i hope no one else has posted this..

rightfulownership · Sep 29, 2008

cause this is just flippin amazing

link

Tensions Rise Over Ship Hijacked Off Somalia

NAIROBI, Kenya — Tensions increased Sunday over what to do about the arms-carrying cargo ship hijacked off the coast of Somalia, as the pirates vowed to fight to the death, a hostage died and Somali officials urged the American Navy to send in commandos.

According to a broadcast on the BBC Somali service, the pirates said that they could see an American destroyer nearby and several military aircraft tracking them, but that they were not afraid.

“They can’t catch us like goats,” said a man who said he was a spokesman for the pirates. “We will fight, and everyone here will die with us.”

The man said he was speaking on a satellite phone from the bridge of the hijacked Ukrainian ship, and to prove it, he handed the phone to another man who said he was the captain. The captain, a Ukrainian, then told the BBC that a Russian crew member had died from hypertension.

A band of pirates hijacked the ship on Thursday evening as it was heading to Kenya with a large supply of arms, including 33 T-72 battle tanks, grenade launchers and ammunition, all for the Kenyan military.

Somali officials said Sunday that the ship was anchored a few miles off the coast between Xarardheere and Hobyo, two notorious pirate dens where several other hijacked vessels have been taken. The pirates said they would not release the 20 crew members or the arms until they were paid $20 million in cash.

Somali officials said there might be no way to resolve the standoff other than storming the ship.

“A military operation has to be taken,” said Ahmed Said Aw-nur, minister of fisheries for the semiautonomous state of Puntland in northern Somalia. “If the Islamists get the arms,” he said, referring to Islamist insurgents currently waging war on Somalia’s weak government, “they will cause problems for all of Somalia.”

The minister suggested that American or European commandos be used because “Somalia clearly doesn’t have the capability.”

American military officials said that they were closely watching the ship but that there were no plans to raid it.

“We’re deeply concerned about what’s aboard, as well as the safety of the crew,” said Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the Navy’s Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain. “We’re hoping the arms don’t make it to shore.”
Lieutenant Christensen said the American destroyer Howard was following the hijacked ship from less than five miles away and communicating with it via bridge-to-bridge radio.

It was unclear what might happen next. A Western diplomat in Nairobi said that “a red line had been crossed” and that there was little chance that the ransom would be paid after the hijacking had attracted so much attention.

“Nobody’s going to let them get away with this,” said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

But another Western diplomat said it would be incredibly risky to try to free the hostages by force.

“How are you going to storm a ship with all those explosives and 20 or more human shields?” said the diplomat, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. “It could be very, very messy.”
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Lt. Mewa · Sep 29, 2008

rightfulownership · Sep 29, 2008

damn, delete please

and sorry

shootER · Sep 29, 2008

Or merge. This is an update to the other thread.

From what I've read elsewhere, these pirates operate from an enclave (or enclaves) on the Somali coast. Sounds like the Marines or somebody needs to reenact the "Shores of Tripoli".

I've also read elsewhere that they've lowered their demand to $5 million.

Forbin · Sep 29, 2008

I'll give 'em ten dollars right now, no questions asked.

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee · Sep 29, 2008

The only way to solve this problem is to make a video game out of it.

Marso · Sep 29, 2008

Sounds like a job for some Ukrainian Speznatz.

oldfella1962 · Sep 29, 2008

And somewhere Chuck Norris is just sitting on his hands.

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee · Sep 29, 2008

oldfella1962 said: ↑

And somewhere Chuck Norris is just sitting on his hands.
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HUCKABEE! RELEASE YOUR MINION!

Forbin · Sep 29, 2008

oldfella1962 said: ↑

And somewhere Chuck Norris is just sitting on his hands.
Click to expand...

That's like sitting on live grenades!!

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i hope no one else has posted this..

rightfulownership Fresh Meat

Lt. Mewa Rockefeller Center

rightfulownership Fresh Meat

shootER Insubordinate...and churlish Administrator

Forbin Do you feel fluffy, punk?

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

Marso High speed, low drag.

oldfella1962 the only real finish line

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

Forbin Do you feel fluffy, punk?

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i hope no one else has posted this..

rightfulownership Fresh Meat

Lt. Mewa Rockefeller Center

rightfulownership Fresh Meat

shootER Insubordinate...and churlish Administrator

Forbin Do you feel fluffy, punk?

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

Marso High speed, low drag.

oldfella1962 the only real finish line

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

Forbin Do you feel fluffy, punk?

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