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.
Friday, April 23, 2010
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...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
