Posted on 03/24/2008 6:08:16 PM PDT by Flavius
ONE Egyptian was killed and two wounded when a US military ship about to cross the Suez Canal opened fire on barges of hawkers that approached their boat today, a security source said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Keep away from our ships.
Can’t take any chances. That barge could have had explosives.
After the U.S.S. Cole bombing, they’d be fools NOT to shoot at a small boat that comes too near!
More range time needed.
Those muzzies apparently never read the news, or have very short memories ...
Good job, guys.
Should have stopped. We cant afford to screw around with that kind of stuff.
Bout time...
The only unfortunate thing is that someone’s Naval career is over. Watch how fast they throw this poor guy under the bus.
I would like to be the first to apologize on behalf of a greatful nation.
Semper Fi Sir,
NYleatherneck
Good. I’m sick of reading stories about admirals who set rules of engagement so Chinese subs, Russian bombers, and Iranian patrol boats can get within range of our fleets without anything being done to stop them.
That is just asking for another disaster. Next time it could be much worse than the Cole.
Foxnews is reporting that this is a civillian cargo ship. The Co. is out of NY & so far they have no info & same for the Military guy[s] out in the area.
good catch
Last Updated: Tuesday, 25 March 2008, 00:49 GMT
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US vessel ‘shoots at Suez boat’
Map
A US container ship approaching the Suez Canal has opened fire on a small Egyptian motorboat, killing one man and wounding two others, reports say.
The Global Patriot, carrying used US military equipment, was in the Gulf of Suez when it was approached by a motorboat selling local merchandise.
Its crew fired after the boat failed to stop when asked, Egyptian sources say.
As many as 100 other local vessels are said to have gathered at the scene, carrying hawkers demanding an inquiry.
Some 7.5% of world sea trade passes through the Suez Canal, which is 190km long (118 miles) and 120m wide (395ft) at its narrowest point.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7311992.stm
Sounds like the captain deserves a promotion.
save for darwin award list
wow
Not a U. S. “warship;” a commercial vessel, reportedly hauling military materials, probably returning war materiel to Uncle Sugar.
Look how high up the side of the ship is! Probably 30 feet, at least. No way you could do business with someone in that ship from a speedboat.
Small arms only, probably not even .50 cal.
Exactly. And you know that even if there were secondaries from the approaching boat, the MSM would not report it...
Don’t mess with the Merchant Marine
Found out a couple of things...
1. Ship may be under contract to USN..
2. If so and she’s transporting supplies for a unit deployed, then she’ll have armed supercargo aboard babysitting the cargo. Why? See point 3.
3. Other main threat besides terrorists are simple piracy..no, not the RPG/take over the ship kind like further south, more like the steal aboard and swipe whatever isn’t nailed down kind.
Its crew followed proper protocol. An approaching motorboat is not going to sell wares to a merchant vessel.
At best, they are testing defenses for the next terrorist or pirate attack.
At worst, they are terrorists or pirates. Terrorists deserve to be blown out of the water. Pirates deserve to climb the king's rope. Those probing for either group deserve to be dispatched in the manner most convenient for their target.
Pay our boys bounty and buy them more bullets.
The WARSHIP in question is a privately owned cargo ship that I have seen loading wheat in Portland several times in the last few years.
Umm....they do so all the time.
There was a CPO on my last ship who did this for a while (armed guard mobile detachment on USNS and MSC charter ships in Fifth Fleet area). I've been wracking my brain to remember what they were called but I can't.
marking
Fully laden, the ship would be a lot lower. How far? Anywhere from 3 to 5 meters. Easily scalable by accommodation ladders or even hand-over-hand by rope.
As a sailor who plied those waters and most of the rest, I feel safe saying that you sell sailors and hawkers short in the ingenuity department...
My brother was third Mate on a non-military Shipping Vessel during the Gulf War. Their cargo: warheads. They sat for more than 30 days waiting for a signal. It never came. The war was over.
03-24-2008, 22h44
ISMAILIYA, Egypt (AFP)
A US military ship about to cross the Suez Canal opened fire Monday on barges of hawkers that approached their boat, killing one Egyptian and wounding two others, a security source said.
The ship, Global Patriot, had arrived from the Red Sea and was waiting in the Gulf of Suez to sail to the Mediterranean when a group of Egyptians seeking to sell merchandise approached the boat on small barges, the source said.
Americans on board told the barges to stop and opened fire when they continued to approach.
Several of the small barges that usually ply their trade in small goods on the canal gathered in protest immediately after the shooting but then dispersed, leaving the Suez waterway clear for traffic.
According to the website of the US Navy's Military Sealift Command, the MV Global Patriot is a roll-on roll-off transport ship chartered from Global Container Lines.
The security source said that the ship was expected to cross the Suez Canal as planned at 6:00 am (0300 GMT) on Tuesday.
WOW!!! That must be one of the new “fast attack” cargo ships!!!
You can always go and check out the Liberty Ship SS Stephen Hopkins
High and dry or fully laden - how to tell?
The purpose of a load line is to ensure that a ship has sufficient freeboard and thus sufficient reserve buoyancy. The freeboard on commercial vessels is measured between the uppermost continuous deck and the waterline and this must not be less than the freeboard marked on the Load Line Certificate issued to that ship.
All commercial ships, other than in exceptional circumstances,[1] have a load line symbol painted amidships on each side of the ship and this symbol must also be permanently marked so that if the paint wears off it can still be seen. The load line makes it easy for anyone to see whether a ship has been overloaded. The exact location of the Load Line is calculated and/or verified by a Classification Society and that society issues the relevant certificates.
This symbol, also called an international load line or *Plimsoll line*, indicates the maximum safe draft, and therefore the minimum freeboard for the vessel in various operating conditions.
Just for fun, when you all go ship watching.
But is it really a normal practice for little boats carrying “hawkers” to make unannounced, uninvited approaches to large cargo vessels? AND decline to turn around when someone aboard the large vessel tells them to (presumably by some means that would be understood by people who habitually drive little boats around huge carge vessles)?
Remember the Cole.
This would never have made headlines if these Muzzies were on an African Safari and had run out into the savanna to say hi to a pride of lions.
Looks like a cargo ship to me.
With that statement sir, you have passed your Coast Guard exam. That was as if it came right out of the book.
Have been up and down that canal once or twice and have always been required to have civilian “guides” on board.
That must have been a stressful time for your brother to be sitting on such a cargo without any clear indication of when they’d offload. What was security like on the vessel for those 30 days? Must have been pretty damned tight.
I assume this ship had a civilian crew, including the shooters.
They had no choice because the ship was in immediate potential peril.
No choice at all and it amazes me that these idiot hawkers would even attempt something like that unless one of the boats had a ulterior motive in mind and encouraged the rest for cover..
LOL Can’t have you drag racing thru the canal....
“...failed to stop when asked”; sounds like a souped up version of Suicide by Cop...
Besides the other small boat harassment - not sure I remember where it took place - but I remember seeing the video .. and this is probably why they weren’t taking any chances.
Good for them ..!!
These “hawkers” could have all been innocent — but simply undisciplined and contemptuous of the order to “STOP”...
From time to time - ENFORCEMENT of a “no violate zone” around a ship’s perimeter is probably necessary and prudent...
Word WILL get out, after a few corpses are produced - that it is wise to STOP when so ordered by ANY American ship.....
We are NOT required to be floating ducks for Islamists to attack....
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