Dutch may lead EU anti-pirate mission

Dutch may lead EU anti-pirate mission

www.nrc.nl

www.dutchnews.nl...

The Netherlands is prepared to take command of the new European Union mission which will fight piracy off the Somali coast, reports Tuesday's Volkskrant.

Mission Atlanta is due to start next month and the Dutch have offered to take over leadership in August next year.

The offer was made at a meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers on Monday in Brussels but the Dutch government still has to agree to the move, defence minister Eimert van Middelkoop told the paper.

Pieter Bindt, commander of the Dutch maritime forces, would head the mission from the Dutch frigate Evertsen which has already been on patrol along the 3,000 kilometre coastline of Somalia.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 11-11-2008 by Foppezao]

Exact mandate

Van Middelkoop told the paper that he still needs to know the exact mandate of the mission and whether this would involve escorting food deliveries or active fighting.

He added that the mission would be unable to fight off all pirates operating in the area.

The combined EU fleet, which will consist of up to 10 ships with air cover, will be the EU's first maritime mission.

The UN is currently protecting food transports in the region.

The 7 Provinces are back
I hope they better get themselves a good mandate and plummet those douchebags in their harbor, so no civilians would get hurt..
ironically "hr. ms. De Ruyter" is already sailing there, protecting vessels

www.nrc.nl
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 11-11-2008 by Foppezao]

[edit on 11-11-2008 by Foppezao]

Patrols are a big help, but they can't be everywhere.

A freighter wouldn't be too hard to convert to Q-Ship duty.

Half a dozen 50 caliber MGs on board freighters with the crew trained to operate them would help as well.