India playing off with our waters, who they think they are!

[N.O.R.F]

^Hear hear

 

Mr Me, how does that article change my opinion that these men are pirates and not fishermen? You're sounding like a broken record.

 

Hayat, I have no idea how you view this situation. Do tell.

[me]

Norf the article only shows how out of touch you are. The casiir got to you.

 

You don't show any sympathy for the Somali people affected by the illegal actions of foreign nations stealing fish from Somali waters and repaying us and future genarations of Somalis with toxic waste that will cause damage to health and environment.

 

And you are still here defending the unlawfull attacking of a Somali ship by the Indian navy, which possibly cost the lives of the crew members.

 

Sxb just because the media says so it doesn't mean it is right.

 

Wake up and smell the coffee, otherwise the next time you want to take a swim on a beach in Somalia you might come out of the water without skin (carab baad u eekaan.....could this be meesha aad u socotid?).

 

I know perfectly well (the media told me) that some of the hijackings of ships was in international waters and it was illegal too. But if this means that these attacks will focus attention on Somalia and the enviromental problems caused then it is well worth it.

[Chimera]

I'm with me on this issue, more and more news outlets are beginning to illuminate and cover the illegal looting of marine and the hideous environmental destruction of Somalia's seas by foreign companies and corporations

[ElPunto]

^Oh come on. If these guys are giving away the vast majority of their profits to the 'fishermen' and their communities then all is forgiven. If not - they're only out to get theirs. Hardly any different from the isbaaros only the 'victims' are non-Somali.

[Sir-Qalbi-Adeyg]

Thepoint- Even if the communities are not directly benefiting from the pirates, they are at least indirectly benefiting from them. I see nothing wrong with the pirates, not only are they protecting somali waters, but they are also transforming little villages into boomtowns.

 

read this:

 

Somali pirates transform villages into boomtowns

 

By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN and ELIZABETH KENNEDY – 1 day ago

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia's increasingly brazen pirates are building sprawling stone houses, cruising in luxury cars, marrying beautiful women — even hiring caterers to prepare Western-style food for their hostages.

And in an impoverished country where every public institution has crumbled, they have become heroes in the steamy coastal dens they operate from because they are the only real business in town.

"The pirates depend on us, and we benefit from them," said Sahra Sheik Dahir, a shop owner in Harardhere, the nearest village to where a hijacked Saudi Arabian supertanker carrying $100 million in crude was anchored Wednesday.

These boomtowns are all the more shocking in light of Somalia's violence and poverty: Radical Islamists control most of the country's south, meting out lashings and stonings for accused criminals. There has been no effective central government in nearly 20 years, plunging this arid African country into chaos.

Life expectancy is just 46 years; a quarter of children die before they reach 5.

But in northern coastal towns like Harardhere, Eyl and Bossaso, the pirate economy is thriving thanks to the money pouring in from pirate ransoms that have reached $30 million this year alone.

"There are more shops and business is booming because of the piracy," said Sugule Dahir, who runs a clothing shop in Eyl. "Internet cafes and telephone shops have opened, and people are just happier than before."

In Harardhere, residents came out in droves to celebrate as the looming oil ship came into focus this week off the country's lawless coast.

Businessmen gathered cigarettes, food and cold bottles of orange soda, setting up kiosks for the pirates who come to shore to resupply almost daily.

Dahir said she even started a layaway plan for them.

"They always take things without paying and we put them into the book of debts," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "Later, when they get the ransom money, they pay us a lot."

Residents make sure the pirates are well-stocked in khat, a popular narcotic leaf, and aren't afraid to gouge a bit when it comes to the pirates' deep pockets.

"I can buy a packet of cigarettes for about $1 but I will charge the pirate $1.30," said Abdulqadir Omar, an Eyl resident.

While pirate villages used to have houses made of corrugated iron sheets, now, there are stately looking homes made of sturdy, white stones.

"Regardless of how the money is coming in, legally or illegally, I can say it has started a life in our town," said Shamso Moalim, a 36-year-old mother of five in Harardhere.

"Our children are not worrying about food now, and they go to Islamic schools in the morning and play soccer in the afternoon. They are happy."

The attackers generally treat their hostages well in anticipation of a big payday, hiring caterers on shore to cook spaghetti, grilled fish and roasted meat that will appeal to Western palates.

And when the payday comes, the money sometimes literally falls from the sky.

Pirates say the ransom arrives in burlap sacks, sometimes dropped from buzzing helicopters, or in waterproof suitcases loaded onto skiffs in the roiling, shark-infested sea.

"The oldest man on the ship always takes the responsibility of collecting the money, because we see it as very risky, and he gets some extra payment for his service later," Aden Yusuf, a pirate in Eyl, told AP over VHF radio.

The pirates use money-counting machines — the same technology seen at foreign exchange bureaus worldwide — to ensure the cash is real. All payments are done in cash because Somalia has no functioning banking system.

"Getting this equipment is easy for us, we have business connections with people in Dubai, Nairobi, Djibouti and other areas," Yusuf said. "So we send them money and they send us what we want."

Despite a beefed-up international presence, the pirates continue to seize ships, moving further out to sea and demanding ever-larger ransoms. The pirates operate mostly from the semiautonomous Puntland region, where local lawmakers have been accused of helping them and taking a cut of the ransoms.

For the most part, however, the regional officials say they have no power to stop piracy.

Meanwhile, towns that once were eroded by years of poverty and chaos are now bustling with restaurants, Land Cruisers and Internet cafes. Residents also use their gains to buy generators — allowing full days of electricity, once an unimaginable luxury in Somalia.

There are no reliable estimates of the number of pirates operating in Somalia, but they number in the thousands. And though the bandits do sometimes get nabbed, piracy is generally considered a sure bet to a better life.

NATO and the U.S. Navy say they can't be everywhere, and American officials are urging ships to hire private security. Warships patrolling off Somalia have succeeded in stopping some pirate attacks. But military assaults to wrest back a ship are highly risky and, up to now, uncommon.

[ElPunto]

^I assume you would have the same reaction if all the ships that were plundered belonged to Somalis? If yes - then at least you're consistent though your moral compass is dysfunctional. If no - then you've gotta explain yourself.

[Faarax-Brawn]

This Piracy issue is indeed a blessing in disguise(for lack of a better term). Every analyst on TV i have seen thus far,has said,the larger problem of Somalia need to be fixed first.

 

I am sorry for the Saudis,the Ukrainians,Kenyans rather(who just paid off their ransom),but these pirates are doing this for the better of Somalia. Only of course they have no idea.

[Emperor]

I have heard this particular incident of fire exchange between the pirates and the Indian navy happened somewhere inside the Sultante of Oman see water, and far far away from the Somali waters...

 

Any news to confirm it?

[Pujah]

These guys are chewing more than they can bite. But I admire their courage it takes a lot of guts to over heavily guarded ships with nothing more than rifles and little boats.

[Kamaavi]

 

You stole my fish !!

 

He messed up when he trusted her to hold em.

 

Even before by showing her the water hole in the first place.

[N.O.R.F]

Originally posted by me:

Norf the article only shows how out of touch you are. The casiir got to you.

 

You don't show any sympathy for the Somali people affected by the illegal actions of foreign nations stealing fish from Somali waters and repaying us and future genarations of Somalis with toxic waste that will cause damage to health and environment.

 

And you are still here defending the unlawfull attacking of a Somali ship by the Indian navy, which possibly cost the lives of the crew members.

 

Sxb just because the media says so it doesn't mean it is right.

 

Wake up and smell the coffee, otherwise the next time you want to take a swim on a beach in Somalia you might come out of the water without skin (

carab baad u eekaan.....could this be meesha aad u socotid?

).

 

I know perfectly well (

the media told me

) that some of the hijackings of ships was in international waters and it was illegal too. But if this means that these attacks will focus attention on Somalia and the enviromental problems caused then it is well worth it.

Why am I not surprised you've chosen to repeat yourself rather than address my points? Looks like I have to clarify things for you as usual.

 

1. The article deals with something we have already discussed. You are yet to tell us why you think it is OK to hijack ships and request for a ransom considering these ships are a) hijacked in international waters and b) are cargo ships. Please have a go at this and stop repeating this now tired line of 'we are the victims'.

 

2. I have no sympathy for those effected by illigal dumping in Somali waters? How have you come to that? Because I refuse to support and cheer for criminal gangs let loose on the high seas? Again, you're refusing to address my previous points by trying to derail the discussion. Focus and stand your ground or concede saxib.

 

3. What was unlawfull about the Indian navy's attack? Because it was against Somalis (pirates)on speedboats armed with weapons near the Yemeni coast? What legal framework are ou refering to anyway?

 

4. Your last point only confirms what is wrong with your line of thought. You think two wrongs make a right!

 

All this talk about these pirates focusing the world's attention on Somalia is of course correct but it (world's attention) won't last for long. No one cares enough about Somalia and the quicker we Somalis realise that the better. Things will go back to normal next week just like after the Ukaranian ship was hijacked.

 

ps being out of touch is thinking these pirates are doing good for Somalis

[Fabregas]

^^and the trail leads to Dubai:

 

Western intelligence has been tracking the flow of ransom money—and the trail leads to Dubai

 

Western intelligence has been tracking the flow of ransom money—and the trail leads to Dubai

[Kamaavi]

Thank you,

Originally posted by Norf 1:

All this talk about these pirates focusing the world's attention on Somalia is of course correct but it (world's attention) won't last for long. No one cares enough about Somalia and the quicker we Somalis realise that the better. Things will go back to normal next week just like after the Ukaranian ship was hijacked.

Well stated.

 

ps being out of touch is thinking these pirates are doing good for Somalis [/QB]

This is exactly the case.

 

Okay, so what is the argument in this thread about now? Pirates?

 

Seriously, the threads like this with the word 'Pirate' in it get too much attention.

[Sir-Qalbi-Adeyg]

Originally posted by ThePoint:

^I assume you would have the same reaction if all the ships that were plundered belonged to Somalis? If yes - then at least you're consistent though your moral compass is dysfunctional. If no - then you've gotta explain yourself.

That's beside the point, and it would depend on the situation. Why is it africans are always the ones to talk about morals, when other countries have no problem exploiting our resources or in somalia's case dumping toxic waste and engaging in illegal fishing? You don't hear any news about that?

 

You wanted to know if these 'pirates' were benefiting their local communities, and they clearly are, that to me is enough to support them.

 

The only time I would not support these pirates is when they hijack aid ships and or cruise ships, but when it comest to them hijacking saudi super tankers or ukranian ships carrying weapons then they have my support. Morals are overrated if you ask me.

[Geel_jire]

What the pirates were doing a few months/years back was all good they were a de facto navy ... but you have to admit .. 450 miles off the coast is hard to justify in terms of protecting our resources.

 

Personally I am conflicted where these guys are concerned .. I admire their courage in taking on vessels of that size and magnitude ... and the way they treat the hostages is honorable (for thieves) not a single hostage has been hurt and they have been all set free as soon as the ransom has been delivered.

 

so, this whole issue is not white/black ... but one thing is for sure .. these boys are attracting too much attention to themselves.

 

The only solution here is to leave it to the only entity that has proved that they are capable of handling this pirate mess ... the resistance.