Agreed 100%.
To this date, none of the pirate hostages have ever been harmed . . . It's all about the ransom money.
$2 million dollars the last I heard.
http://www.news-press.com/article/20090411/NEWS01/904110373/1075
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Somali Pirates Hijack American Ship
- Thread starter Landis82
- Start date
Agreed 100%.
To this date, none of the pirate hostages have ever been harmed . . . It's all about the ransom money.
$2 million dollars the last I heard.
http://www.news-press.com/article/20090411/NEWS01/904110373/1075
Landis, yes that is true...but those insurance premiums have been skyrocketing lately. Pretty soon it will be cheaper just to pay ransoms when an incident happens. Or better yet the shipping companies could pay the pirates ahead of an incident...protection money...or a type of toll...ha!! LOL!!
It won't be long before the pirates in southeast asia begin some high profile attacks. They must be envious of the Somalian pirates who for now are capturing all the attention and the loot.
I guess we will just have to wait for a group of not so disciplined pirates to attack a ship and kill everyone on board, or maybe capture a cruise ship and rape and kill a bunch of women before shipping companies begin any large scale attempts to properly arm their crews.
The failure of developed nations including the US and Britain to put an end to this lunacy sends a very bad message throughout the world. Piracy can become a major problem in places far away from the horn of Africa, very quickly...if it is seen as a way for very poor and destitute people to become rich quickly. Pirates know that the worlds navies cannot be everywhere and like all criminals they love defenseless unarmed victims.
It won't be long before the pirates in southeast asia begin some high profile attacks. They must be envious of the Somalian pirates who for now are capturing all the attention and the loot.
I guess we will just have to wait for a group of not so disciplined pirates to attack a ship and kill everyone on board, or maybe capture a cruise ship and rape and kill a bunch of women before shipping companies begin any large scale attempts to properly arm their crews.
The failure of developed nations including the US and Britain to put an end to this lunacy sends a very bad message throughout the world. Piracy can become a major problem in places far away from the horn of Africa, very quickly...if it is seen as a way for very poor and destitute people to become rich quickly. Pirates know that the worlds navies cannot be everywhere and like all criminals they love defenseless unarmed victims.
Quote from NeoRio1:
I haven't been watching the news for the last couple days.
What does Obama think about this situation?
Why would it matter for him to make public remarks?
Do you wish to elevate Somalian pirates to the level of world leaders and give them some sort of credibility by having the President of the United States talk about them in public?
Why would any one want to give them that kind of status?
Why would that be constructive, especially when our VP, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and General David Petraeus have already made statements regarding the hostage situation?
These are not "terrorists" trying to advance a particular political will. These are criminals seeking ransom.
I thought it was highly embarassing when British navy sailors surrendered to the Iranians a couple of years ago without firing a shot. Now the US navy is repelled by this raggedy-ass bunch of pirates in a lifeboat.
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Source: Pirates repel sailors attempting to reach captain
Story Highlights
NEW: Gunfire from pirates forces sailors, who did not return fire, to turn back
NEW: FBI launches criminal investigation into hijacking, hostage-taking
Maersk Alabama arrives in Mombasa, Kenya under armed guard
Capt. RichardPhillips is being held by four gunmen in covered, fiberglass lifeboat
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Pirates off the eastern coast of Africa fired on U.S. sailors Saturday as they tried to reach the lifeboat where an American captain is being held, a U.S. official familiar with the situation told CNN.
The gunfire forced the sailors, who did not return fire, to turn back, the official said.
The incident took place some 12 hours ago as the guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge sent a small team toward the lifeboat, said the official.
Capt. Richard Phillips offered himself as a hostage to the pirates during an attack Wednesday on the U.S.-flagged container ship Maersk Alabama in the Indian Ocean.
The Alabama was en route to Mombasa with a cargo of food aid when it was hijacked about 350 miles off the Somalia coast.
The American crew regained control of the vessel, but the Maersk company would not say how. There are about 20 crew members.
"For security reasons, the vessel will berth in a restricted area of the port and will not be accessible to the media. FBI officers will debrief members of the crew on board the vessel before they disembark. The crew will not be available to the media in Mombasa," Maersk Ltd. said.
The Maersk Alabama arrived Saturday in Mombasa, along with an 18-person armed security detail on board.
The U.S. Navy -- which is in charge of the situation -- requested help from the FBI to resolve the standoff. Watch more about the hostage situation »
The FBI is launching a criminal investigation into the hijacking and hostage-taking, two law enforcement officials told CNN. The probe will be led by the FBI's New York field office, which has responsibility for looking into cases involving U.S. citizens in the African region. Agents from the office were scheduled to leave for Africa sometime this weekend, the officials said.
Phillips lives in Underhill, Vermont, where neighbor and longtime family friend, Tom Walsh, told CNN the captain's wife, Andrea, was surrounded by relatives.
"If they need us to help with anything. That's kind of the way it is in these communities. ... just showing that we're concerned. We want to do whatever she needs," Walsh said. "She has a lot of family there."
Earlier Saturday, pirates sailing a hijacked German cargo ship returned to port after failing to reach the area of the standoff with the Bainbridge, a local journalist told CNN.
The German ship Hansa Stavanger was among several pirated vessels trying to sail to the area some 300 miles off the Somali coast, a Somali journalist told CNN.
The pirate crew had intended to help the pirates holding Phillips but turned back because of the U.S. naval presence, the journalist said. The Hansa Stavanger is now at the Somali port of Eyl, the journalist said.
The Hansa Stavanger was hijacked April 4 off the Somali coast.
Pirates have been searching the waters off Africa's coast for the Alabama's lifeboat, a U.S. military official with knowledge of the situation said Friday. They are using hijacked vessels and skiffs launched from larger ships, the official said.
The guided missile frigate USS Halyburton, with helicopter capabilities, has joined the Bainbridge in the area. A third ship, the he amphibious assault ship USS Boxer -- with a medical facility aboard -- should be there by the end of the day. iReport.com: Share your thoughts on how the pirates are being handled
Phillips is being held by four gunmen in the covered, fiberglass lifeboat. He jumped overboard at one point to try to escape, but one of the pirates jumped into the water after him and brought him back onboard the 28-foot boat.
The pirates fired shots, the military official said, without providing further details.
Phillips appeared to be tied up by the pirates after the escape attempt, a Defense Department official told CNN.
For the U.S. Navy, bringing in more firepower is more than just a means to resolve a hostage situation, said Chris Lawrence, CNN's Pentagon correspondent.
Attacks in the area have picked up so drastically in recent months that the Navy has to reposition some of its fleet to deal with the threats, he said.
The pirates have shown no signs of giving in.
Meanwhile, the acts of piracy were having an effect on tourists disembarking from ships in Mombasa.
"Well, we got the international news stories on television on the ship and everybody's concerned about the route that we were on because there was always the possibility that we would be approached by pirates," one male passenger said.
CNN's Stephanie Elam, Mohammed Jamjoom and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.
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Quote from hughb:
I thought it was highly embarassing when British navy sailors surrendered to the Iranians a couple of years ago without firing a shot. Now the US navy is repelled by this raggedy-ass bunch of pirates in a lifeboat.
And given your military expertise in hostage situations, what do you suggest the U.S. Navy do right now that they aren't already doing . . . and do so without endangering the life of Captain Phillips?
Quote from Dr. Zhivodka:
The water and food on the Maersk life boat will run low soon.
A very reasonable assumption, but from what I've read hunger & thirst won't be an issue:
<i>...most of the lifeboats are about 28 feet long and carry water and food for 34 people for 10 days. The lifeboats are covered and the elder Murphy suspects the pirates have closed the ports to avoid sniper fire.
"I'll guarantee you that if they get all the ports closed, which they probably do, I'll tell you it's probably 100 degrees in there, no air flow, there's no toilet,"</i>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30125386