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Originally posted by mrsdudara
Bloomberg
Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Somali pirates may release in “72 hours” a hijacked Saudi oil tanker with about $100 million in crude on board, Saudi Gazette reported, citing Abubakr Dari, one of the negotiators
They agreed to pay the pirates to get their $100mill tanker back.
We have that many Navy's there and these pirates can be so arrogant?
Turkey was holding a suspicious shipment bound for Venezuela from Iran because it contained lab equipment capable of producing explosives, a customs official said Tuesday.
The task force has seized more than 53 tons of narcotics during 2008, officials said. The drugs, seized by U.S. and Royal Navy forces, otherwise could have been used to help fund the insurgency fighting coalition forces in Afghanistan and contributed to instability in the region, officials said.
Naval intervention is bringing Somalian pirates to book
Tuesday 6 January 2009
AFTER a year in which Somalian pirates were seemingly able to carry out their crimes with virtual impunity, there are tentative signs that the efforts of the world’s navies to tackle the problem are starting to have a pronounced effect.
While both military and shipping industry sources warn that it is too early to proclaim that the battle is being won, there is now clearly growing confidence in ultimate success.
The International Maritime Bureau has reported five attacks so far this year. Naval sources say there have been others. Perhaps significantly, only one of them has been successful.
In addition, other suspected incidents include the Danish Navy’s claim that one of its warships assisted a Dutch cargoship last Friday, rescuing five pirates who had been forced into the water.
Originally posted by mrsdudara
This is starting to look less and less like war against pirates, and more like WWIII.
[edit on 6-1-2009 by mrsdudara]
Them boys got some power backin them up.....but who??? I gotta know.
ProtoplasmicTraveller, you just blew my mind. I never thought of the situation that way. Speculation and wishful though it may be, you could be right. I do however want to point out that we don't live in Disneyland and no matter how awesome pirates may be they're still heavily outnumbered and as we all know the world governments have weapons we've never even heard about at their disposal so I wouldn't hold my breath. A free mind doesn't protect against the heavily armed navies.
Perhaps this chess board is more organized than we thought if the both of you are right.
Pirates release Saudi tanker
MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somali pirates released an oil-laden Saudi supertanker after receiving a $3-million ransom, a negotiator for the bandits said Friday.
A U.S. navy photo of a parachute carrying a package to the deck of the ship appeared to show the ransom drop from a small aircraft.