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European Union Naval Forces
MV Orna, which was hijacked by Somali pirates in December 2010.
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali pirates who have been holding a hijacked ship for nearly two years killed a Syrian hostage crew member and wounded another to protest a delayed ransom payment, a pirate leader said.
This is believed to be the first time Somali pirates have killed a hostage because of a delay in ransom.
Hassan Abdi, a pirate commander in Haradhere town, a key pirate center, said that the killing on Wednesday was a message to the owners of the ship MV Orna, hijacked 400 miles northeast of the island nation of the Seychelles in December 2010.
"The killing was a message to the owners of the ship who paid no heed to our ransom demands," Abdi said by telephone.
"More killings will follow if they continue to lie to us — we have lost patience with them. Two years is enough," he said angrily.
The MV Orna is a Panama-flagged, bulk cargo vessel owned by a company in the United Arab Emirates.
The pirates operating along the Somali coastline of the Indian Ocean were once were believed to be disgruntled and financially motivated Somali fishermen, angry that international trawlers were illegally fishing Somalia's waters. But now criminal gangs are dominating the piracy trade and they have become increasingly violent as international navies attempt to crackdown on their activities.
Related: Pirates seize 24 sailors on Greek tanker off Togo coast
Somali pirates aboard two attack skiffs hijacked the MV Orna after firing rocket propelled grenades and small arms at the ship, the European Union Naval Force said at the time.
In May last year an undisclosed number of pirates and hostages were forced to abandon the Orna after a fire broke out, said Abdi. It is believed the fire was caused by an electrical problem in the ship's kitchen, he said.
Author Jay Bahadur, who spent a year among the Somali pirates, breaks down their business model, start-up costs, and busts myths about how they choose their target.
Watch World News videos on NBCNews.com
The European Union Naval Force patrolling the Indian Ocean waters has not heard about the killing, said spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Jacqueline Sherriff.
Since, 2008, the EU has maintained a flotilla consisting of between five and 10 warships off the Horn of Africa to fight piracy. It is part of a larger international fleet that includes U.S., NATO, Russian and other warships. The EU taskforce also includes non-EU countries such as Norway, Croatia, Montenegro and Ukraine.
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Pirate attacks off Somalia's coast plunged to 69 in the first six months this year from 163 a year earlier, according to the EU force. Somali pirates were able to seize 13 vessels, down from 21, according to piracy watchdog the International Maritime Bureau.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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Leave a Comment:
This is a real world problem, they are terrorists, and should all be wiped off the earth!
Kill them all and let God sort'em out !
Scott - this would be true if the ships were american flagged. But the US owners chose to title and flag their ships in another country, and it is not the responsiblity of the USA to risk our lives for business in another country.
Just to be clear - the owners chose to do this to save money and avoid US taxes and labor laws. They chose this 'savings' and now they need to live with the consequences.
We defend Americans. We are not the policemen for the world. Since the ship is Panama registered - let the Panamanian Navy deal with it. If not - the owners have to decide whether their profits are more important than the lives of the crew. If they chose money over live, they lose a multi-million ship - and itbecomes a financial battle with Lloyds of London (insurance). And what does it tell you that a company sacrifices lives for money?
Again - it is not the USA's problem. We should not bail out companies who chose to leave this country to save on labor costs of workers. If these were US workers, then that is a different story (as in the Presidents Line crew that was saved by the US Navy SEALS).
Wrong. It is the USA's problem and every country that has ships. All of these Somali pirates should be killed on sight. They have taken hostages and killed them. The whole area of Somalia should be carpet bombed and every boat sunk. All of the Somalis in the US are their cousins and supporters and should be sent back to Somalia.
@ interested Observer - I think you misread Scott's post. In general it is the world's problem. They have taken ships from tons of different countries.
@ OP - I wish we could just drop a cluster of MOABs on their base then salt the earth. Granted it would be hard on the hostages but no plan's perfect....
Every country should do what another country catch these so call Pirates leave them on their boats or what ever they have and sink them in the deapest part of the Ocean... Instead of doing like the United States is doing putting them on trial and giveing them the good life in a US Jail!!!!
Do to their towns what we did to Tokyo in 1944-1945. Dead pirates don't harm anyone.
Just shoot the bastards...all of em!
very frustrating reading these continuing articles about these pirates, a couple submarines doing what subs do sneak up on the mother ships and sink them
For what purpose are the Navie's of world for? If not to eliminate any group, from any country, any where, that threaten's, and now kill's, the world's citizen's. Perhap's a joint military mission in the name of good is just what this world need's.
Enough is enough, send in the Marines and destroy these pirates, their boats and their villages!
let's send all the troops we are wating 'nation building' in the desert and all the expensive civilian 'help' to Somalia and actually do something worthwhile with all the billions.!!!!
interested observer,
1. Newsvine is "Get Smarter Here", not some personal blog to post uneducated opinions.
2. Who benefits from those "Corporations" not paying those US Taxes, etc., as normally they would be passing those costs your unappreciative arse. Keep on saying "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share" and see how many more Rich Foreign and US Business Investors leave the US again, like they did before everytime the ignorant at the US continue to Repeat the Same Mistakes and Expect Different Results. Sure your Political Party kicks me in the nuts, see if they get any of my earned money as Campaign Contributions (that is what they do and expect).
3. This and everything else IS a US Problem. As since the US is part of the United Nations, the UN can use the US Military as their UN Military B!tches any day of the week with the US Taxpayers paying for that. While the other UN Members like the Chinese, Russian Federation, etc. do everything in their power to defeat those US and US Allies (minority of the World) Actions.
China and the USSR (now Russian Federation) longtime Strategic Goal, get the US and US Allies out of their Backyards (Resources). Without these Resources the US and US Allies end up as Fourth World Nations. The previous use of "Proxy Fighters" by the Chinese and the Russian Federation, current use of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran as their "Proxy Fighters"; the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran using the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists as their "Proxy Fighters" as Asymmetric War done for cheap by having their Iranian Special Forces, Quds, train arm equip fund the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists for Asymmetric Warfare to go to US Allies Nations to start Civil Wars to get the people to Overthrow the US Allies Established Governments and create new Fundamentalist Islamic Nations.
4. Fundamentalist Islamic Al Sheebah. Go ask US AFRICOM about the rest, President Obama has put a gag order on everyone in the US Military from informing the US Public about those matters that do concern them like Failures of President Obama's March 2009 Iran Policy, $900 Million +$400 Million US Taxpayer Money given to a Terrorist Organization (on list of SOS Clinton), loss of many US Allies Worldwide, loss of Strategic locations and loss of access to those Strategic locations, increased Strategic Sphere of Influence of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran and their Allies the Chinese and Russian Federation Worldwide, lots of etc. since 2009.
5. Redacted.
6. Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists (aka Terrorists) do not recognize lines on maps (borders), empty words (negotiations), etc. as Asymmetric Warfare (Insurgency). So all of you can bomb the crap out of a country, blockade this, embargo that, etc. they will just go to another location to receive Fundamentalist Islamic Sanctuary from the Fundamentalist Islamic local Population as required by Fundamentalist Islamic Laws (Shia aka Sharia Laws, Hadith (ancient customs) Laws) while being funded Trillions USDs per year as required by Fundamentalist Islamic Laws of the Mandatory Islamic Tithes of the 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide.
Fundamentalist Islam aka Shia, as Shoot First no Empty Words (negotiations), as the Dead do not Complain. So they are the Majority of Islam and make the Rules for Islam Worldwide, not the minority living at the US. There are NO other Interpretations of the Holy Koran as Law. The Holy Koran 109 Suras of the 114 Suras that Call All Islamic Believers to War Against the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers is Islamic Law non participation is subject to the Death Penalty.
Moderate Islam aka Sunnis, as negotiations, pro western, pro modern; believed to be Islamic Heretics by the Fundamentalist Islamic Believers. Islam is a pick and choose. Rule of Law Fiqh (Logic) not Fundamentalist Islamic Laws.
7. Idealistic Academic Non Sense No Real World Experience with Non Factual Emotive Opinions are the First Nominees for the Darwin Award in the Real World Life or Death School of Hard Knocks.
8. Redacted.
These pirates are acting more and more like Islamist terrorists. Wait a minute......
I wonder when the United Nations is going to send un-armed Blue Helmets to Somalia to broker "peace".
Nah, the U.N. will just continue to push their "Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST)". Now that will take care of the pirate problem once member Nations agree to it. That way, Somalia will get a POTION of all the wealth taken from the world seas with the "landlocked" Nations getting the biggest share. Wealth redistribution anyone ?
Sounds like a good place to post the French Foreign Legion.
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TROLL = interested observer
Reposting your non factual baloney over and over again as SPAM, does not make your post a FACT.
Hang or shoot all pirates. Eventually, with time, they will be exterminated for the vermin they are. It doesn't matter which country does it, all are at risk. All countries should be involved in the total annihilation of these terrorist, criminal pirates. (Pirates come in all sizes, shapes, religions, nationalities, etc. None should escape extermination. They respect nothing and no one.)
Are you trying to tell me, that with all the spy satellites and drones we couldn't keep up somalian pirates. One way or the other, we are being lied to. What else is new?
Perhaps some good intelligence and a few well-placed drone strikes would be in order.
Taking hostages for ransom is one thing, but murdering them is quite another.
It is a pretty complicated subject. International laws make it easy for suspected pirates to get off, is difficult to tell if they are pirates or fishermen and the enormous size of the area makes them difficult to spot. The piracy biz makes hundreds of millions of dollars for Somalian citizens, has replenished impoverished cities and Somali pirates are considered heroes by the population. An unforseen benefit is that fisheries in Somali waters have increased stocks because illegal fishing companies are afraid of the pirates. Insurance companies are benefiting by increasing premiums, German Arms manufacturers are benefited by increased arms sales to security consultants and security firms are making tons of cash from maritime shipping companies. UN maritime efforts have reduced the success of piracy but without land operations they can't stop it completely. Etc, etc... has become an emerging economy in its own right and now I have a ginormous headache. Just google "piracy in Somalia". BTW, I have no love for those jerks and think Russia handled it best, or at least funniest.
#Summary_of_recent_events
Since when do we kill civilians on mass in revenge for the actions of criminals?
Its time for the US to rent out drone teams to these countries that get ships hijacked. Put the drones in the air and these hijackings would stop after we blew a few boatloads of those thugs to hell.
I agree, but with the community-organizer-in-chief being the punk he is, he wouldn't let the drones be used. I'm sure they know where these idiot terrorists are; simply send in a few fighter jets or helicopters,
blow away the first few pirate boats, then tell them if they don't release ALL boats and hostages unharmed, we'll just keep going from pirate ship to pirate ship, then to the villages, blasting everything in sight, until they concede. It worked well in Germany, then in Japan (no nukes this time, though), and it would work here, if we had a president who had a pair.
Hmmm... Piracy on the open seas is criminal behavior. Neighboring countries, as well as the major nations, should take action to secure safe shipping.
All pirates should be blown out of the water. If you even LOOK like a pirate, you should be dead meat.
Any boat with two or more people who look like Somali pirates, and who approach any other boat or large ship should be fair game for eradication...
In short order, there would be fewer and fewer people thinking about taking up the career of pirate.
The pirates need to learn the meaning of: "Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time." In this case, if you decide to be a pirate, know that there will be a bulls eye on your back. Strictly enforced, no exceptions. If you look like a pirate on the open seas, say your prayers, because you will be heading to the bottom, compliments of USA, Great Britain, France, Italy, Panama, Mexico, Greece, Turkey, Russia, etc.
What The Fongonus is wrong with the government of Somalia? Why are they so powerless to take meaningful action to stop these criminals? If they do not act, other nations should take action, ASAP.
There IS no government of Somalia, just a bunch of warlords fighting each other.
They're not terrorists. They're not taking these ships to make a political or ideological statement - they're doing it for the money. In this country, they would be called free-market capitalists.
Did I get the time right? They've held the ship for almost 2 years?
I'm not in the ransom business, but 2 years seems quite a long time to show your displeasure for not getting your money.
The European Union Naval Force patrolling the Indian Ocean waters has not heard about the killing, said spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Jacqueline Sherriff.
Have they heard of it now? You know, after this published article. In a perfect world, jet fighters would be dispatched from a carrier, arrive on site in a couple of minutes, and disintegrate the pirate boats.
send in the drones! and if the US can not take action higher blackwater I just dont see why zero action has been taken to get the captives back. Heck we can see the ship from the air so why not get the captives back and turn the place into glass.
Things have gotten so bad for Syrians that even Muslim pirates are killing them.
Muslims kill everybody. They don't have any particular favorites.
True, but the Somali's are some of the nastiest Muslims! We should do all we can to help them meet Allah, the hard way!!!!
Why aren't ships armed to protect themselves from this BS ? Some little power boats approaches a huge tanker and holds them hostage?? How the heck does THAT work? Why aren't these pirates blown out of the water?
Does anyone know the answer to how this is so easy for them?
Uh, you are proving that like your other Newsvine Posts you are too lazy to do the research and are just slinging sh!t.
Go research International Maritime Laws, Treaties, Agreements, etc.. Legal Precedent pertaining to Piracy, like the Moro Pirates.
Just like I told you to "Follow the Money" when everyone keeps b!tching about "Faux News" as hosted by Microsoft (MS) NBC, keep demonizing Corporations and MSNBC and see what the Demoncraptic Party does NOT get:
The pirates have RPGs and probably attack under the cover of darkness. It's not easy to spot a tiny boat in a large ocean. In order to keep them from boarding the ships, I would think they would need to invest in some high tech upgrades which would probably cost a lot. It's probably cheaper to hire an escort ship that can protect them.
There is no need to use the word Muslim here, this is a case of impoverished people trying to get theirs. This has nothing to do with religious beliefs so stop trying to drag Muslims into this, you fear mongers. These pirates are probably desperate to feed their families or simply greedy and want to be richer.
This is purely an issue of economics, desperation or greed, but not religious.
@david-475776 -- I don't know what your problem is, but I'm sure it's hard to pronounce.
At least people like Tim. W are civil conversationalists. It's sad you have such blatant insecurites that would cause such a gigantic need to diminish others. Oh, and david-475776---guess what? I NEVER discussed ANYTHING about faux news. You have me mistaken for someone else. Nevertheless, my breeding forbids me to deride you about it.
Annie,
It illegal to have firearms on a ship. Some use water cannon and high pitch sound waves to ward them off.
Because its illegal to pull into most ports in the world with weapons, sadly most ports have light security or none at all. Which has allowed pirates to head right into a large port and seize cargo ships at anchor.
Its also a major insurance headache to have armed guards on ships. The companies who do maintain a armed presence on their ships, must fly the guards and weapons off the ship, which usually happens a day or two before the ship reaches port. So there will always be ample opportunity for hostile pirates to hijack cargo ships..
Also while the cargo ships are huge there are only 12 to 20 crew on board..
Problem is, those dont work very well against rockets and machine guns and the pirates quickly learn to adapt and overcome them.
I dont get it. Four or five guys in a tiny little boat with a couple machine guns and a cold war rocket launcher can take a huge boat? Run their asses over, dont stop! Where the hell is the navy? I dont get it. Maybe I am missing something here. We can find terrorists with a drone in a hole in the middle of nowhere but we cant figure out a way to kill these guys? Come on man!
The little boat is far more maneuverable than the ship. 1 in a million chance the ship would ever be able to run over the little boat. Lots of ships have radar blind spots directly astern. Little boats often don't show up on radar even when they aren't directly astern. There are lots of legitimate fishing boats in the area. They look exactly like the pirates until the guns and launchers come out.
As for the Navy, you are talking about 10s of thousands of miles of ocean. If all the navies in the world were over there, there would still be gaps.
Brad - why should the US Navy get involved in pirates attacking Panama flagged ships? If it were US flagged - I would agree. But this is a problem for Panama. The owners chose to leave the US and reflag this ship in Panama - now they have to deal with the consequences.
Good thing we don't have aircraft and drones or they'd be in trouble.
The Omamanation won't go after Africans period!
interested observer, very few ships are US flagged only those that sail in US waters exclusively. The wealth owners of ship companies don't want to deal with US laws, inspections, and costs. So many ships even US owned are flagged in some sh!thole like Liberia, Panama etc so they can do whatever they please.
That is correct you don't get it. Just like most of the US Public.
Ok, your unarmed arse versus me with a "Cold War" machine gun. Small versus Large, go look what happened to the Oil Tankers at the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran Iraq Wars.
That "Cold War rocket launcher" (which it is NOT, as a current Russian Federation RPG-7 designed to kill M-1 Abrams Tanks) will tear open a mulitple hull Super Tanker like an aluminium can. Speed and manuverability of those "small boats" versus speed and manuverability of the larger ships.
President Obama as Commander In Chief Ordered April 2009 US Defense Budget Cuts of the USAF and USN.
Of course you do not get it, Facts versus Charismatic Speeches and Popular (non Factual) Political Sound Bites.
That is what the Talkers say and not what the DOERS DO to get Results. (Unclassified) 1. US Military Asymmetric Warfare (aka Special Warfare) conducting SR (Special Reconnaissance) Missions and SS (Special Surveillance) Missions for days, weeks, months, years; so that we can conduct Targeting and Target Damage Assessment Missions (without killing "innocent" Civilians that are providing Islamic Sanctuary to Islamic Jihadists or be prosecuted by President Obama). 2. The use of cheap Low Tech or No Tech to defeat expensive US High Tech; that's right the methods the Islamic Jihadists use are Classified, so that the US Public does not know. (Unclassified) Hint: WWII Coast Watchers. (Recently Declassified) 3. My Teams trained and equipped in US Military Asymmetric MOUNTAIN (technical mountain climbing) Warfare since 2001 spelunkering into the thousands of miles of Mines, Mineshafts, Mining Tunnels, etc. at Afghanistan looking for the Islamic Jihadists and finding the High Tech Mineral Wealth of Afghanistan, later confirmed by the CIA's Scientific Teams attached to us. (Declassified) 4. Blabber Mouth Senator Lieberman Officially Confirms that my US Military Asymmetric Warfare Teams are being "Redeployed" from Afghanistan to President Obama's Secret Wars (not Iraq nor Afghanistan) conducting Targeting and Target Damage Assessments. The locals that did not know we were in their Nations are then offered Dead or Alive Rewards for us by the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists; General Petraeus withdraws us, all Missions stop; Islamic Jihadist get stronger and open more Islamic Jihadists Training Camps (near the Borders of US Ally Nations).
**********************************TROLL ALERT*******************************
TROLL = interested observer
Reposting your non factual baloney over and over again as SPAM, does not make your post a FACT.
Interested Observer: Evidently you were not around when US Ships registered under the Panama flag,the number one reason was US Government control of the ships.[ just look at the damage to the Great lakes and the Mississippi river] After that came the union demands because of living conditions , safety and wages.
My turn - What relevence does your post have to do with anything? It sounds like you are advocating that the US should defend foreign companies against all threats anywhere in the world. I don't pay taxes to defend commerce for foreign companies. And companies reflagged their ships to avoid paying legal wages to the workers. A Filipino at $3 / hour is much cheaper, and they don't have to follow OSHA - so the working conditions are unsafe. I've seen it - so don't blow smoke up my rear.
I did not spend 20 years in the Navy to do another nation's job. In spite of the warmongers postings - the US should not be the 800 pound gorilla for every conflict. We should only involve ourselves in conflicts that are in our national security.
I do not care one whit (and it does not impact the USA at all) when a Panamanian ship is seized, burnt to the ground, or the crew massacred. If their owners did - perhaps they should flag their ships in a country that can defend them.
To try to claim otherwise is hogwash. The answer should be 'not our problem'. And we should definitely not waste any miilitary lives on it.
It is a different answer when US flagged ships are impacted.
Piracy is bad enough. If they want to start killing hostages, perhaps it's time to start killing them in their homes. Up to this point I don't believe any hostages had been killed. Some had been killed in the process of a hijacking though.
With a little intel I think we could find where some of these pirates live and, maybe, have a drone pay a visit to the area; say one drone visit for each hostage killed, no matter what country the hostage is from. The pirates think they have the upper hand because this is happening in their home waters. They need to understand that there is a line that goes beyond simply unacceptable activities to "you are going to pay the price!"
blockade all ports in that region and check for weapons.
Maybe we should send Obama to talk to them.
No he would tell them it is the USA fault ,that they are doing this.
Dumb, meet Dumber. You two should date.
To reward a behavior simply because the alternative outcome is not desirable only assures that the behaviour will continue. Especially if that behavior results in monetary gain. The longer the behaviour continues and is rewarded the more the alternative outcome will occur.
Piracy on the high seas is and throughout history has been a violation of international law. Peoples and nations thrive with the respect of the rule of law. These people should be hunted dowm and prosecuted to the fullest extent of law, as in the past.
Tommy - you would be correct if this were a US flagged ship. But it is not. The owners reflagged it in Panama to save money and avoid US Labor laws. Now is the responsibility of Panama.
We should not risk our military lives or $$ to save money for a company who chose to leave the USA. This company made their bed - now they get to sleep in it. And the world gets to see whether this company values money over lives.
In the past it was catch'em and hang'em. I agree!
yes,hang them at sea is the best thing!then drop them off into the sea for the sharks to get diarrhea. :)
interested observer,
That is the third time you mentioned that the owners reflagged it in Panama too avoid US labor laws. Have you even read the article? It states plainly that the ship is owned by a company in the UAE, NOT a US company.
No matter where the owners are, or where the ship is flagged, we should all be concerned about piracy and do whatever is needed to fight them. It is only coincidence that this was not a US owned ship, whether flagged in the US or some other country.
SingBiker,
interested observer is a TROLL. That does not have enough cognitive reseasoning skills to figure out who benefits from the lower costs to these Corporations.
So interested observer how about cutting your own gentials off and paying higher prices as passed to the consumers.
**********************************TROLL ALERT*******************************
TROLL = interested observer
Reposting your non factual baloney over and over again as SPAM, does not make your post a FACT.
Sure, let's kill someone that the company doesn't even give 2 sh!ts about...that'll solve problems...they'll probably let em all die and just send in special forces after.
All the shipping companies should abandon their weak knee approach of non resistance to the pirates.
They should have armed guards on board each ship and resist being taken over.
It's stupid the ship owners don't fight back.
The Russians don't roll over weak and give up without a fight.
Hey Tampa - you do understand that this ship is one of the many where the company took the jobs off-shore. It is not our problem. This company clearly values money over lives. And they flagged this ship in Panama - which makes it the responsibility of the Government of Panama -- not the USA.
We should not spend one bullet saving the money of a cheap company who abandoned the USA.
Panamanian registry is not the only way the ship owners have chosen to save money. If you knew how and where the crews were hired you would re-think the wisdom of arming them.
The problem is that by heavily arming the ships, most ports won't allow them to enter. Maybe the merchant marines need to tell the world to FO and stop manning the ships. Maybe then governments will get off their collective asses and do something useful and take care of these blighters one and for all.
FINALLY SOMEONE ACTUALLY LOOKED UP THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME LAWS, AGREEMENTS, TREATIES, ETC. or knows from Firsthand Experience.
by the way it is not "heavily arming", it is any firearms (weapons), and that is not the only restrictions or punitive things and penalties for arming any ship.
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TROLL = interested observer
Reposting your non factual baloney over and over again as SPAM, does not make your post a FACT.
@ David - I was speaking along the lines of what it would take to arm a ship well enough to keep it out of RPG range or dispatch it before they fired the RPG. Light arms just won't cut it.
For me I would like to use something similar to a phalanx ciws system and unload the entire 1500 round magazine into the zodiac. (In cases like there I don't believe in overkill...:) )
John Paul Jones of late would be moved to tears concerning the lawlessness of the sea with so many powerful ships to patrol it.
More - your statement is factually incorrect. John Paul Jones existed at a time where piracy was common in the world. He did not defend every ship on the sea - only US flagged ones. He could care less if ships of another country (France, Britain, Liberia, Panama) was subjected to piracy. In fact - France and Britain supported piracy - so long as it was against their enemies.
This is the problem for Panama - not the USA.
**********************************TROLL ALERT*******************************
TROLL = interested observer
Reposting your non factual baloney over and over again as SPAM, does not make your post a FACT.
David - your same post exists over 6 times. You don't even bother to change it. You are the troll. I am trying to respond to specific posts.
I recognize that anything that you don't believe is truth is by your own definition false. But the reality is that truth is truth - regardless of your opinion of it.
Try to stop being a shill to the outsourcing crowd. Investigate the company that owns the ship. You will find out that they used to be an american company until the 1970's. Then they outsourced themselves. Why did they do this?
They want to take people from their families? Start taking their families from them. Time to drop a few bombs, nothing fancy, but it will send a message. Or, use unmanned drones and start taking these guys out by the boatload.
Here's a rather cold proposition: Stop paying them. Period. Make it against international law to pay ransom or something along those lines. They'll stop taking hostages if they cannot make any money by doing so. Replace dollars with bullets and try to rescue any and all hostages - just never, ever pay. Had that been the case from the start the pirates would have already done away with taking hostages.
Of course, then they just might kill the crew and scrap the cargo for whatever they can get. Pesky situation really.
Want a solution? A real solution? Make Somalia a viable country. Same goes for most of Africa and much of the middle east. Build railroads crisscrossing these countries, educate them on agriculture and manufacture, and encourage trade. Once the number of people who are beyond desperate shrinks, so too will much of this chaos. Think about it from their perspective - be a starving merchant or fisherman and allow your family to starve, or a be a pirate and risk everything for a better life. Those are their only real options. That needs to change.
Is that the argument for the 10 killings a week in Chicago?
Yes. More or less. Countries that are rather bad off tend to support their government and blame outsiders. This usually falls on the shoulders of the US since we like to meddle so much. But as they get better off and build a middle class that focus shifts. They no longer hold that mean ol' boogey man country responsible for their problems. From their perspective, it's no longer the case that we have no food and no hope -- it's there now, so the one responsible must be the local fat cats. They shift the blame from outside sources to their own -- usually the rich and those with authority. Chicago's problems reflect that. We aren't killing Canadians to progress ourselves, we are turning on each other, and that's entirely due to the fact that we are a country that is better off. If and when we do get to the turning point, when we have sold our souls to the corporations and the middle class evaporates we will ravenously turn on ourselves and when there is nothing left -- when we are no better off than second and third world countries we will stand behind our government again and blame others. It's how the world works. Simple... and cruel.
Vicious animals.
Shipping lines are not owned by the common man or the middle class... they are owned by the rich and powerful... why they continue to not protect their investments is beyond me. This ship was seized 2 years ago and they left all crew members to the fate of their captors without trying to get these crew members freed. Showing they have no regard for their employees. What do they really care, they have insurance that most likely have paid the tanker company(s) for their loss already...
Somalia is where these pirates reside and are protected by their country. Where is the UN in this as it is an international crime wave. They all reside on the Somalia shore line - not hard to find... Do something...
Somalia is almost totally without government or credible military. They are not protecting anyone. They can't.
Time to bring back US navy Battleships USS Missouri and The USS Iowa. have those bad boy's patrol off the coast. Open fire on Pirates at night on the home bases at night With main guns, along with vulcan chain guns with auto tracking aim systems. Lets see how they would fair then.
Firewolf - yes. And let's also get involved in Darfur, and Zimbabwae, and Egypt, and Pakistan, and Iran, and China, and North Korea, and the list goes on. And to fund this playing of global policeman, we will have to raise your taxes.
Or we could just stay out of it and let the company who abandoned the USA deal with the consequence of their actions. We are not responsible for Panama flagged ships. We are only responsible for US flagged ships. If these companies want our protection, then they should pay US taxes and obey US labor laws. If they choose not to - they need to rely on the protection of the country (Panama) that they fled to. If Panama chooses not to fight this piracy - then the company is on its own.
This is what is fair. And it is not our problem.
Not only pirates are there also what we been hunting down in afgainstan also Terrorists are based there also need to be dealth with also. The US will defend it's allies by air, land and by sea if attacked by hostile parties both on intnal waters or inside the countries shorelines.
Why have the government fund it? I for one (and I am not alone) would be happy to sign up for a pirate hunting cruise in those waters. Passengers could bring their own weapons and ordinance, and the ship could provide recreational additional firepower like .50 cal machine guns, shoulder fired missles and torpedoes. With a dozen or so of those cruising the Somalia coast...the pirates might stay home more. To visit the cemetery.
I am in total agreement with Interest O: We should not involve ourself with other country problems...It is the Rich cheap bastards that want all the money and pay nothing...What needs to be done is for the Ins.company to stop paying the ship owners for the ship and let them lose million on it then. and then maybe they will arm them. All they are waiting for is the USA to use it resources and manpower..I say screw the wealthy and worry about the good old USA.
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TROLL = interested observer
Reposting your non factual baloney over and over again as SPAM, does not make your post a FACT.
david-475776 your getting old @!$%# why dont you STFU?
ships should be armed and any one attempting to board a ship without permission from the captain should be shot on the spot and the bodies thrown over board too the sharks! the we should bomb every camp these Muslim bastards are in to oblivion. send the seals and special forces to get the hostages if there are any left. take out the whole city they are in. make a strong statement to them!
Who cares!! You can take the monkey out of the jungle. You cannot take the jungle out of the monkey!!
Poor pirates, why can't they just get paid on time, so they can provide for their families?
firewolf38: are you going to take a second job (assuming that you already have one) and pay for operating the USS Missouri and The USS Iowa? Why do you think it's our responsibility to police the world?
I just heard about a domestic violance in Moscow... Why don't we send over a couple of policemen from your home town so they can take care of the problem?
I volunteer myself to go pirate hunting. I think it would be fun.
Stop talking to these guys, you see a pirate "KILL A PIRATE" The most stupid people in the world want to put them in jail!
The mere fact that this country has not yet been wiped off the face of the earth is appalling.
Not to worry. Obama is on the case and as usual, he is leading from behind.
I agree. No one should be expected to be patient for two years. Would someone please kill those pirates as quickly and efficiently as possible?
interested observer,
This is NOT some US company that moved offshore to avoid US labor laws. The ship is owned by a company based in the United Arab Emirates. Try reading the article before you spout off about companies offshoring.
**********************************TROLL ALERT*******************************
TROLL = interested observer
Reposting your non factual baloney over and over again as SPAM, does not make your post a FACT.