View Full Version : British Couple Hijacked by Somali Pirates
Team Sergeant
10-27-2009, 09:55
Somali (muslim) Pirates are still going strong. Raking in the money!
British Couple Hijacked by Somali Pirates
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Somali pirates said Tuesday they have seized a British couple and their yacht in the Indian Ocean during their round-the-world voyage. The couple had been missing for four days.
Fears for the safety of Paul and Rachel Chandler from Tunbridge Wells have been mounting since the emergency beacon aboard their 38-foot yacht the Lynn Rival went off last week.
“We have captured two old British [people], a man and woman in the Indian Ocean, they were on a small boat that we have hijacked,” a pirate called Mohamed Shakir told The Times of London by phone from Haradheere in Somalia.
The pirate added that the two were “healthy and in our hands” but would not say where they would be taken. Ransom demands are likely to follow.
The U.K. Foreign Office said they have been in touch with the couple's family in England, and have contacted the Coast Guard in Seychelles, who continue to monitor the situatiion and search of the area.
The office is reportedly treating the disappearance as a missing persons case, and have two British Navy ships searching the area. It could be 18-24 hours before they have a fix on the yacht.
The Chandlers left the Seychelles on Thursday, heading for Tanzania via the Amirante Islands. Their emergency position-indicating radio beacon was activated on Friday.
Click to view Paul and Rachel Chandler's blog.
Andrew Mwangura, head of the East Africa Seafarers’ Assistance Programme based in the Kenyan port of Mombassa, confirmed that the Lynn Rival was missing with two British crew on board.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of the report. We are investigating urgently.”
The couple, both in their late 50s, have been sailing around the world. The last message on their blog, entered shortly before the distress signal was sent, reads simply: “PLEASE RING SARAH”.
The previous entry, written before leaving the Seychelles, was full of preparations for their voyage. “We’ll be at sea for 8 to 12 days, maybe 14 as we are now getting into the period of transition between the south monsoon and north monsoon, so the trade winds will be less reliable and we may get more light winds," they wrote.
In the past two weeks there have been at least five ships seized by pirates in the waters off the Seychelles. Activity has picked up in recent weeks as Monsoon winds and rains have died down.
This year there have been some 174 ships attacked by pirates off Somalia, 36 of which are being held. At least 587 people are being held hostage. Ransoms being paid out in recent months total in the tens of millions of dollars. The pace of hijackings is running ahead of last year.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569747,00.html?test=latestnews
armymom1228
10-27-2009, 11:57
Unless someone goes in and rescues the Chandlers and Lynn Rival this will not end well.
From thier trip logs, it appears they were headed to South Africa. If that was the case, then they would head to the Carribean after leaving Durban or CapeTown. The route, time of year and weather patterns all speak that way.
Finding a 38 foot sloop in the middle of the Indian Ocean is a lucky find. OTOH, I would be willing to guess there is a rat in the Seychelles that alerted someone.
The Chandlers, according to the Times London, "took early retirement to sail the world". For some reason cruising yachts have this odd reputation of being wealthy people. Fact is that is usually far from the truth.
Some have a retirement income, others thier savings, still others work along the way and cruise on a shoestring. My heart and prayers go out to the Chandlers and Lynn Rival to be rescued.
I found this interesting article at noonsite dot com on thier 'piracy pages'
Piracy Around the Seychelles
Created by sue. Last modified on 2009-05-14 21:51:22
Topic: Piracy
Countries: Seychelles
Report sent by Dominique, Wednesday 6 May
The situation has seriously deteriorated in the Seychelles archipelago during the last three weeks.
According to the EU coordination, the Seychelles are surrounded in a 150NM radius around Victoria in ALL directions. Somali mother-ships are pre-positioned North, South, East and West. The latest reported attacks were in the NE one day ago (Tuesday 5 May).
There is no longer any 100% safe exit/entry route. Several boats underway from the Chagos have already altered their course to Mauritius. More than 20 boats planning to sail to Madagascar and Mayotte have cancelled their passage.
On Monday afternoon (4 May) a mother ship and two skiffs were arrested by the Seychelles Navy near Marianne island, 35NM south-east of Victoria! Our own boat and another vessel doing a 90 degree route last Thursday was informed by the navy that one incident took place 50NM ahead of us. We decided to return to Mahe to assess the situation. The next morning, not only one attack were confirmed but two.
Apparently the mother-ships have ventured too far East because of the very quiet sea and have decided to operate far beyond their usual 400NM radius from the Somali coast. According to military inetlligence the pirates on their skiffs are abandonned on the high sea by the mother ships with one mission: catch a boat, this is your return ticket...
A coordination anti-piracy committee was created last Monday in Victoria by a group of 45 yachts and power vessels intending to travel.
I recall reading a few years back about the Marines being asked to conduct amphibious landings training away from Camp Pendleton in concern for some ridiculous endangered turtles. I haven't heard anyone advocating Somali Pirates rights yet, so I think this Somali Pirate issue presents Western Naval forces with a golden opportunity to practice live fire exercises on the pirates? In feudal Japan, Samurai could test their blades on "criminals", I guess I'm missing something.
Anevolution
10-27-2009, 14:17
I recall reading a few years back about the Marines being asked to conduct amphibious landings training away from Camp Pendleton in concern for some ridiculous endangered turtles. I haven't heard anyone advocating Somali Pirates rights yet, so I think this Somali Pirate issue presents Western Naval forces with a golden opportunity to practice live fire exercises on the pirates? In feudal Japan, Samurai could test their blades on "criminals", I guess I'm missing something.
Akv,
The turtles have no say in what's going on, if you have ever been part of a amphib op you might have noticed some very uncool things. During the deballasting armed watches are posted in the well decks to shoot any sharks the may wander in in, it's not the sharks fault we're training in their back yard. I've seen sharks shoot, dolphins ran over, fuel spils in the thousands of gallons with no regaurd for the environment. I'm not a green peace or PETA guy, I like chicken and steak as much as every other American male, I just care about the earth. The key word is endangered, that means we have done something to limit there growth or there ability to sustain them selves...
As for these people, I don't feel bad. I deployed to that Ao for 9 months. Time and time again people ignored our recommendation coming to close to the coast, traveling off the beaten path to "explore". If you don't hang out in the worst part of town why hang out in the worst part of the world? You leave your house and leave all common sence at home. This is not a perfect world their are bad people are out their and wheather or not you choose to protect yourself is up to you. I may be a bit naive but at what point do you take responsibility for youselves? I don't know when it happened but who said you have the right to travel around the world and go where you please? If you hear about people being kidnapped and pirate activity what makes you think it can't happen to you?
Just my .02
V/r
Anevolution
The Reaper
10-27-2009, 14:39
Akv,
The turtles have no say in what's going on, if you have ever been part of a anfib op you might have noticed some very uncool things. Durning the deballasting armed watches are posted in the well decks to shoot any sharks the may wonder in in, it's not the sharks fault were training in there back yard. I've seen sharks shoot, dolphins ran over, fuel spils in the thousands of gallons with no regaurd for the environment. I'm not a green peace or peta guy, I like chicken and stake as much as every other american male, I just care about the earth. The key word is endangered, that means we have done something to limit there growth or there ability to sustain them selves...
As for these people, I don't feel bad. I deployed to that Ao for 9 months. Time and time again people ignored our recommendation coming to close to the cost, traveling off the beaten path to "explore". If you don't hang out in the worst part of town why hang out in the worst part of the world? You leave your house and leave all common since at home. This is not a perfect world there are bad people are out there and weather or not you choose to protect yourself is up to you. I may be a bit neive but at what point do you take responsibility for youself? I don't know when it happened but who said you have the right to travel around the world and go where you please? If you hear about people being kidnapped and pirate activity what makes you think it can't happen to you?
Just my .02
V/r
Anevolution
Anevolution:
Your spelling is making my head hurt.
Please use spellcheck, and verify that you are using the correct spellings of words like amphib, during, wander, we're, their, shot, spills, regard, Greenpeace, PETA, steak, American, their, their, themselves, too, coast, sense, whether, naive.
This adversely affects the readability of your posts, creates confusion or misinterpretations, and leads to poor impressions of your work ethic, writing skills, and intelligence.
TR
Your spelling is making my head hurt.
Ditto! :eek:
A word or two misspelled is one thing - however - only a word or two correctly spelled is another matter. I had to reread it a couple of times because I kept losing my place while looking to see if you had misspelled "A" or "I." :rolleyes:
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Anevolution,
I've never met a loquacious turtle, except possibly at a Duke/Maryland game. I don't think anyone wants to kill things needlessly, but if animals are killed to ensure safety or as a byproduct of our troops receiving the best possible training for their mission so be it, this shouldn't even be an issue.
The turtles might not have a say, but apparently someone motivated General Hanlon the commanding General of Camp Pendleton to write an 18 page report to the Armed Services Commitee back in 2001. Read through it and it's pretty clear the military has had to alter it's focus from the mission of our defense to addressing all sorts of silly IMHO environmental concerns.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/congress/2001_hr/010320eh.pdf
Finally I agree with you, I never said let's waste resources on saving people who willingly go into bad areas, instead I asked why we don't use Somali Pirates as cannon fodder for training our Navy.
I wish you the best in your Military Career.
-AKV
I don't think anyone wants to kill things needlessly, but if animals are killed to ensure safety or as a byproduct of our troops receiving the best possible training for their mission so be it, this shouldn't even be an issue.¡From one Cal grad to another, I am absolutely shocked--SHOCKED--that you would take this position! Don't you know that there are trees and animals that need saving? <<LINK (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/us/10tree.html)>> Any more talk like this, I'm going to recommend that you be required to stand in front of Sather Gate while reading (aloud) essays by Susan Sontag in Esperanto. The event will be videotaped as part of a project for PACS 125AC.
More seriously, I hope that the Lynn Rival and her crew are found and returned to safety.
And I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is something to be said for the continuing relevance of battleships.
Just my $0.02.
LongWire
10-27-2009, 16:01
I've seen sharks shoot
That would be quite the feat!!! Were they good at it?? What kind of weapon system was it?? Were the weapons modified, to accommodate the lack of a shark thumb, and trigger finger??
Seriously though.............This is becoming a problem with english typer's globally.
Their; possessive adjective............The weapon was theirs.
There; adverb:..........It's over there. I am never going there. We were there.
They're; contraction of they and are:.................They're going to drive their vehicle there!!!!!!!
I'll be here all week.
Red Flag 1
10-27-2009, 16:50
Anevolution:
Your spelling is making my head hurt.
Please use spellcheck, and verify that you are using the correct spellings of words like amphib, during, wander, we're, their, shot, spills, regard, Greenpeace, PETA, steak, American, their, their, themselves, too, coast, sense, whether, naive.
This adversely affects the readability of your posts, creates confusion or misinterpretations, and leads to poor impressions of your work ethic, writing skills, and intelligence.
TR
Spelling error noted in bio as well.
Must go for now, my teeth itch.
RF 1
Plutarch
10-28-2009, 00:55
These type of headlines make me question the sanity of parents who would let their sixteen year old daughter sail off alone. :confused:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/oct/18/yacht-round-the-world
"16-year-old Australian begins solo round-the-world yacht voyage
Jessica Watson sets off on bid to break world record amid concern about her age
* Peter Walker and agencies
* guardian.co.uk, Sunday 18 October 2009 12.01 BST
Jessica Watson
Jessica Watson sets sail on her yacht Ella's Pink Lady in Sydney. Photograph: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
A 16-year-old Australian girl sailed her yacht out of Sydney harbour today, beginning an attempt to become the youngest person to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe unassisted, despite concerns over her age and expertise.
If all goes to plan, Jessica Watson will spend the next eight months alone on board her 10-metre vessel, Ella's Pink Lady, navigating 28,000 miles through some of the world's most dangerous seas.
Around 100 boats congregated under grey skies in the harbour to see her off. Watson did not speak to reporters before she left, but her mother, Julie, posted an update on the solo sailor's blog. "I know you are all anxious to hear from Jess, but she's a little preoccupied on her first day, so she asked me to post a quick note to let everyone know that the departure went well this morning," she wrote.
While Watson's family insist the teenager is a sufficiently skilled and experienced sailor, with expertise in navigation, electronics and maritime safety, her plan has sparked a debate in Australia about whether someone so young is ready for such a challenge. There was further concern after Watson's yacht collided with a 63,000-tonne Chinese cargo ship as she sailed towards Sydney last month.
Some of Australia's most experienced sailors, and the government of Watson's home state, Queensland, have urged her not to go ahead with the voyage. Watson will be in contact with her family and support team via radio and email, as well as updating her blog.
"I think a lot of Australians are nervous for Jessica. I'm nervous for her," the country's deputy prime minister, Julia Gillard, told Nine Network TV. "But my words at this stage, given that she's determined to go, would be to wish her the best of luck and to urge her to keep safe."
A British 17-year-old, Mike Perham, became the youngest solo round-the-world sailor in August following a nine-month voyage, although a stop for repairs en route meant his trip did not count as unassisted. The youngest sailor to complete the voyage unassisted is another Australian, Jesse Martin, who was 18 when he completed it in 1999.
In August a Dutch court ordered that a 13-year-old girl, Laura Dekker, should be put into state care following plans for her to attempt a solo round-the-world sailing."
The Reaper
10-28-2009, 07:05
Doesn't matter how good you are.
You have to sleep sometime, and then who is on watch?
TR
Slantwire
10-28-2009, 08:39
That would be quite the feat!!! Were they good at it?? What kind of weapon system was it?? Were the weapons modified, to accommodate the lack of a shark thumb, and trigger finger??
Obviously head-mounted lasers. The firing mechanism is less obvious. A paddle to be squeezed by fins? A lever to bite? Electrical triggering via neural implants?
Throw me a frigging bone here, people!
These type of headlines make me question the sanity of parents who would let their sixteen year old daughter sail off alone. :confused:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/oct/18/yacht-round-the-world
"16-year-old Australian begins solo round-the-world yacht voyage"
Jessica Watson sets off on bid to break world record amid concern about her age
Oh, it's not like her boat won't stand out if it goes anywhere near Somalia and the AO of the pirates based there... :rolleyes:
http://sailboats.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/jessica-watson-301/
armymom1228
10-28-2009, 17:05
Doesn't matter how good you are.
You have to sleep sometime, and then who is on watch?
TR
Cruising boats routinely go into 'watches' when passagemaking.
Our standard was 6pm to midnight, 12 to 6am. Then from 6am to 6pm 3 hrs on and 3 hrs off. I always took the midnight shift as I am a nightowl. We did not deviate from out hours on and off. Someone was always at the helm, even when OTTO was running the boat. Otto = autopilot.
The sailing email lists are all atwitter over this incident. We are a pretty judgemental lot. Not a whole lot of sympathy in this particular case as the couple. Apparently though long time cruisers, they ignored the advice they were given by NATO advisors. OH well, the sea is a harsh lady., she doesn't suffer fools and idiots long. The lucky ones survive and become dirt dwellers, the rest.... shrug...
Re Jessica: I reared my kids on boats. They could swim before they could walk.
My dtrs first 'car' had a Mercury 150hp attached to the stern. Kids there get boats before wheels. That does not mean I would have allowed her to attempt the stuff that Robin Graham and a few other youngsters have done. The only case I have approved was the dad who singlehanded with his son on another boat while the kid did a transatlantic crossing.
By her first mistake that cost her a mast, Jessica has proven she is not ready to do this trip, if she is ever. At least a pink boat won't be hard for the Coasties to find. :rolleyes: I do not believe that teenagers have the experience or judgement to handle offshore situations they find themselves in by themselves. OTOH, there are some adults that never should be allowed to leave the dock. YMMV
AM
armymom1228
10-28-2009, 17:22
Oh, it's not like her boat won't stand out if it goes anywhere near Somalia and the AO of the pirates based there... :rolleyes:
http://sailboats.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/jessica-watson-301/
Note the broken mast. She was asleep at the wheel, by her own admission.
----deleted a whole long rant on my thoughts of this stupid young person and her brain dead parents.
not to mention her inepitude and lack of proper sailing procedure. That is as polite as I can get at the moment. ----
Love the name, "Ella's Heart' though.
But that is one butt ugly shade of pink. Reminds me of pepto bismol. :rolleyes:
incarcerated
10-30-2009, 17:15
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6897698.ece
Pirates demand $7m for Paul and Rachel Chandler
From Times Online
October 30, 2009
Chris Smyth
Somali pirates tonight demanded $7 million dollars in ransom for the kidnapped British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler.
This is the first time a figure has been mentioned since Mr and Mrs Chandler were captured on board their yacht off the Seychelles a week ago....
armymom1228
10-30-2009, 19:25
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6897698.ece
Pirates demand $7m for Paul and Rachel Chandler
From Times Online
October 30, 2009
Chris Smyth
Somali pirates tonight demanded $7 million dollars in ransom for the kidnapped British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler.
This is the first time a figure has been mentioned since Mr and Mrs Chandler were captured on board their yacht off the Seychelles a week ago....
The navy, whichever one that is, found Lynn Rival abandoned at sea.
The family reported,something I already suspected, that the couple had everything they owned tied up in the boat. I doubt it is worth more than a couple hundred grand IF that much. There is no chance thier family can raise that kind of cash.
I do have to say I don't, in this case, have a lot of sympathy. Tanzania.. why didn't they just wave a flag saying kidnap me. One would think that after 3 yrs of cruising they would have gotten a clue. :eek:
The Reaper
10-30-2009, 19:47
News flash.
People with more than $7 million in liquid assets are unlikely to cruise the globe in a 38' sailboat.
TR
incarcerated
02-19-2011, 00:59
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/19/somalia.us.yacht/
U.S. military: Somali pirates seize yacht with four Americans onboard
By the CNN Wire Staff
February 19, 2011 1:32 a.m. EST
CNN) -- Somali pirates hijacked a yacht with four Americans onboard in the Indian Ocean, U.S. military officials said Saturday.
The yacht seized Friday is owned by Jean and Scott Adam, according to a nongovernmental group that monitors piracy.
"If the owners are onboard, it would be a sad log for the couple on their seven-year world journey," said the group, Ecoterra International.
U.S. military officials said they are monitoring the situation....
Prayers go out.
One quick note, reading the old posts and visiting the British couple's blog I noticed they had a GPS feed showing their location.
The Adams also have a GPS that displays their location:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0XFV0bF9tfP6mp4Dr2tu4Y18e4FrS1m eL
See their website here:
http://www.svquest.com/
I'm hoping to get into sailing in the not-so-distant future - but I won't be blogging my trips.
-out
Team Sergeant
02-19-2011, 10:35
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/19/somalia.us.yacht/
U.S. military: Somali pirates seize yacht with four Americans onboard
By the CNN Wire Staff
February 19, 2011 1:32 a.m. EST
CNN) -- Somali pirates hijacked a yacht with four Americans onboard in the Indian Ocean, U.S. military officials said Saturday.
The yacht seized Friday is owned by Jean and Scott Adam, according to a nongovernmental group that monitors piracy.
"If the owners are onboard, it would be a sad log for the couple on their seven-year world journey," said the group, Ecoterra International.
U.S. military officials said they are monitoring the situation....
I just "threw the bones" for these Somali pirates, I can now see their future....
I see, water, big boat, and four-six Navy Seals, smiling & laughing, carrying what seems to be rifles and there's a box of ammo with .338 written on the side.....
Odd, the Somali pirates future just went black....:munchin
incarcerated
02-20-2011, 22:29
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110220/ap_on_re_af/af_piracy_captured_yacht
Pirates: Warship shadowing hijacked American yacht
By JASON STRAZIUSO and ABDI GULED, Associated Press Jason Straziuso And Abdi Guled, Associated Press – Sun Feb 20, 6:25 pm ET
MOGADISHU, Somalia – A warship is shadowing a yacht with four Americans on board that was hijacked by Somali pirates, a pirate said Sunday, as the vessel was reported to be moving closer to the Somali coast.
The yacht Quest was hijacked on Friday off the coast of Oman, but is now in the waters between Yemen and northern Somalia, two pirates and a Somali government official told The Associated Press.
One pirate who gave his name only as Hassan said a warship with a helicopter on its deck is near the Quest....
My wife and I planned for years to retire to a sailboat and circumnavigate the globe. We knew that dangers like this existed, but that did not deter us. The fact that carrying weapons for personal protection was a prison sentence in many of the countries we'd have to pass through did. :mad:
Pat
Time to pop parietal bones.
4 Americans on hijacked yacht dead off Somalia
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/22/501364/main20034691.shtml
"...CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports that gunshots aboard the yacht were heard, and the warship took action.
All 4 Americans were dead, killed apparently by their captors.
There were more than a dozen pirates on board, some dead and others captured, Martin reports........................"
Prayers out.
Time to see some bloody pirates dealt with:mad:
These folks were reportedly distributing Bibles in remote parts of the Fiji Islands, Alaska, New Zealand, Central America and French Polynesia...is this a hate crime?
It may be interesting to watch the msm's take on this event.
Weren't the Somali pirates Muslim?
Hate crime: a crime motivated by racial, religious, gender, sexual orientation, or other prejudice.
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Hate+Crime
These folks were reportedly distributing Bibles in remote parts of the Fiji Islands, Alaska, New Zealand, Central America and French Polynesia...is this a hate crime?
It may be interesting to watch the msm's take on this event.
Weren't the Somali pirates Muslim?
Hate crime: a crime motivated by racial, religious, gender, sexual orientation, or other prejudice.
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Hate+Crime
The press may consider the murders justifiable if Bibles were distributed.
greenberetTFS
02-22-2011, 09:55
The press may consider the murders justifiable if Bibles were distributed.
Very sad ending,but there wasn't much else the Navy could do ............:(
Big Teddy :munchin
Very sad ending,but there wasn't much else the Navy could do ............:(
Big Teddy :munchin
Well, there is Walk the Plank.
Sure cut down on repeat offenders.
Don't see much "alleged" here. "You are on their boat, they are dead and you are not. Have a nice swim home"
TOMAHAWK9521
02-22-2011, 10:33
Well, there is Walk the Plank.
Sure cut down on repeat offenders.
Don't see much "alleged" here. "You are on their boat, they are dead and you are not. Have a nice swim home"
The Navy should just chum the water for practice. :mad:
Roguish Lawyer
02-22-2011, 11:18
Well, there is Walk the Plank.
Sure cut down on repeat offenders.
Don't see much "alleged" here. "You are on their boat, they are dead and you are not. Have a nice swim home"
And return one of them to Somalia after he gets to see it.
Enough political correctness. No prisoners. No, not one. Then find mother ships and sink them all. Find their shore havens and burn them all. No prisoners. Ever. Just this old dog's opinion.
"Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft."
~ Theodore Roosevelt
Buffalobob
02-22-2011, 12:08
Several versions of the story at the moment. One version is that it was Special Forces who boarded and the other version is that it was special ops forces.
I feel very sorry for the people who were killed doing what they believed to be right and good, but as a retired person who takes risks every fall, I think they understood their risks and believed the risk was worth taking. I think the day has long passed when one can allow the pirates to succeed.
At least the last faces that a few of the 4 hostages saw before dying were that of Americans..... they were not alone.
They were members of my old church, St. Monica's, down in Santa Monica. Just really sad...
Utah Bob
02-22-2011, 12:44
Several versions of the story at the moment. One version is that it was Special Forces who boarded and the other version is that it was special ops forces....
I guarantee it was SEALS. The news media still haven't figured out the difference.
I'd sure love to be at the hot wash. Gotta be a pretty disappointing AAR(GH).
Sacamuelas
02-22-2011, 14:26
Glad our men tried. I don't care about any second guessing. Tough job.... hard choices...
Still proud to be an American and know that our side would try to rescue me and be allowed to attempt it by the boys in suits. Those men risked life and limb to save fellow citizens that needed their help. IMO, It was a draw, not a win or loss. At least future pirates will not sleep very well if they decide to take AMERICAN hostages again. :cool:
The Reaper
02-22-2011, 15:02
Once the hostages are dead, why capture prisoners?
Sink the boat and tell them to fin hard.
TR
Glad our men tried. I don't care about any second guessing. Tough job.... hard choices...
Still proud to be an American and know that our side would try to rescue me and be allowed to attempt it by the boys in suits. Those men risked life and limb to save fellow citizens that needed their help. IMO, It was a draw, not a win or loss. At least future pirates will not sleep very well if they decide to take AMERICAN hostages again. :cool:
Very well said....my sentiments exactly. It's one of the reasons we can all sleep peaceably at night.
crazyitalian
02-22-2011, 16:24
4 Americans on hijacked yacht dead off Somalia
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/22/501364/main20034691.shtml
Well apparently one guy got to try out his combat knife on a pirate :lifter That must of been some intense room clearing.
Team Sergeant
02-22-2011, 16:42
It's time for the entire country of somalia to be dealt with.
There needs to be a "Sink on sight" any ship with a somalia flag outside of ten miles of their country, enforceable by any nation.
All pirates should be dealt with a bullet between the eyes and all ships involved sunk.
Someone needs to step up and send somalia a message.
It's time we put chlorine into their gene pool....
Snaquebite
02-22-2011, 16:52
My prayers do out to the families, but I get so pissed at the media and how they can't get the reporting right regarding anything SOF
Somali pirates were rushed by Special Forces when gunfire was heard, officials say
at least they tried to define is here...
As a U.S. Special Forces team -- Navy SEALs -- rushed to board a yacht hijacked by Somali pirates, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired by the pirates at the Sterett .
All four hostages had been shot by the pirates and killed, officials said.
However throughout the rest of the article it refers to Special Forces over and over again...:mad:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/02/somali-pirates-special-forces.html?lanow
also wondering so many pirates survived????
cszakolczai
02-22-2011, 17:02
quoting the NY times article found here...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/world/africa/23pirates.html?_r=1&hp
"Navy Seals rushed to the yacht in assault craft, shooting one of the pirates and stabbing another."
1) At least someone got it right
2) Incredible restraint is an understatement demonstrated by the SEALs
3) I wonder why they did?
greenberetTFS
02-22-2011, 17:10
quoting the NY times article found here...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/world/africa/23pirates.html?_r=1&hp
"Navy Seals rushed to the yacht in assault craft, shooting one of the pirates and stabbing another."
1) At least someone got it right
2) Incredible restraint is an understatement demonstrated by the SEALs
3) I wonder why they did?
Exactly,why save those SOB's as prisoners..........:mad:
Big Teddy :munchin
Exactly,why save those SOB's as prisoners...
Information...and a 5 day pass. ;)
Richard :munchin
What about breaking out Q-ships, Predator Drone escorts, or just pro-actively taking out anything that could be a mother ship?
How to Beat the Pirates
February 10, 2011By Gabe Collins
It's time for a rethink on tackling Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. We can start by targeting mother ships.
The South Korean and Malaysian Navies’ recent use of commandos to retake ships held by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean suggests an increasing openness to more aggressive anti-piracy tactics.
Piracy’s human and economic costs—$7 billion to $12 billion annually, according to Oceans Beyond Piracy—are clearly unacceptable. It’s time for global navies to bottle the Somali pirates up by denying them the use of the large ‘mother ships’ that allow them to threaten shipping hundreds of miles at sea. Such moves, combined with rules of engagement that permit operations against pirates’ safe havens on shore, would help slash the pirates’ operational range and restore the freedom of navigation in key shipping lanes near the Horn of Africa.
Neutralizing the ‘mother ships’ Somali pirates use to support their operations far out into the Indian Ocean can shrink the threat zone to a more manageable belt within 150 miles or so of the Somali coast. Coalition forces can bottle mother ships up in port by stationing warships within visual range of major Somali ports like Mogadishu, Kismayo, and Berbera, as well as known pirate bases such as Eyl and Garacad and prohibiting vessels longer than 35 feet from leaving port without being boarded and searched.
Somalia's coastline is long, but features only a handful of ports and fishing anchorages large and busy enough for pirates to easily conceal their activities among legitimate commercial and fishing operations. The worsening pirate threat to international shipping justifies maritime checkpoints that permit registered food aid and other legitimate traffic to pass through but curtail passage of potential mother ships. Such a strategy would also make much more effective use of naval assets in the area. Forty-odd warships are hard pressed to effectively patrol a piracy danger zone that’s now approaching 1.5 million square miles in area—roughly three times larger than the Gulf of Mexico.
Restricting large vessel traffic around suspected pirate ports could flush pirates out and force them into new areas where they are less likely to enjoy reliable protective networks and intimate knowledge of the terrain. This would make them more vulnerable to air strikes and special forces raids. Naval forces in the region should also be given looser rules of engagement, particularly with respect to hot pursuit of suspected pirates. As things currently stand, pirates are safe once they reach Somali territorial waters. This is a highly artificial limitation, given that Somalia lacks a functioning national government.
Allowing coalition forces to pursue pirates up to the beach and engage them on land will help eliminate safe havens. US warships and AC-130 gunships have already struck suspected al-Qaeda targets in Somalia, so precedents do exist for taking kinetic action against non-state threats on land in the area. In addition, French commandos went ashore in April 2008 to capture pirates that had attacked the French yacht MY Le Ponant earlier that month.
With fewer pirate ships able to reach distant shipping lanes, the coalition can use high-endurance UAVs like the RQ-4 GlobalHawk and long-range patrol aircraft to locate and pinpoint suspected pirate vessels, warn shippers, and vector boarding teams to those vessels. Aircraft can identify suspicious vessels far out at sea and patrol large swathes of ocean much more quickly and cost-effectively than surface vessels can. If necessary, many of these aircraft can carry a range of weapons capable of destroying or disabling a sizeable ship. Djibouti or Kenya could likely accommodate UAVs and additional long-range patrol aircraft involved in anti-piracy missions.
Restoring maritime order off the Horn of Africa is a vital global strategic interest and should commence as quickly as possible. All trading nations benefit from the ability to move goods between markets as safely and efficiently as possible. American naval leadership and credibility are also at stake, with key implications for maritime security in the Asia Pacific region. Since the end of the Second World War, the US Navy has provided the public good of ensuring safe transit along key global shipping lanes. A system of maritime checkpoints would require close operational coordination and offers key Asian naval forces including the Chinese, Indian, Japanese, South Korean, and US Navies an excellent opportunity for cooperation and trust building working against a common threat.
If the pirate threat isn’t curbed, leaders in China and other emerging powers may conclude that they need independent, globally-capable naval forces to protect their growing maritime interests. This could usher in an era of destructive naval competition and instability. Denying pirates access to mother ships and pursuing them on land offers a better way to utilize the existing international naval assets in the region and reduce the pirate threat to international shipping.
Gabe Collins is the co-founder of China SignPost and a former commodity investment analyst and research fellow in the US Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute. He can be reached at gabe@chinasignpost.com.
http://the-diplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2011/02/10/how-to-beat-the-pirates/
Peregrino
02-22-2011, 18:42
Until the rise of the UN, International Maritime Law was very explicit WRT piracy for at least 300 years. It used to be one of the few opportunities left to practice summary execution of individuals caught "in flagrante delecti". A friend recently sent me a great video of a Russian crew "solving" a piracy problem. At least they still have what it takes to act.
crazyitalian
02-22-2011, 22:15
. A friend recently sent me a great video of a Russian crew "solving" a piracy problem. At least they still have what it takes to act.
Please do share the link if you still have it :munchin
US deaths show growing pirate violence in hijackings
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12548045
"............Some feel that it would be better to try to intervene quickly especially after the British Navy chose not to use force when Paul and Rachel Chandler were taken hostage in 2009.
They were held for more than a year and were only released last November after a multi-million dollar ransom was paid.
The EU task force and other navies have felt that it is too dangerous to intervene as hostages' lives would be put in danger................"
The EU task force and other navies have felt that it is too dangerous to intervene as hostages' lives would be put in danger.
Bottom line up front - If there are no pirates there are no hostages. 750 pirates held around the world? WTF. For a start - don't take prisoners. Caught in the act enjoy the swim. Going out to sea? Better have nets in your boat - not AKs and RPGs.
As long as it pays with limited downside there will be pirates. No pay and big down side? No pirates.
I'd bait'em.....
Stay safe.
silentreader
02-24-2011, 00:04
A good article that adds more detail (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/world/africa/24pirates.html?pagewanted=1&hp), without trying to answer unknowables (and, I suspect some of you SF guys will appreciate the fact that they call the Navy's special operators SEALs instead of "Special Forces.")
WASHINGTON — When the two pirates boarded the U.S.S. Sterett off the coast of Somalia on Monday, American officials thought they were headed for a breakthrough in the four-day standoff with a gang that had seized four Americans vacationing on their 58-foot yacht.
What happened next is sharply contested and raises questions about the crucial decision to detain the pirate leaders.
American officials said the pirates on the yacht, called the Quest, seemed relieved — even “exceptionally calm” — when told their senior commander was cooling his heels in a Navy brig.
But hours later, panic ensued among young pirates. Some Americans theorized that a fight had broken out among the gang members, suddenly leaderless, and fearing they were about to be overtaken by the four Navy warships that surrounded them. One person who has talked to associates of the pirates said their leader had told them that if he did not return, they should kill the hostages, though American officials say they do not know that to be the case.
The death of the four Americans — the yacht’s owners, Jean and Scott Adam of Marina del Rey, Calif., and two crew members, Phyllis Macay and Robert A. Riggle of Seattle — is certain to add momentum to a wide-ranging review the Obama administration is conducting on how to combat the growing threat from bands of Somali pirates. The episode began last Friday, when the Quest sent out a distress signal 275 miles from the coast of Oman, in open waters between Mumbai and Djibouti. A Yemeni fishing vessel that served as a mother ship for the pirates was seen near the yacht when it was hijacked by pirates in a smaller craft, maritime officials said, but it disappeared once the American warships drew near.
As the military converged on the yacht, officials learned that there might be a way to negotiate with the pirates’ financiers and village elders, who could have acted as shore-based intermediaries if communication permitted. But for unknown reasons these contacts did not pan out.
On Monday, the two pirates boarded the Sterett, which had pulled within 600 yards of the Quest, to conduct face-to-face negotiations, apparently knowing that it was unlikely they could get away with the yacht or its passengers. One of the pirate negotiators was a seasoned commander, who had several successful hijackings under his belt, according to one person who has regular contacts with pirate cells.
The F.B.I. agent involved was a hostage negotiator from a special team based at Quantico, Va., who was experienced in both domestic and international hostage crises, a law enforcement official said Wednesday. It was unclear whether the agent had ever negotiated with Somali pirates.
The two pirates were brought on board “in a good-faith attempt to negotiate the safe release of the hostages” a military official said. Once the Americans came to believe they were not serious, the official said, the pirate commander and his ally were detained and their fellow pirates were notified.
“The pirates who were brought aboard the ship never communicated back to their pirate allies on the Quest,” said the official, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity because of the F.B.I. investigation.
“The pirates on the Quest seemed relieved and were exceptionally calm in discussions with the negotiator,” said the military official. He said the Americans placed an offer on the table. The pirates could take the Quest, or another small Navy boat. But they had to release the hostages and could not take them to join the hundreds of travelers who are believed being held for ransom in pirate strongholds.
The pirates communicated back that they wanted to sleep on the offer, the military official said. The Americans agreed, giving them eight hours.
Whatever calm the pirates displayed on the surface masked a roiling split, according to one person who has been in contact with Somali pirate cells, including people who were in communication with others who know those aboard the Quest.
Somali pirate specialists say the pirates once had an informal code that required members to treat one another well and not harm hostages, valuable commodities who draw ransom payments on average of $4 million. But while Somali pirates might once have been a tight-knit group motivated by money, not murder, pirates and pirate experts say the lure of big money was attracting less-disciplined young Somalis hungry to share in the new riches.
Somali pirates interviewed Wednesday said something must have gone very wrong in the case of the Quest, since killing hostages is bad for business and is almost certain to draw a more aggressive response from countries like the United States. “We don’t kill hostages,” said a pirate in Hobyo who gave his middle name as Hassan. “We have many hostages here, and we treat them well. But the pirates might have been angered by the Americans.”
The person in contact with pirate cells said a gun fight had broken out below deck on the Quest, likely over money or the hostages’ fate. American officials theorize this may have been the case. Five minutes after the pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the Sterett, and small arms fire erupted, 15 Navy SEAL commandos stormed the yacht. The hostages were dead or dying. American officials said it was unclear whether they had been executed or killed in the pirates’ cross-fire. Other pirate hostages have died in captivity or during rescue attempts, but there are few, if any, cases of pirates intentionally killing hostages.
The commandos shot and killed one pirate and stabbed another. Two other pirates were found dead, apparently killed by their comrades, and 13 surrendered to the Americans.
“While the pirates clearly knew, from the beginning of our negotiations, that we were not going to allow the Quest to make shore, they gave no warning, no visible signs whatsoever that the hostages’ lives were in danger,” said the military official. The senior law enforcement official added, “These incidents, by their very nature, often move at a rapid pace which requires difficult decisions in real time.”
incarcerated
04-12-2011, 01:46
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1375884/Pampered-pirates-Royal-Navy-seizes-17-armed-Somalis-gives-halal-meat-nicotine-patches--sets-free.html
HMS Nursemaid: Shame as Navy seizes 17 armed Somalis, gives them halal meat and nicotine patches... then sets them free!
By Tom Kelly and Paul Revoir
Last updated at 8:13 AM on 12th April 2011
When a Royal Navy warship captured a crew of Somali pirates, it seemed like a rare chance to strike back at the ruthless sea gangsters.
The 17 outlaws were armed with an arsenal of AK 47s and rocket-propelled grenades, and had forced hostages on a hijacked fishing vessel to work as slaves for three months.
But instead of bringing them to justice, the British servicemen were ordered to provide the pirates halal meals, medical checks, cigarettes – and in one case even a nicotine patch – before releasing them in their own boats....
HMS Cornwall is one of two Royal Navy frigates patrolling two and a half million square miles of ocean to try to capture pirate ships.
The apparent breakthrough came in February when the captain of a merchant ship crossing the ocean radioed to say he had seen something suspicious.
A helicopter was scrambled and spotted a Yemeni fishing vessel which had been hijacked by pirates and was being used as their ‘mother ship’ to attack other vessels.
Armed Royal Marines launched boats and swooped on the pirates, who were found with nine AK 47s plus rocket-propelled grenade launchers and boarding ladders.
The five slave crew from the fishing vessel were released and the 17 pirates initially detained on board the warship.
Commander David Wilkinson, Cornwall’s captain, said: ‘This team admitted their intention was to commit piracy activities.’
But after compiling the evidence against them and submitting it to his superiors he was ordered to ‘set up arrangements for putting them ashore in Somalia’.
Before being freed, the pirates were given a medical check-up in accordance with UK law and food which included a halal option to take into account religious needs.
After showing they were compliant, some were given cigarettes, and one was given a nicotine patch on medical advice because his tobacco withdrawal had caused his heart rate to soar.
Close to shore, the British servicemen set them free in two skiffs which they had earlier seized from the gangsters – with no food and just enough fuel to get them to land.
As they stepped off the warship, Commander Wilkinson told the head of the pirate gang: ‘If you are a leader, go back and lead for good.
‘If you are going to carry on in this trade, expect to find me and my colleagues waiting for you. And if I see you again, it’s not going to go well.’
Commander Wilkinson added that he believed the order to free the pirates was the ‘right decision’ because he was not convinced bringing them back to the UK would have been a deterrent.
He also said he was unconvinced that they had enough evidence to convict the pirates – even though they were heavily armed, were carrying hostages and had confessed.
The decision to release the pirates was made by the UK’s Maritime Component Commander based in Bahrain after considering UK policy and law.
Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham said the Government is reviewing the ‘catch and release’ approach to piracy.
‘It is not going to happen in the future unless there isn’t any other alternative.’