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November 19, 2008
Somali Pirates Try To Hijack British Ship After Demanding 10M For Captured Saudi Tanker
Somali pirates try to hijack British ship after demanding £10m ransom for captured Saudi supertanker
Somali pirates who captured a Saudi supertanker have narrowly failed in hijacking a British tanker.
The British tanker Trafalgar was suddenly surrounded in the Gulf of Aden by at least eight speedboats.
It was rescued when the German frigate Karlsruhe on patrol 12 miles away sent a helicopter to scare off the pirates who fled at high speed.
The latest audacious attack by Somali pirates comes as they are expected to a record ransom of more than $10million for the release of the Saudi oil supertanker hijacked off the Kenyan coast.
Negotiations over the Sirius Star, packed with two million barrels of crude oil worth $100million (£67m) - enough to supply the whole of France for a day - were said still not to have opened formally.
But officials involved in the release of previous ships claimed that 'electronic monitoring' showed the Somali pirates 'were talking' of at least $10million (£6.7m).
The biggest ship ever hijacked and her crew of 25, including two Britons - a senior officer and the chief engineer - has been anchored off the Somali coast near a pirate stronghold. All the crew are safe, the ship's operator Vela International said.
Meanwhile the Indian navy has said that one of its warships in the Gulf of Aden has destroyed a ship belonging to pirates operating in the area.
The INS Tabar opened fire on a pirate 'mother ship' after it came under attack, according to the Government.
Two more vessels, a Hong Kong cargo ship and a fishing boat, were seized in the Gulf of Aden.
The Delight, a Hong Kong-flagged ship, loaded with wheat bound for Iran, was captured off the Yemen coast, the latest raid in the Horn of Africa's perilous waters.
In Bahrain, a U.S. Navy spokeswoman said the Hong Kong-registered ship belonged to Iran's state shipping lines.
The other vessel, a fishing boat registered in Kiribati, was carrying a crew of 12, the International Maritime Bureau said. Its owners lost contact with the IMB this morning.
Pirates in the area have now attacked more than 90 vessels this year and successfully made more than £60 million from ransom demands.
The Sirius Star joins at least 14 other ships which Somali pirates are currently holding to ransom, along with more than 260 crew members.
The captive ships range from the Ukrainian Faina, laden with guns, ammunition and 32 battle tanks, to bulk carriers, tankers, ocean-going tugs and gleaming luxury yachts.
Although the lives of crew are at risk when the ships are stormed, or when commandos attempt armed rescues, the main objective of the pirates is to extort large amounts of cash from the ship owners, who are insured against this eventuality.
Article continues HERE.
Wild Thing's comment........
I didn't know the pirates had attacked 80 vessels this year. These pirates are terrorists and I wish they could just fire on them, forget taking prisoners and never pay them money.
Posted by Wild Thing at November 19, 2008 04:45 AM
Comments
Would it not be a better deal to put a few (in the case of the British ship) to put a few Marines on board ,paid for by the shipping company? I would certainly favor that on any and all U.S. ships, passenger or cargo. I have said before that they used to hang pirates. That they should do now. Don't give them a chance to be captured but if they are hang them.
Posted by: Bob A at November 19, 2008 08:07 AM
This rash of ship hijackings by pirates shows how ineffective the UN is. These are ships and crews from all nations, yet only a few countries have any kind of navy to counter the pirates. There are also idiotic universal laws that seem to prevent the few real navies from going in and just wiping out the pirates' bases.
Eventually the world will probably come begging to the US to do something.
Posted by: TomR at November 19, 2008 11:05 AM
Interesting that they took a Saudi tanker. I would have thought that Muslim Brothers would be immune -in the spirt of Islam and all- from hijacking. Especially considering the value of the cargo. It makes me a little suspicious that the Saudis might have turned a blind eye because 1. the cargo is insured -most likely by Lloyds and 2. it would be justification for increasing oil prices that would garner more sympathy that simple greed.
TomR is spot on that eventually the US is going to be called on the put an end to the hijackings and we will; followed in short order by cries of imperialism.
Posted by: yatalli at November 19, 2008 11:57 AM
Paying ransom is a guarantee that there will be more hijackings. The victim nations of these pirates need to band together, act smarter, and go after and harshly punish them. Having the pirates walk the plank or keel hauling them would be a start.
Posted by: Les at November 19, 2008 05:23 PM
Bob A, I am all for hanging them.
Too bad they don't have that plank they used to have. Make them walk the plank, but if I was there I would have to shoot them as the walked the plank.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 19, 2008 05:38 PM
Tom, you are so right.
"This rash of ship hijackings by pirates shows how ineffective the UN is."
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 19, 2008 05:41 PM
yatalli, yes they will come crying to us for sure and as you said we will come to the rescue. Then we will get attacked for our help. sheesh an endless circle of how to hate the USA.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 19, 2008 05:45 PM
Les, I agree, I know it is hard not to pay the ransom but it only encourages more of this.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 19, 2008 05:47 PM
Teddy Roosevelt's GREAT WHITE FLEET would have blown these ragheaded Sinbads out of the water! Michael Savage is right about are ball-less and clueless REAR ADMIRALS in the PC Pentagon!
- POPEYE IS DEAD 2008!!
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at November 19, 2008 08:36 PM
