Posted on 11/21/2008 7:39:05 PM PST by Cindy
Nairobi, Kenya (CNSNews.com) – Because of escalating piracy, Africa’s high seas are fast becoming dominated by foreign navies, raising questions about African countries’ ability to secure their own waters.
Some military analysts say the situation presents an opportunity for African nations to strengthen their own naval power and form regional alliances to police the high seas.
Others predict that Africans will leave the policing to Western navies, because even African countries with effective navies have their own unique problems to deal with.
Warships from the United States, other NATO members and Russia and India are attempting to secure the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, as well as parts of the Atlantic Ocean, off the coasts of Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Angola.
Private military contractors also are finding new sources of revenue in the African waters. One of them, Blackwater, announced in October that its 183-foot ship, the McArthur, would be deployed in the Gulf of Aden."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
MEMRI IWMP.org - blog: "JAZEERATALK.NET FORUM MEMBER: AL-QAEDA IS BEHIND HIJACKING OF SHIPS OFF SOMALIA" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "On November 19, 2008, a member of the Al-Faluja Islamist forum presented a posting from the Jazeeratalk.net forum, reproduced verbatim, to the effect that the hijacking of ships off Somalia in recent months had been part of Al-Qaeda's strategy aimed at luring U.S. forces into the region.") (Posted November 19, 2008)
...to the shores of Tripoli!
Yep!
Can you imagine a world without Americans? Read this. It will make you proud.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2136326/posts
I think we might see a short surge of piracy acts if they think they are running out of time to operate as freely with the inbound ships and international outcry over the tanker.
Maybe the gloves will come off completely after the tanker.
Who writes this stuff?
the situation presents an opportunity for African nations to strengthen their own naval power and form regional alliances to police the high seas.
Thats one way to describe piracy. Africans are strengthening their naval power and "policing" the high seas. Yes, thats one way to put it.
I just wanna ship our anarchists to Somalia so they can get a taste of thier anarchist utopia.
“Maybe the gloves will come off completely after the tanker.”
That would be very good.
“I just wanna ship our anarchists to Somalia so they can get a taste of thier anarchist utopia.”
We can’t afford Congressional junkets at this time.
We know that millions and millions of dollars in ransom has exchanged hands over the years.
Where is that money kept? How are the transfers made? It would be nice if someone could seize, freeze or incinerate those assets.
Seems to me that the French Naval Forces stationed in Djibouti are ideally positioned to wreak havoc on the pirates in the area. A choppper full of Legionnaires dropping on the deck of one of those pirate ships would sort out the miscreants and have them walk the plank.
This is a photo of a motorboat from HMS Cumberland on the left. On the right is a boatload of Somali pirates who have surrendered. This photo was taken after three of the pirates had been shot dead. It's the Western powers that have to move in and stabilize this situation. The African countries just don't have the wherewithal to do it.
Whatever happened to the Ukranian ship carrying tanks that was captured a few weeks ago?
Ongoing. US Navy has her surrounded and there are negotiations going on. Those pirates seem to be getting multiple offers for those weapon systems.
ADDING links:
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers30/paper2933.html
Paper no. 2933
21-Nov-2008
“ACTIVE DEFENCE OF INDIAN SHIPPING AGAINST SOMALI PIRACY:INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM MONITOR-—PAPER NO.470”
By B.Raman
#
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers30/paper2932.html
Paper no. 2932
21-Nov-2008
“Piracy in Somalia waters: Time for Indian lead initiative”
By R.S. Vasan
#
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers30/paper2930.html
Paper no. 2930
20-Nov-2008
“Rules Of Engagement In Maritime Counter-Terrorism & Counter-Piracy - International Terrorism Monitor-— Paper No. 469”
By B. Raman
#
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers30/paper2929.html
Paper no. 2929
19-Nov-2008
“If Pirates Can Hijack An Oil Super-Tanker With Such Ease, So Can Al Qaeda - International Terrorism Monitor——Paper No. 468”
By B. Raman
The piracy case in Somalia is a perfect example of victim disarmament at sea. Most merchant ships are forbidden by their countries’ laws from having weapons on board (a ban which is enforced by rigorous inspections), which leaves a 20.000tn ship worth hundreds of million of dollars vulnerable to a pirate dinghy with a crew of five armed with AKs and RPGs worth a few hundred bucks. So do we allow owners to spend a few thousand dollars on weapons and private security on board? God forbid! No, much better to send a carrier group, or just nuke the high seas.
At present the war navies of India, Russia, Britain, the US, Malasya and a NATO taskforce are in the Gulf of Aden playing cat-and-mouse with a few Somali pirates. An EU fleet is on its way.
The last that I heard, it was being held for ransom.
INCIDENT UPDATE:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,456427,00.html
(AP)
Somali Pirates Release Greek Chemical Tanker Hijacked in September
Saturday, November 22, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “ATHENS, Greece — Somali pirates released a Greek-owned tanker that was hijacked in September, a Greek government spokesman said Saturday.
The tanker MV Genius was released Friday with its cargo of refined oil intact and the crew of 19 safe, Merchant Marine Ministry spokesman Constantine Gialelis said. He said the ship’s owners would not provide any information, including whether ransom was paid.”
Thanks for the update.
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.