in the vessel," the Indian navy said.Some of the pirates tried to escape on two speedboats - the Indian sailors gave chase but one boat was later found abandoned, while a second boat escaped.

The Tabar has been patrolling the Gulf of Aden since 23 October, and has escorted 35 ships safely during the "pirate-infested waters", the statement said. Last week, an helicopter-borne Indian marine commandos stopped pirates from boarding and hijacking an Indian merchant vessel. On Tuesday, a cargo ship and a fishing vessel became the latest to join more than 90 civilian vessels attacked by the pirates this year.

A 25-crew cargo vessel transporting wheat to Iran was attacked in the Gulf of Aden while contact was lost with the crew of 12 on the fishing boat. Piracy in the area is estimated to have cost up to $30m in ransoms so far this year, according to a recent report by a UK think-tank. The pirates who seized the Sirius Star are a sophisticated group with contacts in Dubai and neighbouring countries, says the BBC Somali Service's Yusuf Garaad. Much of their ransom money from previous hijackings has been used to buy new boats and weapons as well as develop a network across the Horn of Africa, he adds.

The hijackings off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden - an area of more than 1m sq miles (2.6m sq km) - make up one-third of all global piracy incidents this year, according the International Maritime Board.

Somalia has not had a functioning national government since 1991 and has suffered continuing civil strife.

Shipping companies are now weighing up the risks of using the short-cut route to Europe via the Suez canal.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://gbcghana.com/news/23407detail.html" target="_blank">http://gbcghana.com/news/23407detail.html</a>