How hard can it be for our navy to simply bomb all fishing boats and skiffs? Clear the ocean for commerce. Send no relief/food to Somalia till it gets it act together.
On Apr 14, 8:56�pm, bruce majors <[email protected]> wrote: > <http://ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID=fffffffcfffffffcfffffffc/pos=6/AAMSZ....> > �Somali pirates in brazen challenge to Obama and allies as they hijack FOUR > more ships... and open fire on a fifth > > By David > Gardner<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=David+Gar...> > Last updated at 1:27 AM on 15th April 2009 > > � �- �Comments (13) > � �<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1169916/Somali-pira...> > � �- �Add to My Stories > � �<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1169916/Somali-pira...> > > Pirates have thrown down a challenge to President Obama by hijacking another > four ships and taking 60 hostages in perilous waterways off the coast of > Africa. > > Gunmen on three small skiffs also opened fire with automatic rifles and > rocket-propelled grenades at a fifth freighter yesterday. > > The attacks have sharply increased in the wake of Sunday's dramatic rescue > of American hostage Captain Richard Phillips. And they come in defiance of > Mr Obama's call for more action to tackle piracy in the region. > �Enlarge � [image: Under attack: Somali pirates have opened fire on the > Safmarine Asia this afternoon] > <http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/04/14/article-1169916-047226AD000...> > > Under attack: Somali pirates have opened fire on the Safmarine Asia > > Somali pirate leaders vowed to retaliate after three teenage hijackers were > shot dead by U.S. Navy sharpshooters to free cargo ship Captain Phillips, > who was held captive on a lifeboat for four days. > > Undeterred by threats of increased patrols, pirates snatched two freighters > and two Egyptian fishing trawlers in the Gulf of Aden in just 24 hours. > > There were also reports of a fifth ship, the Safmarine Asia, coming under > fire from pirates but it was able to escape. > �[image: The M.V. Seahorse, taken by pirates this morning] > > The M.V. Seahorse, also taken by pirates > > [image: The M.V. Irene, taken by pirates last night] > > The M.V. Irene, taken by pirates on Monday > > As the U.S. celebrated the safe return of Captain Phillips, more than 300 > hostages from different countries were still being held captive in Somalia. > > Seventeen ships - all subject to multimillion ransom demands - were also > docked in pirate harbours. A day after Mr Obama's warning, his top military > officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, > insisted that the U.S. is 'well prepared' to deal with the piracy threat. > > Hours later, details emerged of the new attacks. Pirates used speedboats to > claim two more trophies, a Lebanese-owned cargo ship, MV Seas Horse and the > Greek-managed MV Irene. > > On Monday, Somali hijackers overpowered two Egyptian trawlers carrying 36 > crewmen. In all, the pirates herded more than 60 hostages back to land. > > There was no immediate word of any casualties or whether the Somalis managed > to board the freighter after firing on the ship in the Indian Ocean. > > Captain Phillips was said to be heading form Mombassa in Kenya to be > reunited with his crew. He will then fly home to his wife, Andrea, and > family in America. > > The captain was taken hostage by four pirates armed with AK-47 rifles after > the crew of the Maersk Alabama repelled an attempt to seize their ship a > week ago. > [image: gulf-of-aden.jpg] > > �In Washington, President �Obama appeared to move the piracy issue higher on > his agenda, vowing the United States would work with nations around the > world to halt the rising scourge. > > 'I want to be very clear that we are resolved to halt the rise of piracy in > that region and to achieve that goal, we're going to have to continue to > work with our partners to prevent future attacks,' Mr Obama said at a news > conference. > > The 19 crew members of the Alabama celebrated their skipper's freedom with > beer and an evening barbecue in the Kenyan port of Mombasa, said crewman Ken > Quinn, who ventured out holding a Tusker beer - a popular brew in Kenya. > > Earlier, the vessel's chief mate was among those urging strong U.S. action > against piracy. > > [image: Captain Richard Phillips (R) shakes hands with Frank Castellano, > commanding officer of USS Bainbridge after being rescued by off the coast of > Somalia] > <http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/04/13/article-1169712-046C4C7F000...> > > Captain Richard Phillips (R) shakes hands with Frank Castellano, commanding > officer of USS Bainbridge after being rescued by off the coast of Somalia > > 'It's time for us to step in and put an end to this crisis,' Shane Murphy > said. 'It's a crisis. Wake up.' > > The U.S. is considering new options to fight piracy, including adding Navy > gunships along the Somali coastline and launching a campaign to disable > pirate 'mother ships,' according to military officials. > > They spoke on condition of anonymity because no decisions have been made > yet. > > In Burlington, Vt., Phillips' wife, Andrea Phillips thanked Mr Obama, who > approved the dramatic sniper operation. > > 'With Richard saved, you all just gave me the best Easter ever,' she said in > a statement. > > The four pirates that attacked the Alabama were between 17 and 19 years old, > Defence Secretary Robert Gates said. > > [image: A U.S. Navy image taken by the Scan Eagle UAV and a Navy P-3C Orion > of the USS Bainbridgel near the lifeboat during the hostage situation in the > Indian Ocean on April 9, 2009. The images were released today.] > <http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/04/13/article-1169485-046D3502000...> > > A U.S. Navy image taken by the Scan Eagle UAV and a Navy P-3C Orion of the > USS Bainbridgel near the lifeboat during the hostage situation in the Indian > Ocean on April 9, 2009 > > � �Enlarge � [image: A U.S. Navy image of the lifeboat itself on April 9. > Captain Richard Phillips was being held hostage on the boat at the time. He > was released yesterday after U.S. snipers killed three of his pirate > captors] > <http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/04/13/article-1169485-046D34FE000...> > > A U.S. Navy image of the lifeboat itself on April 9. Captain Richard > Phillips was being held hostage on the boat at the time. He was released > yesterday after U.S. snipers killed three of his pirate captors > > 'Untrained teenagers with heavy weapons,' Gates told students and faculty at > the Marine Corps War College. 'Everybody in the room knows the consequences > of that.' > > US officials were now considering whether to bring the fourth pirate, who > surrendered shortly before the sniper shootings, to the United States or > possibly turn him over to Kenya. > > Both piracy and hostage-taking carry life prison sentences under US law. > > The American ship had been carrying food aid bound for Rwanda, Somalia and > Uganda when the ordeal began Wednesday hundreds of miles off Somalia's > eastern coast. > > As the pirates clambered aboard and shot in the air, Phillips told his crew > to lock themselves in a cabin and surrendered himself to safeguard his men. > [image: The Maersk Alabama lies safely at anchor in Mombasa, Kenya last > night after the hostage ordeal] > > The Maersk Alabama lies safely at anchor in Mombasa, Kenya last night after > the hostage ordeal > > Phillips was then taken hostage in an enclosed lifeboat that was soon > shadowed by three U.S. warships and a helicopter. > > Navy SEAL snipers on the USS Bainbridge got the go-ahead to fire after one > pirate held an AK-47 close to Phillips' back, U.S. defense officials said. > The French navy late Monday handed over the bodies of two Somali pirates > killed in a hostage rescue operation last week to the authorities in the > semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland, and they were buried by locals. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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