mAd_ScIeNtIsT

Somalia's pirate problem is really getting out of hand. The international community needs to bring back the idea of Q-ships : warships disguised as vulnerable merchant ships that could then gun down pirates lured in for an easy kill....


...Nonetheless, I imagine that there was an absolutely delighted crew of pirate in Somalia today, who really hit the jackpot.

Modern main battle tanks (though they probably wouldn't know how to use them), anti-tank rocket launchers, anti-aircraft cannons, and lots of ammunition. Ethiopia (which has troops, tanks and helicopters occupying Somalia) might be a little bit annoyed though.

Somali pirates land Russian tanks in surprise haul - Times Online

The pirates would hardly have been able to believe their eyes as they inspected the hold of their latest conquest, the Faina.

The Ukrainian vessel was heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa loaded down with rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft guns and 30 Russian T-72 tanks.

“They really hit the jackpot this time,” said a regional arms expert. “There is not much they can do with the tanks, but the RPGs and the Zu-23 anti-aircraft guns will soon find their way into Somalia’s arms markets.

“These are the sort of weapons that fighters in Somalia really like.”

hareem01

Do they look like same as the pirates in Treasure Island?

Spock

no, they look like jack sparrow, and the ones from 'pirates of the carrib', hareem this is the 21st century.

hareem01

I think Pirates of Caribbean are from 18th century.

zxcvb

I don't know why a warship disguished as a merchant vessel is sent out there to deal with these pirates.

The problem also is that international law forbids ships to arm themselves because of the various gun laws of different countries a ship has to go to.

http://www.mareeg.com/advertImages/Burcad_baded.jpg

http://huntoftheseawolves.net/blog/w...irates_big.jpg

mercenary2k

hareem,should we support the pirates because they are muslim?

hareem01

Yeah whatever.

Agent Smith

Should you support Israeli murderers because they are Jews?

underthedome

3 warships have surrounded the hijacked ship including one from the U.S. and from Russia.


BBC NEWS | Africa | Warships surround Somali pirates

teggy

Any action taken yet?

mercenary2k

nope, i dont base my judgment on someone's religion unlike u

mercenary2k

russian special forces will probably re-take the ship

my guess, they will fire gas canisters or the same gas they used in the moscow theatre hostage situation

mAd_ScIeNtIsT

The pirates have started to kill the hostages!!!!

Oh no... wait. Ummm... they appear to have started to kill themselves instead.

Someone really ought to explain that when you threaten to kill hostages, the point is usually not to shoot them and not your colleagues .

Then again... you probably were never that smart to begin with if you went into piracy as a career!

Three Somali pirates die in hijacked Ukrainian vessel_English_Xinhua

NAIROBI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Three Somali pirates have died in a shootout following the differences over what to do with the seized Ukrainian ship with crew members, arms and tanks aboard, a regional maritime official confirmed on Tuesday.

Andrew Mwangura of the East Africa's Seafarers Assistance Program said the three died on Monday night as they were guarding the MV Faina over the misunderstanding on whether to release the arms cargo that included 33 T-72 tanks and 20 crew members.

"A misunderstanding erupted between the moderate and radical pirates aboard the ship prompting a shootout that left three of them dead," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone.

"The moderates want to give in but the radicals don't want this to happen. The U.S. naval ships are very close and there is panic among the pirates," said Mwangura.