Somalian pirates hijack another tanker
This time they have taken control over a ship carrying $100 million worth of crude oil from a Saudi-owned supertanker Sirius Star pictured above. How do they keep gaining control of these ships. These companies know these rogues are out on the waters looking for anything to loot, and if $100 million were of product is on a ship, they couldn't even get the Keystone cops, Barney Fife...or somebody to man that vessel?
I am puzzled on this one. Are they not allowed to be armed on the ships or were people asleep or too busy with the XBox? And some of them keep control of the ships for weeks. That doesn't sound like a hijacking. It sounds like someone is looking for a warm bed and three square meals and is negotiating terms of a rental agreement. House guests that refuse to leave. Leave already. Baffling.
But seriously, hopefully, this nonsense will stop, because I would hate to be on my dream luxury cruise one day, and find myself startled by somes thugs climbing over the wall while I was enjoying my meal and fine music while soaking in the sun. It would definitely put a damper on the trip.
In a NY Times report:
""Negotiations with pirates have often taken weeks or even months. A Ukrainian vessel hijacked in September, loaded with tanks and other heavy weapons, is still being held at Hobyo on the Somali coast, where the ship's crew remain captives, Commander Campbell said.
According to the International Maritime Bureau, a global clearinghouse for piracy reporting based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, , 88 ships have been attacked in the Gulf of Aden alone this year. And 14 hijacked ships remain in the gulf -- the heavily armed hijackers still on board, with the crews, cargo and the vessels themselves being held for ransom."
Mr. Noel Choong, head of International Maritime Bureau says of the crews on these vessels: "They are not mentally or physically fit enough to handle weapons."
Well, they better get some of these wanna be gangstas on some of these urban streets and hire them. They could use the work and many have mucho experience with handling a piece, as evidenced by our soaring daily homicide rates.
Lee Yin Mui, assistant director of research at the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships at Sea(that name isn't long enough) says: "We do not advocate this, having armed escorts on board...Armed escorts could only escalate the situation, and perhaps trigger off heavy crossfire."
Um...Ms. Mui, it won't escalate the situation if you get them first, then turn back around. Maybe it is much more complex of a situation than those who aren't in it will ever know. All I know is, I'd shoot first, and take questions later. It probably would not have to come to that choice if they know these vessels are well armed and protected. These crew members seem like sitting ducks.
Reference:
Hijacked Supertanker Anchors Off Somalia
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