US forces rescue captive from Pirates in bloody showdown.

[General Duke]

^^^Norf adeer, loool. My stances you are the one has been exposed to be nothing more than a clanist. You came here and made a silly statement contrary to your usual "Mujahid" nonsense. Even a child could read it.

 

You do not know what you are talking about and thought some darn Puntlanders were killed of.

 

I am sadened by the deaths regardless of the clan. These men were executed and that was not necessary thats my point.

 

Yours was the usual Norf hot air.

[xiinfaniin]

Piracy is a criminal activity that endangers the well being of Somalis in general and security and political stability of entire communities that escaped from the chaos in the south in particular. I can understand the emotional reaction to yesterday’s dramatic sniper kill of three young Somalis but the truth of the matter is that piracy is today what Mogadishu roadblocks were yesterday: an illustrious manifestation of a failed state that’s unable to control its boundaries. . That is not to deny the known root causes of piracy however. But the root cause argument would better made if we first acknowledge the criminality involved in piracy hijackings and detrimental consequence it may bring to poor Somalis in those regions.

 

The solution is clear: enable stable regions guard Somali costs, and support tfg to stand up on its feet in Mogadishu so the center of the country can be rebuilt again.

 

Lets elevate this discussion, guys. Agree or disagree the premise of that argument.

[Che -Guevara]

Norf2-No..I never said, but I just suprised at your indifference towards loss of life-agreeing with the view that Somali life is expandable.

[AfricaOwn]

What were they thinking holding up an American ship in hostage? Americans wont pay no ransom that's a given. The only thing Americans need is a threat to set things militarily.

[Somali Pirate]

Originally posted by xiinfaniin:

Piracy is a criminal activity that endangers the well being of Somalis in general and security and political stability of entire communities that escaped from the chaos in the south in particular. I can understand the emotional reaction to yesterday’s dramatic sniper kill of three young Somalis but the truth of the matter is that piracy is today what Mogadishu roadblocks were yesterday: an illustrious manifestation of a failed state that’s unable to control its boundaries. . That is not to deny the known root causes of piracy however. But the root cause argument would better made if we first acknowledge the criminality involved in piracy hijackings and detrimental consequence it may bring to poor Somalis in those regions.

 

The solution is clear: enable stable regions guard Somali costs, and support tfg to stand up on its feet in Mogadishu so the center of the country can be rebuilt again.

 

Lets elevate this discussion, guys. Agree or disagree the premise of that argument.

best post in this thread. All that needs to be said.

[xiinfaniin]

The U.S. Navy, and particularly the SEALS, are given kudos for its successful rescue operation, but blame is still placed on the U.S. for the growth in piracy.

 

powered by Baynote President Obama and U.S. lawmakers on Monday praised the weekend operation of U.S. Navy SEALS responsible for the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage when his freighter ship, the Maersk Alabama, was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia last week.

 

"I am very proud of the efforts of the U.S. military and the many other departments and agencies that worked tirelessly to resolve this situation," Obama said at the Department of Transportation.

 

"I share our nation's admiration for Captain Phillips' courage and leadership and selfless concern for his crew and I want to be very clear that we are resolved to halt the rise of (piracy) in that region, and to achieve that goal we're going have to continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks and we have to continue to be prepared to confront them when they arise, we have to ensure those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable."

 

"Captain Phillips' rescue in particular demonstrates the Navy SEALS' extraordinary capability to conduct complex and sensitive operations," said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo.

 

"As long as safe havens exist along the Somali coast, we should expect this criminal piracy to continue. The international community must come together, take a good look at our options and seriously consider what can be done to eliminate the threat. We cannot allow the criminals who threaten the safety of the seas to remain unchallenged," Skelton said.'

 

With the immediate threat to the Maersk crew over, a Department of Defense official told FOX News that contingency planning is now under way on a variety of possible military operations and it would not be unreasonable to assume action against pirate camps might be one of those operations.

 

"We never talk about future possible operations and we're not going to start now," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.

 

Neither the official who spoke to FOX News nor Whitman would outright deny that planning is under way, however several Pentagon officials appear wary of getting into a military engagement in Somalia at this time.

 

Whiteman said such the successful end to the standoff could discourage future attacks but some members of the shipping industry worry that "if they were armed it could cause escalation."

 

"If the last couple of days have taught us anything, it reinforces the fact that this is a complicated and serious international problem that needs to be addressed broadly. ... This is not a problem that can be solved entirely from the sea. And this is not a problem that can be entirely solved through military means," he said.

 

While the Navy is being credited with a successful rescue, others have blamed the growth in piracy in part on the U.S. government. The U.S. African Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday urging them to shepherd action through NATO, the European Union and the African Union to demand that ships entering Somalia and East African waters "be held accountable for truthful registration, declaration of exports, and payment of applicable taxes."

 

"The explosion of piracy and illegal activity off of the coast of Somalia in recent years began with the U.S. supported overthrow of the Somali government by Ethiopia," USACC President Martin Mohammad wrote. "The previous government provided Somalia with rule of law and a functional society. Since it was overthrown, Somalia's new central government has struggled to maintain the rule of law and the economic infrastructure has severely broken down, leaving the people of Somalia in dire conditions. It has also left the Somali coast unprotected."

 

Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., offered his praised of the military but also said that piracy had long been neglected by the Bush administration.

 

"I am elated by the safe rescue of Captain Richard Phillips and the crew of the Maersk Alabama and I thank and congratulate the Navy SEALS and others whose remarkable efforts resulted in a successful end to this troubling situation," Feingold said. "While the episode involving the crew of the Maersk Alabama had a happy ending, piracy off the coast of Somalia will assuredly continue since it is a symptom of the state collapse in Somalia, which presents a much greater and more dangerous problem. For years, Somalia's growing instability was neglected by the Bush administration and the international community. The new administration must not make the same mistake."

 

Mohammad said Clinton and Obama should push efforts to work with the international community in coordination with the people of Somalia to address the illegal entry of international vessels into Somali waters as much as curbing piracy.

 

The pirates who boarded the Maersk last Wednesday were quickly overthrown by the crew of the U.S.-flagged merchant ship. However, Phillips was captured and held in a lifeboat during the revolt. He tried to escape once but was recaptured by his four captives.

 

As the seas got rough on Sunday, the lifeboat, which was out of fuel, agreed to be towed by the USS Bainbridge, a Navy ship that was monitoring the situation.

 

By that time, the youngest of the pirates, identified as not older than 16, had boarded the larger vessel and surrendered. When Navy SEALS heard gunshots coming from the lifeboat, they were able to get clear views of the pirates and took three direct kill shots to each of the pirates' heads.

 

A diplomatic source told FOX News that the U.S. government is now weighing three options when it comes to handling the young pirate.

 

The Navy could either bring him to the U.S. to face federal charges there, hand him over to Kenyan authorities for prosecution. The U.S. and Kenya have a memo of understanding regarding the prosecution of pirates.

 

Another option is to repatriate him to Somali authorities. The northeast region of Puntland, which has a semblance of authority in the otherwise largely ungoverned country, has taken pirates in the past.

[xiinfaniin]

Obama's response on Piracy incident

[Mintid Farayar]

Originally posted by General Duke:

quote: Not a good move but expected.

You guys [/b[

need to wake up and smell the coffee.

Meeshu ciyaar maaha

. This is not your suburban street with friendly neighbours.

Who is you guys? As usual NORF gets the whole thing mixed up, adeer the pirates in this instances are not Puntlanders as you wished and was happy about. The men murdered were based in and from the clans Haradheere [do you know where that is]?

 

Thus one undertsood why you took the contradictory stance, to your ususal fake "Mujahid" of Arabia stance.

Sgt. Duke,

 

Actually 2 of the pirates were your cousins and 2 were from South Mudug. Get your facts correct, saaxiib

[Mintid Farayar]

April 12, 2009

Negotiations Break Down in Standoff With Pirates

 

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Negotiations over the American captain taken hostage by Somali pirates broke down on Saturday, according to Somali officials, after American officials insisted that the pirates be arrested and a group of elders representing the pirates refused.

 

Somali officials said the American captain, Richard Phillips, and the four heavily armed pirates holding him hostage remained in a covered lifeboat floating in the Indian Ocean about 30 miles off Gara’ad, a notorious pirate den in northeastern Somalia.

 

The negotiations broke down hours after the pirates fired on a small United States Navy vessel that had tried to approach the lifeboat not long after sunrise Saturday in the Indian Ocean.

 

It was the first such approach since the standoff began on Wednesday, and the vessel returned to a nearby Navy destroyer, the Bainbridge, after the pirates fired warning shots in the air, according to an American military official.

 

The American boat did not return fire and “did not want to escalate the situation,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

 

The developments surrounding the fate of the captain came as his ship, the Maersk Alabama, a 17,000-ton cargo vessel, pulled into port at 8:30 Saturday evening in Mombasa, Kenya, with its 19 remaining American crew members.

 

In Norfolk, Va., John Reinhart, the chief executive of Maersk Line Limited, said at a televised news conference: “The crew is relieved, obviously. It’s been harrowing for them.”

 

He added, “They won’t consider it done until the captain comes back.”

 

Mr. Reinhart also noted that the crew was not allowed to leave the ship because the F.B.I. — whose New York office has been charged with investigating the seizure — considered the vessel a crime scene.

 

Crew members indicated in brief, shouted exchanges with reporters that Captain Phillips, 53, had given himself up in order to save the crew, which was able to regain control of the Alabama.

 

“He saved our lives!” said Second Mate Ken Quinn, of Bradenton, Fla., as the ship was docking, according to The Associated Press. “He’s a hero.”

 

In Captain Phillips’s hometown of Underhill, Vt., just outside Burlington, yellow ribbons adorned fences and trees as residents of this town of about 3,000 reacted with dismay when they heard that talks had broken down.

 

Michael Willard, who is also a merchant seaman and is a friend of the Phillips family, said: “It’s obviously of concern because we are not trained for being kept captive for hostage situations.”

 

He added, “He is their safety card.”

 

Not far from the Phillips home, at the Wells Corner Market, an owner, Laura Wells, said: “If the Navy is going to do something, they better do it now, because they cannot let him get to shore. Once he gets to shore, he is lost, because we don’t know where he would be taken.”

 

The pirates — demanding $2 million in ransom — seized Captain Phillips on Wednesday and escaped the cargo ship in a motorized lifeboat. According to a senior military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the continuing talks, Captain Phillips is still alive, and the pirates have put him on the phone roughly once a day.

 

On Saturday, a group of Somali elders from Gara’ad, mediating on behalf of the pirates, spoke by satellite phone to American officials, according to Abdul Aziz Aw Mahamoud, a district commissioner in the semiautonomous region of Puntland in northeastern Somalia. The elders proposed a deal in which the pirates would release Captain Phillips, with no ransom paid, and that the pirates would then be allowed to escape.

 

But Mr. Abdul Aziz said that the Americans insisted that the pirates be handed over to Puntland authorities, and the elders refused. By noon local time, the Americans cut off communications with the elders, he said.

 

Puntland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Faroole, said that he was working closely with American officials to free the captain and “we’re really concerned about the recent attacks.’’

 

“We’re committed to reorganizing our security forces,’’ he said. "We want to do more to crack down on piracy.’’

 

Mr. Abdirahman also said that the pirates holding the captain hostage were not headed for Puntland but for farther south on the Somali shore.

 

The four pirates, according to the district commissioner, were split between two clans, one from southern Somalia and one from Puntland.

 

Mr. Abdul Aziz said he had heard reports that when the attack on the Alabama took place, the pirates were coming from another ship that they had hijacked.

 

The pirates saw the American ship nearby and sent one of their small dinghies to commandeer it, which may explain why there were only four pirates aboard the Alabama. In previous hijackings, pirates have swarmed merchant ships with four to five boats.

 

Captain Phillips is one of about 250 hostages being held by Somali pirates.

 

Although the Gulf of Aden is heavily patrolled by a international fleet, pirates hijacked another ship on Saturday. Maritime officials in Kenya said that pirates seized an Italian flagged tugboat, the Buccaneer, with 16 crew members. The foreign ministry in Rome confirmed that 10 of the tugboat’s 16 crew members were Italian citizens.

 

Reporting was contributed by Serge F. Kovaleski from Underhill, Vt.; Mark Mazzetti from Washington; Liz Robbins from New York; and employees of The New York Times from Somalia.

[N.O.R.F]

Originally posted by Che -Guevara:

Norf2-No..I never said, but I just suprised at your indifference towards loss of life-agreeing with the view that Somali life is expandable.

I see you're still skirting around the issue. I just live in the real world saxib.

 

Real World - You kidnap and hold to ransom at gun point on the high seas expect a backlash from the number of navies out there at the moment. The signs were there (French rescue last week and before that). Somali or not, the consequences were very clear.

 

Somali World (your world) - Though they kidnap at gun point, hold to ransom on the high seas, they are still our boys and should be dealt with in a manner befitting gentlemen and not like the criminals they are.

 

Question still stands, do you support the Pirates?

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

These pirates pointed their guns at the captain knowing they were surrounded, as much as sympathize with any loss of human life, I thing i would have done the same thing had it been me. Needless to say, the only people hurt by these kind of activities are poor somali refugees whose humanitarian aid is injected will on its way or not even delivered because other somalis have made the the sea route to get them the food so unsafe that nobody wants to risk their life to feed them.

[Nin-Yaaban]

i agree with Norf on this one. the pirates knew the risk involved in taking hostages at gun point, and if they didn't they're dumbassess. it's like bank robbers, which happens often here. for the most part, they escape with alot of money- but the one time they get cought, it always ends up with the robber dead. Xoog hadii aad wax ku doonadid, adigana diyaar u ahow wixii aad lakulantid.

[Cara.]

My jaw dropped when I saw this:

 

Somali pirates hijack 4 ships, take 60 hostages

[Che -Guevara]

^You gotta love our people..so far they have close to 18 ships and upto 300 people.

 

Norf-I don't support piracy outside Somali waters , but there is nothing criminal about what these boys did. It is just that they are outgunned and outsmarted-the stronger (west) sets terms and tells everyone what's right and wrong.

[N.O.R.F]

^The most ridiculous thing I've heard for a while LoL. Nonesense!

 

How is hijacking and extorting money at gun point not a crime?

 

You still refuse to expand on things. Man up saxib.