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Pirates Bring German Ship Into US Stand-Off ( off Somali Coast)
Sky News ^
| 4:14am UK, Saturday April 11, 2009
| Sky News
Posted on 04/10/2009 11:46:29 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Pirates are moving a hijacked German freighter into position as a reinforcement in a stand-off with the US Navy over an American hostage.
The Hansa Stavanger is heading to the area in the Indian Ocean where cargo ship captain Richard Phillips was seized, a pirate source said.
The 20,000-ton ship, which was taken a week ago between Kenya and the Seychelles, has a crew of 24, of whom five are German.
Fox News correspondent Greg Palkot, who is in the Kenyan port of Mombasa, told Sky News: "What the pirates are saying they intend to do is transfer the American and the four pirates from the lifeboat onto this other boat.
"They think the Americans wouldn't attack one or the other because they would be afraid of killing people."
The pirates holding Phillips have demanded $2m (£1.6m) for his release and a guarantee of their own safety.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Germany; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: germany; piracy; pirates; somalia; somalipirates
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To: neverdem; NormsRevenge; Grampa Dave; SierraWasp; Marine_Uncle; SunkenCiv; blam; Allegra; ...
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
To: All
Background info :
Somali Pirates Seize American Cargo Ship
Vessel was seized off the coast of Somalia
1:47pm UK, Wednesday April 08, 2009
Somali pirates have seized a cargo ship with 20 American crew on board off the Horn of Africa.
The 17,000-tonne vessel was attacked in the Indian Ocean, 400 miles from the Somali capital Mogadishu.
The vessel is owned by the Copenhagen-based container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk.
In a statement, the company later confirmed that the US-flagged vessel has 20 Americans onboard.
Andrew Mwangura, of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme, said all the crew are believed to be safe.
A spokesman for the US Navy confirmed there were American citizens on board, but did not say how many.
The vessel is the first to be captured with an all-American crew.
On Monday, pirates hijacked a British-owned, Italian-operated ship with 16 Bulgarian crew on board.
Over the weekend, they also seized a French yacht, a Yemeni tug, and a 20,000-tonne German container vessel.
Interfax news agency said the Hansa Stavanger had a German captain, three Russians, two Ukrainians, and 14 Filipinos on board.
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
They have already turned back.
5
posted on
04/10/2009 11:54:20 PM PDT
by
Domangart
(editor and publisher)
To: Star Traveler
"Well, I started off saying this, earlier today (in another thread)... I'll say this much, it doesn't look like there's a good option here. The absolute wrong thing to do, is to pay ransom. But, I'm sure that's what Barry will do, through back channels presumably. The Germans will certainly pay the ransom as they don't have a legitimate military option - thank you Adolph.
I suppose you could sink the German freighter, but the international outrage would of course be leveled us the US, and not the pirates. The US should have acted before the German freighter arrived. Now a complicated situation becomes exponentially more complicated. Way to go Barry!
To: Star Traveler
Excellent Work....look at the detail of what I just posted...the pirates have been really busy this week....
I count 5 ships including the small yacht and a tug.
To: Big_Monkey; Domangart
According to Domangart at post #5 the pirates changed their minds....now that is interesting.....
To: Domangart
Is that detail on an earlier thread...?
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Hmmm..., in post #4, are you talking about the same ship for which they’ve got one hostage right now, the captain? Or are you talking about another ship with Americans (a second one) in addition to the first ship with Americans?
I’m not sure what you’re posting there...
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
"According to Domangart at post #5 the pirates changed their minds....now that is interesting..... Couldn't find it apparently. My brother and I were talking today (he's active duty Navy) about this. We couldn't figure out how the the hijacked vessels were going to locate the life raft. Certainly, the US vessels on station would be jamming any electronic communication from the raft. I guess we have our answer now.
To: Big_Monkey
Yeah, you’re right about the outrage being directed at the U.S. if they sunk another ship that had hostages on boards. Other countries wouldn’t take that sort of thing too well... :-)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
This story just gets more bizarre by the second.
13
posted on
04/11/2009 12:05:02 AM PDT
by
Proud_USA_Republican
(Trust unto God and He shall direct your path)
To: Star Traveler
To: Star Traveler
Talking about this one:
The vessel is owned by the Copenhagen-based container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk.
As far as I know there has only been one ship seized with americans as crew.
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
All right... I just had a different name for it on my list...
To: Big_Monkey
Now that relieves the pressure on Obama...a bit!
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Saw it on a wire story a few minutes ago. They apparently got lost and turned back. Now they’re talking about sending elders to negotiate safe passage and dropping the ransom demand. Of course, at the rate the story’s changing, that’ll probably also change before I can hit the return key.
18
posted on
04/11/2009 12:19:10 AM PDT
by
ArmstedFragg
(hoaxy dopey changey)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
"Now that relieves the pressure on Obama...a bit! It does. It will be interesting if any other hijacked ship tries to make it to the raft. Those SOLAS-A lifeboat are equipped with propulsion that can go at least a couple hundred miles. Plus, they have all the latest GPS and sat-com technologies, ePirbs, SARTs and whatnot.
To: Big_Monkey
Is this a good image of the lifeboat?
To: Big_Monkey
Isn’t that lifeboat out of gas ?
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
That’s it exactly. Check out the your thread on the topic. I just posted another picture and a list of provisions. The provisions might allow this to play out for some time.
To: MetaThought
"Isn’t that lifeboat out of gas ? Apparently not. But, there is some speculation that the motor is not working either due to the Captain sabotaging it, or some other mechanical malfunction. With that model, after it's in the water, someone has to manually remove an access panel to the engine and connect the battery. The captain could have sabotaged it then. But, it's all speculation at this point.
To: Star Traveler
From that thread...(post #3)...Title at Atlas Shrugs...
DAY 3 JIHAD PIRACY KIDNAPPING: CAPTAIN MAKES DRAMATIC ESCAPE, JUMPS OVERBOARD BUT IS RECAPTURED, O-BAMBI YAWNS AS OTHER PIRATES JOIN THE JIHAD, OBAMA INACTION LEADS TO DEEPENING CRISIS
When asked about the kidnapped American captain in a blatant act of war, Obambi replied, "guys, we're talking about housing right now". When not bowing to Muslim kings, he is ducking Muslim pirates.
And there is a video...there....
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Can you post the video link..., I couldn’t find it... sorry.
To: Star Traveler
To: Star Traveler
And Cal thomas had some things to say...now if I can find the thread again...running a Beta Ubuntu OS...
CAL THOMAS: Pirate Standoff — The Tyrants Are Watching Obama
**********************EXCERPT INTRO************************
Posted on Fri 10 Apr 2009 04:14:48 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Perhaps the major reason it has been 200 years since pirates dared challenge the United States of America on the high seas was the decisive action taken by Thomas Jefferson (the first Democrat) against them. Jefferson dispatched the schooner USS Enterprise in 1801 to the same Barbary Coast where today’s Somali (and as back then) Islamic pirates demanded financial tribute from the United States. The U.S. Navy soundly defeated the pirates.
The world’s tyrants are watching to see how President Obama reacts. The message they get will determine how they respond to America and whether we will be in greater peril.
To: rodguy911
To: Big_Monkey
Geez:
Lifeboats take on the Arctic
**************************Excerpt*****************************
For nearly 100 years, ocean going vessels have carried evacuation craft. Completely open to the elements, lifeboats originally were built with no apparent consideration for the human beings that would be accommodated, often waiting for days to be rescued.
Even though advancements have been made in nearly every other aspect of vessel construction and functionality, the lifeboats in use today have remained virtually unchanged for nearly a century. Fortunately, the maritime community has begun to recognize that standards need to be set not only for the safety of personnel in need of a lifeboat, but also for the usability and habitability of equipment.
The Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention (established in 1914 in response to the Titanic disaster) set basic lifeboat design requirements. Based on these standards and those set forth by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), changes regarding the design and requirements of lifeboats are beginning to take place.
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
I’m wondering when others are going to start hijacking ships. It seems to be a pretty good business. The most powerful nation on the earth can’t stop them.
To: ArmstedFragg
They apparently got lost and turned back.The story they are giving the news media is that they couldn't find them....I think they chickened out with the Navy arriving.
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
That could be some of those UFO sightings that have been seen around... :-)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Navy showing the guts Hussein lacks.
Hussein steers the discussion back to housing; Hitlery cackles.
34
posted on
04/11/2009 1:11:11 AM PDT
by
PhilDragoo
(Hussein: Islamo-Commie from Kenya)
To: Star Traveler
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Yeah, you mention John Bolton — and he said what is the appropriate response after this is over...
Well..., I’ve been saying all along that it would have been easy to take care of, a long time ago. The solution would have been to have military jets on call for any hijacking/piracy call. Ships normally evade the pirates for a little while, and during that time, it would easy for those jets to arrive on the scene. They can blow them out of the water in no time flat.
I really don’t know why these countries around there had not done that a long time ago. I guess no one has wanted to do anything about it before...
Maybe this particular piracy event will finally get these countries “moving”...
To: PhilDragoo; Star Traveler
John Bolton calls AG Holden comments pathetic...see Youtube linked at Post #35.
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
I just finished it. As I was saying maybe finally these countries will start taking some action like they should have done a long time ago. I think they should have had military jets on patrol and on-call for several years now and they had not done anything about it.
It seems that too many of these other countries simply don’t want to get involved in it. I guess it will take the United States getting involved to finally do something about it.
To: Star Traveler
Obama and friends will try to take advantage of the situation to promote their Agenda...that is what is going on.....
To: All
Time to hit the rack here....nite!
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
If you destroy the pirates' boats, if you destroy the pirates' bases, and--truth be told--if you kill enough of the pirates, I think that will have a deterrent effect.
God bless, John Bolton.
41
posted on
04/11/2009 1:26:24 AM PDT
by
PhilDragoo
(Hussein: Islamo-Commie from Kenya)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Well, they might try to, but you’ve got to remember, the other countries have had their ships hijacked for quite a long while now, and there are several other countries involved in this thing.
The U.S. is a “Johnny-come-lately” to this hijacking thing, since they haven’t had any Americans taken hostage on these ocean-going-vessels before this particular incident. It’s all the other countries who have had their ships hijacked. So, I think they’ll be “on board” to do something about it, too.
I know that right now “America” is finally paying attention to the problem, but that’s only because it’s just happened to Americans. The rest of the world has had their ships hijacked “left and right” for quite a long while now. It’s really a “world problem” — especially when you look at a map and put the “dots” on the map for all the other countries and their ships involved...
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Time’s up. Blast the lifeboat out of the water now. This is getting out of hand.
43
posted on
04/11/2009 1:35:22 AM PDT
by
SuperLuminal
(Where is another agitator for republicanism like Sam Adams when we need him?)
To: PhilDragoo
You were saying — If you destroy the pirates’ boats, if you destroy the pirates’ bases, and—truth be told—if you kill enough of the pirates, I think that will have a deterrent effect.
—
Here’s the thing that I would like to know about this piracy thing. Why is it that the U.S. has to take care of it. I mean, once they get the captain back — why don’t all the other countries who have been having their own ships hijacked “left and right” for a very long time now — why don’t they do something about it?
Are they all just sitting around waiting for the U.S. to do all the hard work? It sure seems funny that it’s their ships that are “dotted all over the map” down there, and yet they just let it go on, over and over again, all this time — a very long time before now.
It’s like they expect the U.S. to do something about it. I personally would like to see those other countries do something about it.
One very easy thing for them to do, would be for those other countries to set up military jets, on call, for when a ship is threatened. During the time the ship is evading the pirates, the jets will have time to get there (either from a carrier or from a base, one or the other). Then the jets can blow the pirates right out of the water and sink their vessels on the open seas.
That’s what those other countries should have been doing over a year ago or more...
I guess too many of them want to wait around for the U.S. to do all the heavy-lifting... LOL...
To: PhilDragoo
This is Ron Howard's new world. You know, a world without "American militarism". This is precisely what you get. They will come out of the wood work in every corner of the globe. This Obama Presidency will be one of the most internationaly destabilizing factors of the early 21st Century. The Japanese are starting to recognize it and write it in columns and reports.
Soon (not yet though) the books praising Obama and slobbering all over him, even using his speeches to teach Japanese the English language, will be no where to be found in the book stacks at Japanese bookstores. Just a few more months........there is NO WAY they will continue to respect WEAKNESS if they figure it out and see it for what it is. (How long AMERICANS take will be another matter.)
45
posted on
04/11/2009 1:40:49 AM PDT
by
AmericanInTokyo
(We live in interesting times.)
To: Star Traveler
It was John Bolton who said killing enough pirates would deter the attacks--from the linked FOX News video.
Other countries apparently pay the ransom as a cost of doing business.
There is no international community.
As John Bolton said, the U.S. Navy is the law on the sea.
46
posted on
04/11/2009 1:43:11 AM PDT
by
PhilDragoo
(Hussein: Islamo-Commie from Kenya)
To: PhilDragoo
Yep..., it’s like I thought, everyone else in the world waiting for the U.S. to do the “heavy lifting”....
Those other countries should have taken care of it a long time ago, since it’s been their ships who have had the problems all along and not ours...
To: PhilDragoo
I am getting so SICK of this Administration, and we are only just three months into this folly. They are going to end up putting us in one serious world of hurt over the next few years. This is just the prologue.
48
posted on
04/11/2009 1:46:42 AM PDT
by
AmericanInTokyo
(We live in interesting times.)
To: AmericanInTokyo; PhilDragoo; Star Traveler; SuperLuminal; ArmstedFragg; trailboss800
One more thing before I close down...from Flopping Aces:
Bubble about to burst on Somali high seas thuggery?
****************************EXCERPT**********************
Posted by: MataHarley @ 5:52 pm in somalia Apr 10
The Somali pirates - which is more akin to mercenary kidnappings to me - had become somewhat the norm in the int’l news. But it’s never burst onto the US scene en masse until it happened to a ship flying US colors, and manned by US crewman.
Yet this was on the radar for quite some time as inevitable. As I noted in my Dec 19th post, even John Kerry was advocating “cautious” hot pursuit on the heels of the UN Security Council giving it’s blessing for any and every willing and able country to wage war on the sea thugs… at sea, in the air, and with boots on Somali ground.
At the time of my December posting, I wondered what then Pres-elect Obama had planned for Somali pirates. Perhaps he put it to the back of his mind, hoping it would happen to anyone other than Americans, and focusing on other issues. But the US POTUS has no luxury to ignore such events… and now the time has run out to turn the cheek on the unchecked piracy.
Unlike previous seizures of ship, the unfolding of this particular event differs in ways beyond it’s American connections. The series of events have created a standoff like no other, and brought the piracy issue to what may be the breaking point.
First the crew - trained in combating piracy without arms (???… like, why no arms???) fought back, and regained control of the ship. The crew captured one scumbag, money grubbing mercenary/pirate, while the pirates held the Captain. Negotiating a trade with human filth never involves honor, so it’s no surprise that Captain Richard Phillips ended up trading his own safety for that of his 19 crewmembers.
Now, the situation is four cockroaches with one feisty and brave maritime captain in a lifeboat that is surrounded by US warships, thwarting any efforts of pirate reinforcements to come to the rescue.
The Bainbridge, backed by drones and surveillance aircraft, was standing guard a few hundred yards from the lifeboat, which had run out of fuel. The frigate USS Halyburton and the assault ship USS Boxer, armed with about two dozen helicopters and attack planes, sailed to the scene yesterday.
According to Bloomberg’s account today, the Bainbridge is constantly monitoring images from a drone flying over the lifeboat.
Despite the constant feed, Capt. Phillips attempted escape was unsuccessful as one pirate dove after him, hauling him back into the lifeboat.
However the pirates have been exceptionally busy this past week, and according to one pirate mouthpiece, they’ve called the calvary. Other seized vessels under control of the pirates are steaming towards to the scene…. along with their captive crew members.
Mohamed Samaw, a resident of the pirate stronghold in Eyl, Somalia, who claims to have a “share” in a British-owned cargo ship that was hijacked on Monday, said that four foreign vessels held by pirates were heading towards the lifeboat. The ships include a seized Taiwanese fishing vessel and a German freighter carrying a total of 54 captured crew members from China, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, the Philippines, Tuvalu, Indonesia and Taiwan.
“The pirates have summoned assistance – skiffs and mother ships are heading towards the area from the coast,” a Nairobi-based diplomat said. A Somali in contact with a pirate leader said that the captors wanted a ransom and were ready to kill Captain Phillips if they were attacked.
Their strategy appears to be to link up with fellow pirates and take Captain Phillips to Somalia, counting on the presence of the other hostages to deter the warships from an attack.
“They had asked us for reinforcement, and we have already sent a good number of well-equipped colleagues who were holding a German cargo ship,” said a man claiming to be a pirate from the lair of Haradhere. “We are not intending to harm the captain, so we hope our colleagues would not be harmed as long as they hold him.”
This now means the pirates, some of their most recent booty and hostages, are now all eyeballing the US warships somewhere hundreds of miles off the Somali coast.
Obviously these seized cargo vessels are utterly useless against heavily armed warships. Nor do the pirates, no doubt enjoying the national spotlight on their standoff, appear to fear the US naval forces.
Despite the odd picture of three warships and a lifeboat, and several pirate controlled cargo ships on the perimeter, the IBD has an op-ed today, commending the Obama admin’s aggressive actions.
Obama’s response was a resolute and overwhelming one that’s likely to demonstrate to bad actors everywhere that he’s not about to hand-wring or go to the United Nations, but show that the U.S. will come after its own with the full force of its military and security apparatus.
First, he ordered the USS Bainbridge after the pirates. As the naval destroyer shadowed the 20-foot dinghy of pirates and their hostage with an obviously prepared contingency plan, a P-3 Orion surveillance plane circled above.
Advanced communication equipment caught everything the pirates said and did on video. Then FBI negotiating crews moved in, offering the pirates their only chance to get out alive by freeing their hostage.
No ransoms. No bargains. No surrender. Nothing like the past ships they’d taken over. Just the prospect of overwhelming force, to help concentrate pirate minds.
Meanwhile, back in Washington, the Obama administration maintained tight radio silence, giving the pirate networks intently monitoring his response nothing to go on.
Obama refused to answer reporters’ questions about his plans, even as some in the media howled.
State Department spokesman Robert Woods was splendidly bland, saying “we are working to do what we can,” annoying the reporters in his briefing, too.
For the pirates, that leaves nothing but a Navy ship shadowing their every move and surveillance aircraft circling overhead as their sole information about U.S. intentions.
In a delicate hostage situation, this entire picture shows probably the most effective course. The professionalism and collective knowledge of the U.S. government’s best practices in a hostage crisis is clearly at work. It’s not force first, but the threat of force, with the saving of life paramount.
Most obvious in this is Obama’s leadership, today’s version of speaking softly and carrying a big stick, the only policy that has really worked for the U.S.
In one way, I agree. On the other hand… much depends on what happens next. The “threat” of force only works well when the other side doesn’t call the bluff. And in this case, what is the US Navy to do? Fire on the lifeboat and other pirate-occupied and unarmed cargo ships?
Or do they end up watching the ransom getting paid, thereby suggesting that the US military and government actually *do* negotiate with terrorists … er, excuse me “criminals”.
Ironically, the French won’t be having that problem. French commandos freed a yacht from piracy with a battle that resulted in the deaths of two pirates, and one hostage. This is the second such action against these pirates launched by Sarkozy… and so far they are batting a 1000, and taking prisoners.
Until yesterday, the only other boat to be freed by force from pirates was a yacht liberated by French naval commandos in September.
Somali pirates seized 43 boats last year and at least 11 so far this year. Roger Middleton, a researcher at Chatham House, a London-based foreign policy institute, estimates pirates have earned up to $80 million from ransoms.
To: AmericanInTokyo
Hussein is a curious blend of America-hating venom--and personal character weakness.
His mother of course hated America, was an atheist, sought out two Muslim Third World men.
Her father was likely on a Soviet stipend enabling him to join CPUSA pervert Frank Marshall Davis--who rhapsodized the Red Army and somethingized Hussein.
Alinsky tearing down America, Wright calling for America to be punished, Ayers the revolutionist ready to eliminate twenty-five million.
Now comes the skinny punk who couldn't pass a drug test, polished up at Harvard on a Saudi scholarship, trotted out to damage America in every dimension.
And with a psyche drunk on himself--he actually believes his own press clippings, a sure recipe for disaster.
He has prostrated himself before the Saudi king, keeper of the holy sites.
Licked the feet of Ahmadinejad and been rebuffed.
Shown himself a poof before Chia Head and Muslim pirates and Russian aggression.
Embraced our enemies and insulted our allies.
The look of the other leaders says, "I pity the fool. . ."
50
posted on
04/11/2009 1:53:46 AM PDT
by
PhilDragoo
(Hussein: Islamo-Commie from Kenya)
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