Category Archives: Piracy

STRATFOR: South Korea: Government Ordered To Resolve Issue Over Hijacked Freighter

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January 16, 2011 Stratfor:

South Korean President Lee Myung Bak on Jan. 16 instructed his government to take all possible measures to resolve the hijacking of the Samho Jewelry, an 11,500-ton South Korean chemical freighter that was seized by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 15, presidential aides said, Yonhap reported. The Samho Jewelry, carrying 21 crewmembers, was en route to Sri Lanka from the United Arab Emirates when it was hijacked in waters between Oman and India. The Choi Young, a 4,500-ton destroyer belonging to South Korea’s Cheonghae unit, has set sail toward the Samho Jewelry and is expected to reach the waters where it was hijacked within two days, according to sources in Seoul.

The Russians seem to have a grip on how to deal with pirates

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The Roman empire fell, and the dark ages descended on Europe for one main reason. Rome no longer had the ability or the will to defend the roads from brigands. This meant that goods, people and ideas could no longer travel from place to place and civilization collapsed and became a collection of isolated city states with no potential for meaningful growth or new ideas.

This is why it is so critical for the U.S.A. to hold global hegemony over the seas, to ensure the safe passage of goods from nation to nation and hence growth and continued spread of civilization, as we see in South Korea and elsewhere.

Sadly, the US seems to have lost any meaningful perspective on history of the facts that lead to the genuine cessation of suffering of human kind, and truly rational systems of distribution of wealth. Ironically however, the Russians do seem to understand how critical it is, that the oceans are safe from brigands.

Russians claim all pirates involved in piracy mysteriously died.

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Vlad did a post earlier when it was first reported that Somali pirates had taken a Russian oil tanker and demanded ransom for it. Our suspicion was, that Russia may not feel the same contraints the US does when it deals with violent, civilization-destroying crime. I would guess the obvious was true this time. Sorry, I have sat on this link for ages and just now got around to it what with all the Lars Vilks stuff etc. But if anyone does not already know, here is how a nation that wishes to remain a nation handles matters of piracy.

From Yahoo News:

Russia says freed pirates didn’t reach land

AP – The bridge crew of Swedish warship HMSwMS Carlskrona watch for AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) …
• Slideshow:Somali Pirates
•

By MANSUR MIROVALEV, Associated Press Writer Mansur Mirovalev, Associated Press Writer – Tue May 11, 2:09 pm ET
MOSCOW – A Russian official claimed Tuesday that 10 pirates seized by Russian special forces aboard an oil tanker last week were quickly freed but then died on their way back to the Somali coast.
The unidentified high-ranking Defense Ministry official did not elaborate on how the pirates died, deepening a mystery that has prompted speculation the pirates were executed by commandos who had freed a Russian oil tanker seized in waters 500 miles (800 kilometers) east of Somalia’s coast. Continue Reading →

Russian method works. Sailors set free.

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No harm came to any kidnapped Russian sailors during this rescue. According to Stratfor:

May 6, 2010
A Russian warship freed a Russian-owned oil tanker that was hijacked off the coast of Yemen, according to tanker owner Novorossiysk Shipping Company, Reuters reported May 6. All crew on board the tanker are alive and well, a spokeswoman for the shipping company said by telephone. State-run RIA news agency, citing an unnamed regional navy official, reported that Somali pirates were captured and no Russians were hurt during the rescue mission.

For context, look down a few posts to here:

I don’t know what they did, but I bet it was not offering them Dutch citizenship

Russians send warship after pirates. L A Times

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Now this should be interesting. I wonder if Russia will have the same kind of limiting and perhaps even crippling rules of engagement that Obama has placed on as many as he can in terms of dealing with piracy.

If not Obama, then where did these limitations come from?

Below, from the L.A. Times

Russia sends warship after tanker is hijacked by Somali pirates

A crew of 23 Russians is aboard the Liberian-flagged MV Moscow University, reportedly carrying a cargo worth more than $50 million. The tanker, bound for China, was seized off Yemen.

By Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles TimesMay 5, 2010 | 7:00 a.m.

Reporting from Cairo

A Russian warship was sailing toward the kidnapped crew of a Russian-owned oil tanker hijacked Wednesday by Somali pirates as the vessel headed into the Indian Ocean with a cargo reportedly valued at more than $50 million, according to a European antipiracy naval force.

The MV Moscow University tanker had left Sudan and was bound for China when pirates seized the 106,474-ton vessel about 350 miles off the Yemeni island of Socotra. The tanker flew a Liberian flag, but is owned by Novorossiysk Shipping Co. and carried a crew 23 Russians.

“This morning we had an attack on a Liberian-flagged ship Moscow University in the northeastern horn of our operation,” European Union Naval Force Commander Rear Adm. Jan Thornqvist told reporters in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. “The crew members locked themselves in the radar room. This ship has been hijacked.”

The Novorossiysk website said the tanker was apprehended by pirates who opened fire from two small boats: “The company suspects the pirates managed to board the tanker. According to the latest information received from the [ship] none of the 23 seafarers on board have been hurt, the vessel and the cargo sustained no damage.”

The scourge of Somali pirates, who brandish machine guns and travel in speedboats, has forced oil tankers and cargo vessels deeper into the Indian Ocean to avoid hijackings near the Gulf of Aden, which leads to the Red Sea and Suez Canal. But the bandits have adapted, often sailing hundreds of miles off the Yemeni and Somali shores while dodging warships from U.S., Europe and other nations.

The dynamics of Somali pirating may be changing, at least in one lawless cove. Earlier this week, pirates on the coast at Xaradheere fled as Islamic insurgents stormed the town. It was unclear whether the group, known as Hizbul Islam, which has connections to Al Qaeda and has been battling the Somali government for years, will use the base for pirating and hostage taking in attempts to collect millions of dollars in ransom.

Pirates are believed to be holding about 350 hostages and have control of as many as 20 vessels, many of them scattered off the coast of Somalia. Maritime authorities say bandits have attacked hundreds of ships in recent years and have negotiated ransoms estimated to be between $100 million to $200 million.

je***************@*****es.com

Islamic roots of the African Slave Trade

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I had this video on Sevenload some time ago but as that channel was closed, and it is a very important document, I re uploaded it to Vimeo. Subtitled in English, this was made in German and French and details both the Islamic justification for the trading of human beings as slaves, but also shows how the true history of the slave trade is distorted and outright buried by organizations such as OXFAM and UNICEF due to the take over of the UN by the OIC, or ‘Organization of Islamic Conference’.

This truly is  a stunning document, and makes sense of a lot of history of slavery, Islam, and the west.

If you do not see the video below, click on the header at the top of this article and it will bring you to the unique page where it lives and you should be able to see it fine.

Eeyore for Vlad Tepes

Arab Slave Trade English titles from Vlad Tepes on Vimeo.

REUTERS: U.S. warns of possible attack in Malaysia’s Sabah

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A Bajau Laut girl basks on her boat in her neighbourhood in Sulawesi Sea in the Malaysia's state of Sabah on the Borneo island February 17, 2009. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Police stepped up security after the United States Embassy in Malaysia warned on Friday that criminal and terrorist groups were planning attacks against foreigners in the Borneo island state of Sabah.

A “warden notice” posted on the embassy’s website (malaysia.usembassy.gov/), dated Friday, said resorts located in isolated areas of eastern Sabah, a state bordering the southern Philippines, were of “present concern.”

It identified areas of eastern Sabah including Semporna and the islands of Mabul and Sipadan, as well as travel to and from the area.

The warning said there were indications criminal and terrorist groups “are planning or intend acts violence against foreigners,” notwithstanding the Malaysian government’s ability to detect and prevent such attacks.

“Please avoid or use extreme caution in connection with any travel in these areas or locations,” it said.

The state’s island resorts are popular with tourists.

The warden notice said the Philippines-based, al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militant group had kidnapped foreigners in eastern Sabah in the past. Criminal elements were also responsible for kidnapping and piracy, it said.

Malaysia’s deputy police chief, Ismail Omar, said his officers were taking all necessary steps.

“I have alerted all my officers in Sabah to boost security at all these places,” he told Reuters.

A U.S. embassy spokesman in Kuala Lumpur said such statements were issued periodically and the latest warning was posted “to enable people to make informed decisions about their security.”

The spokesman said there was a possibility the warning would be upgraded into an official travel advisory that would be issued by the U.S. State Department.

The Abu Sayyaf, known for kidnapping and beheading hostages, was nearly eliminated after the death of its founder and leader, Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, in the late 1990s.

It sprang back to life when about 20 Malaysian and Western tourists were kidnapped on Sipadan island in 2000. Analysts have said that proceeds from kidnappings may revive the small but deadly group.

(Editing by Paul Tait)

China and pirates

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I wonder if China might show the world how a different strategy might work. Here is a SITREP from Stratfor.com:

China: Pirates Threaten Crew If Rescue Attempted
November 30, 2009
Somali pirates warned they would kill the crew of a mainland bulk carrier if the Chinese navy attempted to wrest control of the vessel from them, South China Morning Post reported Nov. 30. Pirates seized the coal ship De Xin Hai in mid-October and are holding 25 crewmembers. Pirate Nur stated that the pirates know China has arrayed its warships in Somalia waters to attack. He added that there have been negotiations to release the ship and the pirates are telling China not to attack and gamble with Chinese lives.

I wonder. China may be willing to gamble on the lives of this one crew by making a serious military effort to recover them and the ship and cargo. I bet after that, Chinese ships will all be sufficiently armed and any attempt (to which I am certain to three decimal places none will be made) to hijack one will be thwarted with deadly force. I bet we will notice as of the day after any Chinese recovery attempt is made, if one is made, a conspicuous absence of Chinese boats on the list of Somali pirate captures. Lets wait and see which strategy works better. The Chinese one if indeed this takes place, or the British one listed below:

This story from The Telegraph sent to me by Islam in Europe:

Navy regularly releases Somali pirates, even when caught in the act

The Royal Navy is regularly allowing Somalian pirates to go free because of the risk they would claim asylum if prosecuted in Europe.

Nick Britten
Published: 1:13PM GMT 29 Nov 2009

sirius star

Pirates terrorising ships in the Indian Ocean, looting and taking hostages, are often given medical checks and fed after being caught, before being sent of their way.

This is also sometimes because although they are carrying guns and other weapons, they have not been caught in the act of piracy and therefore have not technically committed a crime.

More than 340 suspected Somalian pirates have been captured by international naval forces in the last year and subsequently released on the advice of lawyers.

Pirates are currently holding a British couple, Rachel and Paul Chandler, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, who said recently they feared they would be killed if the £4.2 million ransom is not paid.

Last week it emerged that two other Britons, James Grady and Peter French, were on a Saudi oil tanker that was captured by Somalis.

Julian Brazier, Conservative shipping spokesman, said: “It’s shameful that so many pirates are being returned to do it again.

For the rest please visit The Telegraph:

Anyone remember the words to ‘Rule Britannia’? British couple held hostage by Somali pirates

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Rule Britannia. Britannia rules the waves. Britons never ever ever shall be slaves.

I thought I would type the words out cause I get this feeling that actual Englishmen have forgotten them. The Royal Navy really should be hammering this town in Somalia with ordinance 24/7 till they release all hostages and the locals swim out to ships with trays of drinks and snack food helping to guarantee the safety of passing ships. Force is all they understand. Without it, pirates will destroy world trade.

Documentary on slave trade of Europeans.

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Thank you very much STOPshariaLAWnow, a good freind of Vlad and of us all.

Do watch this. Here is a part of history not commonly taught although it is critical that we understand this happened when and as it did.

Link: Euro slavery

Nuclear riddle of missing ship as pirates demand a £1m ransom

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 Although there is no reported connection with Islam in this story, it has all the signs of being just that. So I will go out on a limb [a strong limb] and tag it with Islam. Arctic Sea

MailOnline…Pirates last night demanded a ransom of almost £1million for the release of the cargo ship which sparked an international search after vanishing from the English Channel a fortnight ago.

Police in Finland confirmed the ransom demand was made to the Finnish owners of the 4,000-ton Arctic Sea and that the case was now being treated as ‘a hijacking with aggravated extortion’.

They said the armed gang had warned they would pose a ‘threat to the life and health’ to the 15 Russian crewmen on board unless their demands are met.

The ransom demand came as The Mail on Sunday established radiation tests were carried out at the port of Pietarsaari in western Finland, where the Maltese-flagged ship Arctic Sea started its voyage.

The Turkish-built vessel, which was carrying £900,000 worth of timber, is feared to have been stormed by pirates looking for a ‘secret cargo’.

The fact that nuclear tests were conducted will fuel speculation that the ship did have a hidden cargo.

Enquiries by this newspaper have established that no checks were carried out on what was being transported in the hold prior to its departure from Finland on July 23.

And the FSB, the Russian security service, as well as MI5 have been involved in the investigation into the hijacked vessel.

Last night Finnish Detective Chief Superintendent Jan Nyholm said: ‘Yes, it is true that there has been a demand for ransom in cash and that it was made to the company which owns the ship, Solchart Management in Finland.’

Another police spokesman, Markku Ranta-Aho, said the ransom demand was for less than $1.5million (£900,000) – that it was ‘significant, but not huge’.

Finnish police also suggested the armed gang demanding the ransom were the same bandits who boarded the vessel off Sweden on July 24 – although other sources claimed it was a different group.

The police released the information after a news blackout during which they had tried to trace the ship, but did not say when the ransom demand was made. They said the hijackers had not been in touch with them.

It is the first time in modern maritime history that a ship has disappeared without trace in European shipping waters.

Until now, ship hijackings have been confined to Somali pirates seizing vessels off the coasts of Africa and in the Indian Ocean.

Yesterday there were reports that the Arctic Sea’s automatic identification system – which helps locate its whereabouts – briefly emitted a signal from the Bay of Biscay,
300 miles west of La Rochelle on France’s east coast. Continue Reading →

Finnish political party directs Somali pirate movie. Sells it to ABC

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Lifted from Gates of Vienna verbatim:

Jihadi fighters in an impoverished Islamic backwater take stage directions from a cameraman, and their simulated actions are filmed and retailed in the West as an authentic video of events.

Am I talking about the Gaza strip? Is this “Pallywood”?

No, I’m talking about the Finnish Somali pirates. Maybe we should call it “Somaliwood”.

Most people have heard about young Somalis in Minneapolis who left Minnesota to return to their ancestral homeland and wage jihad and/or commit piracy.

But Minnesotans aren’t the only ones getting a piece of the action: young ethnic Somalis from Finland have returned to Somalia to join the trendy pirate scene.

KGS at Tundra Tabloids has posted an exposé of a stage-managed documentary that was snapped up by the gullible folks at ABC’s “20/20”. They don’t understand Finnish any better than I do, but Gates of Vienna employs better fact-checkers than ABC does.

It seems ABC got scammed. Here’s the story from Tundra Tabloids:

SomaliwoodSo that’s where all our Finnish Somali refugee males are going, to rake in the big dough for the jihad!

At 20 seconds into the two and a half minute film clip, the Finnish director shouts to the jogging jihadi: “ja takaisin samalla lailla, se näytti hyvältä.” (And come back the same way, it looks good).

What makes the already juicy story of Somali refugees from Finland going back to Somalia to wage jihad and earn a wad of money, while a Finnish documentary crew directs them in Finnish, even juicier, is that the cameraman, Jussi Arhinmäki (click for a video of him), is brother to a member of the Finnish parliament, Paavo Arhinmäki, for the Leftist party (Vasemmisto). Continue Reading →

Somalia caves to militant demands

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After seeing the great success other governments have had in appeasing militant Islam, this comes as a no-brainer for Somalia.  A state funeral for the recently deseased pirates is next I’m sure.

national-flag-of-somalia3

CNN April 18-2009

Somalia parliament votes in Sharia

(CNN) — Somalia’s transitional federal parliament has unanimously backed the introduction of Islamic Sharia law in the country after a vote over the issue was brought to parliamentarians Saturday.

The vote will boost new President Sharif Ahmed’s efforts to defeat the hard-line Islamic group of Alshabab, which opposes his government.

Alshabab previously declared that it would continue fighting until Sharia law is imposed in Somalia.

“Calling us anti-Islamic lawmakers is now over,” said Osman Elmi Boqore, deputy speaker of the Somali parliament, after voting ended.

The parliament’s vote comes amid high tension in Mogadishu after the killings of key supporters of Ahmed’s government in recent days.

The new form of law would replace the traditional charter, which was not as strict as Sharia law.

The strict interpretation of Sharia forbids girls from attending school, requires veils for women and beards for men, and bans music and television.

How Muslim Attackers Once Again Become the Victims

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misunderstood-somali-fishermanfrom the Canada Free Press

Even before the rescue of Captain Phillips, the press was already hard at work doing what they always do, spinning the Muslim perpetrators of the attack into its victims. The current story that is beginning to rise through the bowels of the mainstream media is that the pirates are actually volunteer fisherman who have banded together to stop toxic dumping and fishing by foreign vessels.

That’s right the Somali pirates are actually misunderstood environmentalists. And once again Westerners are to blame for causing the poor Muslims to attack them.

Al Jazeera seems to have taken the lead in pushing the “environmentalist pirates” angle, naturally it then percolated through the usual “hate America” channels such as Prison Planet and Democratic Underground, and is slowly bubbling through into mainstream news stories on Somali piracy.

This of course is typical of how Muslim attackers become the victims. The first step is to portray the Muslim attackers as responding or retaliating to crimes committed against them by “colonial” powers. If that direct approach fails, Plan B involves blaming the whole thing on poverty, and “solving the problem” with aid and some “peace talks” with the more violent factions, who will then naturally play key roles in the new government. Continue Reading →