International Navies Anti-Piracy watch

[nitesh]

NATO thwarts hijack off Somalia, seizes dynamite - Yahoo! News



NAIROBI, Kenya – Special forces on a Portuguese warship seized explosives from suspected Somali pirates after thwarting an attack on an oil tanker, but later freed the 19 men. Hours later and hundreds of miles away, another band of pirates hijacked a cargo ship, a NATO spokesman said Saturday.

Pirates are now holding 17 ships and around 300 crew, including the Greek-owned cargo ship Ariana, hijacked overnight with its Ukrainian crew.

The attack on the Ariana, about 1,000 miles (1600 kilometers) from the sea corridor NATO guards and the seizure of explosives from the group that attacked the crude oil tanker MV Kition may indicate the pirates are adapting their tactics as crews become better trained in counter-piracy measures.

Sailors are aware that pirates generally attack during the day and that some guidelines suggest designating a safe room with a bulletproof door where crews can lock themselves in case of an attack. Such a room would still be vulnerable to being blown open with explosives.

It was the first time NATO forces found pirates armed with raw explosives, Lt. Cmdr. Fernandes said from the Portuguese frigate the Corte-Real, which responded to the attack. The Corte-Real had sent a helicopter to investigate a distress call from the Greek-owned and Bahamian-flagged Kition late Friday about 100 miles (161 kilometers) north from the Somali coast in the Gulf of Aden.

The suspects fled to a larger pirate vessel without damaging the Kition, but were intercepted by the warship an hour later.

"The skiff had returned to the mothership," Fernandes said, referring to the vessels pirates commonly use to tow their small, fast speed boats hundreds of miles (kilometers) out to sea. "Portuguese special forces performed the boarding with no exchange of fire."

They found four sticks of P4A dynamite — which can be used in demolition, blasting through walls or potentially breaching a the hull of a ship — which were destroyed along with four automatic rifles and nine rocket-propelled grenades. It was unclear how the pirates planned to use the dynamite, Fernandes said, because there were no translators to conduct interrogations.

The 19 pirate suspects were released after consultation with Portuguese authorities because they had not attacked Portuguese property or citizens.

Decisions on detaining piracy suspects fall under national law; Fernandes said Portugal was working on updating its laws to allow for pirate suspects to be detained in such situations.

Nearly 100 ships have been attacked this year by pirates operating from the lawless Somali coastline despite deployment of warships from over a dozen countries to protect the vital Gulf of Aden shipping route.

The latest seizure was another Greek-owned ship, the Maltese-flagged Ariana. Lt. Cmdr. Fernandes, who originally said the ship's British agents were its owners, said it was seized overnight

Spyros Minas, general manager of Athens-based ship owners Alloceans Shipping, said the captain and 23 crew were all Ukrainians and the ship was carrying a cargo of soya from Brazil to Iran when pirates attacked it southwest of the Seychelles islands.

"The captain reported two armed pirates but there may be more. We have not been contacted yet by the pirates regarding ransom," he said.

One hijacked vessel, the Philippine tanker MT Stolt Strength, was held more than five months before a $2.5 million ransom was paid and the ship and 23 crew were released April 21.

Anxious relatives greeted the freed crew in a tearful homecoming Saturday at Manila airport.

The Somali pirates had seized the chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden on Nov. 10 while it was on its way to India with a cargo of phosphoric acid.

After dropping the pirates close to shore, the ship remained vulnerable, unable to speed to a safe harbor because it was low on fuel. German, U.S. and Chinese naval vessels eventually came to their aid, providing food, medicine and fuel, which allowed them to sail to Oman where they stayed for two days before flying home to Manila.

Second Mate Carlo Deseo said the pirates' evident disorganization was the source of much of his fear.

They "did not seem to know what they were doing," he said.

___

Associated Press Writers Oliver Teves in Manila, Philippines and Demetris Nellas in Athens, Greece contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS hijacked ship is Greek-owned and British operated, )

 

[nitesh]

The Daily Star - Politics - US forces return pirates' bodies to Somali authorities

American naval forces handed Somali authorities the bodies of three suspected pirates on Thursday, officials said, after US snipers shot the trio earlier this month during a standoff over an American hostage.

The sole surviving pirate suspect from the April 8 attack on the US-flagged Maersk Alabama is in custody in the US facing piracy charges.

Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Abdulle Mohammad, the chief of security in the country's northern Bossaso port, said regional authorities sent a small boat to collect the wooden coffins containing the bodies from a warship stationed around 6.5 kilometers off the coast.

"I hope they will hand the bodies over to their relatives," Mohammad said, but noted that none of the people at the port in Somalia Thursday had identified themselves as family members of the dead men.

Mohammad said the Americans had said they had been doing DNA tests on the bodies during the past few days.

"Their remains were initially transferred to the USS Boxer and have remained in US Navy custody until a transfer to local Somali authorities could be arranged," said Lieutenant Stephanie Murdock, a spokeswoman for the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet.

The three men, along with the fourth suspect Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, dominated the world's television screens for days following their attack on the Alabama and the standoff over the ship's captain, Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage.

Muse eventually surrendered to a nearby warship to seek treatment for a wound sustained during the attack, and now faces trial in New York. Navy SEAL sharpshooters killed his three companions after they pointed their guns at Phillips.

In related news, Belgium will offer specially trained military teams to help its country's ships fend off attacks by Somali pirates, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday, after a Belgian ship was hijacked earlier this month.

Ships would be charged 115,000 euros ($153,000) a week for protection from the soldiers who would only be deployed if a European Union force already in the region could not guarantee ships' safety, said Defense Minister Pieter De Crem.

"From the beginning of May until the end of June, shipping groups can call on the Defense Ministry which will deploy, in principle, eight soldiers per ship," De Crem told a news conference. - AP, Reuters

 

[nitesh]

French forces detain 11 suspected pirates

NAIROBI, Kenya – A French naval vessel intercepted 11 suspected pirates traveling off the Somali coast on Sunday in two assault vessels and a so-called "mothership" loaded with Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers, the French Defense Ministry said.

It was the French ship's third pirate intervention in a month. France has been the most aggressive in pursuing pirates out of more than a dozen nations patrolling shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden.

Another three suspected pirates were detained Saturday by the Seychelles coast guard, which had been alerted by the French warship Nivose after European officials decided there was not enough evidence to hold them.

Last month, the Nivose delivered 11 suspected pirates to Kenya.

On Friday, a Portuguese warship seized explosives from suspected Somali pirates after thwarting an attack on an oil tanker, but later freed the 19 men. It was the first time NATO forces found pirates armed with raw explosives, spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Fernandes said.

The attack on the Ariana — about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from the sea corridor NATO guards — the seizure of explosives may indicate the pirates are adapting their tactics as crews become better trained in counter-piracy measures.

 

[nitesh]

Yemen frees ship, captures pirates

 

[nitesh]

This is London ? the capital of Somali pirates' secret intelligence operation | World news | The Guardian

What the crew could not know was that their ship had been singled out as a target by a network of informers based several thousand miles away – in London. Security officials say well-placed informants in the British capital, the world centre of shipbroking and insurance, gather so much detail on targets that, in the case of the Karagöl, they not only knew its layout, route and cargo, but had spent several days practising the assault.

 

[nitesh]

U.S. ships must post guards if sailing off Somalia

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (Reuters) – The U.S. Coast Guard will require U.S.-flagged ships sailing around the Horn of Africa to post guards and ship owners to submit anti-piracy security plans for approval, a Coast Guard official said on Tuesday.

The new requirements, which respond to a surge of piracy off the coast of Somalia, allow ship owners to decide whether to use armed or unarmed guards, Coast Guard Rear Admiral James Watson told shipping industry representatives at a maritime security meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The revised Maritime Security Directive, highly anticipated by the shipping industry, was signed on Monday by Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen.

 

[nitesh]

China vows 'all-out efforts' to rescue hijacked ship - Yahoo! Singapore News

 

[bengalraider]

Somali pirates seize tanker, cargo ship
​

By MALKHADIR M. MUHUMED, Associated Press Writer
1 hr 40 mins ago

NAIROBI, Kenya – Somali pirates seized a ship carrying fertilizer from the U.S. in the Indian Ocean and a British-flagged chemical tanker in the heavily patrolled Gulf of Aden — the first merchant vessel to be hijacked in the gulf in nearly six months, officials said Tuesday.
The hijackings late Monday showed that pirates are relentless in their pursuit of quick money from ransoms and that ship owners need to take extra precaution when sailing in the Horn of Africa, said Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The waters off Somalia are teeming with pirates, who have hijacked dozens of ships for multimillion-dollar ransoms in the past two years. An international naval force now patrols the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
After the latest hijackings, pirates now hold 12 vessels and 263 crew members, Choong said. Pirates anchor their captured crafts near Somalia's shore in the pirate strongholds of Haradhere and Hobyo. International forces can't rescue the vessels without risking the lives of the crew, leaving negotiated ransoms as the only safe means of resolution.
The latest incidents brought the number of attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia to 214 this year, with 47 vessels hijacked, Choong said. That compares to 42 successful attacks out of 111 attempts in 2008, before the EU Naval Force deployed in the Gulf of Aden in December 2008.
The U.K.-flagged tanker St James Park was the first merchant vessel to have been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden in nearly six months, Choong said. He said the ship issued a distress message Monday, seeking help after it was attacked.
The distress call was picked up by the Greek rescue and coordination center in Piraeus, which in turn relayed the message to the International Maritime Bureau and other agencies, he said.
The maritime bureau could not establish communication with the vessel but was informed by the ship's owner early Tuesday that the tanker has been hijacked, Choong said.
The spokesman for the European Union's anti-piracy force, Cmdr. John Harbour, said the St James Park was seized while in the Internationally Recognized Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden that is patrolled by the international naval coalition.
The St James Park set sail from Tarragona, Spain, and was headed for Tha Phut, Thailand, he said. The tanker has 26 crew members from the Philippines, Russia, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Poland, India and Turkey, Harbour said.
The ship was last reported to be heading toward the northern coast of Somalia, and the E.U. Naval Force was monitoring the situation, he added.
Pirates last hijacked a Yemeni fishing boat in the Gulf of Aden on Dec. 18, but the St James Park was the first merchant vessel to have been taken in the busy waterway since July 8, Choong said.
Three hours after the St James Park was hijacked a Panamanian-flagged carrier with 19 crew members was seized by pirates off the southern coast of Somalia. The ship is managed in Greece, he said.
Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry said the Navios Apollon was carrying fertilizer from the United States to India. It was taken 240 nautical miles northeast of Seychelles, it said. The crew was comprised of one Greek and 18 Filipinos, it said.
In another development, pirates released the Singapore-flagged container ship Kota Wajar on Monday, the E.U. Naval Force said. The vessel was hijacked in mid-October in the Indian Ocean north of the Seychelles islands with a crew of 21 on board.
Somalia has not had an effective central government since 1991 as regional warlords vie for power, and impoverished young men have increasingly taken to piracy in recent years in hopes of a big ransom payoff.
___
Associated Press reporter Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia contributed to this report.

Print Story: Somali pirates seize tanker, cargo ship - Yahoo! News

 

[ppgj]

Paper no. 3602 13-Jan-2010

Sea-Lane Security: India, China & Japan Should Get Together

By B. Raman

China’s concerns over developments in the Gulf of Aden area, which could affect the movement of oil to China from West Asia and Africa, are increasingly evident. These concerns have been triggered off by three developments.

2. The first was the seajacking of a Chinese ship transporting coal to China by a group of Somali pirates in October, 2009, off Seychelles. The pirates managed to take the ship to the waters off Somalia and made demands for ransom. After concluding that their anti-piracy naval patrol in the area would not be in a position to intervene to have the ship and its 25-member Chinese crew rescued from the pirates, the company owning the ship made a deal with the pirates, allegedly paid the ransom and got the ship and its crew back on December 28, 2009.

3. The second was the escalation in the activities of pro-Al Qaeda elements in Somalia. The Chinese recognize that the US is the only country in a position to deal with Al Qaeda in Somalia and media comments in China expressed their disappointment and concern that the US, in its preoccupation with countering the activities of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the Af-Pak region, was not paying adequate attention to the increasing activities of Al Qaeda in Somalia.

4. In the Chinese perception, Al Qaeda activities in Somalia, if not controlled, could ultimately affect sealane security and jeopardize the movement of oil supplies to China. The sustained activities of the Somali pirates despite the deployment of anti-piracy patrols by the navies of many countries including those of the NATO, India, China and Japan show that while these patrols might have been tactically successful in dealing with certain individual incidents, they have not been strategically effective in dealing with the problem of piracy in an Al Qaeda infested region.

5. The third is the emergence of Al Qaeda in Yemen as a second major source of threat to peace and security after Al Qaeda of Osama bin Laden based in North Waziristan in Pakistan. While there is a broad convergence of views among counter-terrorism analysts and experts of different countries on the need for a more comprehensive strategy to deal with the escalation in the activities of Al Qaeda, the trigger for action is not the same. In the case of the US, the trigger is Washington’s concerns over threats to the security of the US Homeland from the mushrooming Al Qaedas. In the case of Beijing, the trigger is its concerns over possible future threats to sealane security from the Al Qaedas of the region, which would directly impact on the Chinese economy.

6. There is a tacit recognition among Chinese experts that the Chinese Navy by itself will not be in a position to deal with the looming threat to maritime security from a mix of escalating piracy and escalating activities of Al Qaeda. The inability of the Chinese anti-piracy patrols to go to the rescue of the seajacked ship brought out the capacity limitations of the Chinese Navy. This gave rise to a debate on the need for a Chinese naval base in the region to give a greater thrust to the anti-piracy patrols and give them a longer staying power.

7. The debate was triggered off by surprisingly outspoken comments by retired Admiral Yin Zhuo, who is now stated to be a senior researcher at the Navy’s Equipment Research Centre, in an interview on December 29, 2009, a day after the Chinese company allegedly paid the ransom to the Somali pirates and got its ship back. He was quoted as saying in his interview:: “Setting up a base would bolster China's long-term participation in the operations. We are not saying we need our navy everywhere in order to fulfill our international commitments. We are saying to fulfill our international commitments, we need to strengthen our supply capacity. China has sent four flotillas to the region since the end of last year, with the first escort fleet spending 124 days at sea without docking, a length of time that added to the challenges of the operation. Since then, Chinese vessels have docked at a French naval base for supplies. The United States, the European Union and Japan have supply bases in the region. If China establishes a similar long-term supply base, I believe that the nations in the region and the other countries involved with the (anti-pirate) escorts would understand."

8. The sensation caused by his remarks led to an attempt by Beijing to play down the significance of what he said and remove the impression that his advocacy of an overseas naval base had the support of the party and the Government. In comments quoted by the "China Daily" on January 1,2010,a Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman said: "China will stick to its current supply regime to support anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. Some countries have set up overseas supply bases (but) the Chinese fleet is currently supplied at sea and through regular docking (in the Gulf of Aden region)."

9. Interestingly, side by side with the denial of the Defence Ministry, the "China Daily" carried the comments of some experts, which were not categorical in ruling out the option of an overseas naval base. Some of these comments are given below:

(a). Jin Canrong, an international relations expert at the Renmin University: Beijing has yet to seriously consider setting up a permanent overseas supply base. It's unnecessary to "play up the personal view of Yin, a retired admiral". However, the possibility of setting up such a base should not be ruled out. "China's national interests have extended beyond its border, so it's necessary to have strong ability to protect them."

(b). Li Jie, a senior colonel and researcher with the Chinese Navy's Military Academy: Beijing should consider setting up an overseas supply base "in the long run". "For many other countries, it's a common way of ensuring naval supplies." Such a base, "not a military one", would not only ease supply but also provide a venue for naval personnel to take a break. But an overseas base could only be set up "within the UN framework and concurrence of surrounding countries".

10. The possibility of linkages eventually developing between the mushrooming Al Qaedas and the Somali pirates----if such linkages do not already exist--- has also been reflected in recent comments of Chinese non-Governmental analysts.

11. The perception that the US focus in the "war" against Al Qaedas tends to be Homeland security related and that the protection of sealane security from the new generations of Al Qaedas and pirate gangs has not been receiving adequate attention has much validity. Possible future threats to sealane security from developments in the Somalia-Yemen region should be a matter of common concern to India, China and Japan, whose economies largely depend on energy supplies coming from or transiting this region.

12. Last year, I had proposed an India-China-Japan trialogue on maritime security issues. The need for such a trialogue has assumed greater importance and urgency in the light of the recent developments. India should take the initiative in the matter.

(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute for Topical Studies, Chennai. He is also associated with the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail:[email protected])


Sea-Lane Security: India, China & Japan Should Get Together

 

[nandu]

New Russian anti-piracy task force arrives in Gulf of Aden

A Russian Pacific Fleet task force arrived on Monday in the Gulf of Aden to join the anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast, a fleet's spokesman said.

The task force comprises an Udaloy-class missile destroyer, Marshal Shaposhnikov, a salvage tug and a tanker.

"The fourth task force from the Pacific Fleet, which departed from Vladivostok on February 24, has arrived to the Somali coast," the spokesman said.

The Russian vessels will join the international naval force in the area to protect commercial ships from frequent pirate attacks.

According to the official, the Marshal Shaposhnikov destroyer has two naval helicopters and a unit of naval infantry on board.

"The first convoy of commercial vessels to be escorted by the new task force is being formed in the Gulf of Aden," he said.

The Russian Navy has maintained a permanent presence off the Horn of Africa, with warships operating on a rotation basis. Russia joined international anti-piracy efforts off the Somali coast in October 2008.

The task force is the fourth group of warships from the Russian Pacific Fleet engaged in the anti-piracy mission off Somalia, with the previous three task forces led by the Admiral Vinogradov, Admiral Panteleyev and the Admiral Tributs destroyers.

During the tour of duty, the Pacific Fleet groups escorted a total of over 100 commercial vessels from 26 countries along the shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, and thwarted over 20 pirate attacks.

http://en.rian.ru

 

[nandu]

US navy destroys skiff of pirates

This photo released by the US Navy shows a suspected pirate skiff burning after being destroyed by the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland on April 10, 2010 in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia. A US naval vessel on an interdiction mission came under fire from pirates before capturing them, the US Fifth Fleet said. Ashland was hit on its port side by light arms fire by six suspected pirates in a skiff, the Bahrain-based command said in a statement. The warship returned fire and succeeded in capturing the assailants without sustaining casualties or serious damage, the statement added.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshowpics/5782824.cms

 

[nandu]

HMS Chatham frees Indian hostages

THIS is the reason why.

Indian sailors smile after being freed by the men and women of HMS Chatham following several days in the hands of Somali pirates.

The frigate gave chase after the brigands seized the Vishvakalyan in the eastern Gulf of Aden.

The pirates held the crew at rifle point, determined to use the dhow as a mother ship for further attacks on merchant shipping off Somalia.

They used it as the launchpad for one unsuccessful nighttime attack on a vessel on April 6.

That failed attack reached the ears of HMS Chatham, heading a five-strong NATO task force in the region.

She launched her Lynx immediately and found the dhow. For the next three days, Chatham shadowed the Vishvakalyan, buzzing her with Royal Marines in the frigate's sea boats and helicopter.

When the dhow ran out of fuel, the Brits brought the frigate's close-range weapons to bear while commando snipers kept the pirates in their sights.

At that point, the Somalis – armed with AK47s and rocket-propelled grenades – gave up and fled for their homeland in a small skiff.

The master and 14 other crew members of the Indian dhow were released and received medical assistance, water and fuel from Chatham before resuming their disrupted journey.

"We've actively disrupted a group of pirates who had hijacked this dhow, taking the crew hostage, and they were obviously intent on seizing a larger merchant vessel and its crew, for criminal means," said Cdr Simon Huntington, Chatham's CO.

"I am extremely pleased that due to the actions of my ship's company, HMS Chatham quickly found and intercepted them, forcing them to abort their mission.

"But what is most rewarding for all of us involved in this operation, is that we have secured the release of this dhow and her crew unharmed and without the need for an escalation in violence."

The Indian crew of the dhow Vishvakalyan smile after being released by HMS Chatham in the Gulf of Aden.

http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/771-hms-chatham-frees-indian-hostages.aspx

 

[nandu]

Admiral Urges Arming of Vessels to Combat Piracy

WASHINGTON: A top Navy commander suggested yesterday that commercial vessels should arm themselves when traveling through pirate-infested waters off the Somali coast.

Navy Adm. Mark P. Fitzgerald, commander of U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa and of NATO's Allied Joint Task Force Command Naples, told Pentagon reporters that the scope of the piracy problem is too great to be policed by military vessels alone.

"We could put a World War II fleet of ships out there," Fitzgerald said, referring to the Gulf of Aden and the Mozambique Channel off the Indian coast, "and we still wouldn't be able to cover the whole ocean."

On an average day, 30 to 40 ships comprising international maritime forces monitor pirate activity in the Somali basin and the western Indian Ocean, Fitzgerald said, adding that five to 10 of these ships at any given time are American vessels.

Another issue, the admiral said, is what to do with pirates who are captured. The international community, he explained, has not yet answered the question of how to bring to justice pirates captured at sea. This issue has come to the fore with the recent capture of five suspected pirates by the crew of the USS Nicholas in the Indian Ocean west of the Seychelles.

"Catch and release is not a very good option," Fitzgerald said. "How do we deal with this? We've got to come to some kind of solution."

Somali-based piracy, the admiral said, will not go away until a government in Mogadishu is stable enough to confront the problem within its borders.

"Right now, we're trying to shoot the arrow instead of the archer," Fitzgerald said. He acknowledged that the prospect of a stable Somali government is unlikely in the near future.

The admiral's comments echoed remarks Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made last year after Navy SEAL snipers killed three Somali pirates while rescuing the kidnapped American ship captain of the Maersk-Alabama cargo ship.

Gates, emphasizing the limitations of a purely military approach to piracy, said some officials have suggested bypassing the central government of Somalia and instead establishing relationships with officials of functioning local governments there.

"There is no purely military solution to it," the secretary told the Marine Corps War College in Quantico, Va., last year. "And as long as you've got this incredible number of poor people and the risks are relatively small, there's really no way in my view to control it unless you get something on land that begins to change the equation for these kids."

But in the near-term, Fitzgerald said yesterday, it is "incumbent upon the vessels who are sailing the high seas to either protect themselves or accept the dangers."

Asked if he would recommend that commercial ships arm themselves, Fitzgerald said: "I think they should."

"Commercial ships should take appropriate protections," he added, "because we cannot offer 100-percent guarantees of protection as the ships go through."

Fitzgerald also recommended tracking the spoils of successful piracy operations. "I think we'd be able to trace the financiers [and] the middlemen," he said.

http://www.defencetalk.com/arming-of-ships-to-combat-pirates-25823/

 

[nandu]

US indicts 11 pirates for attacks on its naval ships

The US Friday indicted 11 suspected pirates for attacking American naval ships in the Indian Ocean, Xinhua reported.

The indictments were unsealed an hour after the suspects were led into a federal courthouse in Norfolk by US marshals.

Five of the suspects were charged with a March 31 attack on the USS Nicholas, a frigate that had been patrolling off the Somali coast. The pirates allegedly attacked the ship during the night with assault rifles and other weapons, believing it was a merchant vessel.

The other six suspects were charged in the April 10 attack on the USS Ashland, an amphibious landing ship. The six were accused of using assault rifles to fire on the landing ship.

After being held on warships for weeks off Somalia's pirate-infested coast and nearby regions, the suspects were flown to the US to stand trial. US Justice officials were secretive about the indictment until the last moment.

One of the suspects, who were wearing jail-issued jumpsuits, had a bandaged head. Another was carried into the court building.

Discussions have been ongoing about setting up a special international court to try suspected pirates. Some pirates have been freed after they were captured because no country was willing to put them on trial.

http://sify.com/news/us-indicts-11-...val-ships-news-international-kexwkdhhdee.html

 

[nandu]

French warship sinks pirate mother ship off Somalia


MOSCOW, April 30 - French warship has destroyed a pirate mother ship some 438 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, the EU Naval Force Public Affairs Office has said.

The Nivose light surveillance frigate "found, stopped and searched" a suspicious vessel and two supporting skiffs on Thursday afternoon. The search revealed that the vessel was a pirate mother ship.

A total of 11 suspected pirates were arrested and the mother ship was destroyed.

The EU anti-piracy operation, dubbed Atalanta, has been patrolling shipping routes off the Horn of Africa from Somali pirates since December 2008 to deal with pirates, who thrive off the coast of Somalia.

Naval warships and aircraft from the U.K., Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden have been involved in actively escorting commercial ships through the Gulf of Aden. The operation has been extended by the European Council until December 2010.

In a report to the UN Security Council issued last year, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said international anti-piracy operations off Somalia have led to a decline in the number of successful ship seizures in the region.

But many analysts believe that piracy will continue to be a problem until an effective government is established in Somalia. The east African nation has been without a fully functioning government since 1991.

According to the International Maritime Bureau, pirates attacked 217 vessels and seized 47 of them last year.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2010/04/mil-100430-rianovosti01.htm

 

[nandu]

Russian sailors release hijacked tanker, to send detained pirates to Moscow

Russian sailors from the large anti-submarine ship Marshal Shaposhnikov released on Thursday a Russian tanker hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

A high-ranking official from the maritime coalition forces said Navy forces made the decision to release the Moscow University tanker as they were aware the sailors had taken cover in an area inaccessible to the pirates on board the ship.

"Around 3.00 a.m. Moscow time [23:00 GMT], the large anti-submarine ship sailed out toward the tanker's location to assess the situation using technical equipment. Then the decision on conducting a special operation was made. During the operation, none of the Russians was injured," the official said adding the pirates had been detained.

Russian tanker's assault operation

According to the official, the sailors from the Marshal Shaposhnikov detained 10 pirates and killed one during the release of the tanker.

"During the reconnaissance preceding the assault operation, the Russian sailors simultaneously used helicopters and speedboats while special forces covertly approached the tanker," the official said adding that after a short shootout the pirates were detained and put under custodial guard in one of the tanker's compartments.

"During the large anti-submarine ship Marshal Shaposhnikov's special operation, the pirates on board the Moscow University tanker opened fire using small arms. One of them [pirates] was shot during return fire," the military official said, adding none of the Russian sailors was injured.

According to the ministry official, the pirates' weapons were seized, including large-caliber, grenade launchers and the equipment used to board the tanker (ladder and grappling hooks).

Detained pirates to be sent to Moscow

Later on Thursday, a Russian Investigative Committee spokesman said that all the detained pirates involved in hijacking the Moscow University tanker would be sent to Moscow for proceedings.

"The investigation [committee] has begun measures to send the detained pirates to Moscow for investigations and launch proceedings under Russian law and international legal norms," Vladimir Markin said.

Markin said some of the 10 detained pirates were injured. One pirate was killed during the assault operation.

The incident with the Moscow University tanker has become the most notorious case after the Arctic Sea cargo vessel was hijacked after it sailed from Finland last summer. Russian Black Fleet sailors then freed the Arctic Sea.

The Russian tanker's seizure

The Moscow University tanker with 23 Russian crewmembers and 86,000 tons of oil was hijacked by Somali pirates on Wednesday around 8.00 a.m. Moscow time [04:00 GMT], when it was on its way from the Red Sea to China. The pirates attacked the Russian vessel 350 miles east of the Gulf of Aden.

The captain of the tanker was able to get in touch with the Russian warship by phone and called for help.

A Russian Pacific Fleet task force comprising the Marshal Shaposhnikov, the MB-37 salvage tug and the Pechenga tanker arrived in the Gulf of Aden on March 29 to join the anti-piracy mission in the pirate-infested region.

The Marshal Shaposhnikov has two helicopters and an infantry unit on board.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100506/158896498.html

 

[nandu]

Navies of 35 nations to work out anti-piracy plan

Navies of 35 nations from the Indian Ocean Region will meet next week at Abu Dhabi to debate and chalk out an action plan for anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

The three-day meeting will be held under the aegis of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) initiative of the Indian Navy.

The IONS-2010, the second conclave of the Navy Chiefs of nations from the region including Pakistan, would take place between May 10 and 12 when the mantle of leadership of the naval grouping would pass on to UAE Navy Chief from Indian Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma for a two-year tenure.

"The IONS-2010 will discuss efficiency in anti-piracy operations (in the Gulf of Aden) where the expertise gained by the navies in countering piracy threat will be shared and other means of tackling the menace will be worked out," Navy's Assistant Chief (Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence), Rear Admiral Sudharshan Shrikhande told reporters here today.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Navies-of-35-nations-to-work-out-anti-piracy-plan/615997

 

[nandu]

Russia mulls construction of 'anti-piracy' ship

Russia could build at least one special-purpose ship to fight sea piracy in the next several years, the Pacific Fleet commander has said.

Vice Admiral Konstantin Sidenko said "special ships and vessels" were needed to ensure safety at sea and deal with sea piracy, which posed the greatest security threat.

He offered no details about its design or equipment but said that such a ship would be part of the Pacific Fleet, because its area of responsibility includes the Indian Ocean, in particular the Gulf of Aden.

The chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces said on Friday Russia had no plans to beef up its task force in the Gulf of Aden following a pirate attack on a Russian tanker.

"We have no plans to reinforce our deployment," said Gen. Nikolai Makarov, who is also first deputy defense minister.

A SWAT team from the anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov freed the Moscow University tanker and its 23 crewmembers on Thursday. The ship was hijacked by Somali pirates on Wednesday en route from the Red Sea to China.

One pirate was killed and several injured in a 22-minute operation. The pirates were captured, but later released. Makarov said Russia had "no legal grounds for detaining them" as they could not be prosecuted under international or national law.

A Russian special investigations committee spokesman initially said that all the detained pirates involved in hijacking the tanker would be sent to Moscow to face legal proceedings and prosecution.

The Russian task force comprising the RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov, the MB-37 salvage tug and the Pechenga tanker arrived in the Gulf of Aden on March 29 to join the anti-piracy mission in the region.

Somali pirates carried out a record number of attacks and hijackings in 2009. According to the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Center, a total of 217 vessels were attacked last year, resulting in 47 hijackings.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100508/158930048.html

 

[nandu]

Iranian Navy saves Iranian ship from pirate attacks


TEHRAN - The Iranian Navy has foiled two attempts by pirates to hijack an Iranian commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden.

Pirates launched two attacks on an Iranian commercial vessel during the course of Friday night, but each time they were swiftly encountered by ships of the 7th Fleet of the Navy, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Saturday.

The two attacks were repelled, the pirates were forced to flee, and the commercial vessel is now being escorted by the Iranian naval force in a port at the Sea of Oman, he added.

Commenting on the war games currently underway in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, Sayyari said one of the primary objectives of the military maneuvers is to guarantee the safety of Iranian merchant ships and oil tankers in the Gulf of Aden.

On Friday night, that test was put to practice and the Iranian naval force emerged victorious, he noted.

The eight-day maneuver, entitled Velayat-89, started on Wednesday, covering a span of about 250,000 square kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz to the northern Indian Ocean.

Pirates operating off the coast of Somalia have expanded the reach of their hijacking attacks on merchant vessels and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden in recent months, making tens of millions of dollars in ransom, despite the fact that dozens of foreign naval vessels are patrolling the area .

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=219085

 

[nandu]

Somali pirates hijack chemical tanker with 22 crew

Nairobi, May 8 (AP) Somali pirates armed with rocket- propelled grenades and automatic guns hijacked a chemical tanker off East Africa with 22 crew members, a majority of them Indians, on board, the European Union Naval force said today.

Spokesman Cmdr John Harbour said there is little chance that military forces can storm the ship because officials don't believe the crew all made it to a safe room before the pirates boarded. The crew consists of 19 Indians, 2 Bangladeshis and 1 Ukrainian, he said. The ship -- the Marida Marguerite -- was heading from India to Belgium.

Also today, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said a Taiwanese fishing boat was hijacked off the Somali coast by pirates who demanded a ransom for the crew.

The ship's Taiwanese owner lost contact with Tai Yuan 227 two days ago as it headed for the Maldives.

http://www.ptinews.com/news/645132_Somali-pirates-hijack-chemical-tanker-with-22-crew