Originally posted by kettlebellysmith
If the poor bastards got od'd on rads then I feel sorry for them, even if they are pirates. It's a horrible way to die.

Good. Sorry about their luck (he snickers). These pirates are vermin and I'd be even happier if the ship were a mere rat trap.

Originally posted by Cuhail

Starred and flagged.

Wasn't this a Ukrainian ship? Now, it's Iranian? Now, along with 30+ T-72s, there's "Minerals" on board that are suspected of really being Chem Weapons???

I have a weird feeling about this one. So far, it sounds like the Preface to a Tom Clancy novel.

Cuhail

Deplated Uranium ammunition maybe??

Originally posted by friendforafoe

AND that ship is NOT IRISL-owned despite what some sources state

If there are any questions, I'd be happy to answer to a certain extent

I just know what I've been reading in articles.

How do you know the Iran Deyana isn't IRISL, and if Iran itself doesn't own the ship, then who does?







[edit on 9/28/2008 by Keyhole]

I'm really surprised this story isn't getting more attention. You hear about the Urkrainian ship, but not the Iranian ship. If reports about the health effects on the pirates are true, then this is a very, very serious situation.

Originally posted by Keyhole

Originally posted by friendforafoe

AND that ship is NOT IRISL-owned despite what some sources state

If there are any questions, I'd be happy to answer to a certain extent

I just know what I've been reading in articles.

How do you know the Iran Deyana isn't IRISL, and if it's not IRISL does the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines own it, and would that still mean that the Iranian government owns the ship?

I apologize, I was wrong somewhat. I'm getting my ships mixed up haha. IRISL is the beneficial owner of the ship, however it doesn't usually do normal IRISL shipping, but what would be considered normal for bulk carriers like this one (i.e. iron ore, salt, blah blah).

This month the US Treasury Department designated IRISL under Executive Order 13382 because the company provides shipping services to Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics and facilitates shipments of military-related goods (including WMD-related materials) using deception techniques including falsifying shipping documents to hide the true end-users of shipments, employing the use of generic terms to describe shipments and avoid attracting attention of shipping authorities, and creating or making use of cover entities to conduct official company business.

Yes this vessel comes off as suspicious and rightly so, but there is no indication this vessel is carrying anything OTHER than the iron ore. Plus this ship was hijacked over a month ago ... I'm pretty sure Iran would have paid that ransom damn quick if there were hazardous / radioactive materials onboard because the ramifications of someone doing a rescue operation and finding such material would be severe. These prolonged negotiations are a good indication that there is nothing hazardous onboard. Yes they lie, cheat, and steal, but they do cover their own ass.

And I know this because of where I am and what I do at my job ... I deal with piracy off of Somalia as well as illicit cargo operations. I'm not saying how I know, but believe me, no pirates died, or got sick, or lost their hair.

Pirates use propaganda tools as much as anyone else does. They threaten to kill various crewmembers to facillitate the negotiation process, but they won't kill crew members. It's all about getting their money by any means possible.

OH and I've also noticed a lot press are getting ships mixed up etc as well. The M/V FAINA doesn't have "depleted uranium shells"
It does however have quite a load of 125mm smoothbore rounds on it (used for T-60 and T-72 tanks) ... that ship came from the UKRAINE ... not IRAN.

Sorry , I had to clear that up

Originally posted by friendforafoe
And I know this because of where I am and what I do at my job ... I deal with piracy off of Somalia as well as illicit cargo operations. I'm not saying how I know, but believe me, no pirates died, or got sick, or lost their hair.

Pirates use propaganda tools as much as anyone else does. They threaten to kill various crewmembers to facillitate the negotiation process, but they won't kill crew members. It's all about getting their money by any means possible.

Aye, it could be that the pirates are putting out that story knowing that people will jump up and say radiation sickness, hoping that might act as leverage to get the Iranians to stump up more cash with the pressure they're under on the nuclear front. If there really was some truth in it, I'm pretty sure that the US &/ Russian would be taking a closer interest but all the credible news I could find indicates that it's the Ukrainian ship carrying the tanks that they are after, not this one.

I wouldn't really call them "sailors" per ce ... they were French Nationals that got hijacked off of Somalia in their yacht CARRE D'AS .... vacationing ... off of Somalia (en route to Australia?? I can't remember ... or was that the German couple doing the same thing?) ... dumb idea

The French are making things a bit difficult for some people acting on their own accord like that, but since then more and more nations are taking a more proactive approach to counter-piracy operations, delegating task forces or assets to patrol the Gulf of Aden / HOA to prevent piracy on merchant vessels. This is a good thing rather than to always rely on us to police the waters, stretching our assets and fighting a battle that essentially can't be won

Originally posted by friendforafoe ... And I know this because of where I am and what I do at my job ... I deal with piracy off of Somalia as well as illicit cargo operations. I'm not saying how I know, but believe me, no pirates died, or got sick, or lost their hair. ...

I don't know why I should believe this -
But I do.

Originally posted by friendforafoe
And I know this because of where I am and what I do at my job ... I deal with piracy off of Somalia as well as illicit cargo operations. I'm not saying how I know, but believe me, no pirates died, or got sick, or lost their hair.

Thanks for the reply and I sure hope your right!

All Bush needs is to find some kind of radioactive crap or chemical or biological weapons illegally on an Iranian ship to get things REALLY heated up with Iran again!

Again, I sure hope your right about this, it will be interesting to see how this story progresses, hopefully it will just fizzle out (if like you said nobody got sick), but it still has the potential to become a big international incident with all these accusations being thrown around!

Originally posted by Kailassa

Originally posted by friendforafoe ... And I know this because of where I am and what I do at my job ... I deal with piracy off of Somalia as well as illicit cargo operations. I'm not saying how I know, but believe me, no pirates died, or got sick, or lost their hair. ...

I don't know why I should believe this -
But I do.

I work in maritime security operations and all the information I've typed is unclassified. It's just a better understanding of the situation with FACTS so people aren't so damn confused or jumping to conclusions. and that is my final note for the evening. Be back tomorrow!

هل لديك الرؤوس الحربية النووية ?

edit:

sorry 1 line and all that - found a translator with ` do you have any nuclear weapons for sale` in arabic ^^.

[edit on 28/9/08 by Harlequin]

Originally posted by Maxmars
I believe radioactive cargo would be detectable via satellite, if it was shielded enough to hide it from the satellites we use, it wouldn't harm the 'crew'. I think the real 'fear' element of the story is biological or chemical.

U&nless the idiot Pirates opened whatever was shielding the Radioactive stuff..lol

Mabe it is chhems, but then, wouldn't those be sercured also?