Pirates anchor hijacked supertanker off Somalia coast

This situation just continues to get worse and worse and the Kenyan government can't do anything about it.. And I honestly don't know why this thread isn't getting more attention.

First, a few weeks ago, there was the ship laden with tanks, weapons, and god knows what ( it is said that some of the hijackers ended up dying and had hair falling out whatever that was all about).. U.S. navy vessels guarded the ship while they waited for a Russian ship to "deal with the situation".. But that was weeks ago and I never heard what happened.

As long as these guys are getting away with hijacking these vessels, they are going to make more and more ransom money, they are going to become richer and richer, they are going to have better and better firepower, be better and better manned, and it will eventually get to the point where only outside military intervention will do anything effective against these idiots.

A week after the pirates hijacked the tank and arms shipment from iran, the number of pirate-hijacked vessels off the somali coast was in the thirties....... And god knows what it is now.. We aren't being told the whole story.. And it doesn't make any sense.

Given the weapons and firepower Russia has been selling to Venezuela lately, I wouldn't be surprised if they already have an alliance with Iran where Iran gets paid huge sums of money from Russia to be the middle man responsible for shipping that hardware, ammunition, etc.. Iran can conduct these shipments under the guise of private shipping companies and then have plausible deniability of they get caught shipping something they aren't supposed to.. It lets all 3 countries of the hook and the fall guy can be the shipping company. Because of the recent sanctions put on Iran by the International community they aren't supposed to be shipping anything involving weapons or military supplies/equipment. The only way they would be able to get away with it is by the Iranian government using private industry to do the dirty work. That way the Iranian government could have a fall guy if they got caught. These are some pretty slippery bastards. Every day, tensions in the strait of Hormuz gets worse. They are literally trying to get America to slip and pull the trigger. All that Iranian aggression aimed at U.S. navy vessels could be a way of Iran producing a distraction of sorts in order to keep the American navy occupied while they do whatever they want.

-ChriS

[edit on 18-11-2008 by BlasteR]

Sounds like these oil companies need to find a couple mercenary escorts vessels ready to blow these scumbags away. Gotta fight fire with fire.

Originally posted by ANNED
First there are very few US flagged ships in the world and most are research or fishing vessels.

There not our ships being hijacked.
so we do not have a real interest in ship that belong to other countries.

That is a most disturbing doctrine if true. Note that a (this?) Saudi ship was rescued by Indian Navy commandos and a stealth frigate patrolling the area.

And as of yesterday 7:30pm IST, the supposed pirate 'mothership' in an unthinkable act of stupidity, opened fire on the same frigate INS Talwar.
The pirate mothership, was immediately sunk, of course

Source

Shiver me Timbers!!

reply to post by Daedalus3


Cheers to the Indians.


They are the hope for this region.

If they gain the ability to project their power over these waters, then they could actively destroy this pirate enemy...

this is a region though with not many strong/stable nations. and because of this, the local militas/pirates are strong, and often operate unaposed, or even suporrted by the goverment.

reply to post by TKainZero


The Indian Navy has a sizable presence in the Gulf region and along the western coast of Africa.
I hope they put more ships in the region as they most definitely have the blue water ability to patrol that far out.
Since this has hit Indian mainstream media, there should be immense political will to direct more naval forces into the region.

More news links on the occurances:

www.hindu.com...
indiatoday.digitaltoday.in...
www.timesnow.tv...

Pictures:
album.frontierindia.net...
album.frontierindia.net...

[edit on 19-11-2008 by Daedalus3]

There has to be more to the decision making process here than what is being released in the press. Perhaps these pirates are working together with some less-than-friendly countries trying to create a diversion for something bigger. Essentially, trying to bait some countries into sending their nearby warships to assist in detaining the pirates while countries(Iran, perhaps?) use the decreased attention to initiate an "attack" of sorts. In that case, it may be good thing that no countries are really "taking the bait" so to speak.

It does seem a little odd that even the US isn't involved, considering that we're supposed to be the country that leads by example and all that wholesome goodness. Maybe the government has finally decided that getting involved with foreign affairs may not be the best course of action.

What I don't understand, and sorry if this has been mentioned.

I read that this tanker is full (Which would make sense seen as its on its way to the States.

The Sirius Star, which is fully loaded with crude oil, is understood to be at anchor close to a headland called Raas Cusbad, near Hobyo.

(Source)

But why then, in every picture I have seen, it looks empty.... If it were full, then none of the red underbelly/ side would be seen....

Edit: Fix coding


[edit on 19/11/2008 by Kliskey]

[edit on 19/11/2008 by Kliskey]

[edit on 19/11/2008 by Kliskey]

[edit on 19/11/2008 by Kliskey]

reply to post by Kliskey



I think it's because that picture is from a different time before the ship was loaded.

Looks like the Blackwater goons will be there soon
www.independent.co.uk...
first they were a shadow army .. now a shadow navy!

reply to post by MetatronCubensis


If not Country want to be tough on these pirates...


Then i am not totaly agaisnt having private mercenaries for this job...


A situation like this can be solved very simply...


Thankfuly the Indian Navy took care of this...

While the Western Nations sat by and DID NOTHING, India took action.


And India managed to get the job done...


Congrats India...

You are a braver nation then mine.

Hijacking is another form of terrorism.
My bet is the hijackers will all die.

Sorry, i'm not normally as blunt but the world has enough problems without this.

I don't understand why the pirates didn't take over the big tanker when oil was selling for $140 per barrel.

Now it's like $50 pb and the price is not expected to go up to the point that Exxon would buy the cargo, wait for the market price to go up shortly, sell the oil to Mobil just a bit under the market value, pay off the original purchaser, and reap the profit.



Oil futures - NYMEX

Oil futures - PIRATES