Maybe the took the old New Jersey out one more time?
Posted on 09/29/2008 8:38:05 PM PDT by valkyry1
Several U.S. battleships are currently surrounding the Ukrainian ship which was hijacked by Somali pirates last week. Their purpose is to prevent the unloading of the 33 tanks and other military equipment that is currently onboard.
The captain of a hijacked Ukrainian ship being held off the coast of Somalia has died. Conflicting reports suggest he died of heart attack or hypertension.
The pirates have initially demanded a ransom of $US35 million, reportedly lowering their demands to $US5 million.
(Excerpt) Read more at russiatoday.com ...
Maybe the took the old New Jersey out one more time?
looks like a massive secret radar system.
http://unian.net/eng/news/news-275517.html
Tensions increased Sunday over what to do about the arms-carrying cargo ship hijacked off the coast of Somalia, as the pirates vowed to fight to the death, a hostage died and Somali officials urged the American Navy to send in commandos.
According to a broadcast on the BBC Somali service, the pirates said that they could see an American destroyer nearby and several military aircraft tracking them, but that they were not afraid.
“They can’t catch us like goats,” said a man who said he was a spokesman for the pirates. “We will fight, and everyone here will die with us.”
The man said he was speaking on a satellite phone from the bridge of the hijacked Ukrainian ship, and to prove it, he handed the phone to another man who said he was the captain. The captain, a Ukrainian, then told the BBC that a Russian crew member had died from hypertension.
A band of pirates hijacked the ship on Thursday evening as it was heading to Kenya with a large supply of arms, including 33 T-72 battle tanks, grenade launchers and ammunition, all for the Kenyan military.
Somali officials said Sunday that the ship was anchored a few miles off the coast between Xarardheere and Hobyo, two notorious pirate dens where several other hijacked vessels have been taken. The pirates said they would not release the 20 crew members or the arms until they were paid $20 million in cash.
Somali officials said there might be no way to resolve the standoff other than storming the ship.
“A military operation has to be taken,” said Ahmed Said Aw-nur, minister of fisheries for the semiautonomous state of Puntland in northern Somalia.
“If the Islamists get the arms,” he said, referring to Islamist insurgents currently waging war on Somalia’s weak government, “they will cause problems for all of Somalia.”
American military officials said that they were closely watching the ship but that there were no plans to raid it.
“We’re deeply concerned about what’s aboard, as well as the safety of the crew,” said Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the Navy’s Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain. “We’re hoping the arms don’t make it to shore.”
Lieutenant Christensen said the American destroyer Howard was following the hijacked ship from less than five miles away and communicating with it via bridge-to-bridge radio.
My brother is on the uss Roosevelt and he emailed me yesterday and said they are there.
I don't know. I don't think I've read anything that lists the ownership of the tanks one way or another.
cool!
Which ones? I hope the Texas is one of them, she hasn't been to sea since WWII, that would be really cool.
Probably not. Ukraine is a major manufacturer and exporter of armored vehicles.
That is redundant.
Gadzooks! How little do I know... 
I thought the USS Texas BB-35 went out into the Gulf because of Ike!
I wonder... 
if they got the Big Mo in on this, too?
In a sane world -— a team of “professionals” would be put aboard that hijacked ship and EVERY Somali thug on board killed..
Not one dime of ransom...
Not one hijacker left alive...
At least he didn't say "Schooners" or "Clippers"...It's a start.
Lucky for them they didn’t hijack the Iranian ship.
Now thats a BattleShip!
The pirates ahave vowed to fight till their death?
I say we grant them their wish.
Apparently the pirates haven’t heard how the Russians handled South Osenia...
This would be the perfect training mission for a SEAL unit. Live fire exercises are always best.
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