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Thagarr's Pirate News!

The French are at it again!
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
France captures 'Somali pirates'</b>


A French warship has intercepted two suspected pirate boats in the Gulf of Aden and arrested eight Somalis on board, the French navy says.

International naval patrols are credited with helping deter most recent hijack attempts off Somalia, with only two ships captured last month.

But pirates still managed to hijack a cargo vessel with 28 Egyptian crew members on board on Thursday.

Somali pirates still hold about 15 ships with more than 200 crew members.

The suspected pirates were captured as they attempted to seize a Panamanian-registered cargo ship on Thursday, according to Christophe Prazuck, a spokesman for the French armed force.

"Resistance was impossible when faced by a well-armed warship," Mr Prazuck told French television.

He said the eight men, who were found with weapons and munitions, would be taken to Somalia for trial.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7807895.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7807895.stm</a>

And this one here makes me proud!
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Danish navy intervenes against pirates in Gulf of Aden</b>
Copenhagen - Danish authorities on Saturday were in consultation with the Netherlands over the fate of five suspected pirates captured after an attempted piracy attack off the Somalian coast against a ship registered in the Netherlands Antilles. The freighter reported Friday it was being attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, triggering a response from the Danish navy, a navy spokesman said Saturday.

A helicopter based on the Danish navy vessel Absalon fired warning shots at the pirate vessel. The freighter's crew also fired emergency flares at the pirates vessel. Those caught fire, forcing the five suspected pirates to jump into the sea.

The crew of the Absalon then rescued the suspected pirates from the sea and later sank the burning vessel to prevent possible danger to other ships.

The Danish Foreign Ministry on Saturday contacted Dutch authorities, asking them to decide if they wanted to prosecute the suspected pirates.

"We contacted them since the vessel is registered on the Netherlands Antilles and therefore it appears most logical that the Netherlands tries them," Thomas Winkler, head of the Danish Foreign Ministry's legal affairs department, told Danish public broadcaster DR.

DR reported that the Dutch Foreign Ministry said it did not expect a decision until next week.

Meanwhile, the five suspected pirates were to remain onboard the Absalon.

The Absalon has been deployed in the waters off Somalia since early September, patrolling international shipping lanes in the region.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/248750,danish-navy-intervenes-against-pirates-in-gulf-of-aden--summary.html" target="_blank">http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/24...n--summary.html</a>
 
Busy day for pirates!
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
Somali pirates hijack Yemeni tanker ship in the Arabian Sea</b>
Africa News

Jan 3, 2009, 11:48 GMT

Sana'a, Yemen - Somali pirates hijacked a Yemeni tanker ship carrying more than 2,000 tonnes of diesel in the Arabian Sea on Saturday, Yemen's Defence Ministry said.

The ship was en route from the Gulf of Aden to the south-eastern port of Nashtoon when the pirates attacked it and diverted it to the Somali coast, the ministry said in a brief statement posted on its website.

'Yemeni authorities are conducting contacts to secure the release of the hijacked ship,' it said.

No further details on the ship or its crew were immediately available.

The hijack took place two days after Somali pirates released a Yemeni fishing vessel they had held for more than two weeks. The ship was hijacked along with another fishing vessel in the Gulf of Aden on December 10.

The other ship was released on December 27, and Yemeni officials said that no ransom was paid for the ship's release.

Brigadier General Ali Rasea'a, commander of Yemen's coastguard force, said in remarks published Friday that the motive behind the hijacking of the two vessels was not ransom.

'The pirates intended to use the ships as mother ships for their attacks on merchant ships crossing the Gulf of Aden,' he said.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/africa/news/article_1451352.php/Somali_pirates_hijack_Yemeni_tanker_ship_in_the_Arabian_Sea_" target="_blank">http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/afr...he_Arabian_Sea_</a>
 
More pirate attacks, 19 more pirates captured by France!
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>French warship captures 19 Somali pirates</b>

Sun 4 Jan 2009, 19:31 GMT

PARIS, Jan 4 (Reuters) - A French warship captured 19 Somali pirates on Sunday when it came to the rescue of two cargo ships threatened in the Gulf of Aden, the office of President Nicolas Sarkozy said.

The French naval vessel "Jean de Vienne" was on patrol off the Somali coast as part of a European Union anti-piracy force when it came to the rescue of a Croatian cargo vessel and a Panamanian ship crossing the Gulf of Aden.

The 19 Somali pirates, armed and equipped with equipment to board the vessels, were captured and have been handed over to Somali authorities, the statement said.

The incident came three days after another French vessel captured eight Somali pirates who attacked a Panamanian registered vessel.

Piracy off Somalia, one of the world's busiest shipping areas, has soared over the past year, earning the pirates millions of dollars of ransom payments and pushing up maritime insurance rates.

The European Union set up an anti-piracy naval task force under British command last month involving warships and aircraft from several nations in the first such naval operation of its kind. (Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Sami Aboudi)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL4679563.html" target="_blank">http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL4679563.html</a>
 
Did you hear about the Greek ship that fought off the Somalia pirates <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" /> with a water cannon? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/piratesing.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shock" border="0" alt="piratesing.gif" />

<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475135,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475135,00.html</a>
 
I think I missed that one Old Salt, thank ye mate! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="me.gif" />

Only thing better than fire hoses for fighting pirates, is beer bottles! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />
 
Pirates get a little payback against the French!

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Pirates attack French vessel off Nigerian coast</b>

1 day ago

PARIS (AP) — Pirates hijacked a French boat and took its nine crew members hostage in the latest attack in some of the world's most dangerous waters off oil-rich southern Nigeria, the boat's owner said Monday.

The captain of the Bourbon Leda was able to speak with the boat's owners Sunday and said that all nine crew members were unharmed, according to a statement by the company, Bourbon, which provides specialist boats for the oil and gas industry. It said in the statement Monday that it was working to free the crew.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD95H8V800" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...I4-H2wD95H8V800</a>

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Pirates thwarted in Gulf of Aden</b>
Published: Jan. 5, 2009 at 3:27 PM

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A Sierra Leone cargo ship with 32 Chinese crew members on board outran four pirate boats in the Gulf of Aden Monday, Chinese officials in Beijing said.

The China Maritime Search and Rescue Center said the pirates gave chase in the eastern region of the gulf about 3:50 p.m., with speeds reaching 19 nautical miles per hour, Xinhua reported.

Nearby warships dispatched to protect the ship found it secure about 40 minutes later, the state-run Chinese news agency reported.

The center said the cargo vessel was loaded with more than 10,000 tons of silicate and oil equipment bound from Singapore to the Republic of Djibouti in northeastern Africa.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/01/05/Pirates_thwarted_in_Gulf_of_Aden/UPI-46201231187227/" target="_blank">http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/01/05/Pir...46201231187227/</a>
 
<!--quoteo(post=295727:date=Jan 6 2009, 07:01 PM:name=Thagarr)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Thagarr @ Jan 6 2009, 07:01 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=295727"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Pirates get a little payback against the French!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />
 
Well ...that was kind of anti-climatic ...

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>French ship released as China begins anti-pirate patrols</b>

PARIS, France (CNN) -- Pirates have released a French merchant ship and its nine crew members seized off the Nigerian coast over the weekend, the ship's owners said Wednesday.

The announcement came as two Chinese destroyers and a supply ship joined the growing international naval coalition patrolling the waters in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia.

The crew members of the Bourbon Leda are all in good health, Paris-based Bourbon said in a news release. They will be "rapidly reunited" with their family and friends, the company said.

Pirates captured the Bourbon Leda, a supply vessel, on Sunday. A Bourbon spokesman refused to comment when asked by CNN whether the company had paid a ransom for the ship's release.

Pirates in neighboring Cameroon seized another Bourbon ship, the Bourbon Sagitta, and 10 of its crew members in October. They released the vessel and its crew 11 days later.

Bourbon specializes in offshore oil and gas shipping and dry bulk transport.

Meanwhile, the Chinese convoy -- which left some two weeks ago on a mission to protect Chinese merchant ships from an increasing number of pirate attacks occurring in the gulf -- has received requests for help from at least 15 vessels, according to news reports.

It marks the first time Chinese naval vessels have left Chinese waters in centuries. They will will join a multinational naval force already patrolling the area, including vessels from the United States, NATO member states, Russia and India.

Rear-Admiral Du Jingchen, the fleet's commander, told Xinhua news agency the escort mission has started.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/07/china.pirates/?iref=mpstoryview" target="_blank">http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/...ref=mpstoryview</a>
 
Pirates getting richer...

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Somali pirates free Turkish cargo ship, ransom paid</b>
Wed Jan 7, 2009 6:23am EST

ISTANBUL, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Somali pirates released a Turkish cargo ship hijacked in October after its owners paid a ransom, Turkey's Anatolian news agency said on Wednesday.

The MV Yasa Neslihan was en route to China on Wednesday after pirates freed it in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia, Anatolian said, citing Fehmi Ulgener, a lawyer for the Yasa shipping company which owns the vessel.

Yasa officials had been negotiating with the ship's captors for its release and had paid an undisclosed amount of money as ransom, Ulgener told the news agency. The 20 Turkish crew were all safe, he said.

The Marshall Island-flagged Neslihan was carrying 77,000 tonnes of iron ore from Canada to China when pirates seized the ship in the Gulf of Aden in late October.

Somali pirates seeking ransoms have hijacked some 40 ships in the last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

NATO ships in October began anti-piracy operations near Somalia, one of the world's busiest shipping channels that connects Europe with the Middle East and Asia. (Writing by Ayla Jean Yackley; Editing by Sophie Hardach)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSL741733920090107" target="_blank">http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustr...741733920090107</a>
 
Big brother is keeping an eye on things too..

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Satellite firm tracking pirates</b>
A satellite firm with offices in Thornton can spot seized ships in the Gulf of Aden
By Andy Vuong
The Denver Post

As pirate attacks continue on ships in the faraway Gulf of Aden, a satellite company with major operations in Thornton is helping in the effort to stop them.

The Ikonos satellite, which orbits 423 miles above Earth and is operated by GeoEye, snapped a high-resolution picture of oil supertanker MV Sirius Star in November, a few days after it was reported missing by the U.S. Navy, according to GeoEye spokesman Mark Brender.

"We were able to precisely locate the ship about 5 miles off the Somali coast," said Brender, who directed the satellite to snap images in the area after reading press reports about the ship's location.

The 1,090-foot-long vessel is owned by a Saudi oil company and remains hijacked. Somali pirates reportedly

sought $15 million in ransom for the tanker, which was carrying $100 million of oil and 25 crew members.

Ikonos was launched in September 1999 by Space Imaging, a Thornton-based company that merged with Orbimage Holdings in 2006 to form GeoEye.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story, and some cool pics here :
<a href="http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_11368375" target="_blank">http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_11368375</a>
 
Second mulit-national task force headed for the waters of Solamlia
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
US to lead new anti-pirate force</b>

A new international force to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia is being formed and will be headed by an American admiral, the US navy says.

More than 20 nations are expected to contribute to the force, due to be fully operational later in January.

After more than 100 attacks last year, the International Maritime Bureau said increased naval patrols had reduced hijackings in December last year.

The EU formed an anti-piracy task force in December.

Ships from other navies, including Canada, Iran, India and China, have also been patrolling one of the world's busiest sea lanes - the waters of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean leading to and from the Suez Canal.

Security measures

US Navy Rear Admiral Terence McKnight has been named the commander of the new force, called Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151), the US Fifth Fleet said in a statement from its headquarters in Bahrain.

A spokeswoman for the force, Commander Jane Campbell, told the BBC that France, the Netherlands, the UK, Pakistan, Canada and Denmark were among the countries participating in CTF-151.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7817611.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7817611.stm</a>
 
Nothing more on the Canadian warship that supposedly ran over a pirate vessel - I'm beginning to think it didn't happen. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />
 
I couldn't find anything about it anywhere Stallion ...has Old Salt been lacing yer oats again?? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Seriously though, I did find this article, looks like the hosers can't afford Pirate Patrols! Then again ...maybe they are saving their Naval prowess to protect there northern territorial waters from invasion! Sounds like a conspiracy to me! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" />

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Canada's Navy: Build ships, be heard
Posted: January 08, 2009, 9:00 AM by Kelly McParland
Full Comment

By Patrick Lennox and Aaron Plamondon

This summer, Canada had four warships and over 1,000 sailors positioned off the Horn of Africa. Contributing to stability in that troubled maritime region through the conduct of anti-piracy patrols, and the escort of World Food Program vessels into Mogadishu to help feed starving Somalis, the Canadian Navy had a lead role to play in one of the evolving crises of the international system.

Today, there are no Canadian warships or sailors in the Gulf of Aden where piracy threatens to clot a vital commercial artery in a time of global economic turmoil, and Somalia threatens to become the African Afghanistan. Nor was there a Canadian naval presence in the Arabian Sea at the time when a commercial vessel was hijacked and used to transport terrorists into Mumbai to carry out their heinous siege of India's commercial capital.

The reason is straightforward: The Canadian Navy is underfunded, understaffed and underequipped. Despite its quiet professionalism, and the respect it gets from allied navies, our navy receives virtually no appreciation at home for what it can achieve in helping to realize Canada's objectives.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/01/08/canada-s-navy-build-ships-be-heard.aspx" target="_blank">http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...s-be-heard.aspx</a>
 
I should hope not! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Last time there was a call for our Navy to provide ships, they had to requisition deck guns from war museums. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mybad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":facepalm" border="0" alt="mybad.gif" /> I do believe calling that pathetic would be an understatement. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> We don't have to worry about Arctic patrols, though - the Russians do that for us. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" /> Their subs often surface to visit with the crews of passing ships.

Recognition and appreciation for the Navy is about as nonexistent as it was for the Canadian Merchant Marine of WWII, who were never really recognized for their service, let alone for being veterans.
 
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/24.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rofl" border="0" alt="24.gif" />
 
So much for freeing that oil super tanker out of "respect" ...as always, it's all about the booty!

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
Saudi tanker 'freed off Somalia'</b>


A Saudi supertanker that was captured by Somali pirates in November carrying two million barrels of oil has been released, reports quoting pirates say.

A regional maritime group also said pirates had left the Sirius Star, Reuters news agency reported.

A negotiator for the pirates told the BBC a $3m (£1.95m) ransom was paid.

A small plane was seen apparently dropping the ransom by parachute onto the tanker. The ship's owner has refused to comment.

The vessel, with 25 crew, is the biggest tanker ever to be hijacked.

Coalition naval forces in Bahrain said it appeared that the pirates on the Sirius Star had received a ransom payment in a container parachuted from a plane.

Reuters later reported that five of the pirates making off with the ransom money had drowned after their boat was hit by high seas.

The audacious seizure of the tanker had drawn fresh attention to the dangerous waters off Somalia's coastline.

All our people have now left the Sirius Star. The ship is free, the crew is free
Somali pirate, Mohamed Said

There were more than 100 reported pirate attacks in the busy shipping lanes off eastern and northern Somalia in 2008.

An international force headed by the US is due to be established by the end of the month to tackle the problem.

On Friday, Kenya's port authorities said a fishing vessel had been attacked and three Indian crew kidnapped, Reuters reported.

Pirates are still holding a Ukrainian cargo ship, the MV Faina, which was seized in late September carrying 33 tanks and other weaponry.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7820311.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7820311.stm</a>
 
<i> All our people have now left the Sirius Star. The ship is free, the crew is free
Somali pirate, Mohamed Said</i>

Them pyrates be keepin' their werd. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />



But how do they not get hunted down now?
 
Well ...Old Salt ...this just might dissuade further attacks on that tanker!
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Six pirates drown while ransom goes missing</b>

By AFP

2009/01/10

Six Somalian pirates drowned on leaving freed Saudi-owned supertanker Sirius Star nearly two months after it was captured off the east African coast, their leader told AFP today. “Six of our boys perished at the sea while coming from the released Saudi supertanker,” Mohamed Said said by telephone from Harardhere, 300 kilometres north of Mogadishu.

Their boat had capsized after freeing the vessel and its crew, he said. Four other pirates had also gone missing after the kidnapping ended, he added.

“The small boat that was carrying those killed and eight who survived was overloaded and at high speed as we are told by the survivors; they were afraid of a chase from outsiders (foreign navies of the Combined Maritime Forces) who invaded Somalia waters,” he said.

Part of the ransom paid to free the tanker — US$300,000 — had also been on the boat and was now missing.

Haradhere resident Mohamud Aden told AFP the capsize was an accident.

“The pirates were full of joy and partially frightened by the presence of foreign war machines and overspeeding,” he said. “That was a tragedy for the pirates.”

The 330-metre Sirius Star, owned by the shipping arm of oil giant Saudi Aramco, was seized far off the east African coast on November 15, in what was the pirates’ most daring attack and largest catch to date.

It was still moored off Harardhere today.

The amount of the ransom paid for the ship’s release was not known. Pirates had told AFP days after seizing the tanker they wanted US$25 million for its release.

Sources close to the negotiations said US$3 million were delivered to the pirate group onshore last Thursday. A dispute briefly erupted between the pirates over how the ransom money should be distributed.

The crew of the Sirius Star is made up of 25 people from Britain, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Poland, where the ship’s captain hails from.

Pirates operating off Somalia’s coast, in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, have carried out more than 130 attacks in 2008 alone, turning the region into the world’s most dangerous waters. - AFP.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/NewsBreak/20090110173518/Article/index_html" target="_blank">http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sat...icle/index_html</a>
 
Fred Bob be a wonderin', Thagarr, if'n dis might be a cover story fer a lil' bit o' pyrate double-crossin'! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />
 
I was thinking that meself Fred Bob, just wondering who was doing the double crossing ...the pirates ...or the Saudi's! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shrug" border="0" alt="dunno.gif" />
 
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