Pirates anchor hijacked supertanker off Somalia coast, page 1
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Topic started on 18-11-2008 @ 06:56 PM by TKainZero

Pirates anchor hijacked supertanker off Somalia coast


www.guardian.co.uk
The Saudi Arabia-owned supertanker hijacked by Somali pirates in a raid several hundred miles out to sea is understood to have anchored off the coast of Somalia.

The Sirius Star, which is fully loaded with crude oil, is understood to be at anchor close to a headland called Raas Cusbad, near Hobyo.

The owner of the ship, Vela International Marine, said the 25 crew members on board were safe.
(visit the link for the full news article)


reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 07:36 PM by TKainZero
reply to post by Duzey



All good points


But when a Situation like this DOES happen...

We have ALL the tools to stop it when we want.

this should be solved before it hit global media...


I am still amazed people get boarded so easy at sea...

I guess on a vessel that size... But what i do not understand is why the crew is not armed...

You protecting and shipping millions of $$$ worth of goods, and your only guard is that everyone is going to follow the rules...



I just get angry when stuff like this is happening...

A bunch of men in rubber boats pushing around the nations of the world...


If this stuff ever came to the Caribbean this would not last long...


The Somalian coast is the WORST place in the world for pirates. Weak nations everywhere, and 40% of the worlds oil supply going thru there...




I think this is a case of these guys just took too big of a bite.
Like a fish that is so hungary that it trys to eat a fish that is too big to swallow...

These pirates highjacked the ship, and when they saw what they had, they couldn't steal it, so they have to ransom it.

Now, they know they are sitting ducks

And they are dead men waiting


reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 07:54 PM by Duzey
reply to post by TKainZero



You would be surprised how easy it is to board a ship that size when no watch is posted. The Sirius Star is over 1,000 feet long and was crewed by 25 men. I've been told it's almost the size of one of your big aircraft carriers - would the Navy send one out with that laughably small crew?

I can understand why the crew wasn't armed. They are in close quarters for quite a while and fights break out regularly on ships. I had one guy take an axe to his own brother after a night of drinking. I doubt any master is going to want armed crew members on their vessel, aside of the pirates. Besides they don't own the goods, they are employees. I like my employer, but I doubt I would give up my life to protect the product. These guys just want to get safely home to their family.

Many of the pirated ships are held for ransom. It's common and way easier money for the pirates than unloading the goods.

It's a terrible shame and I hope the crew of all the vessels currently being held for ransom get home safely to their loved ones.

[edit on 18-11-2008 by Duzey]



reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 08:09 PM by TKainZero
reply to post by Duzey



Yes...

Its bigger then our Super carriers...



I think having a gun is the Sure most way of protecting ones self...

And being on a ship, particuarly in this region, that would be a must...


I think the pirates would rather have a ship that has goods that they can use... IE, food, guns, ammo, UN aid... stuff like that...

They would RATHER not ransom, cause that is so much more dangerous...


I hope by the time we wake this next day, that the Crew of the Ship is safely on the way home, and the scum that attacked them are resting on the bottom of the ocean.


reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 08:36 PM by Duzey
reply to post by TKainZero



I would be willing to bet that ransom is the main goal for these pirates.

Case in point:

The ransom demand for a hijacked Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and weapons has been cut to $8m, according to one of the Somali pirates on board.

The pirate, who identified himself as Jama Aden, is not the usual spokesman for the gang but answered the satellite phone of the spokesman, Sugule Ali.

"There are high hopes we will release the ship within hours if they pay us $8 million," Aden said. "The negotiations with the ship owners are going well."

www.guardian.co.uk...


The Faina had 33 tanks (T-72) plus RPGs, anti-aircraft guns and ammo as cargo when hijacked. If the pirates wanted goods to sell, they would unload this precious cargo instead of ransoming it back.


reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 08:38 PM by TKainZero
reply to post by tezzajw



You know what the problem is...


Most of the western countires are run by men with NBAs from harverd and yale, and not men that UNSERTAND the military...


I wish nonsense like this wasn't an issue


but the 'whimpyness' of the US and Western world is what is causeing this...


Yes, they SHOULD loot the ship for what they can, and then try to ransom, in this case... This is a huge ship...

I still say they are dead men walking, and they do not get 1 cent

[edit on 11/18/2008 by TKainZero]


reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 09:24 PM by Duzey
reply to post by 7H3Y 4R3 C0M1N6



I don't think it would be the best idea for to try and take a supertanker back from a group of pirates with carrying automatic weapons with hostages while using rubber bullets.

I don't see that ending well for the hostages.


reply posted on 18-11-2008 @ 10:02 PM by ANNED
First there are very few US flagged ships in the world and most are research or fishing vessels.

There not our ships being hijacked.
so we do not have a real interest in ship that belong to other countries.

There are world treaties on arming civilian ships that make it very hard to have weapons on board.
I have worked with friends that own large boats and the rules on having weapons on board are so confusing to say the least.
There are a large number of countries that will not let you dock in there ports with weapons like handguns or semi-auto rifles on board.
If you hide these weapons and they find them you are looking at a long prison term.
Mexico is one of those countries.

One of the few things we have found is salute cannons are overlooked by most countries.
I know sail and power boat owner the have cannon with bores up to 3 inch as protection on there boats. these are black-powder muzzle-loaders.

filled with BBs these would wipe out any one trying to board.

The other option for large merchant ships is to hire a security company like Blackwater.

This has big drawbacks.
I believe that some small hole in the wall countries will use this as a excuse to seize ships and arrest the crews in a bid to extort money.
THE SAME THING THE PIRATES ARE DOING.
But under the guise of a legal court system.
This leads to having to hire a company to get your ship back.
www.vesselextractions.com...

If blackwater starts operating a maritime protecting unit in this area i give it about two years before a group of blackwater people are arrested by some Arab country on trumped up charges.
Or set up by a terrorist group so that it looks like they killed a number of innocent people. This is standard operating style for groups like Al Qaeda
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