Posted on 04/18/2011 8:32:51 AM PDT by Sancho1984
As Somalian pirates continue to hold seven Indian merchant sailors hostage, the Indian Navy, in what is a possible retaliatory posture, today diverted a warship from anti-piracy patrolling duties to station it off the coast of Somalia in North-eastern Africa.
On Friday pirates released eight of the 15 Indian sailors held hostage since September last year. Seven other Indians, which includes six officers, have been held back despite the pirates having got an undisclosed sum as ransom from the owners of the merchant ship MV Asphalt Venture. The ship was hijacked in September last year when it was on its way to Durban from Mombassa, Kenya.
The pirates have been quoted in the international media as wanting to trade the seven Indian sailors in a “swap deal” with Indian authorities to seek the release of more than 100 of their brethren captured by the Indian Navy. Sources confirmed that representatives of the external affairs, home affairs, defence and shipping ministries, respectively, met today to take stock of the situation.
The Navy was tasked to send its warship. A Talwar class frigate a 4000-tonne vessel has been diverted from the its anti-piracy duties off the gulf of Aden to be stationed off the coast of Somalia, sources said while refusing to give further details on the operations the ship will carry out. Additional ships will take some five days to reach, hence the Indian Navy can seek the aid of other Navies in the areas. A flotilla of European and US-led Navies is on patrol close by and the international Navies usually cooperate with each other at high seas.
Authorities are tight-lipped about the possible options that the government will exercise to free the remaining seven hostages. A “swap deal” is not one of the options on the table. The last time India was involved in the hostage “swap deal” was in Kandahar 1999 when three terrorists were released to free 150 passengers of the Indian Airlines flight IC-814 taken hostage by pro-Taliban militants.
Meanwhile, this morning the MV Asphalt Venture owners appealed to Somali pirates to keep their word and release the vessels remaining seven Indian sailors. The owners have expressed deep disappointment over the pirates reneging on their word. This is despite meeting all demands of the negotiated settlement and paying the mutually agreed ransom, an official statement issued by the company said.
India takes a very dim view of such activity. Before this is over, the pirates will wish they had approached Obama’s ships.
Recent Indian Navy activities indicate the pirates have run out Indian patience.
Dude.
Big heapum trouble.
YEA!!!Time to test live Brahmos Cruise missiles on pirates hideout .
I think, long term, the Indian Navy’s only viable approach is to tell the pirates “Release the hostages now. If we have to go in, no Somali will be left alive when we leave.”
Clinton proved decisively to the Somali’s and the world, that we don’t have the will or power to do anything there.
What a deal, make the swap at sea, then.......well
Naah. Load up the 5” on the bow with HE and plaster the caostal towns until the hostages are released.
THEN use the bigger stuff.
Death to pirates. Give no quarter!
Naah. Load up the 5” on the bow with HE and plaster the caostal towns until the hostages are released.
THEN use the bigger stuff.
Death to pirates. Give no quarter!
That might be the prettiest war ship I have seen since the USS Constitution.
I hope that she fights as good as she looks!
It's only a 4"
Why not compromise? the RBU-6000 AS launcher can be used for shore bombardment
There are times when you make your point better if your targets can see the fire from above and get to say "incoming"
I understand the arguments about ‘how would you feel if it was your son/daughter/relative held there and everyone wanted to just blow it all up” and I sympathize.
But sympathy is the pirates best weapon against us. Just like Muslims and the human shields they use. Until someone/country goes back to the days of old, rediscovers testecular fortitude and levels these pigs once and for all, they will just continue to take more hostages.
The people responsible are the pirates and muslims, but lately I blame the excuse makers more.
Heh! Agreed.
Since Somalia is where some of these pirates have escaped in the past (with or without hostage ship) India is smart to be ready and waiting there. I could hardly blame India if it happened to catch and track some other pirates (if not these) on the way back and then it blew their land based nest to smithereens. That would send a tooth jarring message to the pirates.
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