| Topic: |
Science > Prophecies-Of-Nostradamus |
| User: |
"The Angry Hierophant" |
| Date: |
18 Nov 2005 02:10:44 PM |
| Object: |
(Somalian) Pirates of the 21st century well-armed, organized, active around the world |
Wait until they get into the bussiness of smuggling weapons for tyrants
around the world.
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Pirates of the 21st century well-armed, organized, active around the
world
AP
Seabourn Sprint anchors in Mahe Islands Seychelles. The cruise ship was
attacked by pirates near Somalia
Tom Maliti
The pirates audacious enough to raid an oil tanker off Iraq - where the
U.S. military patrols - were anything but the stuff of romance and
legend.
The three boarded armed with machine guns and knives, according to a
recent report by a shipping industry agency that tracks piracy. They
tied up two crew members and took three others hostage before
ransacking the master's cabin and escaping with the ship's safe.
Piracy is happening with a disturbing frequency in the 21st century, as
evidenced by incidents recorded by the International Maritime Bureau, a
watchdog that is part of the International Chamber of Commerce.
The locations are exotic - the South China Sea, the Malacca Strait, off
Cochin. The pirates range from thugs armed with machetes and armed bars
to apparently sophisticated bands.
Arild Wegener, director of the Norwegian Shipowners Association, noted
a slight decline in incidents this year compared to last, but said
"pirates seem to apply more violence and be more ruthless in their
behavior.
"Kidnapping has become more prominent," Wegener added. "The pirates are
also better equipped."
It's not just major shippers who are at risk, said Klaus Hympendahl, a
German yachtsman who maintains a piracy information clearinghouse on
the Web and has written a book chronicling attacks on private yachts.
When he sailed around the world in 1986, Hympendahl's only worry was
the weather. Now, he cautions yachters to check the security situation
along their route before they set out.
"The situation has changed completely," he said, blaming in part an
increase in the number of wealthy people setting out to sea. Their
well-equipped boats attract pirates looking for cash and gear.
The 1,880-mile (3,000-kilometer) coast of Somalia, which has had no
effective government since warlords ousted a dictatorship in 1991 and
then turned on each other, has emerged as one of the most dangerous
areas for ships. Somali pirates have a growing reputation as
well-organized, trained fighters with knowledge of the sea - perhaps
remnants of the country's navy or coast guard.
Somali pirates are not only attacking near shore but more than 200
miles (more than 300 kilometers) into the Indian Ocean, said John
Muindi, the U.N. International Maritime Organization's regional
coordinator for eastern Africa.
One of the boldest attacks was on Nov. 5. Two boats full of pirates
approached the Seabourn Spirit, a cruise ship carrying Western
tourists, about 100 miles (about 150 kilometers) off Somalia and fired
rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles.
The Seabourn crew used a weapon that directs earsplitting noise at
attackers, then escaped. None of the passengers, most of them
Americans, was hurt, but one member of the 161-person crew was injured
by shrapnel.
The next day, a cargo ship in the area also was fired on with rocket
launchers and machine guns. It sped away.
Somali pirates have even hijacked three cargo ships carrying U.N. food
aid for Somalis, all owned by Kenya's Motaku Shipping Agency.
The hijackings "really shook us," said Karum Kudrati, Mutaki's managing
director. The company secured the release of two vessels, but a third
has been held since early October as negotiations over ransom drag on.
Kudrati said relatives of the crew come to his offices seeking news.
"I tell them we have to be patient, people are working on it and we
have to hope they will be released soon," he said. "You can see tears
in their eyes when they come and talk to us."
In its most recent worldwide report on piracy, the International
Maritime Bureau reported fewer attacks overall for the first nine
months of 2005 compared to the same period last year. But there were
trouble spots, it said, citing Indonesia and Somalia. An increase in
serious attacks off Somalia - 25 in the last six months - followed a
quiet spell of nearly two years.
Ali Mohamed Gedi, head of a transitional government struggling to
impose order in Somalia, last month called on neighboring countries to
send warships to patrol his coast, Africa's longest.
Countries in the region say they realize the problem is serious but
that they have not yet discussed how to respond. Kenya, heavily
involved in attempts to stabilize Somalia, would likely bear the brunt
of the duties. Internal political crises elsewhere in the region, such
as in Ethiopia, could pose problems.
An international force to combat piracy off Somalia will be discussed
by the 166-member International Maritime Organization at its annual
meeting next week in London, Muindi said.
Pirates "have to be tackled by people who are also armed like them or
more or better than them," he added.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: (Somalian) Pirates of the 21st century well-armed, organized, active around the world |
18 Nov 2005 02:13:37 PM |
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"Wait until they get into the bussiness of smuggling weapons for
tyrants around the world."
I think you are well behind the times there dearie, they already are,
and from every port on the planet, you would shiver if you knew the
extent of it, even old Binnie uses that system.
LB
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| User: "The Angry Hierophant" |
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| Title: Re: (Somalian) Pirates of the 21st century well-armed, organized, active around the world |
18 Nov 2005 02:26:05 PM |
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Wait till they start smuggling Kim Jong Ill's missiles to Latin America.
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