Pirates Seize Ship With U.S. Crew Off Coast of Somalia

[Richard]

Boys have just grabbed hold of the ol' tiger's tail - now we'll see if they get to see the teeth.

Richard's $.02

Pirates Seize Ship With U.S. Crew Off Coast of Somalia
Sharon Otterman, NYT, 8 Apr 2009

Pirates commandeered a United States-flagged container ship with 20 American crew members off the coast of Somalia on Wednesday, the first time an American-crewed ship was seized by pirates in the area.

The container ship, the Maersk Alabama, was carrying thousands of tons of relief aid to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, the company that owns the ship said.

The ship was taken by pirates at about 7:30 a.m. local time, 280 miles southeast of the Somali city of Eyl, a known haven for pirates, a spokesman for the United States Navy said. It is owned and operated by Maersk Line Limited, a United States subsidiary of A.P. Moller - Maersk Group, the Danish shipping giant.

The Maersk Alabama was at least the sixth commercial ship commandeered by pirates this week off the Horn of Africa, one of the most notoriously lawless zones on the high seas, where pirates have been operating with near impunity despite efforts by many nations, including the United States, to intimidate them with naval warship patrols.

There was no additional information immediately available about the crew, the company said in a statement. The ultimate destination of the ship’s cargo once it reached land was unclear.

“Our initial concern is to ensure proper support of the crew and assistance to their families,” the Maersk statement said.

The 508-foot long ship was carrying food and other agricultural materials from Djibouti, according to a company representative in Denmark who did not give her name because she was not authorized to give information to the media.

While Maersk Line Limited, based in Norfolk, Virginia, is one of the Department of Defense’s primary shipping contractors, it was not under contract with the Defense Department at the time of its hijacking, said, Lt. Stephanie Murdock, a spokeswoman with the Navy’s Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain.

The ship can carry more than 1,100 20-foot containers and was deployed in Maersk Line’s East Africa service network, the company said.

There have been more than 50 pirate attacks this year off of the Somali coast, with the bulk of the attacks occurring in the Gulf of Aden, which separates the Arabian peninsulas from the Horn of Africa. Sixteen ships remain in pirate custody, most of them docked a few miles off the Somali coast, while ransom negotiations with the ship owners take place, said Lt. Nathan Christensen, a also a spokesman with the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

About 15 international naval vessels now patrol the pirate-infested waters, many under a U.S. led task force created to combat piracy. There are three U.S. Navy ships patrolling the area.

At the time of the attack on the Maersk Alabama, the closest patrol vessel was some 300 nautical miles away. Most of the patrol vessels are concentrated in the Gulf of Aden, and as a result, the pirates have expanded their reach into the open seas.

“It’s that old saying: Where the cops aren’t, the criminals are going to go,” Lieutenant Christensen said. “We patrol an area of more than 1 million square miles, the simple fact of the matter is that we cant be everywhere at one time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/wo...er=rss&emc=rss

[The Reaper]

We need to make piracy a terminal disease, and soon.

The more gruesome and frequent, the better.

Rather than trying to protect the ships, maybe we should blockade the Somali ports. Worked for the Yankees.

TR

[DbeforeD]

Or Q-ships, worked for nazi u-boats. My prayers for the crew and their families.

[Richard]

Have y'all seen afchic's avatar? Maybe she's got contacts with those guys and can help with this one.

Besides, not all pirates are bad pirates.

http://www.yandy.com/pirate-costumes.php

Richard's $.02

[swpa19]

Didnt we go through this some time back?

Within days of his March 1801 inauguration as the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson ordered a naval and military expedition to North Africa, without the authorization of Congress, to put down regimes involved in slavery and piracy. The war was the first in which the U.S. flag was carried and planted overseas; it saw the baptism by fire of the U.S. Marine Corps--whose anthem boasts of action on "the shores of Tripoli"--

[Slantwire]

Originally Posted by swpa19

Didnt we go through this some time back?

Within days of his March 1801 inauguration as the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson ordered a naval and military expedition to North Africa, without the authorization of Congress, to put down regimes involved in slavery and piracy. The war was the first in which the U.S. flag was carried and planted overseas; it saw the baptism by fire of the U.S. Marine Corps--whose anthem boasts of action on "the shores of Tripoli"--

We did. I doubt the Somalis have had enough formal education to know that bit of history. (Even if they had, it was probably listed as American imperialistic aggression.)

Time for a refresher. I second TR's motion to make piracy a quick-acting terminal condition.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by swpa19

Didnt we go through this some time back?

Yes and no - yes on the Somali pirates - no in that this is the first American registered vessel and crew these bozos have chosen to raid.

Within days of his March 1801 inauguration as the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson ordered a naval and military expedition to North Africa, without the authorization of Congress, to put down regimes involved in slavery and piracy. The war was the first in which the U.S. flag was carried and planted overseas; it saw the baptism by fire of the U.S. Marine Corps--whose anthem boasts of action on "the shores of Tripoli"

But those were the Barbary Pirates and that was Thomas Jefferson - these are the Burberry Pirates and this is O-bee. They're pretty easy to spot by a Predator or on Google...whether at sea or ashore in their secret pirate enclaves.

Richard's $.02

[afchic]

Originally Posted by Richard

Have y'all seen afchic's avatar? Maybe she's got contacts with those guys and can help with this one.

Besides, not all pirates are bad pirates.

http://www.yandy.com/pirate-costumes.php

Richard's $.02

Captain Morgan is not a bad pirate, and that is the only pirate I hang out with!!!!

[afchic]

Looks as if the Somalis chose their victim poorly!!!!

Crew Retakes Ship Hijacked by Somali Pirates
By VOA News
Washington D.C
08 April 2009


U.S. defense officials say the crew of the U.S.-flagged cargo shipped hijacked Wednesday off the coast of Somalia has retaken control of the ship.

Officials say the crew captured one pirate and three others are believed to be in the water.

The 17,000-ton Danish-owned container vessel 'Maersk Alabama' was seized early Wednesday about 450 kilometers southeast of Eyl, a town in the northern Puntland region of Somalia. It has a crew of 20 U.S. nationals aboard.

The ship was carrying emergency food aid to Mombasa, Kenya. A spokesman for the U.N. food agency (Nairobi-based Peter Smerdon) said the cargo includes 990-tons of vegetable oil and more than 4,000 metric tons of corn-soya blend.

The incident marks the first time an American-registered ship has been hijacked by the pirates operating off the coast of East Africa.

The ship was the sixth vessel seized in the region within a week.

The United States and other nations deployed warships near Somalia late last year in an effort to stop pirates from seizing ships, but pirates appear to be venturing further out to sea to avoid the naval patrols.

Bahrain-based U.S. Navy Spokesman Nate Christensen said the closest ship was more than 550 kilometers away.

Somali pirates have seized more than 50 ships over the past 18 months, sometimes receiving multi-million dollar payments for their release.

The pirates, who operate from bases on Somalia's east coast, are currently holding more than a dozen ships and their crews.

[greenberetTFS]

Originally Posted by Richard

Have y'all seen afchic's avatar? Maybe she's got contacts with those guys and can help with this one.

Besides, not all pirates are bad pirates.

http://www.yandy.com/pirate-costumes.php

Richard's $.02

We need to get a team together quickly to get "these" pirates..... I will volunteer and
I hope there are other brave and loyal experienced QP's out here willing to assist me...

GB TFS

[swpa19]

AFCHIC

Captain Morgan is not a bad pirate, and that is the only pirate I hang out with

Youve got to watch that particular pirate. He is known to shanghigh certain individuals without their approval.

[afchic]

Originally Posted by swpa19

AFCHIC



Youve got to watch that particular pirate. He is known to shanghigh certain individuals without their approval.

He has shanghighed me on many occassions, yet I don't think I can call it shanghied since I went willingly

I can't wait to hear the story come out about how the crew retook the ship. Now maybe these bastards will think twice.

[Richard]

Captain Morgan is not a bad pirate, and that is the only pirate I hang out with!!!!

Youve got to watch that particular pirate. He is known to shanghai certain individuals without their approval.

Yeah - last time I associated with that guy, I woke up in an alley with torn clothes, a bad headache, no money, a taste in my mouth like somebody had used it as a portapotty, and no memory of what had happened - taught me to avoid them pirate types.

Richard's $.02

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by afchic

I can't wait to hear the story come out about how the crew retook the ship. Now maybe these bastards will think twice.

I wonder if the "crew" was the only personnel on board?

Even if it was, I hope they do not tell, and no pirates survived to talk about their experience.

TR

[Richard]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

I wonder if the "crew" was the only personnel on board?

While Maersk Line Limited, based in Norfolk, Virginia, is one of the Department of Defense’s primary shipping contractors...

It does make one wonder if it was maybe specifically manned and sent to deliver a message to the pirates in the area. I would surmise that Maersk has employees who are veterans of several of the maritime units based around the Norfolk area.

Richard's $.02