Author Topic: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates  (Read 7842 times)

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West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« on: June 07, 2007, 03:02:45 PM »
Hi All

Good to see that the US Navy has got some backbone and have hit back against the Pirates that are operating off Somalia - unlike a French Frigate which failed to intervene when this Danish vessel was hijacked!

Here is the story from the Associated Press:

Associated Press
U.S. Ship Fires at Pirates
Associated Press 06.06.07, 7:53 PM

U.S. military officials said Wednesday that a Navy ship recently fired on pirates who overtook a Danish vessel off Somalia's coast.

The USS Carter Hall, part of a U.S. task force that helps maintain security off Somalia and nearby countries, engaged the pirates after they hijacked a Danish cargo ship, the Danica White, in international waters, said Lt. Denise Garcia, a public affairs officer at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain.

The U.S. ship fired several warning shots across the Danica White's bow and also destroyed three small boats the pirates had used in their assault and were towing behind the Danish vessel, according to Garcia, who said the incident occurred Saturday.

The U.S. ship called off its pursuit after the pirates navigated the Danica White into Somalia's territorial waters, where the U.S. does not have jurisdiction, Garcia said.

The Danica White's owner, Danish shipping company H. Folmer & Co., declined to comment on the ship's current fate.

Lars Thuesen, head of the Danish Foreign Ministry's consular department, told the Danish news agency Ritzau on Monday that it could take weeks before the crisis is resolved. He said they hadn't been able to contact the ship and were waiting for the pirates' demands.

The Danish Foreign Ministry was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

Joergen Folmer, a spokesman for H. Folmer & Co., said Saturday the Danica White was on its way to the Kenyan port of Mombasa from Dubai when it was seized by pirates Saturday or late Friday. The crew members are all Danish.

Pirates, often trained and heavily armed fighters using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and Global Positioning System equipment, are notoriously active off Somalia's coast.

Regards

Steve Ellwood

Offline Magogman

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2007, 04:46:37 PM »
It was not mentioned in this forum but a few days ago a US Navy ship fired on an area of Somalia that was harboring members of Al Queda and I gather the bombardment was successful.  That was done with the permission from whatever passes as a government in Somailia.

I keep reading that the pirates keep getting away because they move into Somalia territorial waters and the ships from the various navies will not pursue them into Somalia waters.  If one is in hot pursuit of pirates I dont see why they dont just do what needs to be done.  I don't understand what the implications are of entering Somali waters since there is not really a government to start with but a lot of pirates.  I vote for blasting them out of the water.  And I dont understand why ships would even venture close to that place to start with.
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Offline mooringman

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2007, 04:58:11 PM »
i'm just wondering,what is going on in the area.there are a lot of warships and they can't protect merchant ships.as far as i know,the danish vessel was far enough from the somalian coast.but nobody takes care about the seaman on board the hijacked vessels and their families at home.in what kind of world we are living?in a crazy world for sure......

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2007, 09:33:36 AM »
Hi All

Hopefully to keep it everyone's minds the fact that Danish Mariners are still illegally held in Somalia - this article from Associated Press:

"Danish sailors on ship hijacked off Somalia doing well, officials say

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2007, 01:44:28 PM »
Hi All

Saw this piece on the Washington Times On Line pages and thought others may be interested - courtesy of:
http://washingtontimes.com/world/20070613-113141-2841r.htm

'Shipping group warns of rising pirate attacks
By Sean Yoong ASSOCIATED PRESS June 14, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Global shipping officials warned yesterday that pirate attacks off Somalia?s coast have spiraled to terrifying levels, with U.S. and international navies failing to protect seafarers from being kidnapped.
 
Somali pirates have abducted more than 100 crew members of various nationalities, often seizing them in international waters and spiriting them away to Somalian territory, said Capt. Pottengal Mukundan, director of the British-based International Maritime Bureau, a shipping security watchdog.

The attacks have increased despite the permanent presence of an international task force in the northern Indian Ocean that patrols the Somali coast in an effort to intercept terrorists. U.S. destroyers are normally assigned to the task force and patrol in pairs.

"The figures are frightening and unacceptable because the pirates operate with impunity," Capt. Mukundan said at a maritime security conference. "If the navies fail to intervene, we fear the situation will get a lot worse before it ever gets better."

Somalia lies close to crucial shipping routes connecting the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean, where valuable cargo and carriers pass. Officials say Somalia?s 1,880-mile coastline makes it difficult to prevent pirate attacks.

Somali pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues and using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and Global Positioning System technology. They target passenger and cargo vessels for ransom or loot and use the money to buy weapons.

Naval authorities, who include Dutch and Belgian forces, can boost security by checking suspicious vessels to ensure that they are not being commandeered by bandits, who are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and grenades, Capt. Mukundan said.

Somalia has had no effective government since 1991, when warlords ousted a dictatorship then turned on each other.

Thomas Timlen, a security specialist of Denmark-based BIMCO, the largest international shipping association, said stronger patrols have been effective in curbing piracy in other territories, such as the Malacca Strait shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

"Tighter security will work if it is implemented off Somalia," Mr. Timlen said.

Sailors captured by Somali pirates this year have included Chinese, Danish, Indian, South Korean and Vietnamese citizens.'

Regards

Steve Ellwood

Offline Lanaud

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2007, 03:43:37 PM »
International waters my *ss....  The U.S. ships is not attacking a country, it's following criminals.....
What a godamn world it is, where criminals have more freedom than the victims....  Grrrrrrrrrrrr

Offline Jordan Seifarth

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2007, 04:00:44 PM »
I don't know whats more surprising, the fact that the entire crew were Danish in this day and age or the fact that the ship was allowed to simply be taken and sailed to Somalia with such a large international naval presence in the general area.

One can only hope that the crew will somehow be released unharmed. Does anyone know what generally happens to the crew on one of the many times a passing merchant ship is routinely captured and taken into "territorial waters" ?!?!

Offline Jens Heri

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2007, 07:52:06 PM »
Have followed the Danica White story in Danish media.

The ship is being moving from place to place by the hijackers, because they fear other hijackers will take the ship.  

The latest is that the Danish foreign ministery will not comment on the case now, probably because there are some kind of negotiations.

It can take weeks, there is a story of a tanker crew, that was hold captive in Somalia for 111 days.  
 
The hole crew of Danica White was new, the only except was the master.

Offline David Walker

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #8 on: June 26, 2007, 02:47:13 PM »
Hi everyone,

Here's a link to an article on Reuters website posted yesterday, with some new information about the Danica White.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKL2533651920070625

Offline rgr004

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #9 on: June 26, 2007, 03:34:46 PM »
Hope crew and vessel will be released free asap.

Have one question about the title of this topic : West Africa / Somalia Pirates, why West Africa, Somalia is located on the East coast isn'it ?

rgds

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2007, 07:30:25 PM »
Quote

rgr004 wrote:
Hope crew and vessel will be released free asap.

Have one question about the title of this topic : West Africa / Somalia Pirates, why West Africa, Somalia is located on the East coast isn'it ?

rgds  


Hi

I'll hold my hand up to that mistake - yes,it is definately EAST Africa  :-?

Regards

Steve Ellwood

Offline Malim Sahib

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2007, 07:58:38 PM »
"And I dont understand why ships would even venture close to that place to start with."

magogman,
Somali pirates are attacking ships that are in transit over 300, yes THREE HUNDRED miles off the Somali coast, and have been for some years. I wouldn't call that 'close', would you?

Offline foggy

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #12 on: June 26, 2007, 10:17:25 PM »
Hi.

Not that the problem is any less serious off west Africa either, with almost weekly kidnappings of mariners and oil workers offshore Nigeria. So in my eyes the title of this topic isn't that far fetched.

BRGDS / foggy
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Offline Glenn Kasner

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Re: West Africa /Somalia- Pirates
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2007, 02:08:09 PM »
Heh Heh I was waiting to see how long it would take for someone to notice that but then I thought thats why the military have been unable to do anything - theyre on the wrong coast!!! :lol:

 

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