Seychelles serves up African justice for Somali pirates
The Seychelles convicted 11 Somali pirates Monday and joined other small Indian Ocean countries in asking the European Union to fund a regional naval force to combat piracy. Is this emerging as an African solution? More...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
(AP) – July 28, 2010
NORFOLK, Va. — Eleven Somali nationals accused in separate attacks on two U.S. Navy ships are due in federal court in Virginia for arraignments on piracy and other charges. The defendants are scheduled to appear Wednesday before judges in separate courtrooms in Norfolk to enter pleas on the piracy charges and other counts contained in a superseding arraignment handed up earlier this month. Six of the men are accused in the April 10 attack on the USS Ashland. Five are charged in connection with an April 1 attack on the USS Nicholas. The Virginia-based ships were patrolling pirate-infested waters off Africa. The piracy charge carries a mandatory life term. All entered not guilty pleas at their previous arraignment.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
83 Filipinos captured by pirates
Because of the latest incident of hijacking in the Red Sea, it had reached eighty-three (83) Filipino crewmembers who were captured today by Somali pirates.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) knew the identified eighteen (18) Filipino crews who were included in a chemical tanker hijacking.
A Filipinio naval liason officer who was designated in Manama, Bahrain directly communicated to the shipping line MT Motivator.
Before this, the EU anti-piracy task force confirmed that the MT Motivator was attacked by pirates and showered bullets in the north portion of Bab-Al-Mandeb area.
"After notification of this attack, attempts were made to make contact with the Motivator but to no avail. The hijack was confirmed early on 5 July," EU NAVFOR said.
The ship was loaded with almost 13,065 tons of lubricating oil. Today, the authorities are making steps to ensure the safety of the crew.
Because of the latest incident of hijacking in the Red Sea, it had reached eighty-three (83) Filipino crewmembers who were captured today by Somali pirates.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) knew the identified eighteen (18) Filipino crews who were included in a chemical tanker hijacking.
A Filipinio naval liason officer who was designated in Manama, Bahrain directly communicated to the shipping line MT Motivator.
Before this, the EU anti-piracy task force confirmed that the MT Motivator was attacked by pirates and showered bullets in the north portion of Bab-Al-Mandeb area.
"After notification of this attack, attempts were made to make contact with the Motivator but to no avail. The hijack was confirmed early on 5 July," EU NAVFOR said.
The ship was loaded with almost 13,065 tons of lubricating oil. Today, the authorities are making steps to ensure the safety of the crew.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Early on the morning of Tuesday 23 March, an EU NAVFOR warship received a distress call from a merchant ship off the Somalia coast and proceeded at high speed to assist.
As previously reported, the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship, MV ALMEZAAN, en route to Mogadishu, was under attack from pirates. An armed private vessel protection detachment on board the ship returned fire, successfully repelling the first attack, but the pirates continued to pursue. A second attack was repelled and the pirates fled the area.
The EU NAVFOR frigate ESPS NAVARRA, from the Spanish Navy, was dispatched by the Force Commander, Rear Admiral Giovanni Gumiero of the Italian Navy, and raced to the scene of the incident. She launched her helicopter, quickly locating the ALMEZAAN and the pirates’ boats, known as skiffs. When the suspects failed to heed the helicopter’s instructions to stop, warning shots were fired by the aircraft, after which a team from NAVARRA boarded a skiff.
There were three boats, comprising one mother ship and two pirate skiffs. In the first skiff they found three suspected pirates and, in the second, three suspects and a fourth individual, who had died. The body has been transferred to NAVARRA, and an investigation indicated that the individual had died from small calibre gunshot wounds. The mother ship has now been destroyed and the remaining six suspects have been taken onboard the NAVARRA. More...
The three dead pirates, who were sniped in order to free hostage Captain Richard Phillips, finally made their way home today when the U.S. Navy handed over their bodies, contained within wooden coffins, to Somali “authorities.” Sadly there were no family members in attendance when their lifeless bodies arrived in Somalia, perhaps because there wasn’t any compensation for their deaths included with their corpses as had been demanded soon after they were shot clean through their noggins. That said I haven’t been able to confirm a sketchy report that all three of the deceased were sporting these brand spanking new caps upon their arrival in their home country.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Dead Pirates!
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Russians don't play nice A Russian tanker called "The Moscow University" -- containing 86,000 tons of crude oil valued at more than $50 million -- was boarded and seized earlier this month by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
Unlike other, more cowardly nations, which pay ransoms to such thugs and thus encourage their ongoing depredations, the Russians sent Marines, who retook the tanker with the help of a helicopter and a brief aerial assault.
President Dmitry Medvedev said the raid was "sharp, professional and quick" and awarded medals to all involved. More...
Dead Pirates!
by Melanie Swan
Last Updated: June 04. 2010 12:27AM UAE / June 3. 2010 8:27PM GMT Somali security forces regained control of the pirated ship QSM Dubai yesterday morning after a shootout with the hijackers left one crewman dead and another injured.
Two members of the Puntland Security Forces were also hurt after they mounted an operation to free the Dubai cargo ship, which was pirated on Wednesday.
According to Nato, about 50 Somali troops tracked the pirated vessel, which was Panamanian flagged, as it sailed down the northern coast of Puntland in the Gulf of Aden, and then boarded the ship. More...http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100604/NATIONAL/706039829/1138/SPORT
Dead Pirates!
New York Times
Crew members of a Libyan-owned cargo ship, MV Rim, pounced on their six sleeping Somali captors Wednesday, disarmed the pirates, killed five, took the other hostage and regained control of the vessel, hijacked almost three months earlier, officials said. A crew member was seriously injured in the struggle, the European Union’s anti-piracy naval force said. The force said the closest warship, SPS Victoria, was dispatched to provide medical assistance to the 4,800-ton cargo vessel, anchored near the Garacad coastal district of Somalia.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Officials: 11 pirate suspects headed for US
By PAULINE JELINEK (AP)
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say 11 pirate suspects are being flown to the United States and could appear for a court hearing on their indictment as early as Friday morning.
The officials say the suspects were taken from the USS Nassau amphibious assault ship off Africa's coast Thursday, handed over to U.S. law enforcement officials and were being flown to Norfolk, Virginia. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the cases.
The 11 are alleged to have fired on two U.S. naval vessels in two separate incidents in recent weeks.
Ten more alleged pirates are still being held by the Navy, but it was unclear Thursday whether any nation would prosecute them.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
By PAULINE JELINEK (AP)
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say 11 pirate suspects are being flown to the United States and could appear for a court hearing on their indictment as early as Friday morning.
The officials say the suspects were taken from the USS Nassau amphibious assault ship off Africa's coast Thursday, handed over to U.S. law enforcement officials and were being flown to Norfolk, Virginia. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the cases.
The 11 are alleged to have fired on two U.S. naval vessels in two separate incidents in recent weeks.
Ten more alleged pirates are still being held by the Navy, but it was unclear Thursday whether any nation would prosecute them.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Somali pirates seize 3 Thai ships with 77 crew
By KATHARINE HOURELD (AP)
NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates hijacked three Thai fishing vessels with 77 crew aboard more than 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) off the Somali coast, the farthest-off-shore attack to date, the EU Naval Force said Tuesday.
Pirates have expanded their range south and east in response to an increase in patrols by European and U.S. warships off the Somali shore.
The hijacking of the three Thai vessels Sunday was almost 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the EU Naval Force, said its spokesman, Cmdr. John Harbour.
The EU Naval Force said the attack so far out at sea was a clear indication that the EU, NATO and U.S.-led anti-piracy missions were having a "marked effect on pirate activity in the area."
"Once they start attacking that far out, you're not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia," said Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the British think tank Chatham House. "Once you're that far out it's just the Indian Ocean, and it means you're looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia, from Asia to southern Africa."
The three vessels — the MV Prantalay 11, 12, and 14 — have 77 crew onboard in total. All the crew are Thai, Harbour said. The owner of the vessels is PT Interfishery Ltd.
Before the latest hijackings pirates held 11 vessels and 228 crew, said Cyrus Mody of the International Maritime Bureau. The latest hijacking raises those numbers to 14 vessels and 305 crew.
Pirates have increased attacks against shipping vessels over the last year in hopes of netting the multi-million dollar ransoms they can earn. Because of increased naval patrols and increased defenses on board commercial vessels, the pirates' success rate has gone down, though the number of successful attacks has stayed about the same year over year.
Associated Press reporter Jason Straziuso contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
By KATHARINE HOURELD (AP)
NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates hijacked three Thai fishing vessels with 77 crew aboard more than 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) off the Somali coast, the farthest-off-shore attack to date, the EU Naval Force said Tuesday.
Pirates have expanded their range south and east in response to an increase in patrols by European and U.S. warships off the Somali shore.
The hijacking of the three Thai vessels Sunday was almost 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the EU Naval Force, said its spokesman, Cmdr. John Harbour.
The EU Naval Force said the attack so far out at sea was a clear indication that the EU, NATO and U.S.-led anti-piracy missions were having a "marked effect on pirate activity in the area."
"Once they start attacking that far out, you're not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia," said Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the British think tank Chatham House. "Once you're that far out it's just the Indian Ocean, and it means you're looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia, from Asia to southern Africa."
The three vessels — the MV Prantalay 11, 12, and 14 — have 77 crew onboard in total. All the crew are Thai, Harbour said. The owner of the vessels is PT Interfishery Ltd.
Before the latest hijackings pirates held 11 vessels and 228 crew, said Cyrus Mody of the International Maritime Bureau. The latest hijacking raises those numbers to 14 vessels and 305 crew.
Pirates have increased attacks against shipping vessels over the last year in hopes of netting the multi-million dollar ransoms they can earn. Because of increased naval patrols and increased defenses on board commercial vessels, the pirates' success rate has gone down, though the number of successful attacks has stayed about the same year over year.
Associated Press reporter Jason Straziuso contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Washington (CNN) -- Five suspected Somali pirates accused of attacking a U.S. Navy ship could be sent to the United States to face criminal proceedings, according to U.S. military officials.
This is only the second time U.S. authorities have brought pirate suspects from Somalia to the United States to possibly face trial.
This is only the second time U.S. authorities have brought pirate suspects from Somalia to the United States to possibly face trial.
The five are being held aboard the USS Nicholas -- the guided-missile frigate they are accused of attacking -- off the Horn of Africa and will be transferred to Department of Justice authority in the coming days, officials said.
Although the United States worked with Kenya to create a system to try pirate suspects in that country, the Kenyan government told Washington that its court system is overburdened and cannot accept more cases.
The suspects are expected to be moved to the U.S. base in Djibouti and then flown to Norfolk, Virginia, according to the officials.
The Department of Justice has enough evidence on the five to prosecute them, according to military officials. The expectation is they will be tried in federal court. More...
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Somali pirates in high gear on high seas
MOGADISHU, Somalia, April 8 (UPI) -- Suspected pirates hijacking ships along Somalia's lawless coast have overtaken at least three ships and nearly 60 crew members this week, naval officials said.
The incidents are the latest in a string of hijackings of at least 16 ships and an estimated 240 crew members since the end of the monsoon season in recent weeks.
Suspected pirates hijacked the South Korean supertanker Samho Dream Sunday with 24 sailors on board and warned a South Korean warship chasing the supertanker to stay away or risk endangering the crew's safety, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Thursday.
Suspected Somali pirates hijacked the Turkish vessel MV Yasin C with a crew of 25 off the Kenyan coast Wednesday, said the European Union Naval Force, charged with helping to prevent piracy off Somalia's coast.
The Wednesday hijacking followed the commandeering by suspected Somali pirates of an Indian cargo dhow, a traditional Arab sailing vessel, and the drowning of a hostage Tuesday after the dhow was used to attack another vessel and navies, including from the United States, intervened.
The suspected pirates aboard the commandeered dhow Faize Osamani tried to attack the MV Rising Sun, which evaded the attack and sent a distress signal, the U.S. Fifth Fleet said.
An Omani warship arrived first and the nine hostages jumped overboard to swim away from the pirates. One hostage drowned and the eight others were rescued, the Fifth Fleet said.
The U.S. destroyer USS McFaul arrived later. Its crew helped persuade the 10 suspected pirates to surrender and then took them into custody, the Fifth Fleet said.
"It's something we have to be prepared for now," McFaul Executive Officer Lt. Cmdr. Matt Pederson told The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot from the McFaul. "It's a scourge."
Somalia has had no effective central government since 1991, when the former government was toppled by clan militias that later turned on each other.
© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MOGADISHU, Somalia, April 8 (UPI) -- Suspected pirates hijacking ships along Somalia's lawless coast have overtaken at least three ships and nearly 60 crew members this week, naval officials said.
The incidents are the latest in a string of hijackings of at least 16 ships and an estimated 240 crew members since the end of the monsoon season in recent weeks.
Suspected pirates hijacked the South Korean supertanker Samho Dream Sunday with 24 sailors on board and warned a South Korean warship chasing the supertanker to stay away or risk endangering the crew's safety, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Thursday.
Suspected Somali pirates hijacked the Turkish vessel MV Yasin C with a crew of 25 off the Kenyan coast Wednesday, said the European Union Naval Force, charged with helping to prevent piracy off Somalia's coast.
The Wednesday hijacking followed the commandeering by suspected Somali pirates of an Indian cargo dhow, a traditional Arab sailing vessel, and the drowning of a hostage Tuesday after the dhow was used to attack another vessel and navies, including from the United States, intervened.
The suspected pirates aboard the commandeered dhow Faize Osamani tried to attack the MV Rising Sun, which evaded the attack and sent a distress signal, the U.S. Fifth Fleet said.
An Omani warship arrived first and the nine hostages jumped overboard to swim away from the pirates. One hostage drowned and the eight others were rescued, the Fifth Fleet said.
The U.S. destroyer USS McFaul arrived later. Its crew helped persuade the 10 suspected pirates to surrender and then took them into custody, the Fifth Fleet said.
"It's something we have to be prepared for now," McFaul Executive Officer Lt. Cmdr. Matt Pederson told The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot from the McFaul. "It's a scourge."
Somalia has had no effective central government since 1991, when the former government was toppled by clan militias that later turned on each other.
© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Pirates abandon Turkish-flagged ship off Kenya
(Reuters) - Pirates have abandoned a Turkish-flagged bulk carrier they hijacked while it was en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, leaving its crew of 25 unharmed, the head of a regional maritime body said on Saturday. More...
(Reuters) - Pirates have abandoned a Turkish-flagged bulk carrier they hijacked while it was en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, leaving its crew of 25 unharmed, the head of a regional maritime body said on Saturday. More...
US Navy holds 6 suspected pirates after battle
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. Navy is holding six suspected pirates after a sea battle off the Horn of Africa.
It's the third U.S. Navy encounter with pirates in the past 10 days in the violence-plagued waters off Somalia and nearby regions. At least 21 suspected pirates have been captured.
The U.S. Navy says suspected pirates began shooting at the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland Saturday, about 380 miles off Djibouti, a small nation facing Yemen across the mouth of the Red Sea.
The Navy says the Ashland returned fire and the suspected pirate skiff was destroyed. All six people on board were rescued and taken aboard the Ashland.
The Ashland suffered no injuries or damage.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. Navy is holding six suspected pirates after a sea battle off the Horn of Africa.
It's the third U.S. Navy encounter with pirates in the past 10 days in the violence-plagued waters off Somalia and nearby regions. At least 21 suspected pirates have been captured.
The U.S. Navy says suspected pirates began shooting at the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland Saturday, about 380 miles off Djibouti, a small nation facing Yemen across the mouth of the Red Sea.
The Navy says the Ashland returned fire and the suspected pirate skiff was destroyed. All six people on board were rescued and taken aboard the Ashland.
The Ashland suffered no injuries or damage.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Somali pirates warn S. Korean destroyer to stay awayBy HYUNG-JIN KIM (AP)
SEOUL, South Korea — Somali pirates warned a South Korean destroyer chasing a hijacked supertanker with 24 sailors on board not to get any closer or else risk endangering the crew, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
All crew members of the South Korean-operated, Marshall Island-flagged Samho Dream are safe, the pirates said by phone Wednesday through the tanker's captain in the first contact since the hijacking Sunday in the Indian Ocean.
However, "the safety of the sailors will be in jeopardy" if the destroyer sails any closer, the pirates warned, a ministry official said.
Pirates have been on a streak of ship hijackings in recent weeks, with at least 16 ships and some 240 crew members believed held captive off Somalia's lawless coast.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, and multimillion-dollar ransoms have become a way to make money in the impoverished nation. More...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Korean Navy destroyer nears supertanker seized by Somali pirates
A South Korean navy destroyer has caught up with a hijacked supertanker under control of Somali pirates, an official at Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The destroyer has tracked down the 300,000-ton tanker, Samho Dream, heading to Somali waters, the official told reporters. "The destroyer, Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin, arrived in waters near the Samho Dream at around 1:20 a.m. [Korean time] and is now operating in its vicinity," he said. More...
A South Korean navy destroyer has caught up with a hijacked supertanker under control of Somali pirates, an official at Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The destroyer has tracked down the 300,000-ton tanker, Samho Dream, heading to Somali waters, the official told reporters. "The destroyer, Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin, arrived in waters near the Samho Dream at around 1:20 a.m. [Korean time] and is now operating in its vicinity," he said. More...
Dutch navy frees German cargo ship, arrests 10 pirates
[UPDATE 04-08-10]
THE HAGUE — The Dutch navy freed Monday a German cargo ship that had been boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia and arrested 10 of the attackers, the Dutch defence ministry announced.
The Dutch frigate Tromp rescued the ship and its crew at around 1140 GMT about 900 kilometres (560 miles) east of the Somali coast, the ministry said in a statement.
A Dutch soldier was slightly wounded in the operation during which the troops exchanged gunfire with the pirates who had come aboard with the help of a mothership and two attack boats.
The frigate had received a distress signal from the German container ship Taipan about four hours earlier, the statement said.
"The ship had been attacked by pirates and the crew had hidden in a secure space on board," the ministry said.
When it arrived, the frigate sounded alerts and fired warning shots which sent the mothership fleeing, it said.
Navy commandos then descended from a helicopter onto the bridge of the Taipan and arrested 10 pirates, it said. The 15 members of the crew emerged "safe and sound".
"Despite the damage on the bridge caused during the operation, the boat was able to continue its route alone," it said.
The arrested pirates were taken onboard the Dutch frigate.
It had not been decided what would be done with them, defence ministry spokesman Robin Middel told AFP, without giving the nationalities of the pirates or the crew of the German vessel.
The Dutch navy launched the operation as part of an EU naval mission called Operation Atalanta which protects shipping along the key route off Somalia.
EU Navfor has said that in March it collared 18 pirate gangs, destroyed 22 skiffs and apprehended some 131 pirates for prosecution.
But there are eight vessels and 157 hostages in the hands of Somali pirates, an official said on March 31.
[UPDATE 04-08-10]
THE HAGUE — The Dutch navy freed Monday a German cargo ship that had been boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia and arrested 10 of the attackers, the Dutch defence ministry announced.
The Dutch frigate Tromp rescued the ship and its crew at around 1140 GMT about 900 kilometres (560 miles) east of the Somali coast, the ministry said in a statement.
A Dutch soldier was slightly wounded in the operation during which the troops exchanged gunfire with the pirates who had come aboard with the help of a mothership and two attack boats.
The frigate had received a distress signal from the German container ship Taipan about four hours earlier, the statement said.
"The ship had been attacked by pirates and the crew had hidden in a secure space on board," the ministry said.
When it arrived, the frigate sounded alerts and fired warning shots which sent the mothership fleeing, it said.
Navy commandos then descended from a helicopter onto the bridge of the Taipan and arrested 10 pirates, it said. The 15 members of the crew emerged "safe and sound".
"Despite the damage on the bridge caused during the operation, the boat was able to continue its route alone," it said.
The arrested pirates were taken onboard the Dutch frigate.
It had not been decided what would be done with them, defence ministry spokesman Robin Middel told AFP, without giving the nationalities of the pirates or the crew of the German vessel.
The Dutch navy launched the operation as part of an EU naval mission called Operation Atalanta which protects shipping along the key route off Somalia.
EU Navfor has said that in March it collared 18 pirate gangs, destroyed 22 skiffs and apprehended some 131 pirates for prosecution.
But there are eight vessels and 157 hostages in the hands of Somali pirates, an official said on March 31.
Captain's Book Details How He Foiled and Infuriated Somali Pirates
When pirates attacked Capt. Richard Phillips' ship last April, he tried to fend them off by firing warning flares at them, popping up between bursts of fire from AK-47s to zing a fiery flare at them.
Phillips was hoping for a lucky shot that would ignite something in their skiff, but he kept aiming flares at the four pirates even after they were aboard the Maersk Alabama and were spraying the captain's bridge with gunfire.
He says that was his first mistake -- taking too long to retreat to a safe room where he could lock himself in and the pirates would be unable to maneuver the ship and would have no bargaining chips.
In his new book "A Captain's Duty" Phillips recounts the harrowing ordeal at the hands four Somali pirates last April, and details for the first time what happened aboard the cargo ship and how he and his crew frustrated and fooled the pirates.
Phillips' account comes as pirate activity in the Indian Ocean appears to be escalating along with more attempts to fight off the pirates. Just this week, a South Korean warship is pursuing a supertanker grabbed by pirates that is loaded with $160 million worth of crude oil.
When pirates attacked Capt. Richard Phillips' ship last April, he tried to fend them off by firing warning flares at them, popping up between bursts of fire from AK-47s to zing a fiery flare at them.
Phillips was hoping for a lucky shot that would ignite something in their skiff, but he kept aiming flares at the four pirates even after they were aboard the Maersk Alabama and were spraying the captain's bridge with gunfire.
He says that was his first mistake -- taking too long to retreat to a safe room where he could lock himself in and the pirates would be unable to maneuver the ship and would have no bargaining chips.
In his new book "A Captain's Duty" Phillips recounts the harrowing ordeal at the hands four Somali pirates last April, and details for the first time what happened aboard the cargo ship and how he and his crew frustrated and fooled the pirates.
Phillips' account comes as pirate activity in the Indian Ocean appears to be escalating along with more attempts to fight off the pirates. Just this week, a South Korean warship is pursuing a supertanker grabbed by pirates that is loaded with $160 million worth of crude oil.
Monday, April 5, 2010
South Korea navy destroyer in pursuit of Somali pirates
South Korea today sent a naval destroyer in pursuit of an oil tanker captured Sunday by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The tanker holds some $170 million of crude oil.
"Reuters reports that a pirate source told the news agency the ship was being taken to Haradheere, a port frequented by pirates where many ships are held during ransom negotiations. Reuters also reports that the destroyer is faster than the tanker and will be able to catch up to the tanker before it reaches port." More...
South Korea today sent a naval destroyer in pursuit of an oil tanker captured Sunday by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The tanker holds some $170 million of crude oil.
"Reuters reports that a pirate source told the news agency the ship was being taken to Haradheere, a port frequented by pirates where many ships are held during ransom negotiations. Reuters also reports that the destroyer is faster than the tanker and will be able to catch up to the tanker before it reaches port." More...
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Somali pirates 'release two Indian boats'
AHMEDABAD, India — Somali pirates released two of the eight Indian boats hijacked in recent weeks, freeing 26 sailors, a shipping body told AFP on Sunday.
Reports in New Delhi said the ships were on their way to Dubai when they were hijacked after leaving a port in the rebel territory of Kismayo in Somalia.
"One vessel with 15 sailors on board was released by the pirates yesterday, while another one was freed early this morning along with 11 sailors," said Kasam Ali, president of the Kutch Vahanvati Association in Gujarat.
He said the pirates had stripped one vessel of equipment, while the other had run out of fuel.
About 80 Indian sailors are still thought to be held on the remaining six ships near the Seychelles.
India, whose merchant navy has frequently been targeted off the coast of Somalia, has a warship in the region.
Somali pirates, targeting one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes, raked in an estimated 60 million dollars in ransoms last year.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved
AHMEDABAD, India — Somali pirates released two of the eight Indian boats hijacked in recent weeks, freeing 26 sailors, a shipping body told AFP on Sunday.
Reports in New Delhi said the ships were on their way to Dubai when they were hijacked after leaving a port in the rebel territory of Kismayo in Somalia.
"One vessel with 15 sailors on board was released by the pirates yesterday, while another one was freed early this morning along with 11 sailors," said Kasam Ali, president of the Kutch Vahanvati Association in Gujarat.
He said the pirates had stripped one vessel of equipment, while the other had run out of fuel.
About 80 Indian sailors are still thought to be held on the remaining six ships near the Seychelles.
India, whose merchant navy has frequently been targeted off the coast of Somalia, has a warship in the region.
Somali pirates, targeting one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes, raked in an estimated 60 million dollars in ransoms last year.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved
Piracy Prone Areas and Warnings: UPDATE
Mariners are warned to be extra cautious and to take necessary precautionary measures when transiting the following areas: Link to IMB
Mariners are warned to be extra cautious and to take necessary precautionary measures when transiting the following areas: Link to IMB
Pirate Season is Heating Up
April 2, 2010 - 1:23 PM by: Mike Emanuel
U.S. Navy ships have had two clashes with pirates in less than 24 hours.
April 2, 2010 - 1:23 PM by: Mike Emanuel
U.S. Navy ships have had two clashes with pirates in less than 24 hours.
Most recently, the destroyer Farragut disarmed pirates and sank the mother skiff off the coast of Somalia after responding to an attack on a Sierra Leone-flagged tanker.
That was after the USS Nicholas crew came under fire by a group of suspected Somali pirates just before 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
The Nicholas incident took place hundreds of miles west of the Seychelles Islands, and the Farragut response was approximately 800 miles northwest of the Seychelles.
Navy sources tell Fox when monsoon season ends off the coast of Africa, pirate season heats up. It becomes easier for the pirates to maneuver and choose their targets.
Pirates typically target commercial ships hoping that companies or governments will pay ransom. As one expert put it, “for the pirates, it’s a business.”
Jim Arkedis, a former counterterrorism and security analyst at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service who now works at Progressive Policy Institute, says clashes with the U.S. Navy are either bad timing or a case of mistaken identity.
“A lot of these pirates who are a long way from home off the Somali coast are potentially under the influence of alcohol and drugs. That's how their leadership back in Somalia gets them to engage and be so aggressive,” Arkedis told Fox.
A Naval commander dealing with the piracy issue also warns the attackers are also becoming bolder and targeting ships much farther away from the Somali shores.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Navies struggle with 'swarming' pirates
By Nick Childs BBC News
The British admiral in charge of the EU naval force countering the Somali pirate threat off the east coast of Africa has said there has been a huge surge in activity by pirates in recent weeks to try to flood the area.
Rear Adm Peter Hudson told the BBC that the priority for international navies now was to increase co-operation and concentrate forces to counter this new strategy.
But the EU acknowledges that the pirate threat in the region is "an expanding phenomenon", both in terms of level of activity and range.
The EU naval force (Navfor) says the rate of pirate activity it saw in March was double that of the three months from September to November 2009 - the last calm period between monsoons when pirates mostly operate.
Swarm tactics
The main area of concern is now the southern part of what is known as the Somali basin - the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast. And the navies are also having to contend with new pirate tactics. "What we've seen in the last month in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, the Somali basin, is almost swarm tactics by some of the pirates who try to flood the area with action groups," said Adm Hudson.
But the admiral insisted that the international naval forces are able to make a difference. And the navies believe they are reducing the number of successful attacks. "By correctly positioning our aircraft, putting our ships in the right area, we've managed to break up, dismantle, disrupt over 20 of those groups," he said.
Adm Hudson also said that the number of suspected pirates in jail facing prosecution in Kenya and the Seychelles had risen significantly.
Kenya, however, has announced it will no longer take any new pirate suspects, saying it has taken more than its fair share of the "burden".
Still, there were nine hijackings in March. And Adm Hudson acknowledged that the level of activity showed there was still "a big appetite to go and see ships". He suggested there could be "a handful of thousands" of people involved in the different aspects of the area's piracy operations.
There has been growing international concern over the scale of piracy coming from Somalia.
More...
By Nick Childs BBC News
The British admiral in charge of the EU naval force countering the Somali pirate threat off the east coast of Africa has said there has been a huge surge in activity by pirates in recent weeks to try to flood the area.
Rear Adm Peter Hudson told the BBC that the priority for international navies now was to increase co-operation and concentrate forces to counter this new strategy.
But the EU acknowledges that the pirate threat in the region is "an expanding phenomenon", both in terms of level of activity and range.
The EU naval force (Navfor) says the rate of pirate activity it saw in March was double that of the three months from September to November 2009 - the last calm period between monsoons when pirates mostly operate.
Swarm tactics
The main area of concern is now the southern part of what is known as the Somali basin - the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast. And the navies are also having to contend with new pirate tactics. "What we've seen in the last month in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, the Somali basin, is almost swarm tactics by some of the pirates who try to flood the area with action groups," said Adm Hudson.
But the admiral insisted that the international naval forces are able to make a difference. And the navies believe they are reducing the number of successful attacks. "By correctly positioning our aircraft, putting our ships in the right area, we've managed to break up, dismantle, disrupt over 20 of those groups," he said.
Adm Hudson also said that the number of suspected pirates in jail facing prosecution in Kenya and the Seychelles had risen significantly.
Kenya, however, has announced it will no longer take any new pirate suspects, saying it has taken more than its fair share of the "burden".
Still, there were nine hijackings in March. And Adm Hudson acknowledged that the level of activity showed there was still "a big appetite to go and see ships". He suggested there could be "a handful of thousands" of people involved in the different aspects of the area's piracy operations.
There has been growing international concern over the scale of piracy coming from Somalia.
More...
Taiwan fishing vessel feared captured by pirates
Taiwan says it fears a Taiwanese fishing boat may have been hijacked by pirates off the Somali coast.
The Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the island lost contact with the 79-ton Jih-chun Tsai 68 fishing trawler the day before.
The ministry said it came to believe the vessel might have been captured when a trawler that appeared to be Taiwanese launched an attack on another Taiwanese fishing boat off the Somali coast. That second fishing vessel has managed to escape to safety, the government-owned Central News Agency reported.
The ministry says it has asked the U.S. and Britain for help.
Pirate attacks have continued to climb despite the presence of around 35 warships from various nations patrolling the waters off of lawless Somalia.
Taiwan says it fears a Taiwanese fishing boat may have been hijacked by pirates off the Somali coast.
The Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the island lost contact with the 79-ton Jih-chun Tsai 68 fishing trawler the day before.
The ministry said it came to believe the vessel might have been captured when a trawler that appeared to be Taiwanese launched an attack on another Taiwanese fishing boat off the Somali coast. That second fishing vessel has managed to escape to safety, the government-owned Central News Agency reported.
The ministry says it has asked the U.S. and Britain for help.
Pirate attacks have continued to climb despite the presence of around 35 warships from various nations patrolling the waters off of lawless Somalia.
Turkish commandos seize 9 pirates in Gulf of Aden
Reuters: Apr 1, 2010 2:56pm EDT
Reuters: Apr 1, 2010 2:56pm EDT
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish commandos have captured nine pirates aboard a boat in the Gulf of Aden, the Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement on Thursday.
The frigate Gelibolu, serving as part of a NATO anti-piracy mission, intercepted the pirate skiff while monitoring the security corridor for merchant shipping 80 miles from the coast on Wednesday, the statement said. "Commandos performed maneuvers to intercept the boat and captured nine pirates on board," it added.
The Turkish Armed Forces' website published photos of the pirates at sea in their skiff and later, after their capture, holding their hands above their heads.
Seaborne gangs have increased their attacks in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden in recent months, making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from seizing ships, including tankers and dry bulkers. Several vessels have been hijacked this week alone.
(Reporting by Alexandra Hudson)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
U.S. warship captures suspected pirate mother shipA U.S. warship sank a pirate skiff and captured a pirate mother ship in the Indian Ocean on Thursday, according to a statement from U.S. Naval Forces Africa.
The frigate USS Nicholas came under fire from a pirate vessel shortly after midnight in international waters west of the Seychelles, according to a U.S. military statement.
The Nicholas returned fire and pursued the skiff as it fled, capturing it about 90 minutes later. Three suspected pirates aboard the skiff were taken into custody, along with two others aboard a suspected pirate mother ship that was nearby.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
EU NAVFOR: Dutch warship Tromp disrupts more Pirate Action Groups
07:14 GMT, March 30, 2010
Continuing success by EU NAVFOR over the last 24 hours by Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and EU NAVFOR HNLMS Tromp, has led to the detention of 10 suspected pirates and the destruction of a Pirate Action Groups (PAG).
On 28th Mar, the EU NAVFOR Swedish Maritime Patrol aircraft (MPA) located a PAG almost 700 miles east of Mogadishu and informed the Force Commander onboard the Italian warship ETNA. The Force Commander, Admiral Giovanni Gumiero tasked TROMP with intercepting the PAG.
EU NAVFOR warship TROMP launched her helicopter and forced the suspected pirates to stop their skiffs. A boarding operation was conducted and 10 suspected pirates were detained. A large number of fuel barrels were found and destroyed. Two attack skiffs were also destroyed and the suspects were provided with sufficient fuel and water to reach the coast in a third boat.
During this period of highly successful disruption operations, EU NAVFOR French, Spanish, German and Dutch warships and Maritime patrol Aircraft from Sweden and Luxemburg have interdicted some 17 Pirate Groups, accounting for more than 131 suspected pirates with HNLMS
Tromp alone accounting for the apprehension of 61 suspected pirates.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.----EU NAVFOR Public Affairs Office
07:14 GMT, March 30, 2010
Continuing success by EU NAVFOR over the last 24 hours by Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and EU NAVFOR HNLMS Tromp, has led to the detention of 10 suspected pirates and the destruction of a Pirate Action Groups (PAG).
On 28th Mar, the EU NAVFOR Swedish Maritime Patrol aircraft (MPA) located a PAG almost 700 miles east of Mogadishu and informed the Force Commander onboard the Italian warship ETNA. The Force Commander, Admiral Giovanni Gumiero tasked TROMP with intercepting the PAG.
EU NAVFOR warship TROMP launched her helicopter and forced the suspected pirates to stop their skiffs. A boarding operation was conducted and 10 suspected pirates were detained. A large number of fuel barrels were found and destroyed. Two attack skiffs were also destroyed and the suspects were provided with sufficient fuel and water to reach the coast in a third boat.
During this period of highly successful disruption operations, EU NAVFOR French, Spanish, German and Dutch warships and Maritime patrol Aircraft from Sweden and Luxemburg have interdicted some 17 Pirate Groups, accounting for more than 131 suspected pirates with HNLMS
Tromp alone accounting for the apprehension of 61 suspected pirates.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.----EU NAVFOR Public Affairs Office
Nigerian Pirates Strike Again? W. Africa pirates hold sailors for ransom
By JON GAMBRELL (AP)
LAGOS, Nigeria — A Nigerian naval officer says pirates have seized a Ghanaian ship and kidnapped two sailors for ransom.
The hijacking apparently took place off the coast of the West African nation of Cameroon.
Commodore David Nabaida told The Associated Press on Tuesday that pirates took control of the MV Gull and kidnapped its captain and an officer on board once they found nothing worth stealing.
Saturday's attack occurred near the Bakassi peninsula, an area that once sparked a war between Cameroon and Nigeria. Nigeria handed over the peninsula to Cameroon in 2008 after an international court ruling.
Militants groups want the peninsula to secede from Cameroon and are waging a low-level war against the government.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
By JON GAMBRELL (AP)
LAGOS, Nigeria — A Nigerian naval officer says pirates have seized a Ghanaian ship and kidnapped two sailors for ransom.
The hijacking apparently took place off the coast of the West African nation of Cameroon.
Commodore David Nabaida told The Associated Press on Tuesday that pirates took control of the MV Gull and kidnapped its captain and an officer on board once they found nothing worth stealing.
Saturday's attack occurred near the Bakassi peninsula, an area that once sparked a war between Cameroon and Nigeria. Nigeria handed over the peninsula to Cameroon in 2008 after an international court ruling.
Militants groups want the peninsula to secede from Cameroon and are waging a low-level war against the government.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Somali pirates holding dhows with Indian crew
By MALKHADIR M. MUHUMED (AP)
By MALKHADIR M. MUHUMED (AP)
NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates may be holding several dhows carrying an estimated 100 Indian sailors they have seized over the past five days, an Indian naval spokesman and a diplomat said Tuesday.
Indian navy spokesman P.V.S. Satish said Tuesday the navy was checking reports that eight dhows with Indians aboard have been missing since Sunday.
A Nairobi-based diplomat said the dhows were seized between Friday and Sunday, but could not say how many vessels were taken. The boats are believed to have been moving goods between Somalia and the United Arab Emirates, said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
He said some of dhows have drifted away from the Somali coastline but their location is not clear.
Pirate attacks have continued to climb despite three dozen warships patrolling the Somali coast.
Experts say piracy will continue to be a problem until an effective government is established on Somalia's lawless shores. There are few other job prospects in the impoverished nation, which has not had a stable government for 19 years.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Yemen: Pirates Take Cargo Ship Off Aden
By REUTERS
Published: March 29, 2010
Pirates seized a cargo ship on Monday with 24 crew members off the port of Aden, Yemen. The vessel, the MV Iceberg 1, was boarded just 10 miles from the port and was being taken toward the Somali coast, said the Ecoterra maritime monitoring agency in Kenya. Members of the crew of the ship, which flies the flag of Panama, are from Ghana, Pakistan, India, Sudan and Yemen, according to the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program, which is also headquartered in Kenya. A spokesman for traders in Mogadishu, Somalia, said that seven other ships had been seized in the Indian Ocean over the weekend.
By REUTERS
Published: March 29, 2010
Pirates seized a cargo ship on Monday with 24 crew members off the port of Aden, Yemen. The vessel, the MV Iceberg 1, was boarded just 10 miles from the port and was being taken toward the Somali coast, said the Ecoterra maritime monitoring agency in Kenya. Members of the crew of the ship, which flies the flag of Panama, are from Ghana, Pakistan, India, Sudan and Yemen, according to the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program, which is also headquartered in Kenya. A spokesman for traders in Mogadishu, Somalia, said that seven other ships had been seized in the Indian Ocean over the weekend.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Pirates hijack ship off Somalia: maritime agency
Reuters Monday, March 29, 2010; 9:31 AM
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Pirates seized a roll-on roll-off ship named MV Iceberg 1 with 24 crew members off the port of Aden on Monday, a maritime monitoring agency said.
It was the third ship reported to have been seized by pirates in the waters off east Africa since Saturday.
"The owners reported to NATO that pirates boarded the ro-ro vessel MV Iceberg 1 today just 10 miles outside Aden Port in the Gulf of Aden," said the Kenyan-based Ecoterra.
"The vessel with her 24 member crew is now commandeered toward the Somali coast." Ecoterra gave no more information on the hijacked vessel.
Somali buccaneers are highly active off the coast of Somalia, increasing the range of their attacks, acquiring millions of dollars in ransoms and defying a flotilla of foreign warships that is trying to monitor the region's sea lanes. More...
Reuters Monday, March 29, 2010; 9:31 AM
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Pirates seized a roll-on roll-off ship named MV Iceberg 1 with 24 crew members off the port of Aden on Monday, a maritime monitoring agency said.
It was the third ship reported to have been seized by pirates in the waters off east Africa since Saturday.
"The owners reported to NATO that pirates boarded the ro-ro vessel MV Iceberg 1 today just 10 miles outside Aden Port in the Gulf of Aden," said the Kenyan-based Ecoterra.
"The vessel with her 24 member crew is now commandeered toward the Somali coast." Ecoterra gave no more information on the hijacked vessel.
Somali buccaneers are highly active off the coast of Somalia, increasing the range of their attacks, acquiring millions of dollars in ransoms and defying a flotilla of foreign warships that is trying to monitor the region's sea lanes. More...
Somali pirates say hijack Spanish ship
Sun Mar 28, 2010 8:52am EDT
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates said on Sunday they had captured a Spanish fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean.
A pirate who gave his name as Ibrahim told Reuters by phone: "My men have hijacked a Spanish fishing vessel from the Indian Ocean. They are on board and safe."
Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme told Reuters by phone they were aware a fishing vessel had been seized, but its ownership was unclear.
The Spanish foreign ministry in Madrid said it was checking the reports.
Mwangura said pirates had demanded a $3 million ransom for a North Korea-flagged cargo ship captured early last month.
The pirates were threatening to kill the 10-man Syrian crew of the Libyan-owned MV RIM, he said. Somali pirates have received millions of dollars in ransom payments for various ships in recent months.
(Reporting by Mohamed Ahmed and Duncan Miriri in Nairobi; Editing by Michael Roddy)
Sun Mar 28, 2010 8:52am EDT
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates said on Sunday they had captured a Spanish fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean.
A pirate who gave his name as Ibrahim told Reuters by phone: "My men have hijacked a Spanish fishing vessel from the Indian Ocean. They are on board and safe."
Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme told Reuters by phone they were aware a fishing vessel had been seized, but its ownership was unclear.
The Spanish foreign ministry in Madrid said it was checking the reports.
Mwangura said pirates had demanded a $3 million ransom for a North Korea-flagged cargo ship captured early last month.
The pirates were threatening to kill the 10-man Syrian crew of the Libyan-owned MV RIM, he said. Somali pirates have received millions of dollars in ransom payments for various ships in recent months.
(Reporting by Mohamed Ahmed and Duncan Miriri in Nairobi; Editing by Michael Roddy)
Thursday, March 25, 2010
PARIS — After a dramatic chase on the high seas and exchanges of fire between private security contractors and pirates off Somalia, the European Union Naval Force released six suspected attackers who had tried to commandeer a cargo ship heading for Mogadishu, the naval force said on Thursday.
The suspects were freed because the captain of the ship they were accused of attacking declined to identify them for the purposes of legal action, Cmdr. John Harbour, the spokesman for the naval force, said in a telephone interview.
The suspects were placed in a skiff and given enough fuel and water to reach the shore, he added.
They were captured after private contractors on board the cargo ship, the Almezaan, repulsed two attempts to commandeer the vessel and killed a seventh attacker in the process, according to the naval force, which is based in Britain.
The fatality was believed to be the first caused by private security personnel hired to counter the threat of piracy off Somalia, Commander Harbour said.
The release of the suspects illuminated the obstacles blocking the prosecution of assailants captured on the largely unregulated high seas where jurisdiction is unclear.
The Almezaan, for instance, is owned by a company in the United Arab Emirates, but flies the Panamanian flag. Its captain is Pakistani, while the nationality of the crew members and the private contractors who repelled the attack was unclear, the naval force said.
The death of one of the attackers could escalate the struggle between pirates and merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, where cargo ships increasingly carry private security teams. Some maritime organizations believe the presence of armed contractors may make pirates adopt more aggressive tactics. The death of the attacker also raised legal questions about the accountability of private teams, a United Nations official said.
The episode happened early on Tuesday when the Almezaan came under attack from pirates using high-speed skiffs controlled by a mother ship, the naval force said.
Twice the pirates attacked the vessel, and twice they were repulsed as a Spanish frigate, the Navarra, sped toward the scene, Commander Harbour said.
“Normally, the private security firms fire warning shots” to repel pirates, he said. But on Tuesday, “the pirates came for a second time firing their guns, and the security team fired back,” he said. Asked if the killing was the first by a private security team, he said, “I believe that is the case.”
A helicopter from the Navarra located the pirates and fired warning shots while a team from the frigate went aboard the pirates’ boats. In one pirate skiff, which was riddled with bullets, the boarding party found three pirates and the body of a fourth who had been hit by small-arms fire, Commander Harbour said.
Six suspected pirates were arrested.
When members of the European boarding team took the captured men back to the Almezaan, Commander Harbour said, the ship’s captain declined to give evidence that would have identified them as the assailants. It was not clear what had happened to the body of the slain attacker.
While several pirates have died in encounters with international naval forces, Arvinder Sambei, a legal consultant for the United Nations’ antipiracy program, said the role of private security operatives this time “will be scrutinized very closely,” The Associated Press reported.
“There’s always been concern about these companies,” she told the A.P. “Who are they responsible to?”
Ms. Sambei continued, “The bottom line is somebody has been killed, and someone has to give an accounting of that.”
Fishermen Saved After Pirates Leave Them To Die
An Iranian fishing boat crew who were tied up, robbed and then left to die by Somali pirates have been rescued by a European Union naval force, officials said Monday. More...
An Iranian fishing boat crew who were tied up, robbed and then left to die by Somali pirates have been rescued by a European Union naval force, officials said Monday. More...
Somali pirates hijack Turkish ship
ANKARA, Turkey -- Somali pirates have hijacked a Turkish cargo ship in the Indian Ocean with 19 Turks and two Ukrainian sailors onboard. The vessel, sailing under Maltese flag, was commandeered off the Somali coast, the EU's anti-pirate mission NAVFOR announced on Tuesday (March 23rd). The ship was en route to Thailand. (Reuters, AFP, AP, Hurriyet - 23/03/10)
ANKARA, Turkey -- Somali pirates have hijacked a Turkish cargo ship in the Indian Ocean with 19 Turks and two Ukrainian sailors onboard. The vessel, sailing under Maltese flag, was commandeered off the Somali coast, the EU's anti-pirate mission NAVFOR announced on Tuesday (March 23rd). The ship was en route to Thailand. (Reuters, AFP, AP, Hurriyet - 23/03/10)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
NYT: By ALAN COWELL
March 24, 2010
PARIS — Private security guards aboard a merchant ship plying the pirate-infested waters off Somalia shot dead one of several attackers trying to seize the vessel, the European Naval Force in the area said on Wednesday. The killing was thought to have been the first involving private contractors, the Naval Force said.
The death could escalate the struggle between pirates and merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, where cargo ships increasingly carry private security operatives to repel assailants. Some maritime organizations believe the presence of armed contractors might persuade pirates to adopt more aggressive tactics. The death of the pirate also raised legal questions about the accountability of private security teams, a United Nations official said.
The episode happened early on Tuesday when the Almezaan, a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship heading for Mogadishu, came under attack from pirates using high-speed skiffs controlled by a mother ship, the British-based Naval Force said in a statement on its Web site. More...
Monday, March 22, 2010
Warships blasting Somali pirates out of water
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An international fleet of warships is attacking and destroying Somali pirate vessels closer to the shores of East Africa and the new strategy, combined with more aggressive confrontations further out to sea, has dealt the brigands a setback, officials and experts said Thursday.
The new tactics by the European Union naval force comes after Spain— which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, and whose fishing vessels are frequent pirate targets — encouraged more aggressive pursuit of pirates and the coalition obtained more aircraft and other military assets, said Rear Adm. Peter Hudson, the force commander.
The EU Naval Force attacked 12 groups of pirate vessels, which normally includes several skiffs and a mother vessel, this month, more than last year. Half of those attacks were on the high seas and half close to shore, reflecting the new strategy to intercept pirates before they reach deep water and international shipping lanes.
Hudson told The Associated Press that the force wants to "get up close ... before they can attack some ships" and use the additional aircraft to spot pirate vessels and send warships to intercept them.
With calmer waters, March is typically a busy month for pirate attacks. But only two ships have been taken in the first two weeks of the month, down from four hijackings over the same period last year, said EU naval spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour. The number of unsuccessful attacks also dropped. About half of last year's 47 successful hijackings happened during March, April and May.
Citing operational security, Harbour would not say how close to the coast the ships now get but noted that the EU Naval Force has the right to go into Somali waters, or within three miles offshore.
Hudson said it is too soon to tell whether the gains of the new strategy will hold. He said an improved level of co-operation between EU forces, NATO and U.S. naval forces based out of Bahrain is also helping.
Some experts agree the international forces have led to a drop in pirate attacks in a period when they would normally be firing at numerous vessels, climbing aboard on ladders and taking the crews hostage at gunpoint.
"They are at the moment effectively suppressing what would otherwise be chaos," said Graeme Gibbon Brooks of Dryad Maritime Intelligence in Britain.
If the pirates aren't detained for prosecution — and most are not — they are disarmed and put back out to sea on one craft. Harbour said that while the aggressive tactics are not a long-term solution, they force pirates to find new vessels and weapons before they can launch more attacks.
Until stability returns to Somalia, young men will continue to risk drowning or imprisonment for the multimillion dollar ransoms that ships can fetch, experts say. There are few other job prospects in the impoverished nation, which has not had a stable government for 19 years.
"The big question is, what is happening about fixing Somalia?" asked Alan Cole, a lawyer who heads the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime's anti-piracy initiative. "Right now I'm just chasing leaves falling off a tree."
Eleven out of the 81 suspected pirates detained by the EU this month are being held for prosecution, said Harbour. Many European countries whose vessels have been attacked by pirates are reluctant to bring suspects home for trial in case they try to claim asylum.
Most of the hundreds of Somalis who are in prison on piracy charges are in Kenya, which has 18 convicted pirates and 107 suspects on trial, Cole said. They are also imprisoned in the semiautonomous northern Somali region of Puntland, in the Seychelles, Maldives, Yemen and Somaliland.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An international fleet of warships is attacking and destroying Somali pirate vessels closer to the shores of East Africa and the new strategy, combined with more aggressive confrontations further out to sea, has dealt the brigands a setback, officials and experts said Thursday.
The new tactics by the European Union naval force comes after Spain— which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, and whose fishing vessels are frequent pirate targets — encouraged more aggressive pursuit of pirates and the coalition obtained more aircraft and other military assets, said Rear Adm. Peter Hudson, the force commander.
The EU Naval Force attacked 12 groups of pirate vessels, which normally includes several skiffs and a mother vessel, this month, more than last year. Half of those attacks were on the high seas and half close to shore, reflecting the new strategy to intercept pirates before they reach deep water and international shipping lanes.
Hudson told The Associated Press that the force wants to "get up close ... before they can attack some ships" and use the additional aircraft to spot pirate vessels and send warships to intercept them.
With calmer waters, March is typically a busy month for pirate attacks. But only two ships have been taken in the first two weeks of the month, down from four hijackings over the same period last year, said EU naval spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour. The number of unsuccessful attacks also dropped. About half of last year's 47 successful hijackings happened during March, April and May.
Citing operational security, Harbour would not say how close to the coast the ships now get but noted that the EU Naval Force has the right to go into Somali waters, or within three miles offshore.
Hudson said it is too soon to tell whether the gains of the new strategy will hold. He said an improved level of co-operation between EU forces, NATO and U.S. naval forces based out of Bahrain is also helping.
Some experts agree the international forces have led to a drop in pirate attacks in a period when they would normally be firing at numerous vessels, climbing aboard on ladders and taking the crews hostage at gunpoint.
"They are at the moment effectively suppressing what would otherwise be chaos," said Graeme Gibbon Brooks of Dryad Maritime Intelligence in Britain.
If the pirates aren't detained for prosecution — and most are not — they are disarmed and put back out to sea on one craft. Harbour said that while the aggressive tactics are not a long-term solution, they force pirates to find new vessels and weapons before they can launch more attacks.
Until stability returns to Somalia, young men will continue to risk drowning or imprisonment for the multimillion dollar ransoms that ships can fetch, experts say. There are few other job prospects in the impoverished nation, which has not had a stable government for 19 years.
"The big question is, what is happening about fixing Somalia?" asked Alan Cole, a lawyer who heads the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime's anti-piracy initiative. "Right now I'm just chasing leaves falling off a tree."
Eleven out of the 81 suspected pirates detained by the EU this month are being held for prosecution, said Harbour. Many European countries whose vessels have been attacked by pirates are reluctant to bring suspects home for trial in case they try to claim asylum.
Most of the hundreds of Somalis who are in prison on piracy charges are in Kenya, which has 18 convicted pirates and 107 suspects on trial, Cole said. They are also imprisoned in the semiautonomous northern Somali region of Puntland, in the Seychelles, Maldives, Yemen and Somaliland.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
Anti-pirate actions off Somalia net results
Two anti-pirate actions off Somalia have thinned the ranks of the would-be marauders, a European Union project reported Wednesday.
The latest incident occurred early Wednesday, when would-be pirates in two skiffs approached a vessel off Somalia at high speed, the European Union Naval Force (EU-NAVFOR) reported on its Web site.
But they appear to have picked the wrong target: the vessel turned out to be a Royal Netherlands Navy warship, the HNLMS Tromp, which was patrolling the region, EU-NAVFOR said.
The warship fired warning shots as the skiffs approached and deployed its helicopter to track down the suspects, who had turned tail, it said. An EU NAVFOR maritime patrol aircraft from Sweden tracked a third boat, the suspected pirates' mother ship.
Authorities found ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades in the skiffs, EU NAVFOR said.
Ten suspects were held aboard the warship, then released to one of their boats, it said.
The warship then destroyed the skiffs. Wednesday's incident marks the 11th pirate attack group that has been disrupted in the last two weeks, EU NAVFOR said.
In an incident that began March 4, pirate activity some 350 nautical miles off Somalia led the EU NAVFOR French warship Nivose and maritime patrol aircraft to respond, EU NAVFOR reported.
The next day, Nivose intercepted a pirate group, and sailors boarded two of their skiffs and a whaler, which it identified as the mother ship.
The whaler was destroyed and 11 suspected pirates were detained and flown Wednesday from Djibouti to the Seychelles, where they were handed over to authorities for prosecution, an EU NAVFOR spokesman said in a telephone interview.
Wednesday's incident came a day after pirates released a Virgin Islands-owned, Kiribati-flagged chemical tanker that was hijacked six months ago with a crew of 28 in the Somali Basin 180 miles northwest of the Seychelles, EU NAVFOR said. The MV Theresa VIII, had been held in the pirate stronghold of Haradera, on the Somali coast, it said.
"An unknown ransom was exchanged on the morning of 16 March and the ship is now underway and heading out to sea," it said.
EU NAVFOR's main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid and to protect ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
The coast off lawless Somalia has become a hotbed of piracy in recent years. The pirates normally seek payment to release the ships.
Two anti-pirate actions off Somalia have thinned the ranks of the would-be marauders, a European Union project reported Wednesday.
The latest incident occurred early Wednesday, when would-be pirates in two skiffs approached a vessel off Somalia at high speed, the European Union Naval Force (EU-NAVFOR) reported on its Web site.
But they appear to have picked the wrong target: the vessel turned out to be a Royal Netherlands Navy warship, the HNLMS Tromp, which was patrolling the region, EU-NAVFOR said.
The warship fired warning shots as the skiffs approached and deployed its helicopter to track down the suspects, who had turned tail, it said. An EU NAVFOR maritime patrol aircraft from Sweden tracked a third boat, the suspected pirates' mother ship.
Authorities found ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades in the skiffs, EU NAVFOR said.
Ten suspects were held aboard the warship, then released to one of their boats, it said.
The warship then destroyed the skiffs. Wednesday's incident marks the 11th pirate attack group that has been disrupted in the last two weeks, EU NAVFOR said.
In an incident that began March 4, pirate activity some 350 nautical miles off Somalia led the EU NAVFOR French warship Nivose and maritime patrol aircraft to respond, EU NAVFOR reported.
The next day, Nivose intercepted a pirate group, and sailors boarded two of their skiffs and a whaler, which it identified as the mother ship.
The whaler was destroyed and 11 suspected pirates were detained and flown Wednesday from Djibouti to the Seychelles, where they were handed over to authorities for prosecution, an EU NAVFOR spokesman said in a telephone interview.
Wednesday's incident came a day after pirates released a Virgin Islands-owned, Kiribati-flagged chemical tanker that was hijacked six months ago with a crew of 28 in the Somali Basin 180 miles northwest of the Seychelles, EU NAVFOR said. The MV Theresa VIII, had been held in the pirate stronghold of Haradera, on the Somali coast, it said.
"An unknown ransom was exchanged on the morning of 16 March and the ship is now underway and heading out to sea," it said.
EU NAVFOR's main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid and to protect ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
The coast off lawless Somalia has become a hotbed of piracy in recent years. The pirates normally seek payment to release the ships.
Pirates Throw “Net” Wider
March 16, 2010 - 12:54 PM by: Greg Palkot
Pirates continue to venture further and further out to sea in search of modern-day “booty.” Luckily for the folks on the high seas, international navies are now hot on their trail.
The European Union’s anti-pirate naval force reports they’ve nabbed two more groups of buccaneers, some 1000 miles off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.
“It just shows you the great work we’re doing in the Gulf of Aden,” EU’s Commander John Harbour told Fox News.
The latest run-in’s happened over the weekend and involved the Dutch Naval Frigate Tromp, as well as Swedish and Luxembourg aircraft operating out of the Seychelles islands. Two days after a German ship reported they were being attacked, the European forces caught up with a pirate mother ship, two skiffs and 9 pirates.
At about the same time, closer to the Seychelles islands, the country’s own coast guard, with the help of the EU aircraft caught pirates in three other boats going after a Spanish fishing ship.
The months of March and April, with the monsoon subsiding, is a busy time for piracy and pirate chasing. “There is a lot of activity and we have increased our resources,” Commander Harbour told us.
In fact, in the last three weeks, international navies have taken into custody 12 of what they call “pirate action groups.” At the same time, though, 2 pirate hijackings have occurred.
The hunt goes on.
March 16, 2010 - 12:54 PM by: Greg Palkot
Pirates continue to venture further and further out to sea in search of modern-day “booty.” Luckily for the folks on the high seas, international navies are now hot on their trail.
The European Union’s anti-pirate naval force reports they’ve nabbed two more groups of buccaneers, some 1000 miles off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.
“It just shows you the great work we’re doing in the Gulf of Aden,” EU’s Commander John Harbour told Fox News.
The latest run-in’s happened over the weekend and involved the Dutch Naval Frigate Tromp, as well as Swedish and Luxembourg aircraft operating out of the Seychelles islands. Two days after a German ship reported they were being attacked, the European forces caught up with a pirate mother ship, two skiffs and 9 pirates.
At about the same time, closer to the Seychelles islands, the country’s own coast guard, with the help of the EU aircraft caught pirates in three other boats going after a Spanish fishing ship.
The months of March and April, with the monsoon subsiding, is a busy time for piracy and pirate chasing. “There is a lot of activity and we have increased our resources,” Commander Harbour told us.
In fact, in the last three weeks, international navies have taken into custody 12 of what they call “pirate action groups.” At the same time, though, 2 pirate hijackings have occurred.
The hunt goes on.
Keeping the seas safe: Canadian navy warship shifts its focus to counter-terrorism but piracy continues to plague the waters off Yemen and Somalia
By ALLISON CROSS, Canwest News ServiceMarch 22, 2010 4:05 PM
When a Canadian navy warship reached the MV Kota Wajar in December, the container ship from Singapore and its crew had just been released after being held captive by Somali pirates for 21/2 months.
A $4-million (U.S.) ransom had been paid to the captors only hours earlier and, being the closest warship in the area, HMCS Fredericton sailed toward the Somali Basin in the Indian Ocean to offer the Kota Wajar some help.
The Fredericton's boarding party, a team dispatched from the frigate to investigate other vessels, gave the hijacked crew fresh water and food, as well as medical attention.
The Somali captors had been using the Kota Wajar as a mother ship, from which they orchestrated and carried out other hijackings.
Although the Fredericton has since switched from its counter-piracy mission to focus on counter-terrorism in the same region, acts of piracy continue to plague the waters surrounding Yemen and Somalia.
"We've seen a resurgence in piracy over the last few years, the last couple in particular," said the Fredericton's captain, Cmdr. Steve Waddell.
Would-be pirates target the Gulf of Aden, which contains the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) - the suggested transit route for legitimate vessels carrying goods to Europe and North America.
About 900 kilometres long and 300 kilometres wide, the IRTC is closer to Yemen than to Somalia, because the former coastline is generally safer for merchant vessels.
Nonetheless, the Gulf of Aden has managed to earn the nickname "pirate alley." More...
By ALLISON CROSS, Canwest News ServiceMarch 22, 2010 4:05 PM
When a Canadian navy warship reached the MV Kota Wajar in December, the container ship from Singapore and its crew had just been released after being held captive by Somali pirates for 21/2 months.
A $4-million (U.S.) ransom had been paid to the captors only hours earlier and, being the closest warship in the area, HMCS Fredericton sailed toward the Somali Basin in the Indian Ocean to offer the Kota Wajar some help.
The Fredericton's boarding party, a team dispatched from the frigate to investigate other vessels, gave the hijacked crew fresh water and food, as well as medical attention.
The Somali captors had been using the Kota Wajar as a mother ship, from which they orchestrated and carried out other hijackings.
Although the Fredericton has since switched from its counter-piracy mission to focus on counter-terrorism in the same region, acts of piracy continue to plague the waters surrounding Yemen and Somalia.
"We've seen a resurgence in piracy over the last few years, the last couple in particular," said the Fredericton's captain, Cmdr. Steve Waddell.
Would-be pirates target the Gulf of Aden, which contains the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) - the suggested transit route for legitimate vessels carrying goods to Europe and North America.
About 900 kilometres long and 300 kilometres wide, the IRTC is closer to Yemen than to Somalia, because the former coastline is generally safer for merchant vessels.
Nonetheless, the Gulf of Aden has managed to earn the nickname "pirate alley." More...
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Somali Pirates Seize Libyan Vessel
By MARK McDONALD - Published: February 4, 2010
A Libyan-owned merchant ship flying the North Korean flag has been hijacked by Somali prates in the Gulf of Aden, according to the European Union naval coalition in the gulf.
There was no immediate information about the cargo of the ship, a 4,800-ton merchant vessel called the Rim.
A United States destroyer, the Porter, and a helicopter from another American destroyer, the Farragut, were in the region and confirmed the hijacking to European Union officials. The American ships are part of Combined Task Force 151, an anti-piracy operation in the gulf led by the United States.
European naval officers said the pirates seized the Rim off the southern coast of Yemen on Tuesday and were taking it to the Somali Basin on Thursday.
The ship was not registered with the European Union’s force, known as Operation Atalanta, which escorts ships from the World Food Program delivering humanitarian aid. The European flotilla also conducts antipiracy patrols in the gulf and the waters off Somalia.
A piracy monitoring group, Ecoterra, said Thursday that the vessel usually carries a crew of 17, and “based on outdated crew lists it could be assumed that they are holding Romanian and Libyan nationalities.”
“It is assumed the vessel is now being commandeered to one of the Puntland pirate lairs,” Ecoterra said in a statement.
Somali pirates attacked 217 ships last year, according to the Piracy Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau. There were 47 successful hijackings, with 867 crew members being taken hostage.
Somali attacks accounted for more than half of all hijackings worldwide last year, the bureau said, with the numbers of attacks and hijackings both rising sharply compared to 2008.
By MARK McDONALD - Published: February 4, 2010
A Libyan-owned merchant ship flying the North Korean flag has been hijacked by Somali prates in the Gulf of Aden, according to the European Union naval coalition in the gulf.
There was no immediate information about the cargo of the ship, a 4,800-ton merchant vessel called the Rim.
A United States destroyer, the Porter, and a helicopter from another American destroyer, the Farragut, were in the region and confirmed the hijacking to European Union officials. The American ships are part of Combined Task Force 151, an anti-piracy operation in the gulf led by the United States.
European naval officers said the pirates seized the Rim off the southern coast of Yemen on Tuesday and were taking it to the Somali Basin on Thursday.
The ship was not registered with the European Union’s force, known as Operation Atalanta, which escorts ships from the World Food Program delivering humanitarian aid. The European flotilla also conducts antipiracy patrols in the gulf and the waters off Somalia.
A piracy monitoring group, Ecoterra, said Thursday that the vessel usually carries a crew of 17, and “based on outdated crew lists it could be assumed that they are holding Romanian and Libyan nationalities.”
“It is assumed the vessel is now being commandeered to one of the Puntland pirate lairs,” Ecoterra said in a statement.
Somali pirates attacked 217 ships last year, according to the Piracy Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau. There were 47 successful hijackings, with 867 crew members being taken hostage.
Somali attacks accounted for more than half of all hijackings worldwide last year, the bureau said, with the numbers of attacks and hijackings both rising sharply compared to 2008.
Somali Pirates Free Greek Cargo Vessel
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 written by Abdulaziz Billow Ali
On Monday pirates released a Greek owned cargo vessel with its 22 crew members after they received the agreed ransom, Greek officials said. The Marshall Islands-flagged MV Filitisa and its crew of three Greek officers and 19 Filipinos were seized in the Indian Ocean on November 10. “The ransom for the Greek ship was received this afternoon and the pirates who were holding the ship have left it,” said Abdi Yare, a pirate leader, from the nearby coastal town of Harardhere. “But they have left some colleagues on board to give them time to vanish with the money,” he explained.
Some witnesses in the area had reported the presence of helicopters, presumably from a nearby warship belonging to an international anti-piracy naval mission, circling above the MV Filitisa. “The ship will be free once the money is properly secured but the security of those who received the ransom should be assured by their friends, who will stay onboard until sometime in the evening,” Yare added. Meanwhile, the Greek Coast Guard in a statement said MV Filista was heading towards the Kenyan port of Mombasa after being released by he pirates.
The MV Filitsa was seized some 500 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles as it was sailing from the United Arab Emirates to the South African port of Durban. Somalia waters have become a breeding ground for pirates who hijack ships and demand a ransom in exchange, this is a s a result of instability experienced in Somalia since 1991 after Mogadishu warlords toppled Siad Bare’s regime.
© 2010, Newstime Africa. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 written by Abdulaziz Billow Ali
On Monday pirates released a Greek owned cargo vessel with its 22 crew members after they received the agreed ransom, Greek officials said. The Marshall Islands-flagged MV Filitisa and its crew of three Greek officers and 19 Filipinos were seized in the Indian Ocean on November 10. “The ransom for the Greek ship was received this afternoon and the pirates who were holding the ship have left it,” said Abdi Yare, a pirate leader, from the nearby coastal town of Harardhere. “But they have left some colleagues on board to give them time to vanish with the money,” he explained.
Some witnesses in the area had reported the presence of helicopters, presumably from a nearby warship belonging to an international anti-piracy naval mission, circling above the MV Filitisa. “The ship will be free once the money is properly secured but the security of those who received the ransom should be assured by their friends, who will stay onboard until sometime in the evening,” Yare added. Meanwhile, the Greek Coast Guard in a statement said MV Filista was heading towards the Kenyan port of Mombasa after being released by he pirates.
The MV Filitsa was seized some 500 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles as it was sailing from the United Arab Emirates to the South African port of Durban. Somalia waters have become a breeding ground for pirates who hijack ships and demand a ransom in exchange, this is a s a result of instability experienced in Somalia since 1991 after Mogadishu warlords toppled Siad Bare’s regime.
© 2010, Newstime Africa. All rights reserved.
Monday, February 1, 2010
UN: Anti-piracy Measures Help In Bringing Down Successful Pirate Attacks
1/29/2010 4:44 PM ET
(RTTNews) - Anti-piracy measures have contributed considerably in bringing down successful pirate attacks off the Somali coast, said a senior official linked to the UN-backed EU anti-piracy mission off Somalia.
"The number of attacks has gone up; the number of successful attacks has gone down," Captain Paul Chivers, chief of staff of the EU naval forces, told a news conference. "It would be dangerous to assume we have overcome the threat. We need to be careful of complacency."
He said the proposed anti-piracy measures for ships include the registration of the destination and route of the vessels with the international forces operating in the region and other self protection measures designed to prevent pirates from getting on board.
Chivers said that the self protection measures that can be used by ships to prevent pirates from climbing on board included fencing with barbed wire and pieces of wood at ship entries, charged fire hydrants and zig-zagging courses for ships at sea."Most of these things, besides barbed wire, are found on ships" Chivers said. "The more a ship is able to deny pirate entry onto their vessel, the quicker we can get a warship or helicopter to them." More!
1/29/2010 4:44 PM ET
(RTTNews) - Anti-piracy measures have contributed considerably in bringing down successful pirate attacks off the Somali coast, said a senior official linked to the UN-backed EU anti-piracy mission off Somalia.
"The number of attacks has gone up; the number of successful attacks has gone down," Captain Paul Chivers, chief of staff of the EU naval forces, told a news conference. "It would be dangerous to assume we have overcome the threat. We need to be careful of complacency."
He said the proposed anti-piracy measures for ships include the registration of the destination and route of the vessels with the international forces operating in the region and other self protection measures designed to prevent pirates from getting on board.
Chivers said that the self protection measures that can be used by ships to prevent pirates from climbing on board included fencing with barbed wire and pieces of wood at ship entries, charged fire hydrants and zig-zagging courses for ships at sea."Most of these things, besides barbed wire, are found on ships" Chivers said. "The more a ship is able to deny pirate entry onto their vessel, the quicker we can get a warship or helicopter to them." More!
Somalia: Pirates Hold Couple for Nearly 100 Days
Nearly 100 days after being seized by Somali pirates, a British couple appeared in separate videos, speaking of “cruel” treatment by their captors and a longing to see one another.
Rachel and Paul Chandler are being held separately in rugged areas between the coastal village of Elhur and the inland small town of Amara. They were filmed by Agence France-Presse during a visit by a Somali doctor. More!
Nearly 100 days after being seized by Somali pirates, a British couple appeared in separate videos, speaking of “cruel” treatment by their captors and a longing to see one another.
Rachel and Paul Chandler are being held separately in rugged areas between the coastal village of Elhur and the inland small town of Amara. They were filmed by Agence France-Presse during a visit by a Somali doctor. More!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Pirate couple cling to hope after 'bungled' rescue attempt
Jan 24 2010 Fiona Young
A COUPLE kidnapped by pirates have told how they are "existing in hope" of being rescued.
Paul and Rachel Chandler were taken hostage as their yacht sailed from the Seychelles to Tanzania in October.
Speaking from captivity as it emerged an attempt to free them by British special forces was said to have been bungled, Paul, 59, said he feared they would be killed at any time.
He said he was " just existing in hope", adding: "I'm afraid that they will just kill us and abandon us in the desert."
He said the pirates had separated him from Rachel, 55, who told him in their last phone call that she was "giving up".
And he said they were each being kept like a "captive animal" in solitary confinement.
He added: "They've lost patience. They set a deadline of three or four days. If they don't hear then they say they will let us die."
Rachel said: "Please, please find a way of helping us because it really is a very desperate situation here."
On Friday, military officials told the BBC that a rescue mission by the Special Boat Service had failed because of bureaucratic delays and technical problems.
The SBS team did not arrive in time to rescue the couple, they said. The official added: "There was some bungling."
An MoD spokesman would not comment on the claim.
After they were captured, it emerged a Navy vessel was in range when they were led from a yacht to a container ship but did nothing in case it put the couple's lives at risk.
Jan 24 2010 Fiona Young
A COUPLE kidnapped by pirates have told how they are "existing in hope" of being rescued.
Paul and Rachel Chandler were taken hostage as their yacht sailed from the Seychelles to Tanzania in October.
Speaking from captivity as it emerged an attempt to free them by British special forces was said to have been bungled, Paul, 59, said he feared they would be killed at any time.
He said he was " just existing in hope", adding: "I'm afraid that they will just kill us and abandon us in the desert."
He said the pirates had separated him from Rachel, 55, who told him in their last phone call that she was "giving up".
And he said they were each being kept like a "captive animal" in solitary confinement.
He added: "They've lost patience. They set a deadline of three or four days. If they don't hear then they say they will let us die."
Rachel said: "Please, please find a way of helping us because it really is a very desperate situation here."
On Friday, military officials told the BBC that a rescue mission by the Special Boat Service had failed because of bureaucratic delays and technical problems.
The SBS team did not arrive in time to rescue the couple, they said. The official added: "There was some bungling."
An MoD spokesman would not comment on the claim.
After they were captured, it emerged a Navy vessel was in range when they were led from a yacht to a container ship but did nothing in case it put the couple's lives at risk.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Museum offers reward for pirate's headA museum in Germany has offered a reward of thousands of euros for a nail-pierced skull, thought to be that of legendary pirate Klaus Stoertebeker.
The skull was stolen from the museum earlier this month.
"We are launching an appeal for the head," said the director of the Hamburg History Museum, Lisa Kosok, without saying precisely how much was on offer. More!
"We are launching an appeal for the head," said the director of the Hamburg History Museum, Lisa Kosok, without saying precisely how much was on offer. More!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
British captain's Somali pirate nightmare
It began with a green blip travelling in the wrong direction.
Captain Peter Stapleton was chatting with his chief officer on the bridge of the 18,000 tonne cargo ship Boularibank when the green light on the radar caught their attention.
"It appeared to be putting itself in a good position across our stern about two miles [3km] away from which it would quite likely launch an attack," he remembered.
The Boularibank was returning to the British port of Hull from a journey to Malaysia on 28 April 2009 with a Russian crew and 11 passengers, one of whom was the captain's wife.
There was still a day to go before the ship entered the pirate-haunted waters of the Gulf of Aden but Captain Stapleton, 56, had already ordered anti-piracy drills.
Bad feeling
When he realised that he was about to enter a real-life drama, the captain found himself "surprisingly calm". As he began giving orders to his crew, he began to mentally tick boxes. More!
It began with a green blip travelling in the wrong direction.
Captain Peter Stapleton was chatting with his chief officer on the bridge of the 18,000 tonne cargo ship Boularibank when the green light on the radar caught their attention.
"It appeared to be putting itself in a good position across our stern about two miles [3km] away from which it would quite likely launch an attack," he remembered.
The Boularibank was returning to the British port of Hull from a journey to Malaysia on 28 April 2009 with a Russian crew and 11 passengers, one of whom was the captain's wife.
There was still a day to go before the ship entered the pirate-haunted waters of the Gulf of Aden but Captain Stapleton, 56, had already ordered anti-piracy drills.
Bad feeling
When he realised that he was about to enter a real-life drama, the captain found himself "surprisingly calm". As he began giving orders to his crew, he began to mentally tick boxes. More!
Somali Pirates Killed in Fight Over Ransom for Tanker (Update1)
By Hamsa Omar
Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- At least three Somali pirates were killed and three others wounded in an overnight gun battle in the town of Haradhere over the sharing of a ransom paid for the release of a Greek-flagged supertanker, elders and pirates said.
“The fighting started during an argument over the dividing of the ransom paid for the ship,” Bashir Shiine Muse, a pirate who claims his group hijacked the Maran Centaurus, said by telephone from Haradhere today. “Three men died and three others were wounded during the crossfire. Local elders are trying to mediate between the two sides.”
The ransom, believed to be a record $7 million, was dropped onto the tanker on Jan. 17, Muse said. “There is mistrust within the group because there are rumors that some extra money has been transferred into another bank account that some of us weren’t aware of,” he said.
The 2-million barrel carrier was seized about 800 miles (1,280 kilometers) off the Somali coast on Nov. 29 while sailing to the U.S. from Kuwait. It was steered toward the Somali coast where it lay at anchor off the port of Hobyo, the International Maritime Bureau said on Dec. 10. The oil it is carrying is estimated to be worth $150 million.
“The situation in Haradhere is little bit calm this morning because local elders are engaging to mediate between them,” Abdiwahab Mo’lim Hassan, a local elder in the town, said by phone today. “We can see that both sides are regrouping and they are really equipped with heavy weapons.” More!
By Hamsa Omar
Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- At least three Somali pirates were killed and three others wounded in an overnight gun battle in the town of Haradhere over the sharing of a ransom paid for the release of a Greek-flagged supertanker, elders and pirates said.
“The fighting started during an argument over the dividing of the ransom paid for the ship,” Bashir Shiine Muse, a pirate who claims his group hijacked the Maran Centaurus, said by telephone from Haradhere today. “Three men died and three others were wounded during the crossfire. Local elders are trying to mediate between the two sides.”
The ransom, believed to be a record $7 million, was dropped onto the tanker on Jan. 17, Muse said. “There is mistrust within the group because there are rumors that some extra money has been transferred into another bank account that some of us weren’t aware of,” he said.
The 2-million barrel carrier was seized about 800 miles (1,280 kilometers) off the Somali coast on Nov. 29 while sailing to the U.S. from Kuwait. It was steered toward the Somali coast where it lay at anchor off the port of Hobyo, the International Maritime Bureau said on Dec. 10. The oil it is carrying is estimated to be worth $150 million.
“The situation in Haradhere is little bit calm this morning because local elders are engaging to mediate between them,” Abdiwahab Mo’lim Hassan, a local elder in the town, said by phone today. “We can see that both sides are regrouping and they are really equipped with heavy weapons.” More!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Turkish frigate intercepts pirates in Gulf of Aden
Sunday, January 17, 2010
ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency
A Turkish frigate prevented an attempt Saturday by pirates to hijack a vessel in the Gulf of Aden.
The TCG Gökova, serving in the international naval force against pirates under NATO's Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, intervened in a hijacking attempt where a skiff pirate boat opened fire on Indian vessel M/V JAL, 105 nautical miles off the coast. More!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency
A Turkish frigate prevented an attempt Saturday by pirates to hijack a vessel in the Gulf of Aden.
The TCG Gökova, serving in the international naval force against pirates under NATO's Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, intervened in a hijacking attempt where a skiff pirate boat opened fire on Indian vessel M/V JAL, 105 nautical miles off the coast. More!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Suspected pirate faces new charges
Associated Press
NEW YORK - A Somalian suspect accused of staging a brazen high-seas attack on a U.S.-flagged ship off Africa last year pleaded not guilty yesterday to new piracy charges involving two other vessels, including one that authorities said was still being held hostage.
A new indictment alleges that Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse and others tried to seize the two ships in the Indian Ocean in the weeks leading up to their widely publicized capture of the Maersk Alabama.
The court papers, which did not name the other ships, say Muse threatened to kill the crew of the first vessel with "what appeared to be an improvised explosive device" after its capture in March. They say that the pirates used the first ship to seize the second one in April.
Some of the second crew "are still being held," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan McGuire.
Outside court, defense attorney Fiona Doherty said she needed more time to study the new charges before commenting.
Muse has been held in Manhattan since he was captured April 12 and flown to the United States to face what's believed to be the first U.S. piracy prosecution in more than a century. He pleaded not guilty to piracy under the law of nations, hostage-taking, and other charges.
Prosecutors said Muse was the ringleader of a band of four pirates who provoked a deadly drama by targeting the Maersk Alabama on April 8 as it carried humanitarian goods 280 miles off Somalia.
A criminal complaint said he was the first to board the boat, firing his AK-47 assault rifle toward the captain, Richard Phillips, telling the captain to stop the ship and "conducted himself as the leader of the pirates."
The four held Phillips, of Underhill, Vt., hostage for days on a sweltering, enclosed lifeboat. The standoff ended when Navy snipers, in shadowing warships, killed three of the pirates.
Muse's age has been in dispute. In April, his lawyers insisted he was 15 and should be tried as a juvenile. Prosecutors convinced a judge he was at least 18.
Associated Press
NEW YORK - A Somalian suspect accused of staging a brazen high-seas attack on a U.S.-flagged ship off Africa last year pleaded not guilty yesterday to new piracy charges involving two other vessels, including one that authorities said was still being held hostage.
A new indictment alleges that Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse and others tried to seize the two ships in the Indian Ocean in the weeks leading up to their widely publicized capture of the Maersk Alabama.
The court papers, which did not name the other ships, say Muse threatened to kill the crew of the first vessel with "what appeared to be an improvised explosive device" after its capture in March. They say that the pirates used the first ship to seize the second one in April.
Some of the second crew "are still being held," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan McGuire.
Outside court, defense attorney Fiona Doherty said she needed more time to study the new charges before commenting.
Muse has been held in Manhattan since he was captured April 12 and flown to the United States to face what's believed to be the first U.S. piracy prosecution in more than a century. He pleaded not guilty to piracy under the law of nations, hostage-taking, and other charges.
Prosecutors said Muse was the ringleader of a band of four pirates who provoked a deadly drama by targeting the Maersk Alabama on April 8 as it carried humanitarian goods 280 miles off Somalia.
A criminal complaint said he was the first to board the boat, firing his AK-47 assault rifle toward the captain, Richard Phillips, telling the captain to stop the ship and "conducted himself as the leader of the pirates."
The four held Phillips, of Underhill, Vt., hostage for days on a sweltering, enclosed lifeboat. The standoff ended when Navy snipers, in shadowing warships, killed three of the pirates.
Muse's age has been in dispute. In April, his lawyers insisted he was 15 and should be tried as a juvenile. Prosecutors convinced a judge he was at least 18.
Pirate attacks up sharply in 2009
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters)
Pirate attacks around the world surged 38.5 percent in 2009 with suspected Somali pirates accounting for more than half of the 406 reported incidents, an international maritime body said Thursday.
According to the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau, Somali pirates ventured further out to sea last year to capture dozens of ships, take hundreds of hostages and collect millions of dollars in ransom.
"Pirates are now more desperate to hijack ships. Recent attacks, at distances of over 1,000 nautical miles from Mogadishu, indicate the capability of the Somali pirates," the bureau's annual report said.
In the Gulf of Aden alone, 116 actual and attempted attacks took place, compared with 92 in 2008. Bulk carriers were targeted most often and ten crew have been injured, four killed and one is missing.
In all, Somali pirates were held responsible for 217 acts of piracy in 2009.
"As of Dec 31, suspected Somali pirates held 12 vessels for ransom with 263 crew-members of various nationalities as hostages," the report said.
Authorities have been unable to deal with the pirates due to the lawless situation in Somalia although U.S. courts are now handling the case of a Somali teen-ager who was extradited to New York last year on charges of attempting to hijack a U.S. ship.
(Reporting by Royce Cheah; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters)
Pirate attacks around the world surged 38.5 percent in 2009 with suspected Somali pirates accounting for more than half of the 406 reported incidents, an international maritime body said Thursday.
According to the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau, Somali pirates ventured further out to sea last year to capture dozens of ships, take hundreds of hostages and collect millions of dollars in ransom.
"Pirates are now more desperate to hijack ships. Recent attacks, at distances of over 1,000 nautical miles from Mogadishu, indicate the capability of the Somali pirates," the bureau's annual report said.
In the Gulf of Aden alone, 116 actual and attempted attacks took place, compared with 92 in 2008. Bulk carriers were targeted most often and ten crew have been injured, four killed and one is missing.
In all, Somali pirates were held responsible for 217 acts of piracy in 2009.
"As of Dec 31, suspected Somali pirates held 12 vessels for ransom with 263 crew-members of various nationalities as hostages," the report said.
Authorities have been unable to deal with the pirates due to the lawless situation in Somalia although U.S. courts are now handling the case of a Somali teen-ager who was extradited to New York last year on charges of attempting to hijack a U.S. ship.
(Reporting by Royce Cheah; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Upside to Somali piracy: Better fishing
MALINDI, Kenya– 12 Jan. 2010
Kenyan fisherman are perhaps the only people in the world who have reason to be grateful to Somali pirates – they keep away illegal fishing boats.
In past years, illegal commercial trawlers parked off Somalia's coast and scooped up the ocean's contents. Now, fishermen on the northern coast of neighboring Kenya say, the trawlers are not coming because of pirates.
"There is a lot of fish now, there is plenty of fish. There is more fish than people can actually use because the international fishermen have been scared away by the pirates," said Athman Seif, the director of the Malindi Marine Association. More!
MALINDI, Kenya– 12 Jan. 2010
Kenyan fisherman are perhaps the only people in the world who have reason to be grateful to Somali pirates – they keep away illegal fishing boats.
In past years, illegal commercial trawlers parked off Somalia's coast and scooped up the ocean's contents. Now, fishermen on the northern coast of neighboring Kenya say, the trawlers are not coming because of pirates.
"There is a lot of fish now, there is plenty of fish. There is more fish than people can actually use because the international fishermen have been scared away by the pirates," said Athman Seif, the director of the Malindi Marine Association. More!
Loaded: Freighters Ready to Shoot Across Pirate Bow
By JOHN W. MILLER
Freighters that ferry goods in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia have a new and unusual cargo: armed guards.
Shipping firms in the modern era have resisted packing heat even in areas where attacks are common. Their reasoning: A firefight leading to lawsuits, damaged goods or a sunken ship could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, a sum far exceeding the few million dollars in ransom that pirates usually demand.
But some shipping companies and fishing vessels are tacking away from a longstanding tradition of unarmed sailing amid escalating violence on the high seas. And pirates, who once used small arms as their weapon of choice, now resort to heavier armaments such as grenade launchers, shipping and security firms say. Besides, they note, recent armed conflicts have had some success repelling pirates.
Still, the majority of the international maritime community resists using lethal force because it "poses incredible logistical challenges, potentially violates many national and international laws, and is contrary to maritime conventions," says James Christodoulou, chief executive of Industrial Shipping Enterprises Corp. More!
By JOHN W. MILLER
Freighters that ferry goods in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia have a new and unusual cargo: armed guards.
Shipping firms in the modern era have resisted packing heat even in areas where attacks are common. Their reasoning: A firefight leading to lawsuits, damaged goods or a sunken ship could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, a sum far exceeding the few million dollars in ransom that pirates usually demand.
But some shipping companies and fishing vessels are tacking away from a longstanding tradition of unarmed sailing amid escalating violence on the high seas. And pirates, who once used small arms as their weapon of choice, now resort to heavier armaments such as grenade launchers, shipping and security firms say. Besides, they note, recent armed conflicts have had some success repelling pirates.
Still, the majority of the international maritime community resists using lethal force because it "poses incredible logistical challenges, potentially violates many national and international laws, and is contrary to maritime conventions," says James Christodoulou, chief executive of Industrial Shipping Enterprises Corp. More!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Somali pirates hijack ship with Hyundai and Kia cars
Asian Glory, a ship operated by EUKOR Car Carriers Inc, was hijacked by Somali pirates on Jan 1 while on its way to Saudi Arabia from Ulsan, according to statement today from South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritimes Affairs. The vessel was carrying 2,405 cars, including 2,388 from Hyundai and Kia, plus 25 crewmen. I t was hijacked 1,000 km off Somalia’s coast. More!
Asian Glory, a ship operated by EUKOR Car Carriers Inc, was hijacked by Somali pirates on Jan 1 while on its way to Saudi Arabia from Ulsan, according to statement today from South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritimes Affairs. The vessel was carrying 2,405 cars, including 2,388 from Hyundai and Kia, plus 25 crewmen. I t was hijacked 1,000 km off Somalia’s coast. More!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
EU Navy Rescues Pakistan Ship Left By Somali Pirates
NAIROBI (Reuters)
A European Union warship rescued a Pakistan-flagged fishing vessel Somali pirates had seized last month and used to hijack another ship, EU naval force Navfor said in a statement.
Pirates hijacked MV Shahbaig 320 nautical miles east of Socotra, an island off the Horn of Africa in early December.
EU Navfor said the Shahbaig was involved in the hijacking of British-flagged vehicle carrier Asian Glory on New Year's Day and had been abandoned by pirates off the Seychelles before EU warship FS Surcouf found it.
"On January 2 ... the Pakistan-flagged fishing vessel ... with a crew of 29, all from Pakistan, was released approximately 900 nautical miles north of the Seychelles," the EU Navfor force said in a statement on its website.
"The Shahbaig was boarded by crew from FS Surcouf and found all crew members to be in good health except for one member whose leg was broken," the statement said.
FS Surcouf offered its crew fuel, medical assistance and food to resume the journey to Pakistan. One crew member with a broken leg remained on board awaiting a transfer to hospital.
Somali pirates have made tens of millions of dollars from hijacking ships for ransom in the Gulf of Aden, connecting Europe and Asia, and are preying farther into the Indian Ocean to avoid foreign navies sent to protect commercial shipping.
EU Navfor said in a separate statement that Singaporean-flagged chemical tanker M/V Pramoni -- also seized on Friday -- was anchored off a Somali pirate lair east of Eyl.
M/V Pramoni, a tanker of 20,000 dead weight tonnes with a crew of 24, was hijacked when heading for Kandla in India.
NAIROBI (Reuters)
A European Union warship rescued a Pakistan-flagged fishing vessel Somali pirates had seized last month and used to hijack another ship, EU naval force Navfor said in a statement.
Pirates hijacked MV Shahbaig 320 nautical miles east of Socotra, an island off the Horn of Africa in early December.
EU Navfor said the Shahbaig was involved in the hijacking of British-flagged vehicle carrier Asian Glory on New Year's Day and had been abandoned by pirates off the Seychelles before EU warship FS Surcouf found it.
"On January 2 ... the Pakistan-flagged fishing vessel ... with a crew of 29, all from Pakistan, was released approximately 900 nautical miles north of the Seychelles," the EU Navfor force said in a statement on its website.
"The Shahbaig was boarded by crew from FS Surcouf and found all crew members to be in good health except for one member whose leg was broken," the statement said.
FS Surcouf offered its crew fuel, medical assistance and food to resume the journey to Pakistan. One crew member with a broken leg remained on board awaiting a transfer to hospital.
Somali pirates have made tens of millions of dollars from hijacking ships for ransom in the Gulf of Aden, connecting Europe and Asia, and are preying farther into the Indian Ocean to avoid foreign navies sent to protect commercial shipping.
EU Navfor said in a separate statement that Singaporean-flagged chemical tanker M/V Pramoni -- also seized on Friday -- was anchored off a Somali pirate lair east of Eyl.
M/V Pramoni, a tanker of 20,000 dead weight tonnes with a crew of 24, was hijacked when heading for Kandla in India.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Somali pirates hijack second British-flagged ship
Somali pirates have seized another British-flagged ship, this time deep in the Indian Ocean, only days after a British chemical tanker was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.
Two other vessels have also been hijacked in the past week despite the presence of dozens of international warships and the heavy seas and high winds of the current monsoon season which usually bring a lull in piracy.
The 14,000-tonne Asian Glory was hijacked in the Indian Ocean 620 miles off the coast of Somalia on Friday evening.
It marked a difficult start to the year for Zodiac Maritime Agencies, the London-based shipping company that owns Asian Glory and St James Park, the British tanker seized on December 28. More!
Somali pirates have seized another British-flagged ship, this time deep in the Indian Ocean, only days after a British chemical tanker was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.
Two other vessels have also been hijacked in the past week despite the presence of dozens of international warships and the heavy seas and high winds of the current monsoon season which usually bring a lull in piracy.
The 14,000-tonne Asian Glory was hijacked in the Indian Ocean 620 miles off the coast of Somalia on Friday evening.
It marked a difficult start to the year for Zodiac Maritime Agencies, the London-based shipping company that owns Asian Glory and St James Park, the British tanker seized on December 28. More!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
