EU to end ship patrols in scaled down Operation Sophia
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Originally posted by Sparky42 View PostAccording to the Indo article, Eithne was due to go back to the Med at the "end of the month"
https://www.independent.ie/irish-new...-37958639.html
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A special operations team seizes the tanker hijacked by migrants who did not want to return to Libya.
. Malta's armed forces have taken control of a tanker which had been seized by migrants off the coast of Libya on Wednesday.
The tanker, Elhiblu 1, is now heading to a Maltese port with the crew and migrants, who will be handed over to police.
More than 100 migrants who had been rescued by the ship hijacked it after being told they would return to Libya.
They had ordered the ship's captain to head north towards Europe.
In a statement, the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) said they had established communications with the captain of the ship when it was still proceeding towards Malta.
The captain said he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta.
A patrol vessel stopped the tanker from entering Maltese territorial waters, and a special operations unit team was dispatched to board and secure the vessel, the AFM said in a statement.
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Italy's interior minister, Matteo Salvini, had earlier called the migrants "pirates" and said they would not be allowed to dock in Italy.
He described the act as "the first piracy on the high seas with migrants", according to the Associated Press news agency.
The incident comes as the EU says it is ending navy patrols in the Mediterranean.
The EU says the decision to suspend Operation Sophia in September follows a request by Italy.
The mission was put in place four years ago to deter people smugglers and rescue migrants trying to reach Europe by boat. Tens of thousands have been saved.
Lately, the mission has largely targeted smuggling networks as the number of people making the crossing dropped sharply following a controversial deal between the EU and Libya.
But Mr Salvini, the leader of the right-wing League party, has blamed Operation Sophia for continuing to bring rescued migrants to Italian shores.
He has been at the centre of a number of international row over his refusal to allow migrant ships dock in Italian ports.'He died who loved to live,' they'll say,
'Unselfishly so we might have today!'
Like hell! He fought because he had to fight;
He died that's all. It was his unlucky night.
http://www.salamanderoasis.org/poems...nnis/luck.html
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NS should be looking to either use the time for improving the lot of the sailors at home (plus Brexit is coming) or putting a small mobile training team on the ground in a friendly secure country (as part of Op Sophia, as other countries currently do). Doesn’t have to be permanent either (could be a few weeks at a time).
Afaik there are no EU forces on the ground in Libya
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Originally posted by DeV View PostNS should be looking to either use the time for improving the lot of the sailors at home (plus Brexit is coming) or putting a small mobile training team on the ground in a friendly secure country (as part of Op Sophia, as other countries currently do). Doesn’t have to be permanent either (could be a few weeks at a time).
Afaik there are no EU forces on the ground in Libya
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Originally posted by ancientmariner View PostThe difficulty in fragile states like Libya, and Somalia is that training teams will be dealing with the same pack of cards and will be training former pirates or smugglers to do things better and more effectively. The region remains unstable and not on anybody's holiday itinerary. Political stability is a prerequisite to normality or getting things done. When politics fails chaos ensues as in Brexit.
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Originally posted by ancientmariner View PostThe difficulty in fragile states like Libya, and Somalia is that training teams will be dealing with the same pack of cards and will be training former pirates or smugglers to do things better and more effectively. The region remains unstable and not on anybody's holiday itinerary. Political stability is a prerequisite to normality or getting things done. When politics fails chaos ensues as in Brexit.
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Originally posted by Sparky42 View PostAccording to the Indo article, Eithne was due to go back to the Med at the "end of the month"
https://www.independent.ie/irish-new...-37958639.htmlCovid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe
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Originally posted by hptmurphy View PostWhat effect will this decision have on the MRV plans?
The greater question is has there been anymore word on whether the NS might look to UNFIL or Atlanta operations?
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Originally posted by Sparky42 View PostI'm not sure how it could given that the MRV is for much longer than the operation would have been going on, though as said hopefully the few years doing this will support the need for a Multi role ship.
The greater question is has there been anymore word on whether the NS might look to UNFIL or Atlanta operations?
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Originally posted by Sparky42 View PostThe closing of the mission getting some attention from the Irish Times today:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/irel...phia-1.3845980
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