Posted on 01/08/2006 12:42:29 PM PST by oxcart
Greenpeace has accused the Japanese whaling vessel Nisshin Maru of deliberately ramming its boat, the Arctic Sunrise, in the Southern Ocean before steaming off at high speed.
The anti-whaling activists say they tried to contact the Japanese whaling boat shortly before they clashed.
Greenpeace says none of the 25 crew on board the Arctic Sunrise were hurt and the boat is still seaworthy, despite receiving some damage.
However, a statement from the Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research says the Nisshin Maru was deliberately rammed by Greenpeace.
Greenpeace expedition leader Shane Rattenbury says his captain tried unsuccessfully to contact the captain of the whaling boat.
"We radioed them when we realised they were on a collision course with us," he said.
"My captain spoke to them over the bridge, we received no reply and we've had no further communication since.
"After the incident the Japanese ship turned and headed off directly north at high speed and sailed straight away from us."
Greenpeace says the Arctic Sunrise had been observing activists onboard inflatable rafts before the collision.
Those activists had been painting the words "whale meat from sanctuary" on the side of a Japanese supply vessel.
© 2006 Australian Broadcasting Corporation Copyright information: http://abc.net.au/common/copyrigh.htm Privacy information: http://abc.net.au/privacy.htm
So... they got rammed while vandalizing another boat? Poetic justice.
I have visions of John Belushi with his sword in action.
Tenno heika banzai!
One of the tactics that Greenpeace uses is to put themselves in the path of the fishing ship. Thus forcing the fishing ship to change course and preventing the fishing ship from accomplishing its mission. I guess it didn't work this time.
Where they painting in English or Japanese? Doesn't do much good if the recipients of the vandalism don't know what the hell you are talking about you lousy hippies.
AZO!!!!
(1) Sink the enemy (Greenpeace) Ship
(2)Then surrender, apologize and pay them off.
"We radioed them when we realised they were on a collision course with us," he said.
It remains to be seen who was the burdened vessel,
a maritime court will settle it.
So the Artic Sunrise becomes the Artic Sunset?
Where is Yamamoto when you need him...
Oh right, KIA 1943. Damn.
"Get Off of My Cloud" - The Rolling Stones.
Greenpeace didn't realize that the Nisshin Maru was a sister ship to the Kobayashi Maru -- it was a no-win situation.
When Greenpeace received the message that the Nisshin Maru had struck a gravitic mine in the Organian Neutral Zone and had lost power, hull integrity, and life support, that should have been their first clue.
Grenpeace idiot morons!
"No speakee Anglee, roundeye."
Hit'em Again...
Fishing boats under the flag of Japan should now have one of those ramming thingies on the bow. Just for self defense mind you. We really do not want to see anybody get hurt do we? How about 16 inch guns for warning shots?
Its apparent Green peace dosent know the rules of the road. They obviously disobeyed the rule of "Mass domestic tonnage" i.e. if its bigger than you get out of the way.
After a few days, and following rumors that locals were seriously considering shooting the sob's the company rolled out the converters in the smelter at night, applying a good dose of gas to the smokestack sitters and getting them down within 15 minutes. It was a good thing since shooting the sitters would not have garnered the good press it would have deserved.
Frogmen always do a better job. 8^)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.