# U.S. Navy Captures 5 Pirates After Gun Battle in Indian Ocean



## ToughOmbre (Apr 1, 2010)

FOXNews.com 

The USS Nicholas reported taking fire from a suspected pirate skiff and returned fire before pursuing it and eventually disabling it.

Suspected Somali pirates fired on a U.S. Navy warship off East Africa early Thursday in what appeared to be a ransom-seeking attack on an American guided missile frigate, officials said.

The USS Nicholas returned fire on the pirate skiff, sinking it and confiscating a nearby mothership. The Navy took five pirates, suspected to be from Somalia, into custody, said Navy Lt. Patrick Foughty, a spokesman.

A third pirate boat was involved but managed to escape. The Navy does not know where it has gone, and think some pirates may have gotten away. 

International naval forces have stepped up their enforcement of the waters off East Africa in an effort to thwart a growing pirate trade.

Last May, pirates chased a U.S. Navy warship and fired small arms fire at it. The ship, which had recently served as a prison for captured pirates, increased speed and evaded the attack. French and Dutch naval ships also have been attacked by pirates, said Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the British think tank Chatham House.

"If you think of the kind of young men who are doing this, they go out into the middle of the ocean in a tiny boat. They might not always make rational decisions, and they often attack things that are bigger than they should (attack)," said Middleton.

"It's also quite possible that they don't have a full understanding of the targets they are attacking. Perhaps they just see a big ship they think is a worth a lot of money," he said.

The ammunition and fuel recovered from the skiff will be crucial evidence once the pirates go to trial, as often times pirates throw their guns and ammo overboard before they are captured so as to dispose of the evidence and then claim they were just out fishing.

Thursday's attack came just shy of a year since pirates attacked the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama and took American Richard Phillips hostage. Phillips was rescued five days later when Navy SEAL snipers shot three pirates in a lifeboat.

The U.S. Africa Command said the five pirates seized Thursday would remain in U.S. custody on board the frigate for now. The Nicholas is home-ported in Norfolk, Va.

Experts say piracy will continue to be a problem until an effective government is established on Somalia's lawless shores. The country has not had a functioning government for 19 years.

Meanwhile, the Taiwan government said it fears a Taiwanese fishing boat may have been hijacked by pirates off the Somali coast. Officials lost contact with the 79-ton Jih-chun Tsai 68 fishing trawler on Wednesday.

TO


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## Messy1 (Apr 1, 2010)

_"It's also quite possible that they don't have a full understanding of the targets they are attacking. Perhaps they just see a big ship they think is a worth a lot of money," he said._

That is the huge understatement, found that part very funny.


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## Colin1 (Apr 1, 2010)

I think that's called
taking a tiger by the tail


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## ToughOmbre (Apr 1, 2010)

Colin1 said:


> I think that's called
> taking a tiger by the tail



Or just plain stupid! 

Maybe next time they'll go after a carrier.

TO


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## Gnomey (Apr 1, 2010)

Wouldn't surprise me if they just went after whatever big ship they saw in the area. Can't say they are the brightest of sparks.


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## Micdrow (Apr 1, 2010)

ToughOmbre said:


> Or just plain stupid!
> 
> Maybe next time they'll go after a carrier.
> 
> TO



Now that would be funny if they tried that. What the heck they think would happen when they fired on a US Warship?


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## Messy1 (Apr 1, 2010)

Funnier would be to see them go after a Sub.


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## Catch22 (Apr 1, 2010)

I find this story hilarious! "Hey, there's a big ship, couldn't possibly hurt us, let's attack it!" "Good idea!"


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## RabidAlien (Apr 1, 2010)

About that third ship that managed to disappear, which the USS Nichols has no idea where it went....might I suggest "downwards"?


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## vikingBerserker (Apr 1, 2010)

and the stupid shall be punished.


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## Messy1 (Apr 2, 2010)

Just too damn funny. I would have like to see the look on the pirates faces when the Navy started firing back at them!


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## RabidAlien (Apr 3, 2010)

Pirates might want to look into investing in one of these: Amazon.com: Janes Fighting Ships 2010 2011 (Jane's Fighting Ships) (9780710629203): Stephen Saunders: Books


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## CharlesBronson (Apr 4, 2010)

> Pirates might want to look into investing in one of these



I can already imagine, I pirate sporting an AK-47 with some grenades an the other with a binocular and the Janes book. 

Now, telling the truth a simple burst of .50BMG and problem solved, but I guess the US navy is too humane for that.


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## Night Fighter Nut (Apr 5, 2010)

CharlesBronson said:


> Now, telling the truth a simple burst of .50BMG and problem solved, but I guess the US navy is too humane for that.



It's actually against the Genieva convention to use a 50 cal on a human being. Of course you could just claim you were shooting at their equipment.  That is allowed.


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## RabidAlien (Apr 6, 2010)

Heh....yeah, cuz its so much more humane to puncture an engine block and gas tank, spreading flammable liquids across the surface of the ocean, while at the same time setting off a spark which ignites said liquids in a massive air-sucking fireball, simultaneously cooking off all of the ammunition on board questionable boat, shredding those fortunate enough to die quickly, who's blood attracts sharks for those unfortunate enough to survive explosion, ammo, and burning ocean. Ya know, I can see where the Geneva Convention is coming from! Why should these douchenozzles get a nice, quick, instantaneous death by large gaping hole blown through them?


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## CharlesBronson (Apr 6, 2010)

> It's actually against the Genieva convention to use a 50 cal on a human being. Of course you could just claim you were shooting at their equipment



Are you sure about it ? well it has been used extensively in the antipersonnel role as you might know, Korea Vietnam, Malvinas, Afghanistan ,etc,etc. 


I dont think it would be much difference the pirates, the pirates boat or both.


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