Pirates Attack More Ships And Vow Revenge
Expect the issue of pirates — and possibly escalations of violence by pirates — to continue to grow because there are already signs that the pirates operating off Somalia intend to send a signal that the U.S. operation that freed a captive and ended in the deaths of three of their comrades won’t stop them, and may even spur them on.
The breaking news is that the pirates are seizing more ships, vowing revenge and that the U.S. military takes them very seriously. The amusing images of Peter Pan’s Captain Hook and Johnny Depp will soon be falling to the wayside as this battle between nation states, shipping corporations, a country that is a shambles, and clans that have a lucrative business model shift into higher gear. Some evidence:
Pirates attacked two more cargo ships Tuesday, continuing a spate of hijackings despite recent U.S. and French military action against hijackers in the waters.
NATO spokeswoman Shona Lowe told the Associated Press that the M/V Sea Horse, a Lebanese-owned cargo ship, was attacked and captured Tuesday by pirates in three or four speedboats. She had no further information.
Pirates also attacked and seized the M/V Irene between 1 and 2 a.m. local time Tuesday, about 100 miles southwest of Al Mukalla, Yemen, according to the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and pirate trackers. The ship was a St. Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged vessel, managed by a Greek company, and crewed by just over 20 sailors.
Pirates also took two Egyptian fishing boats — with a combined crew of up to 24. And pirates are now vowing to increase the body count — with people not from their side:
Jama’ Si’ad, a member of the Somali pirates in the coast of Somalia has vowed on Tuesday that they will kill and revenge from any of the American and French forces they capture in the Somali coast.
“We are very sorry for what happened to our friends who were shot and killed by the French and American marines. But we will pay a quick reaction of that killing. If we capture any of the American or French citizens, we will kill them with guns, swords and any kind of weapons we can,” said Jama’
Meanwhile, the U.S. military says it takes the pirates’ threats seriously and is prepared, AFP reports:
The US takes “seriously” threats from Somali pirates to avenge the deaths of fellow thieves killed by US Navy snipers, the Pentagon’s top officer, Admiral Michael Mullen said Tuesday.
“I certainly take their comments … seriously,” said Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, speaking to ABC television, after US Navy snipers on Sunday ended a five-day hostage drama by killing three pirates.
Mullen said the US military is giving careful consideration to the risk of an increase in aggression during future pirate attacks in the perilous waters off Somalia.
“We’re very well prepared to deal with anything like that. And that would certainly be part of our review militarily,” he said.
Mullen added that review was part of an ongoing US military effort to confront the scourge of banditry on the open seas.
“We’ve … initiated a review on the joint staff to look broadly and widely and deeply at the overall strategy,” he said.
Taken together: this indicates the struggle will escalate…
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19 Responses to “Pirates Attack More Ships And Vow Revenge”
Now Obama has gone and done it.
Hes got someone mad at him. I wonder if the progressives are wringing their hands and trying to figure out how to make it all better.
Obama is a cowboy. Redfaced and guns ablazing. Well maybe not redfaced but he whooped out GWB's cowboy hat and he fired up the old six shooter and now hes got people mad at him. I bet GWB made him do it. Dick Cheney is secretly hiding under the desk in the oval office.
No wait. GWB has learned to sound just like Barak Obama and they forgot to change the red phone number…..It was really Bush who ordered this as Barak Obama hid under the Oval office desk with Dick. Surely Obama would not order the killings of TERRORISTS.
Say it aint so.
So let me get this straight… Before this incident pirates threatened to kill their hostages if ransoms weren't paid.
Now pirates are threatening to just kill Americans and French in retaliation for the US killing three pirates.
I was surprised to find out that people bought insurance so ransoms could be paid to pirates. I didn't think we negotiated with terrorists (which is sort of how I classify pirates).
So while the pirates may not have killed people before…. I guess they are now, which really DOES make them terrorists.
On top of that I guess pirates won't be geting any money from the French and Americans. I guess the French and Americans won't be buying any insurance against pirates since they'll be killed if they are held hostage.
I always wondered why the pirates were never confronted, now I know: they held people hostages, ransoms were paid and everyone went back to business as usual, including the pirates.
It's about time the civilized world stands up to these outlaws.
I still do not understand why these huge ships in these waters off the coast of Africa do not have trained multinational armed fighters protecting them! The international law needs to be swiftly changed! I would put a safe bet that if these huge tankers had 50 caliber mashine guns on each end protecting them this pirate activity would cease immediatly! The only reasons I have heard for not doing this? Insurance and international law. There are many countries falling victim to these lawless pirates. These pirates need to be blown out of the water a few times and I bet pirating would be finished!
[shrug]
Mines in the harbors and along the coasts, chemicals on the beaches and on the port facilities would constitute “Operation Round-Up.” The littoral zone is the root of the piracy problem proper [tm]; just sever the line of activity at the trunk and “root.” No need to invade Somalia or bomb farther inland.
Admittedly this won't be done and may offend many (including those who aren't fans of Big Bio-Tech), but it would work.
Either that or a conventional blockade, as a substitute for or a prelude to a larger enterprise later (uh-oh).
How about radwaste rather than chemicals on their beaches and port facilities, or actual rad warfare (cobalt-60, say)?
[scratching chin, smiling evilly]
“Our latest hijackings were meant to show that no one can deter us from protecting our waters from the enemy because we believe in dying for our land,” Omar Dahir Idle
No Problem Omar we are experts at making people die for their land! ;Consider it arranged!
-jdb
GO ON SHORE AND SYSTAMATICALLY KILL MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN HOUSE TO HOUSE UNTIL MESSAGE IS CLEAR: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
No need to get caught up in the details. These men are terrorists. I suggest we treat them as such.
Does Obama really deserve any credit (sincere or backhanded) for the successful albeit violent end to the hostage standoff with the pirates? I understand that the military had orders to use force only if there was imminent danger to Phillips life – while the Obama team negotiated. Imminent danger happened to coincide with a couple of the pirates sticking their heads out of the lifeboat for some fresh air – lmao.
Credit the commander for seizing the opportunity to free Phillips and taking the risk because the Obama administration would be crapping all over him had he failed. The “imminent danger” order is just another example of the limp dick at the wheel.
It's a classic case of political correctness gone too far…”We mustn't hurt the pirates…they live in poverty and they're just trying to make a living for themselves (and their warlord bosses…)” Remember, they were all teenagers…
so they decided to do it
why don't they do the same thing the us did to ships going to england n war 2 conver them
So why can't we just invade Somalia, take it over, and control it until we civilize it. We're trying to do that where we can't. How much resisance would there be. There is no government. And what about the suits whose trail go all the way to Europe or wherever, who is really geting the money. But the govenments in power are really to blame for paying them off long before. Just more government inefficiency and bungling.
Hey Omar, watch out we're going to get you too.
GTO said, “It's a classic case of political correctness gone too far…”We mustn't hurt the pirates…they live in poverty and they're just trying to make a living for themselves (and their warlord bosses…)” Remember, they were all teenagers…”
Uh… first of all who in the Obama administration said we wouldn't hurt the pirates or that they were just trying to make a living? Please provide your source material. And as far as them being teenagers…. I thought that was a fact… so what's your point?
I see you're new here so as one fly-on-the-wall public commenter to another (no relation to the site) let me give you some advice. On this site we don't distort stuff that people never said. We take too much joy in distorting stuff that people ACTUALLY said.
Obama? Where did that come from? There's nothing in my response about Obama…You said;
“It's about time the world stands up to these owtlaws.” Among other things which led me to believe you were not happy with the way the world was dealing with the pirates. My comment that 'It's political correctness gone too far' was responding to your disenchantment.
Hence, I AGREE WITH YOU AND YOUR DISCONTENT! Source material? You mean you haven't heard since 1992 Somolia has been run by tribal gangs with machine guns. Try paying attention…
Let me give YOU some advice…read what you write before you respond to someone responding…Hello!
My apologies, GTO.. I obviously misinterpreted your statement. I assumed you were referring to a particular person when you made the comment about “political correctness gone too far” when you apparently meant someone else. Certainly that would change the slant of the comment. Also it wasn't clear that you were responding to me in the first comment…. I thought (incorrectly it turns out) that you were responding to the general posting. Again my apologies for making an incorrect interpretation of your comment.
Stock Boy, You are an impressive fellow…It is not often a blogger is able
to swallow their pride and apologize…Again kudos to you sir…I like your
style!
GTO, thanks. I don't like being wrong but when I do make a fool of myself I hopefully learn from it and move on. I can't expect others to admit their mistakes if I can't admit my own.
That doesn't mean I'm perfect- I know I'm not! Thanks again.
No one is perfect, then again that's what makes people interesting; Still
GTO says, you da man!