Hijacked Supertanker with Pinoy seamen onboard

[uls]

I don't know exactly where to post this...

i guess classified as goons ang pirates hehe

Satellite image of the hijacked tanker Sirius Star:



the Saudi supertanker was hijacked 12 days ago.

It is the biggest prize ever seized by Somali pirates.

crew includes 19 pinoys

ransom demand for the ship was $30M, then lowered to $15M.

negotiations still ongoing.

[russpogi]

Damn! I sure hope the crew are safe now and be released soon.

[CVT]

It is now a big business in Somalia. And, there are now a lot of pirates there, and a whole lot more on training.... There was this CNN Features Report where a housewife was very proud of the material gains they got from her husband, who is a pirate. She now wears expensive watch; they have TV and refrigerator. And the economy in their area is booming because of the ransom money they're getting.... It is a crime against property, but they're mighty proud of it!

7000:diver:

[uls]

Can't wait for foreign capital to come to your country?

Go out to sea and get it

hehehe

[Horsepower]

They need to drop an atom bomb there (not really superbig, something small like the little boy). Then let's see if there will still be pirates.

[Horsepower]

Scratch that, just a full scale invasion of Somalia (including its waters) might be enough. Burn all the pirates then we'll all be fine.

This also is an opportunity to test a new weapon of mass destruction (mini Hydrogen Bomb?) so it will not be a surprise if they use something new there during the rescue of the victims.

[uls]

the Somali govt isnt doing anything

pabor kasi sa Somalia yan e

Revenues yan

parang export earnings, or remittances

[StraightSix]

the Somali govt isnt doing anything

They got one?

[uls]

haha

ya i guess

sort of

[BackSpace]

Hindi lang sa dagat... sa mga oil field nila uso din ang kinapping... lupit ng mga Pirata na to pero parang wala pang nababalita na US base na barko na hijack nila??? Iniisip ko lang wala ba talagan alternate route para hindi sila dumaan ng somalian sea

[StraightSix]

pero parang wala pang nababalita na US base na barko na hijack nila???

Because most merchant ships sailing the high seas are either registered in Panama or Liberia.

The Liberian registry was created in 1948, primarily as a means to offer U.S.-based ship owners a way to crew their vessels without being subject to U.S. labor and wage regulations and U.S. taxation. Today the body overseeing the Liberian flag is not the government of Liberia, but a private business based in Vienna, Virginia -- the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR). The Liberian government charters LISCR to handle its shipping business; LISCR remits 35 to 40 percent of its profits back to the Liberian government.

Flying the flag of Liberia is just a matter of convenience. That hijacked Saudi-owned MV Sirius Star flies the flag of Liberia, too.

[Zeus]

Dapat maglagay ng military patrol boat o escort ship sa mga lugar na yan.

[uls]

this is concerning another hijacked vessel:

26 Filipino Mariners Freed By Somalia Pirates - Philippines
Friday November 28th, 2008 / 13h31

MANILA (AFP)--Pirates have released a Greek freighter and its all-Filipino crew off Somalia, Philippine officials said Friday.
The gunmen released the Centauri late Thursday and the Filipinos aboard "are in good condition," Foreign Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said in a statement.
He didn't say when the freighter was seized.
"The vessel is on its way to Mombassa, Kenya, to unload its cargo," Conejos said.

[Horsepower]

Don't these international vessels got security (like a small army with assault weapons) on board??

They should start having some with a couple of attack helicopters perhaps.

I mean, If I'll be transporting very expensive goods, then I really would secure it with weapons on board.

[Monseratto]

Did I hear this right? Of the 300+ hostages held captive by the Somalis, about 130+ are Pinoys? Dati ata, ung British usually lay siege sa mga port ng mga pirates...

[StraightSix]

Dapat maglagay ng military patrol boat o escort ship sa mga lugar na yan.

Meron naman ... warships from NATO, Russia, India, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia are patrolling and serving as escorts in the danger zone.

The recent hijacking is well beyond the patrol area (520 miles SE of Kenya) ... which means the danger area has now increased, with some saying it's about 2.8 million square kilometers. I think that's a bit too much protection to ask from such few warships.

[jeanpierre]

Iniisip ko lang wala ba talagan alternate route para hindi sila dumaan ng somalian sea

Meron naman ibang daan ang problema tatagal ang byahe nila kasi iikot pa sila. Baka mahigit isang buwan din yata ang delay sa byahe pag yon ang gagawin nila

[CVT]

Meron naman ... warships from NATO, Russia, India, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia are patrolling and serving as escorts in the danger zone.

The recent hijacking is well beyond the patrol area (520 miles SE of Kenya) ... which means the danger area has now increased, with some saying it's about 2.8 million square kilometers. I think that's a bit too much protection to ask from such few warships.

I think there's a move for a consortium of several countries to patrol the area under the UN flag. However, if that is the size of the area they're going to patrol, it will be hard for them to protect all ships that will be target to these pirates....

7101:hooray:

[ChevyChaser]

Scratch that, just a full scale invasion of Somalia (including its waters) might be enough. Burn all the pirates then we'll all be fine.

This also is an opportunity to test a new weapon of mass destruction (mini Hydrogen Bomb?) so it will not be a surprise if they use something new there during the rescue of the victims.

In the 80's, The US gov't sent US Forces into Somalia to go after the warlord, Mohammed Aidid. They (The US) gave up, Aidid is still a warlord, US Gov't burned US taxpayers money all for nothing.

Although there are NATO or UN COALITION WARSHIPS in the area, they are there, not to protect merchant ships plying the area from piracy, but to fullfill UN Securtiy Council Resolutions and embargoes against IRAN.
And since the UNSC has not made or issued any mandate or resolutions against Piracy in Somali territorial waters, Warships will not render any proctection Services for merchant shipping. They will however, provide assistance to any vessel that requires it, but only in emergencies.

As per IMO (International Maritime Organization) and IMRC (International Maritime Rescue) center, based in Kuala Lumpur, vessels plying the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden route should stay away, as far as 450 nautical miles or approximately +500 land miles, from the North, Northeast and East coast of Somalia.
Also, shipowners are now contemplating on using the longer route via Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) instead of passing the Gulf of Aden via Suez Canal, to or from the Far East.

[StraightSix]

Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150)

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United Nations Security Council Resolution no.1816 (June 2, 2008)

United Nations Security Council Resolution no.1838 (Oct. 7, 2008)