Posted on 05/15/2012 4:20:19 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
European Union naval forces on Tuesday struck Somali pirate targets on the coast of the country in the first raids by the European force on the Somali mainland.
“We believe this action by the EU Naval Force will further increase the pressure on, and disrupt pirates’ efforts to get out to sea to attack merchant shipping and dhows," Rear Adm. Duncan Potts, operational commander of the force, said in a statement.
Several pirate attack skiffs, the small boats pirates use to attack merchant vessels in the open ocean, were destroyed in the raid, said Timo Lange, media officer at the naval force's headquarters in England.
No Somalis were injured in the raid, which was conducted entirely by air, the force's statement said.
"The local Somali people and fishermen – many of whom have suffered so much because of piracy in the region, can be reassured that our focus was on known pirate supplies and will remain so in the future," Potts said in the statement.
On March 23, the Council of the European Union said the naval force would be permitted to attack pirate installations on shore.
The force currently has nine warships and five maritime patrol aircraft operating off Somalia under Operation ATALANTA, which began in December 2008.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.blogs.cnn.com ...
Have the French surrendered yet?
What the heck did they do...fly by at low level and strongly wag their fingers in the pirates general direction?
Should have been done years ago. If Reagan was President he would have wiped out the SOBs.
Wow! How long have these pirates been operating ? Ten years? Bet it all stops now with this forceful decisive action. Just shows how emasculated the Europeans have become. They ought to read the classics and learn how Julius Caesar dealt with pirates.
Did they hire “5 O’Clock Charlie” from MASH?
Obama news conference at 2000 hrs...He announces his “ ‘Pirate Plan’ has been initiated and is a success.”
They’ll either build, buy or steal new ones. This doesn’t deal with the problem at all.
Are they using the Italian navy to launch a sneak attack from the bottom of the ocean?
The Somali Shore.... thats like the Jersey Shore without orange people, right?
Anything but that !
I think it is known as “Operation Perter Pan and Tinkerbell”.
“No Somalis were injured in the raid,...”
A complete and sorry waste of time. You deal with pirates by KILLING them.
‘Bout darn time!
I'll bet the pirates had to go to bed without supper.
dropped bio-degradable, post-consumer warning leaflets printed with all natural ink by union and minority labor.
Send in “Snoky”. SHe’ll scare the hell out of them and they will surrender without a fight, or, eat her.
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