How do we deal with Pirate attacks?

BritinAfrica said:
Cruise ship fights off pirates
26/04/2009 13:41 - (SA)

Rome - An Italian cruise ship was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia late on Saturday but managed to escape and no one was hurt, its captain told Italy's ANSA news agency.
The Melody got away from the six Kalashnikov-armed pirates aboard a light speedboat after security men on board returned fire, Captain Ciro Pinto told the agency. The cruise ship headed for the Jordanian port of Aqaba.
The incident occurred at 19:35 on Saturday as the Melody, owned by Italian company MSC, was returning to Italy after the winter cruise season. On board were 991 passengers and 536 crew.
Attacks on commercial vessels are far more common than on cruise ships in the pirate-infested waters off Somalia.
The 75m Italian tug Buccaneer with 10 Italians, five Romanians and a Croatian on board, was captured on April 11 in the Gulf of Aden.
Ransom-hunting pirates off lawless Somalia - without an effective central government since 1991 - have defied an increased international naval presence to step up attacks during favourable weather, seizing at least a dozen ships in April alone.
The US Fifth Fleet announced on Friday it is transferring command of the counter-piracy international naval force CTF 151 to the Turkish Navy on May 3.
CTF 151 was established in January this year to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Somali pirates attacked more than 130 merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden last year, an increase of more than 200% on 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy.
Heavily armed pirates operate high-powered speed boats and sometimes hold ships for weeks before releasing them for large ransoms paid by governments or ship owners.
More than 150 suspected pirates were arrested by naval patrols in the Gulf in 2008.
CTF 151 is one of four international naval forces operating in the region. The others are the European Union's "EUNAVFOR Atalanta," NATO's Standing Naval Maritime Group One and French-commanded Combined Task Force 150.
Attacks increased tenfold in the first three months of 2009 compared to the same period last year
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Imagine that shoot back they run like the cowards they are.
 
From the information I have received, those who shot back were an Israeli security team ,who shot at the pirates using handguns as they were trying to climb on board.

According to all accounts, the pirates fled for their lives.
 
BritinAfrica said:
From the information I have received, those who shot back were an Israeli security team ,who shot at the pirates using handguns as they were trying to climb on board.

According to all accounts, the pirates fled for their lives.
Click to expand...

:)
Not a good idea to climb onboard a naval vessle that is armed, unless your invited
 
But did they have the right to protect themselves with the current ROE,s?
What will the UN say about this?
Howcome they didn´t sink their own boat?

All registered concerns during this thread...


What do you know, violence DID work..
 
From what I gather the Israelis were a employed as a rivate security team. Weapons were secured under the control of the ships captain and the team leader. I'm not too sure about their ROE, but I don't thinks anyone will fuss if it saves a hostage situation and what will the pirates do - sue?
 
Now all they need is a couple 50 Cals or even GPMG's, one fore and one aft, with riflemen spread about, and perhaps the pirates will get the idea that its time to change occupations.

As for the UN, they are nothing more then paper tigers.

I hope more shipping lines follow suit.
 
KJ said:
But did they have the right to protect themselves with the current ROE,s?
What will the UN say about this?
Howcome they didn´t sink their own boat?

All registered concerns during this thread...


What do you know, violence DID work..
Click to expand...


(But did they have the right to protect themselves with the current ROE,s?)
Yes

(What will the UN say about this?) who cares, the UN is doing nothing to help.


(Howcome they didn´t sink their own boat?) Their not not stupid?
 
Why does everyone cry that the UN is doing nothing? The UN is an affiliation of countries, it does not have any military, apart from those hired from member nations, used to achieve the UN voted policies.

It is the member nations which fund the US & if my memory is correct the US is still in arrears on its financial commitment.

If we really want to solve the pirate problem in this area then lets sort out Somalia - not a palatable idea, so what do we do apart from blaming the UN & upholding International Law?
 
Partisan said:
If we really want to solve the pirate problem in this area then lets sort out Somalia - not a palatable idea, so what do we do apart from blaming the UN & upholding International Law?
Click to expand...

The thing is Partisan, its not only the Somalians who are committing acts of piracy, there is a huge piracy problem for shipping in the Straits of Malacca.
 
I can easily see how that area could be beyond the authorities as well. A trip into the jungle really tells you a lot of things. Sumatra is a huge island and the population is sparse in most places. But it's no Somalia.
 
I thought that you might be interested in this article. I remember reading that Malacca straits piracy was being successfully fought, but this is the only source I could find at the moment.

Interesting to note where they see piracy migrating to, could it be that piracy is the proverbial hydra, chop off 1 head and another 2 spring up in its place.

I'll be doing more research on the tactics used, but here is another piece of info to fuel the discussion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7753991.stm
 
Well, the forces of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore aren't very humane towards captured pirates. That's probably a huge factor in on itself.
 
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