Thagarr's Pirate News!

[Thagarr]

Interesting ...No ransom negotiations ...No ransom has been paid, but the pirates are going to release the ship anyway? I smell conspiracy!!! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->]Somali pirates 'to free Saudi tanker within 48 hours'[/b]

CAIRO, December 1 (RIA Novosti) - The Saudi supertanker the Sirius Star, seized by Somali pirates on November 15, will be released within the next two days, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Kenya said on Monday.

Nabil Ashur said in an interview with the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper that his country was optimistic the supertanker and its crew would be released.

The report was confirmed by Saudi Foreign Ministry spokesman Khalid bin Saud bin Khalid.

"We have signals giving us hope for a positive outcome soon," he said.

He reiterated that the authorities were not in negotiations with the pirates and did not intend to pay a ransom.

The Liberian-flagged oil tanker MV Sirius Star, owned by Saudi Aramco, was seized about 830 km (516 miles) southeast of Mombasa, Kenya.

The supertanker is believed to be carrying some 2 million barrels of crude, equivalent to a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output. It is the largest ship ever captured at sea.

The pirates had originally demanded $25 million for the release of the Sirius Star and its crew, insisting that the ransom be paid within the next 10 days. The demand was later dropped to $12 million.

The crew of 25 includes nationals from Croatia, Britain, Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia.

According to Somali negotiators involved in the hostage talks, all the crewmembers are in a satisfactory condition.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here:
<a href="http://en.rian.ru/world/20081201/118625341.html" target="_blank">http://en.rian.ru/world/20081201/118625341.html</a>

 

[Old Salt]

Looks like that Ukrainian ship full of Russian weapons is also close to being let go. But where do the pirates go from there? There are a bunch of US, Russian and European naval vessels circling around them like sharks. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

I doubt any of those ships would try to capture them Old Salt ...that would create way to much of a political mess ...much easier just to let them walk away ...or putter away in their speed boats...

Hmmmm ...this is starting to be an interesting trend ...Pirates releasing captive ships without having been paid a ransom?

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
Pirate free ship without ransom</b>
By Abdiqani Hassan in Garowe | December 03, 2008
Article from: Reuters

SOMALI pirates have freed a Yemeni cargo ship they seized last week after successful talks between regional authorities, clan elders and the gunmen.
A surge in attacks at sea this year in the busy Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean off Somalia has pushed up insurance costs, brought the gangs tens of millions of dollars in ransoms, and prompted foreign warships to rush to the area.

"The Yemeni ship was released last night after long discussions," Ali Abdi Aware, state minister of Somalia's northern Puntland province, said.

"It left Eyl and is heading to Yemen. The crew are safe and no ransom was paid."

The MV Amani, owned by Yemeni shipping firm Abu Talal, has seven sailors on board. It was seized on November 25 as it carried 507 tonnes of steel from Yemen's Mukalla port to Socotra Island.

Eyl is a remote former fishing village on the Puntland coast that has become well-defended base for the pirates.

There have been nearly 100 attacks in Somali waters this year, despite the presence of several foreign warships. The sea gangs are holding about a dozen ships and nearly 300 crew.

Amomg the captured vessels are a Saudi supertanker loaded with $100 million of crude oil, the Sirius Star, and a Ukrainian cargo ship carrying some 30 Soviet-era tanks, the MV Faina.

On Tuesday, the UN Security Council renewed its authorisation for countries to use military force against the gunmen operating off the anarchic Horn of Africa nation.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24748102-12335,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...2-12335,00.html</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Danish Warship Rescues Somali Pirates Lost at Sea in Aden Bay</b>

By Christian Wienberg

Dec. 5 (Bloomberg) -- A Danish warship, the Absalon, rescued seven alleged Somali pirates before sinking their vessel in the Gulf of Aden.

The Absalon responded yesterday to a distress signal and found the men in the boat, which also contained weapons used in pirate attacks, the Royal Danish Navy said today on its Web site.

“Under international law, ships are obligated to help people who are distressed at sea,” the navy said. “Because the people on board couldn’t be directly connected with a criminal act, they were treated only as distressed.”

Pirates have attacked more than 120 vessels so far this year off Somalia’s coast and in the Gulf of Aden on the way to and from the Suez Canal, a route used by 20,000 ships a year carrying a tenth of the world’s trade. The International Maritime Bureau has advised all vessels to stay at least 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the Somali coast.

“Because of the weather in the area, it wasn’t possible to tow the distressed vessel,” the navy said. “For the safety of sea transport in the area, the vessel was therefore destroyed.”<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=aps3FfNMXcEk&refer=africa" target="_blank">http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...mp;refer=africa</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Knife-wielding Indonesian pirates rob vessel off Malaysia's Tioman island</b>
Posted: 05 December 2008 1812 hrs

KUALA LUMPUR : Knife-wielding Indonesian pirates travelling in two speedboats attacked a coal vessel off Malaysia's southern Johor state, a report said Friday.

Malaysian police said the vessel was sailing from Singapore to Thailand when it was intercepted and boarded by ten pirates at about 9pm (1300GMT) on Thursday, state news agency Bernama reported.

"Pirates with knives stole cash and handphones from the crew, mostly Indonesians, before vanishing without injuring anyone," district police chief Johari Jahaya told Bernama.

He said the vessel was attacked 10 nautical miles off the tourist resort of Tioman island in Malaysia's east coast state of Johor, in the South China Sea.

Johari told Bernama the crew reported losing 16 million rupiah (1,300 dollars) to the pirates who, officers said, were from Indonesia.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/394394/1/.html" target="_blank">http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp.../394394/1/.html</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>17 kidnapped Filipino sailors freed by Somali pirates</b>
www.chinaview.cn 2008-12-10 16:19:47
MANILA, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Somali pirates freed 17 Filipino seamen after more than two months of captivity, while 91 Filipino sailors still remain in the custody of ransom-seeking armed bandits, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

The Filipino sailors were kidnapped in the Gulf of Aden last Sept. 21, when heavily armed Somali pirates hijacked their Greek cargo ship MV Captain Stefanos as it sailed through the dangerous waters.

They were freed Monday night, according to Foreign Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, who said the freed seamen were "safe and in good health."

The sailors are on their way to Italy and will proceed to Greece where they will be met by the ship-owners, Conejos said.

Conejos did not say if ransom was paid to secure the seafarers' freedom. He said in the past that the government would not pay ransom and negotiate directly with kidnappers as a policy.

The Philippines supplies a third of all of the world's sailors. The 350,000 Filipino sailors fanning out the globe work on major oil tankers, luxury liners and passenger vessels, which are exposed to pirate attacks in dangerous regions.

Manila has been in a dilemma on how to provide protection for the sailors. It says that banning Filipinos from certain risky regions would be difficult because of the rapid mobility of the sailors and its lack of ability to monitor their movement.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/10/content_10484094.htm" target="_blank">http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/...nt_10484094.htm</a>

 

[Fred Bob]

"Esteban Conejos" ==> "Stephen Rabbits" <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo(post=292013:date=Dec 10 2008, 09:14 AM:name=Fred Bob)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Fred Bob @ Dec 10 2008, 09:14 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=292013"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->"Esteban Conejos" ==> "Stephen Rabbits" <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

When I first read it, I thought his name was Estaban Cohones <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Somali pirates capture 2 Yemeni boats, crew members</b>

(CNN) -- Somali pirates captured two Yemeni fishing boats and 22 Yemeni fishermen Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden, Yemen's official news agency SABA said.

SABA, citing sources in Yemen's Coast Guard, said seven other fishermen escaped on a small boat prior to the pirates' taking control of the fishing boats.

The news agency also said that, after hijacking a different Yemeni ship last month and demanding $2 million ransom, Somali pirates freed the cargo ship and its crew without receiving ransom after local clan elders and officials pleaded with them to do so.

On Tuesday, the German cruise liner MS Columbus said it would fly its 246 passengers and most of its crew over the Gulf of Aden instead of through it to avoid any pirate attack.

The number of attacks off Somalia has shot up this year, with pirates staging increasingly bolder attacks on ever-bigger targets.

So far this year, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia's coast and successfully hijacked nearly 40, according to the International Maritime Bureau.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/12/10/somalia.pirates/" target="_blank">http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/1...omalia.pirates/</a>

 

[Thagarr]

India at it again!
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Indian navy captures 23 pirates in Gulf of Aden

By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ – 14 hours ago

NEW DELHI — The Indian navy captured 23 pirates who threatened a merchant vessel in the lawless waters of the Gulf of Aden and a German naval helicopter thwarted another attack Saturday on a freighter being chased by speedboats off Yemen.

The successes came days before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to ask the United Nations to authorize "all necessary measures" against increasingly bold Somalian pirates operating in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

An Indian navy ship, the INS Mysore, was escorting merchant ships in waters off Somalia's coast Saturday when it received a distress call from seamen on board the MV Gibe, who said they were being fired on by two boats that were approaching fast.

The Mysore and its helicopter sped to the scene, and the pirate boats attempted to escape when they saw them, according to a statement from the Indian government.

Indian marine commandoes boarded the pirate boats and seized "a substantial cache of arms and equipment," including seven AK-47 assault rifles, three machine guns, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and other weapons, the statement said. They also found a GPS receiver and other equipment.

The pirates were from Somalia and Yemen, two countries on the coast of the Gulf of Aden. The Gibe was flying an Ethiopian flag but little else was known about it, the Indian statement said.

Last month, India's navy drew criticism after sinking a Thai fishing trawler that had been commandeered hours earlier by pirates. At least one Thai crew member was killed in the attack, which the Indian navy had originally announced by saying it had sunk a pirate "mother ship." The Indian navy defended its actions, saying it had fired in self-defense.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD9521CLG0" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...I4-H2wD9521CLG0</a>

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Somali Pirates Face Justice, Finally</b>
By David Axe EmailDecember 15, 2008 | 10:00:00 AMCategories: Africa, Arrrrr!!!!, Axe in Iraq (and Elsewhere), Ships and Subs

MOMBASA, KENYA -- At a small federal courthouse in this sweltering port town late last week, the Kenyan legal system won a major victory in the international war on piracy. Eight suspected Somali pirates, captured by a British frigate while allegedly trying to hijack a Danish cargo vessel off the coast of Yemen in November, filed into a room full of lawyers, reporters and witnesses for a brief hearing, during which they were officially charged with piracy. There were no other major actions -- the case is being deferred until January -- but the very fact that a Kenyan court is hearing piracy cases is a big step.

Thursday’s court date coincided with a formal deal between the U.K. and Kenya for the Royal Navy to bring captured pirates to Mombasa. The Royal Navy has assumed command of a new European Union anti-piracy force that on Sunday kicked off its first mission, escorting a food ship to Mogadishu.

Previously, there had been no widely accepted jurisdiction over piracy cases originating on the high seas. Since piracy is considered a criminal act, somebody has to give pirates their day in court. But as Somalia lacks a functional central government and fair legal system, other nations have had to step up. France has put on trial six suspected pirates captured in an April raid to free French hostages, but France is too far from the action to be a regular destination for suspects. Kenya is the best choice for a piracy court: it’s fairly democratic, pretty stable and has a major stake in the piracy fight. Kenya’s shipping and tourism economy has been hit hard by this year’s spike in ship hijackings.

In 2006, the U.S. Navy worked with Kenyan authorities to prosecute a pirate band, but for the most part, navies have avoided bringing pirates to justice, instead prefering to deter them, or just kill them. And in the rare instance when pirates did wind up in captivity, a navy often would just release them at the nearest Somali beach. Now, with Kenya building legal precedence for trying Somali pirates in its own courts, there’s some place to take the suspected bad guys once you round them up. Building proper legal tools for addressing piracy could have a powerful deterent effect on sea crime.

“The potential for legal embarrassment are quite numerous,” cautions piracy expert Martin Murphy, from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. But without lawyers, jails and courts, there’s no real punishment for piracy, unless a pirate is stupid enough to open fire on, say, a bunch of British commandos. So embarrassments are worth the risk, to begin bringing justice to the high sea’s organized crime.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
original story here :
<a href="http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/12/pirates-have-th.html" target="_blank">http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/12/pirates-have-th.html</a>



<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->NAIROBI, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Pirates have hijacked a yacht in the Gulf of Aden, the third ship to be taken within 24 hours off Somalia despite the presence of international navies.

"I know that a yacht was taken on Tuesday night. There were two people on board but we have no other information on that case," Andrew Mwangura of the Kenyan-based East African Seafarers Assistance programme.

Pirates also hijacked an Indonesian tugboat used by French oil company Total (TOTF.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) off the coast of Yemen and a Turkish cargo ship on Tuesday, Mwangura said.

A surge in hijackings in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean this year has earned Somali gunmen millions of dollars in ransoms, hiked shipping insurance costs and sent foreign navies rushing to patrol the busy shipping lanes off Somalia.

More than a dozen ships and hundreds of crew are still being held in various pirate hideouts along the Somali coast.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSLH54447920081217" target="_blank">http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews...H54447920081217</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Cool! the U.N. just passed another meaningless resolution! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>UN empowers land operations against Somali pirates</b>

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution for the first time authorizing international land operations against audacious, armed pirates sheltering in Somalia.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hailed the adoption Tuesday of the US resolution saying it sent a "strong signal to combat the scourge of piracy" and stressed the need "to end the impunity of Somali pirates."

The text, co-sponsored by Belgium, France, Greece, Liberia and South Korea, gives those nations already involved in battling pirates off Somalia a one-year mandate to act against the brigands inside the country.

Resolution 1851 authorizes the states to "take all necessary measures that are appropriate in Somalia" to suppress "acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea."

However, to overcome objections from countries such as Indonesia an earlier reference in the text to "ashore" or "including in its (Somalia) airspace" was dropped.

Pirates on Wednesday hijacked a Turkish cargo ship and a Malaysian tug boat and attacked three other vessels in the Gulf of Aden in the past week, a global maritime watchdog said.

The latest incidents came as a European Union naval task force took over from a NATO operation patrolling the pirate-infested seas near the Horn of Africa with six warships and three surveillance planes.

In the first hijacking, pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons boarded a Malaysian tug on Tuesday, Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur told AFP.

The tug with 11 crew on board was heading to Malaysia from the Middle East.

Choong said a Turkish cargo ship was hijacked, also in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, by a gang of pirates who fired automatic weapons from two speed boats.

Increasingly emboldened, pirates have carried out more than 100 attacks in the key shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean since the start of this year.

Last month, they captured the world's attention when they hijacked the Saudi-owned super-tanker Sirius Star, carrying two million barrels of crude oil, and demanded a 25-million dollar ransom for the boat and its crew.

It is one of about 17 ships, including an arms-laden Ukrainian cargo vessel, currently in pirate hands.

Rice told the high-profile UN ministerial session that the US intended to work with partners to set up a contact group on Somali piracy, adding the insecurity and lawlessness in the Horn of Africa nation had to be urgently addressed.

Tuesday's resolution was the fourth approved by the council since June to combat the rampant piracy off Somalia's coast. And unlike previous resolutions, the current text empowers states combating piracy to conduct operations on land in Somalia.

But the Pentagon warned there were "practical challenges" to taking such action inside Somalia.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jI1KyGToDT7msGB7GG_wAbOsHyaA" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...GB7GG_wAbOsHyaA</a>

 

[Old Salt]

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

Forget the sonic laser! Grab a 12 pack and go pirate hunting!! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/buds.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="buds.gif" />
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->From Times Online
December 19, 2008
<b>Chinese crew used beer bottles to fight off pirates</b>

The crew of a Chinese ship attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia have described how they used beer bottles and water cannon to fend off their attackers before they were rescued.

The ship, Zhenua 4, was one of four vessels seized by pirates on Wednesday, shortly after the UN Security Council authorised countries to pursue the renegades by land as well as by air.

Nine pirates armed with rocket launchers and machine guns boarded the ship, according to Xinhua, China's state news agency.

The vessel's 30 crew members fought for four hours with home made incendiary bombs and beer bottles, said an official with China Maritime Search and Rescue Centre.

The pirates abandoned their attempt to take the ship when a multilateral force, including a warship and two helicopters, arrived after the crew locked themselves in their cabins and radioed for help.

"Seven of the nine pirates landed on our ship, all with weapons," Peng Weiyuan, the captain of Zhenhua 4, said in a telephone interview with China Central Television.

"Our crew, who had been well trained and prepared, used water cannon, self-made incendiary bombs, beer bottles and anything else that could be used to battle with them. Thirty minutes later, the pirates gestured to us for a ceasefire.

"Then the helicopter from the joint fleet came to help us."<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5368675.ece" target="_blank">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle5368675.ece</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Hmmmm ...maybe this is just what is needed ...Chinese involvement. China has never been one to let a little thing like human rights stand in the way...

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Chinese warships to tackle Somalian pirates</b>

Created: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:50:15 GMT-0600

Last Updated: 21 hours 3 minutes ago

China will send warships to patrol the coast of Somalia in an effort to protect its cargo ships from pirates.

Two Chinese destroyers and a support vessel will depart from south China's island province of Hainan on Friday to join international fleets of warships protecting civilian ships off the east African nation's coast.

State news agency Xinhua says this marks the first time Chinese warships have patrolled outside of Chinese waters.

Seven ships, either owned by China or carrying Chinese crew or cargoes, have been attacked by pirates off the Somalia coast this year.

Last week, the crew of a Chinese cargo ship fought off pirates in the Gulf of Aden with the help of international forces.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
original story here :
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><a href="http://australianetworknews.com/stories/200812/2454384.htm?desktop" target="_blank">http://australianetworknews.com/stories/20...384.htm?desktop</a><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

 

[Thagarr]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>German warship thwarts pirate attack off Somalia</b>
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A German warship on Thursday foiled an attempt by pirates to seize an Egyptian bulk carrier off the troubled Somali coast, the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has said.

One of the crew was injured by gunshots during the attack as the carrier was passing through the Gulf of Aden toward Asia, said Noel Choong, chief of the reporting center of the anti-piracy IMB.

"The pirates were randomly firing at the ship, resulting in one of the crew members sustaining injuries to his leg," he said.

The German navy frigate Karlsruhe dispatched a helicopter to the scene after receiving an alert from a passing ship and the pirates fled as the chopper arrived, according to a statement from the German military.

The injured crewman received medical treatment on the Karlsruhe, the statement said.

Choong warned that pirate attacks are still mounting despite recent international efforts to secure the Somali coast, one of the busiest marine channels in the world.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Original story and pics here :
<a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/26/content_10562216.htm" target="_blank">http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/...nt_10562216.htm</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Not much happening the past week or so mates. Here is an update on that Chinese fleet headed for the Gulf of Aden.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Chinese naval fleet sails into strait of Malacca
Source: Xinhua | 12-30-2008 09:18

The Chinese naval fleet sailed into the Strait of Malacca on Monday after its departure from China's southernmost island province of Hainan on an escort mission against piracy off Somalia Friday afternoon.

The fleet sailed into Singapore Strait Monday morning after over 20 hours' voyage from the South China Sea and arrived at the Strait of Malacca. It is expected to reach the Indian Ocean Tuesday.

The convoy, which includes two of China's most sophisticated naval destroyers, DDG-169 Wuhan and DDG-171 Haikou, and a supply ship Weishanhu, is heading for the Gulf of Aden to join a multinational patrol in one of the world's busiest sea lanes where surging piracy endangers international shipping.

The fleet carries about 800 crew members, including 70 soldiers from the Navy's special force, and is equipped with missiles, cannons and light weapons.

The recent pirate attack on a Chinese fishing vessel has raised great concern of the Chinese government and people. Statistics showed that some 1,265 Chinese commercial vessels had passed through the gulf so far this year and seven had been attacked.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions calling on all countries and regions to help patrol the gulf and waters off Somalia since June. The latest resolution authorized countries to take all necessary measures in Somalia, including in its airspace to stop the pirates.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.cctv.com/english/20081230/102100.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.cctv.com/english/20081230/102100.shtml</a>

 

[Thagarr]

1'st reported Pirate attack of 2009! That sure didn't take long.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Malaysian chopper foils pirate attack on Indian tanker</b>
1 Jan 2009, 2015 hrs IST, IANS

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian helicopter on Thursday foiled an attempt by a group of armed pirates to board an Indian oil tanker in the troubled Gulf
of Aden off Somalia's coast.

In the year's first reported pirate attack, armed bandits in two speedboats approached the Indian-managed tanker around 9 a.m. and began firing machine-guns, said Noel Choong, head of the anti-piracy International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur.

The pirates made several attempts to board the ship when Malaysian helicopter Fennec responded to the captain's emergency call and headed for the troubled vessel, he said.

The arrival of the chopper prompted the pirates, who were dressed in military-style uniforms, to flee the scene, said Choong.

While none of the crew members was injured, the oil tanker sustained damage from the gunfire.

Choong said the incident brings the total number of pirate attacks in Somali waters to 112, with 42 vessels having been hijacked.

A total of 14 ships remain held by pirates, while over 214 crew members are being held hostage, he said.

The Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest waterways, remains a hotspot for pirate activities despite increased calls for joint security patrols in the troubled waters.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Malaysian_chopper_foils_pirate_attack_on_Indian_tanker/articleshow/3922852.cms" target="_blank">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/M...how/3922852.cms</a>

...followed closely by the first successful Pirate attack of 2009!
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Somali pirates hijack Egyptian cargo ship</b>

CAIRO (AFP) — Somali pirates hijacked a cargo ship with a crew of 28 Egyptians near the coast of Somalia, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Thursday.

About 15 pirates, some of them heavily-armed, attacked the Blue Star, which carried 6,000 tonnes of fertiliser, near Bab al-Mandab as it was headed east, said foreign ministry official Ahmed Rizq.

"The crew are hostages ... there are efforts underway to conduct the necessary talks to free the ship," Rizq said in the statement.

The Blue Star was flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Rizq said. He had initially identified it as Egyptian.

More than 100 attacks occurred in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of the lawless Horn of Africa country in 2008 alone.

Pirates had captured an Egyptian ship with a crew of 25 in September, holding them for almost a month before setting them free. Egypt said it did not pay a ransom for the crew and ship.

The pirates have been undeterred by the presence of foreign navies patrolling in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean in a bid to secure one of the world's busiest shipping routes.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iPqI_JfXjUrtVqHC18lOS1LscuFw" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...qHC18lOS1LscuFw</a>

 

[Thagarr]

Looks like that EU task force might be making some headway after all.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>
EU force 'foils Somali pirates'</b>

EU naval forces have forced back pirates raiding a Greek oil tanker off Somalia, the Greek government says.

Pirates in speedboats abandoned efforts to board the tanker when a frigate, jet fighter and helicopter approached, the Greek merchant marine ministry reports.

Earlier France's navy said one of its ships had seized two suspected pirate boats and was holding eight suspects.

The International Maritime Bureau says increased naval patrols have sharply reduced the number of pirate attacks.

The Greek-flagged Kriti Episkopi had been en route to Iran when it came under attack twice by pirates, officials say.

The captain alerted the Greek ministry, which in turn contacted the headquarters of the EU naval mission operating in the area.

"There were two failed attempts to board and the pirates fled after the crisis response group was activated with a fighter aircraft, a helicopter and a frigate sent to the area," a marine ministry official said.

Only two ships were captured by pirates last month, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

On Thursday the French navy said it had captured bandits trying to seize a Panamanian-registered cargo ship.

And a Malaysian military helicopter saved an Indian oil tanker from attack by gunmen.

But on the same day pirates still managed to hijack a cargo vessel with 28 Egyptian crew members on board.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7808382.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7808382.stm</a>

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Chinese cargo ship shakes off pirate-boat pursuit in Gulf of Aden</b>
www.chinaview.cn 2009-01-02 22:14:44
BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese cargo ship shook off two pirate boats that were pursuing it in the Gulf of Aden on Friday, said an official with the country's maritime search and rescue center.

The ship, "Chipolbrok Sun" is owned by the Chinese-Polish Joint Stock Shipping Company and registered in Hong Kong. The ship discovered two blue pirate speed-boats chasing after it at 12:40 p.m. in the Gulf's northern region, said Zhai Jiugang, head of the general duty room of the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center.

The captain immediately assembled the crew at the stern to fight off the pirates. Meanwhile, the ship contacted the International Maritime Bureau and two warships -- "Clalition Warship" and "UK MTO" -- in nearby waters.

The Chipolbrok Sun managed to keep the pirate boats on the left side of its stern and shook them off at 1:15 p.m.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Original story here :
<a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/02/content_10594454.htm" target="_blank">http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/...nt_10594454.htm</a>

 

[Stallion]

There's been reports on the TV that a Canadian frigate ran over a pirate boat that was trying to attack a Chinese tramp steamer, but none of the news sites are mentioning anything yet. If I find something, I'll put up a link. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />

 

[Thagarr]

I haven't seen anything about that online Stallion, and haven't watched any tv today. If you do run across anything, please post it!