Pirates attack but fail to board US flagged vessel

reply to post by TheAgentNineteen


Bainbridge... Ironic coincidence, given the namesake's history with pirates!

I think her crew has a grudge to settle...

Originally posted by groingrinder
reply to post by justsomeboreddude

 

Ted does not need a bow because his guitar will blow the balls off of a charging Rhino at a hundred paces.


[edit on 4-14-2009 by groingrinder]

[edit on 4-14-2009 by groingrinder]

I stand corrected. I need to get out the old Ted Nugent albums and brush up a bit. That line is from Double Live Gonzo I believe.

Part of the solution to the US debt should be to extract repayment for the costs of war in IRAQ, along with wrongful death payments for each soldior, Since this was a UN sanctioned action and the countries involved have eaten the cost.
How many years production of Iraqui oil will it take to pay us back?

reply to post by Eurisko2012


The Pentagon is considering ground troops to take on the piracy problem. I'm trying to find a link to the story, but I saw it earlier.

This is from emails sent by a crew member to his mother during the attack.

"We are under attack by pirates, we are being hit by rockets. Also bullets," said one e-mail sent Tuesday afternoon. "We are barricaded in the engine room and so far no one is hurt. [A] rocket penetrated the bulkhead but the hole is small. Small fire, too, but put out.

"Navy is on the way and helos and ships are coming. I'll try to send you another message soon. [G]ot to go now. I love you mom and dad and all my brothers and family."

About 1½ hours later, Thomas Urbik sent another e-mail to his mother, which said, "The navy has showed up in full force and we are now under military escort ... all is well. I love you all and thank you for the prayers."

In an e-mail only hours before the attack, Urbik's son tried to assure his mother that his crew was safe and taking precautions.

"Don't worry too much. I am fine and we are being well monitored by the U.S. Navy, who is demanding we send them a report every six hours on our position and status," Thomas Ubrik's e-mail said. He added, "We in fact are going to be the second American ship to arrive into Mombasa after the Maersk Alabama. It should be interesting to say the least. ... We have had several drills to prepare ourselves to secure ourselves in the engine room. [W]e can do it pretty quick by now."

www.cnn.com...

Here's the article about moving the battle to shore:

As the Defense Department weighs options to prevent a repeat of the drama that unfolded on the seas this weekend, those who patrol the waters say pirates must be rooted out before they leave land.
International naval patrols have been stepped up in the Gulf of Aden following increased pirate attacks.

Pentagon planners are preparing a variety of options for dealing with Somali pirates, and a United Nations resolution gives them the authority to conduct operations inside Somalia.

"The ultimate solution for piracy is on land," said Vice Adm. William Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the Combined Maritime Forces.

"Piracy around the world stems from activity where there is lawlessness, lack of governance, economic instability; things of that nature. And wherever you have that, you're going to have criminal activity at sea," he said at a Monday briefing.

Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December 2006 to prop up a U.N.-backed transitional government in Mogadishu after a hardline Islamist group overtook the capital and seized power. Earlier this year, Ethiopia withdrew all of its troops.

Efforts to replace the Ethiopians with an African Union-led peacekeeping mission faltered as the violence worsened, and heavy fighting in Mogadishu and other cities drove hundreds of thousands from their homes.

www.cnn.com...

There is not much you can project onto this politically, because these guys are simple criminals.

They're not fighting for a country or a philosophy.

They're from a desperate messed-up country with no law, and they either die or they get rich.

reply to post by Zaphod58


I'm sorry but the political fallout would be too much for Obama.
It should be a mercenary solution to protect ALL the ships
in that area. I'm concerned about those other nations.
The entire pirate problem could go away with a Good Guy
mothership in the area.
Some spy satellite intel could really end this pirate problem fast!
Take out their motherships and safe harbors.
Problem gone.

reply to post by Eurisko2012


From the sound of things, it would be a series of surgical SOF strikes on shore bases. Not a major raid with thousands of troops on the ground. Probably HALO/HAHO drops then slogging across the ground to get to the bases.