Somali Hijackers

[Arsenal VG-33]

SSB - plain and simple.

If these merchant ships were armed and fought back and carried out "high seas justice" this crap would stop.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe current maritime laws prohibit the arming of non-military vessels in international waters.

the spanish and the greeks (fishermen) deserve what ever they get for screwing with the fishing illegally in somali waters , I know people in this country that would do the same to illegal fishing trawlers

How do you know they're fishing crews? I was presenting a hypothetical yet very possible scenario. Most of the captured crews at this point belong to large merchant vessels, not fishing trawlers.

 

[pbfoot]

How do you know they're fishing crews? I was presenting a hypothetical yet very possible scenario. Most of the captured crews at this point belong to large merchant vessels, not fishing trawlers.

The reason the piracy started from what I've learned is overfishing and dumping of toxic waste off this unpoliced shore , they started off with fishing boats and moved up to larger fish. as for ordinary guys on normal ships plying there trade I hope they squash the pirates

 

[usafmd]

A nonviolent method of handling these guys is to take them off these boats, sink the boat with the ladders, RPG'S, etc and return them to shore. Er, maybe a hundred miles inland, far from some visible landmarks - you get the idea.

 

[Clay_Allison]

I noted the participation of the Iranians, and that of the Russians, in what is essentially a NATO and Commonwealth coalition 8) Wonder if these units are serving literally 'alongside' US/UK units though? The irony would be incredible, and the implications deeply interesting...

EDIT: As for the carrier strike force, it is my understanding that these pirates generally use small civilian vessels for their attacks. How would you identify this and ensure it was not a legitimate civilian vessel before blowing it out of the water? And isn't a CVBG an extremely expensive and wasteful way of doing a job that could be done by an FFG or even one of the new LCS?

Only the mothership is really hard to identify, their speed boats are too small to hide the weapons. You see 6-8 guys hauling butt towards a freighter and packed with RPGs and AKs, you can take a wild guess.

 

[comiso90]

Merchant Marine crews are restricted to fire hoses and other non lethal tactics ... but there is an option!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe current maritime laws prohibit the arming of non-military vessels in international waters.

If the ship is under a threat of attack the operator is allowed to arm the ship for defensive purposes. This was done since WW1 and under hostile situations I still believe you could arm commercial merchant ships.


"DEMS" Defensively Armed Merchant Ships.

 

[Clay_Allison]

If the ship is under a threat of attack the operator is allowed to arm the ship for defensive purposes. This was done since WW1 and under hostile situations I still believe you could arm commercial merchant ships.


"DEMS" Defensively Armed Merchant Ships.

Going to be hard to get the rabid socialist slave states to agree that arming people is good.

 

[pbfoot]

Going to be hard to get the rabid socialist slave states to agree that arming people is good.

why

 

[RabidAlien]

Heh. Put some of the more vocal ones on one of those ships, and send them into pirate-infested waters.

 

[timshatz]

Anybody notice Obama has been pretty quiet on this one. Matter of fact, all the politcos have. An American ship was attacked, siezed and the crew fought back, taking the ship away from the Pirates.

What's with our Govt? What's up with the Pols? Matter of fact, the MSM is almost avoiding it. Plenty of stuff on Gay Marriage in Iowa, but next to nothing on this event.

 

[mkloby]

Anybody notice Obama has been pretty quiet on this one. Matter of fact, all the politcos have. An American ship was attacked, siezed and the crew fought back, taking the ship away from the Pirates.

What's with our Govt? What's up with the Pols? Matter of fact, the MSM is almost avoiding it. Plenty of stuff on Gay Marriage in Iowa, but next to nothing on this event.

Because the group hug won't work on pirates - they're out of ideas.

I did see that a Navy destroyer was headed toward that area...

 

[timshatz]

I did see that a Navy destroyer was headed toward that area...

Arliegh Burke Class. If Vegas did odds on this one, what do you think they'd be on an Arliegh Burke Class Destroyer Vs 6 Pirates in a knockoff Boston Whaler with a Hostage?

My guess is there would be a "NL" on it. No line. Or it would be in the several hundred thousands to one range.

 

[Colin1]

Because the group hug won't work on pirates

That's my idea out the window then...

 

[mkloby]

Arliegh Burke Class. If Vegas did odds on this one, what do you think they'd be on an Arliegh Burke Class Destroyer Vs 6 Pirates in a knockoff Boston Whaler with a Hostage?

My guess is there would be a "NL" on it. No line. Or it would be in the several hundred thousands to one range.

I think it would be higher. I think if these pirates were getting tagged by 240 rounds from a helo, they would rethink the cost/benefit...

 

[Colin1]

...I think if these pirates were getting tagged by 240 rounds from a helo, they would rethink the cost/benefit...

A helicopter could be open to SAM attack, once they realised it was being deployed in the role. There could also be the ambiguity issue, on seeing/hearing it coming, it wouldn't take long to ditch a bunch of AK-47s over the side, whip out the rods and say "Hey, international community, we were just fishing and minding our own business and these guys shot our boat up!"
Defended ships. They come to you and in doing so, they bring the Declaration of Unambiguity with them.

 

[RabidAlien]

Well, the gov't has at the very least acknowledged the problem exists. ...and that's about as far as they've gone. So unless they're holding back information in order to not inadvertently tip off the pirates (feasable, but with today's plethora of "unofficial leaks", I kinda doubt it), they still have no clue what to do, since apparently "Kumbay-yah" doesn't translate well into Somali.

White House: Piracy growing problem for international community | NECN

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

"Kumbay-ah"? How about a merchant ship filled with Marines. Maybe that'll be the language the Somali's speak, superior firepower.

 

[Freebird]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe current maritime laws prohibit the arming of non-military vessels in international waters.

Not correct, this only applies to major ship systems like a Harpoon SSN launcher or something. In International waters no nation or Navy has juristiction search vessels for personal weapons

Personal weapons such as AK-47 or Shotguns are at the discresion of the company ship's master.

It would only be a problem in certain ports, {mainly Europe} but the ships could always take them aboard at Malta or Alexandria en route through Suez.

SSB - plain and simple.

If these merchant ships were armed and fought back and carried out "high seas justice" this crap would stop.

Exactly....

 

[timshatz]

Obama was asked several times by a reporter, during a press conference about the mortgage plan, about the Pirate situation. He refused to comment, sticking to the script. No teleprompter, no answer, evidently.

Clinton, showing at least some common sense, said "Specifically, we are now focused on this particular act of piracy and the seizure of a ship that carries 21 American citizens. More generally, we think the world must come together to end the scourge of piracy,".

 

[RabidAlien]

"Kumbay-ah"? How about a merchant ship filled with Marines. Maybe that'll be the language the Somali's speak, superior firepower.

Works for me!