US unveils plan to tackle piracy

[x-y-no]

The way this played out in the end answers one of the questions I was pondering. It seems infrared detection did work through the cover of the life boat.

[Dionne]

This is great. I am extremely happy with the outcome. I had my doubts about how quickly our new president could react with the use of deadly force. I stand corrected.

Can you possibly imagine how that SEAL team feels right now?

[MGC]

US NAVY Seals to the rescue! GO NAVY....MGC

[Dionne]

The Washington Post is breaking the story of the rescue. Apparently we had them in tow (20-30 meters) while a pirate negotiator was on board our warship. U.S. military snipers finished the deal with the three remaining pirates on the life raft.

[Stephanie]

I just saw the story when I got online. GREAT JOB NAVY & SEALS!!

[vbhoutex]

Awesome news!!! Hopefully this will play as a little bit of a deterrent to the pirates now.

[Dionne]

A senior defense official has told CNN that each of the three pirates died from shots to the head. The fourth pirate, the negotiator, refused to return to the lifeboat.

[RL3AO]

Good to hear. Good job SEALs.

[RL3AO]

The pirates are "vowing revenge".

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25326360-5005961,00.html?from=public_rss

I hope this doesn't lead to the US invading/bombing Somalia, but you get a feeling it might. The UN won't do anything about it. They're too busing trying to "condemn" North Korea.

[Cryomaniac]

I hope this doesn't lead to the US invading/bombing Somalia, but you get a feeling it might. The UN won't do anything about it. They're too busing trying to "condemn" North Korea.

Trying, and failing for the most part lol...

As for Somalia, yeah, I think there will be US military action. What level is a different question.

[Dionne]

I hope this doesn't lead to the US invading/bombing Somalia, but you get a feeling it might. The UN won't do anything about it. They're too busing trying to "condemn" North Korea.

Trying, and failing for the most part lol...

As for Somalia, yeah, I think there will be US military action. What level is a different question.

It seems that we are already in a conflict with Somalia and that military action has already happened. We did drop a SEAL team onto a warship that subsequently killed 3 Somalian pirates. Meanwhile there were reports of choppers in the air over a pirate stronghold in Somalia.

[Category 5]

it seems the pirates are at it again.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090415/ap_ ... iberty_sun

It seems that force is the only thing these lunatics understand. Send battleships in there and sink these idiots on site.

[HURAKAN]

US unveils plan to tackle piracy

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has unveiled a four-point plan to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

She said an expanded international effort was needed, as well as freezing pirates' assets, and plugging gaps in the shipping industry's own defences.

Improving the situation in Somalia itself was also key, she said.

Pirate attacks have increased in the past few days, including on US vessels, despite anti-piracy patrols by the US and other navies.

Mrs Clinton said: "We may be dealing with a 17th-Century crime, but we need to bring 21st Century assets to bear."

The US Navy shot dead three pirates a few days ago in the rescue of a US cargo ship captain who had been taken hostage from his own ship.
“ It is time to eliminate the financial payoff of piracy ”
Hillary Clinton US Secretary of State

The captain was unhurt and a fourth pirate was captured.

His crew had managed to fight off the armed pirates from the Maersk Alabama, but the captain was taken away in a lifeboat.

Another US ship, the Liberty Sun, was attacked by armed pirates on Wednesday, but escaped them with slight damage to the vessel.

One pirate said the second attack was revenge for the recent deaths of pirates.

The French navy captured 11 pirates on Wednesday after intercepting a "mother ship" or command vessel about 550 miles (900km) off the coast of Kenya.

The US four-point plan includes sending an envoy to the Somali donors' conference in Brussels on 23 April to work on plans to improve the situation in Somalia.

She said the US would work with the Contact Group on Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) to expand the multinational response to piracy.

She called for states to take responsibility for prosecuting and imprisoning captured pirates.

"These pirates are criminals, they are armed gangs on the sea, and those plotting attacks must be stopped."

She called for continued work on releasing captured vessels, as several ships and their crews remain in the hands of pirates.

On Wednesday the Greek maritime ministry announced that a Greek cargo ship and its 24 crew, held by pirates since mid-March, had been released.

She also said the international group had to consider ways to track and freeze pirate assets.

"It is time to eliminate the financial payoff of piracy," she told reporters.

"We will also reiterate to all concerned the US policy of making no concessions or ransom payments to hostage takers."

The State Department will set up meetings with members of the Somali Transitional Federal Government and regional leaders.

"We must press authorities within Somalia to take action against pirates operating from bases within their territory," Mrs Clinton said.

Making clear the threat was not just an issue for governments to resolve, she said the shipping industry had a joint responsibility.

"I have directed the [State] Department to work with shippers and the insurance industry to address gaps in their self-defence measures."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/w ... 001102.stm