Somali Pirates take a super-tanker

[Geel_jire]

DUBAI (Reuters) - Somali pirates have captured a fully laden Saudi supertanker far off east Africa, seizing the biggest vessel ever hijacked with a cargo of oil worth over $100 million in an attack that pushed world crude prices higher.

 

The U.S. Fifth Fleet said the Sirius Star was being taken to the pirate haven of Eyl, in northern Somalia, on Monday.

 

The hijacking of the Saudi Aramco-owned vessel on Sunday is certain to add to pressure for concerted international action to tackle the growing threat posed by pirates from anarchic Somalia to one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

 

"This is unprecedented. It's the largest ship that we've seen pirated," said Lieutenant Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the Fifth Fleet. "It's three times the size of an aircraft carrier."

These guys are chewing off much more than they can handle .. why don't they just stop before. drastic measures are taken .. we already have enough problems.

 

you gotta admire these men for their stones ..taking on a ship as big as an aircraft carrier :eek:

 

story

[nuune]

"It's three times the size of an aircraft carrier."

Waaw, only those who have seen aircraft carrier would know the size of it, it is three times the size of it, that is the ship they hijacked

[Jacaylbaro]

They should blow it up so that no one will ever use that part of the sea again ,,,,,

[ElPunto]

I really have difficulty believing this. A supertanker supposed to be in international waters(200 nautical miles off the coast) with (presumably) security precautions in these dangerous waters is taken by pirates? Naaaah. This whole thing is one big insurance scam or something like that.

[Jacaylbaro]

They operate as deep as 300 miles from the coast sxb ,,,,,,

[Geel_jire]

^ I agree something doesnt smell right about this story.

 

The hijacking on Sunday,

450 nautical miles (830 km) southeast of Mombasa

, Kenya, was in an area far beyond the Gulf of Aden, where most of the attacks on shipping have taken place and where foreign navies have begun patrols.

most of the hijackings if not all were on the north-east of somalia

[ElPunto]

^The Swahilis have likely joined the party and claiming to be Somalis to make them pay quick.

 

I don't believe they operate that far out JB. I think many of these ships are actually hijacked in Somali waters but in order to not look like morons they claim otherwise.

[Cara.]

Isn't that practically Madagascar?

 

Maybe the pirates waa lagu cariiriyey their usual haunts, so they have to range further out for prey. I imagine nearer to home the ships are well-defended.

 

Pretty incredible either way.

[ElPunto]

^And so they're bribing the local officials in Madagascar to let them operate eh? I wouldn't be too surprised about that. Wax walba ka sug Somali.

[winnie]

Piracy, bringing somalis together since 2005.

[chubacka]

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1184 614595/bctid2450691001

 

channel 4 report.

 

works only in UK i think.

[Geel_jire]

^ works for me.

 

if they do manage to take the tanker to eyl .. then it probably was somali pirates .. but how is what has me confused ?

[AYOUB]

Absolutely incredible. It was News at 10's top story. I wonder if this will affect the price of oil. Whatever next.

[Sir-Qalbi-Adeyg]

Talk about balls of steel, these guys are ambitious. But you'd think a tanker like this carrying $100 million word of oil would have better security.

 

Reading this earlier about how these pirates seize these large ships:

 

"Details of Saturday's attack were not known, but in past seizures, pirates have used ropes and ladders to climb the hull _ and on large ships, the crew often doesn't notice them until it's too late. On the Sirius Star, the attackers likely would have had to scale about 30 feet from the water to the deck."

 

hopefully these 'pirates' will get a good pay day.

[winnie]

anyone think we can get these pirates to join the peace caravan?

 

 

leave it to the pirates to restore my hope in somalia.

 

what's that? no, there is just something in my eye... iss ALLERGIES is wat it is.

 

*sniff*