Modern Pirates

[sledger]

Anti Piracy Action at High Seas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11:52 IST
INS Tabar, which is currently in the Gulf of Aden for Anti-Piracy Surveillance and Patrol Operations, encountered a pirate vessel, 285 NM South West of Salalah (Oman) on the evening of 18 Nov 08, with two speed boats in tow. This vessel was similar in description to the 'Mother Vessel' mentioned in various Piracy bulletins.

INS Tabar closed the vessel and asked her to stop for investigation. On repeated calls, the vessel's threatening response was that she would blow up the Naval Warship if it closed her. Pirates were seen roaming on the upper deck of this vessel with guns and Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers. The vessel continued its threatening calls and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar.

On being fired upon, INS Tabar retaliated in self defence and opened fire on the mother vessel. As a result of the firing by INS Tabar, fire broke out on the vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored on the vessel. Almost simultaneously, two speed boats were observed breaking off to escape. The ship chased the first boat which was later found abandoned. The other boat made good its escape into darkness.

INS Tabar is on Anti-Piracy Mission in the Gulf of Aden since 02 Nov 08. The operation is being controlled by Western Naval Command since mid Oct 08. During this period, she has successfully escorted approximately 35 ships, including a number of foreign flagged vessels, safely during their transit through pirate infested waters of the Gulf of Aden and also prevented two hijacking attempts on 11 Nov 08. The Indian Navy has been patrolling the piracy infested water in keeping with the Government guidelines to protect our sea borne trade, instill confidence in our sea faring community as well as function as a deterrent for pirates.

----------

NKS/AKR

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44890

[pilatus]

Another link to the bbc website, with a video describing the engagement.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7736885.stm

[Truck Driver]

The ship was going to Texas, so keep yer eyes peeled for an American reaction.It really is time for some affirmative action, Special Forces-style.
regards
GttC

When I heard the tanker was US-bound, that was my thinking aswell....

[DeV]

Goldie may know the ask to this better than me.

But under Hague-Visby rules the carrier has "lean" over the goods carried. So untill the cargo is discharged the carrier owns it or can keep it if for example the customer refused to pay.

[Goldie fish]

Not so with Oil Cargoes. The ownership of same may change many times throughout the voyage. At the end of the trip, whoever has the "original copy" of the bill of lading is the owner. Until the Bill of lading is presented, the Ships master has ownership of the cargo, not the carrier.

[hptmurphy]

yeah brings back few memories.

Forsyth had been acussed in the past of ' funding situations' to base his books on..ie the Dogs of War.

I wonder is Forsyth planing a come back?

[Goldie fish]

Britain Reacts.
(in the same way as the Minister for Justice here reacted to Gun Crime).

Miliband warns of piracy danger

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said that piracy in Somalia "is a grave danger to stability in the region".

He spoke after pirates anchored hijacked Saudi oil tanker the Sirius Star off the Somali coast. Two further vessels were also seized on Tuesday.

Mr Miliband said the Royal Navy was working to help resolve the situation.

The government has called for the immediate release of the 25-man crew of the tanker, which includes two Britons. All are said to be safe.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that one of the Britons is the tanker's chief engineer. The other holds the rank of Second Officer.

The Sirius Star, which is carrying 2m barrels of oil, was captured on Saturday 450 nautical miles (830km) off the Somali coast in the Indian Ocean.

Royal Navy role

Mr Miliband spoke as he arrived in Beirut for talks with the Lebanese authorities. He said Britain had a leading role in the European effort to tackle piracy.

"The United Kingdom is very worried about the piracy in the Gulf of Aden and in Somalia," he said.

"The Royal Navy is coordinating the European response as well as contributing to the international mission there.

"Obviously, the problem of piracy around Somalia is a grave danger to the stability in the region."

Earlier, Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth said the government's thoughts were with the Britons on board the Sirius Star and their families.

"We call on those holding the men to release them and the rest of the crew immediately," he said.

In a separate incident, the Royal Navy has handed over eight suspected Somali pirates to the Kenyan authorities, after they were captured by Royal Marines who were aboard HMS Cumberland in the region last Tuesday.

The MoD said the suspects were on a fishing dhow which had been seen taking part in an attack on the Danish ship MV Powerful earlier in the day.

'Gates of hell'

Mr Ainsworth, speaking in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, said the operation was "clear evidence that we will take every opportunity to combat the pirates who disrupt legitimate trade and add significant costs to goods UK consumers rely on".

"We are sending a strong message to pirates that their activities will not be tolerated and that the global community is united in its efforts to deter and disrupt them," he added.

The RMT union, which represents seafarers, urged ministers to push for more patrols to help protect ships in the region.

General secretary Bob Crow said: "Like all workers, seafarers should be able to work without the fear of imminent attack, and the ordeal faced by seafarers held to ransom is unimaginable.

"The scale of the problem is now so big that the Gulf of Aden, where so many seizures have taken place, is known among mariners as the 'gates of hell'."

I could be wrong, but I doubt the Somali Pirates keep up to date on the UK Foreign Secretary's speeches.
They understand affirmative action. They Understood the Indian Navy.

[DeV]

Forgot about the orginal BL!

Heres one for you - the pirates I presume have the orginal BLs so are the current legal owners

[Victor]

"lean"

"Lien" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lien

[Goldie fish]

No. The Original BL would not be carried on the ship.

I wonder where my course notes are?

[Goldie fish]

Pirates creating instability: UN chief
20/11/2008 - 06:46:10

Somali pirates preying on international shipping are also damaging their homeland’s battered economy, worsening the instability that opened the door to piracy and inroads by Islamist extremists, the UN chief warned.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his quarterly report to the UN Security Council that the surge in piracy and armed robbery against ships has severely affected trade, worsened the humanitarian crisis and further weakened Somalia’s transition government.

Inflation is “unbridled”, especially in south-central Somalia where fuel costs soared almost 170% and prices for staple foods shot up more than 250% in the 12 months through August, Mr Ban said.

He added that piracy has even hurt Somalia’s once stable semiautonomous northern region of Puntland, whose currency has lost almost 80% of its value in the past year. Much of the piracy is happening off Puntland’s coast.

The number of Somalis in need of humanitarian aid has increased 77% since January – from 1.8 million to 3.2 million, Mr Ban said.

“If local communities are not empowered with the means to earn a sustainable livelihood in the wake of growing global and local challenges, Somalia will continue to be a potential breeding ground for frustrated extremists – a challenge to its stability, that of the region and the rest of the world,” Mr Ban warned.






Somalia has been without a functioning government since 1991, when clan warlords ousted longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other. The current government, formed in 2004 with the help of the UN, has failed to protect citizens from violence or the country’s poverty.

Islamist militants have waged an Iraq-style insurgency against Somali government troops and their Ethiopian allies for almost two years.

Nearly daily mortar attacks and gun battles in and around Mogadishu, the capital, have killed thousands of civilians.

Mr Ban said UN experts continue to note violations of a UN arms embargo “in an environment of general lawlessness and lack of accountability and has also noted the role of piracy and armed robbery, kidnapping and ransom payments in financing violations by armed groups”.

The Security Council is expected to approve a resolution today imposing a travel ban and asset freeze on Somalis and Somali companies and organisations that violate the arms embargo, support acts threatening peace, and impede the delivery of humanitarian aid.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/world/mhidqlauqloj/

[BANDIT]

Ban ki Moon is a bit confused. Puntland was never really stable .. and many of its ministers , leading citizens have been linked to the piracy business. The whole lot could be stopped quickly if the various navies were more coordinated and assumed the Indian NS approach, combined with targeted interventions in places like Eyl , Hobiyo etc and targeting of financial backers and their families many of whom have overseas passports .. If they done comply drop them in the Middle of Galgagud..

[Goldie fish]

AP Moller-Maersk has advised its captains not to use the Suez Canal or Gulf of Aden Route. Instead these vessels will be rounding the cape, adding days to shipping journeys.

Better than Losing a ship to Pirates though. In my opinion the fault lies with those who have paid the ransom demanded. hey know they can write it off to their insurance, and the pirates know they will always get paid.

Saudi tanker hijackers demand $25m - report
There are reports the hijackers of a Saudi oil tanker have demanded a $25 million ransom, but the US Navy and the vessel's operators were unable to confirm this.

French news agency AFP quoted one of the pirates yesterday as saying they had demanded a $25 million ransom and set a 10-day deadline.

"I've read the reports but I can't confirm anything independently on that," a spokesman for the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet told Reuters. He said the navy believed the Sirius Star was still docked on the Somali coast at Haradheere.

A spokesman for Vela International, the Dubai-based shipping arm of Saudi Aramco, declined to comment on reports of a ransom demand.

Vela operates the Sirius Star , which is owned by Saudi Aramco. The giant vessel with a capacity of two million barrels of oil, was seized by Somali pirates around a week ago.

Dozens of Somali Islamist insurgents entered a port on Friday in search of the pirate group behind the seizure of the Saudi supertanker. Separately, police in the capital Mogadishu said they ambushed and shot dead 17 Islamist militants.

Yesterday, one of the world's biggest shipping firms said it will no longer send part of its huge merchant fleet through the Suez Canal because of piracy off Somalia's coast.

Danish shipper Moller-Maersk is routing some of its 50 oil tankers around the Cape of Good Hope instead.

Norway's Frontline, which ferries much of the Middle East's oil to world markets, said it was considering a similar step.

The scores of attacks in Somali waters this year have driven up insurance costs for shipping firms, and the decision to divert cargo around South Africa risks pushing up prices for manufactured goods and commodities.

The United Nations Security Council voted yesterday to impose sanctions on anyone contributing to violence and instability in Somalia.

Reuters

[Victor]

Shipowners call for declaration of war on Somali pirates

Shipowners call for declaration of war on Somali pirates
XAN RICE in Nairobi and in Brussels

DAVID GOW EUROPEAN SHIPOWNERS are urging EU governments to declare war on Somali pirates in the Horn of Africa and seize their vessels by force, amid growing concern that shipping companies will be forced to avoid the area altogether at huge cost to global trade.

A day after the world’s biggest shipping company, AP Moller-Maersk, said it would divert some of its fleet from the Suez Canal and take the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope, the industry urged more muscular activity against the pirates.

The BBC reported last night that the UN had given the green light to warships to go after pirate vessels.

Alfons Guinier, secretary general of European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), said other companies were considering following the example of Maersk.

However, he said the body, which claims to speak for 41 per cent of the global merchant fleet, wanted EU governments to go further after the hijacking a week ago of the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star more than 400 miles off the coast of Somalia.

“We know there will be more military forces in the area, but let’s hope they will go after the pirates and stop this escalation,” he said. “We’re asking not just for more escorts, but for repressive action.”

The demand comes after the International Maritime Organisation asked the UN Security Council to sanction the dispatch of as many warships and aircraft as possible to “disrupt” pirate operations, secure shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden and escort vessels, including those bringing food relief to war-torn Somalia.

The pirate groups who have operated with near impunity for years may also be about to face a confrontation on land. Yesterday, they were reported to be strengthening their defences in a town close to where the hijacked supertanker is anchored, amid signs that Somali Islamists were approaching the town.

Residents of Harardheere, a well-known pirate base halfway up Somalia’s eastern coast, saw militias arriving yesterday. Rebels from the hardline al-Shabaab Islamist movement also entered the town yesterday, although their intentions were unclear.

Some local people said the fighters wanted to secure a cut of the ransom, while a spokesman for al- Shabaab claimed they were hunting the pirates for the “bigger crime” of hijacking a ship belonging to a Muslim country.

Somali pirates are holding at least 15 ships and more than 250 crew members. Kenya’s foreign minister, Moses Wetangula, claimed yesterday that the pirates had netted $150 million (€120 million) in ransoms this year, though maritime experts say the figure is closer to $30 million (€24 million).

The demand from the ECSA will be made on Monday in talks with the new EU naval co-ordination cell set up by foreign ministers in mid-September. The cell is creating an enforcement unit under Operation Atalanta, the operation to protect shipping from piracy, based in RAF Northwood near London. It is due to be fully operational in early December.

Mr Guinier said it should co- ordinate its military efforts with other forces such as those from Nato, Russia, Japan, Canada and India, which is sending four warships to the region.

The IMO’s secretary general, Efthimios Mitropoulos, meanwhile, has told the UN that, with more than 12 per cent of global oil transport passing through the Gulf of Aden, widespread diversions via South Africa would bring “a series of negative repercussions”. – (Guardian service)

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/1122/1227293433178.html

[Come-quickly]

Oh if only the INS could go and blow some of these people up...it would be good for morale.

And they could rename the first weapons system to sink a Dhow "Vincent Browne"