Freighter hijacked near Somalia

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Pirates have hijacked a tanker off the coast of Somalia, maritime officials say, days after several pirates were killed by US and French forces.

In the latest in a string of attacks by pirates seeking ransom payments, a freighter named as the MV Irene was taken in the Gulf of Aden.

Officials were unable to confirm any details of the crew on board.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7997610.stm

[NYC_SKP]

1. It's not flying under a US flag, we're not going to be involved.

And I believe it was highjacked once before:

http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Ships/Mv-Irene-8225216.html

IRENE

IMO NUMBER


8225216

VESSEL TYPE


CARGO

HULL TYPE


SINGLE HULL

GROSS TONNAGE


12.030 tons

SUMMER DWT


15.871 tons

BUILD


1983

BUILDER


KHERSON SHIPYARD KHERSON - UKRAINE

FLAG


SLOVAKIA

MANAGER


STRONGTEC SYSTEMS ODESSA - UKRAINE

OWNER


WOLFEN SHIPPING GIBRALTAR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Hijacked_ship

[ohio2007]

20. Insurance scam ? probably not but

the odds of the same ship hijacked again are like 1 in 20,000 ( per month )

[NYC_SKP]

21. It's weird that they don't mind paying ransom, and premiums for insurance...

...but make the claim that arming the crew would increase their liability (or so it was said on MTP).

:shrug:

[opihimoimoi]

2. Why don them ships congregate in groups so the Navy can herd them safely through

and where are the drones to wipe out the pirates??

[DallasNE]

3. I'm With You On The Drones

The only issues then are where are the drones based and how do you determine which small craft are pirates and which are not but the drones seem like the ideal weapon for that task.

[opihimoimoi]

4. The ships report of an attack....they send the patrolling drones to wipe um out

[TorchTheWitch]

8. Just how would that work?

By the time a pirate speedboat would be identified as such it's only moments that they're up and over the side of the ship. The pirates sure aren't going to putz around the ship at a safe distance from it waiting for a drone to arrive. It's the element of surprise that makes effective piracy possible. If the crew doesn't have time to organize the water hose and blast the pirates off the side of the ship when they attempt to board there sure as hell isn't going to be any time for a drone to come to do anything.

[opihimoimoi]

16. We should find a way to make it work.....

them kids followed the Alabama for awhile...hours....

[Uben]

5. I was wondering.......

.....why don't these freighters just arm their ships with RPGs? If those pirates knew they were going up against RPGs, maybe they would think twice before taking a small craft to hijack a ship.

[TorchTheWitch]

7. merchant ships aren't allowed to be armed

All they have for defense is a water hose. That's why pirates have found this to be such an easy and lucrative business. We should be arming merchant ships again.

[stray cat]

6. More activity by environmentalists

I sure hope the pirates are safe :sarcasm:

[winter999]

15. Yes, this is the Somoli Environmental Liberation Front.

In other words, SELF centered.

[IDemo]

9. Pirates seize Greek ship

Source: CNN

MOMBASA, Kenya (CNN) -- Pirates hijacked a 35,000-ton Greek-owned bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, the European Union's Maritime Security Center said.

The crew was thought to be unhurt and ships have been warned to stay clear of the area for fear of further attack, the security center said.

The hijacking follows the killing by U.S. Navy SEALs of three pirates who were holding an American ship captain hostage.

Pirates attacked the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama last week. They seized its captain, Richard Phillips, and held him hostage on a lifeboat after their attempt to hijack the ship failed.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/14/somalia.pirates/

[conspirator]

10. Yarrrr nt

[Lasher]

11. They need to set up convoys.

Wonder why they haven't thought of that?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Can Kris Kristofferson captain a ship?

I think he was in the Army, not the Navy. :cry:

[Lasher]

17. Great idea, good buddy.

But looks like I'm not the only one to have thought of convoys.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x440639

Last paragraph in the OP.

[nyy1998]

13. They do have convoys

The Indian, US, Russian, and South Korean navys are actually in the Gulf of Aden in Somolian waters(with permission from the Somalian government). It is interesting to see how this ship got hijacked when they actually have some good protection. Most pirates have moved to Somalia's other coast(near the Indian Ocean) which is where the Alabama was hijacked.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

14. Avast

Hang the scurvy dogs from the yardarm.

[slackmaster]

19. The Greeks are too nice to fight back!

:argh:

[slackmaster]

18. They're fucking with TOGO now?

Oh teh noes!