Did Somali pirates just screw up badly...?

[Guest GT_Rat]

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White House Monitors Somali Pirate Attack on U.S.-Flagged Ship, American Crew

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Reuters

File: The hijacked vessel carrying 20 Americans is believed to be a Maersk cargo ship, similar to one seen in this photo.

The Pentagon and the White House are closely monitoring the hijacking of a U.S.-flagged cargo ship with a reportedly all-American crew.

Pirates seized the ship and the 20 crew members off the eastern coast of Somalia early Wednesday morning.

"The White House is closely monitoring the apparent hijacking of the U.S.-flagged ship in the Indian Ocean and assessing a course of action to resolve this situation. Our top priority is the personal safety of the crew members on board," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.

The U.S. Navy confirmed the hijacking and said it was monitoring the seizure with its own ships. The Navy's 5th fleet issued an alert Tuesday warning of an increased threat from pirates in the very region that the Maersk Alabama was hijacked.

The alert warned, "merchant mariners should be increasingly vigilant" when operating off the coast of Somalia.

The 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama was carrying emergency relief to Mombasa, Kenya at the time it was hijacked, said Peter Beck-Bang, spokesman for the Copenhagen-based container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk.

A Kenya-based diplomat identified the vessel and told the Associated Press all crew members are American. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Navy Spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said the attack happened in the early hours of the morning, about 280 miles northeast of Eyl, a town in the northern Puntland region of Somalia.

"The area, the ship was taken in, is not where the focus of our ships has been," Christensen told The Associated Press on the phone from the 5th Fleet's Mideast headquarters in Bahrain.

"The area we're patrolling is more than a million miles in size. Our ships cannot be everywhere at every time," Christensen said.

He declined to release the name of the ship until the family members of the crew are notified.

He said the ship was operated by the Danish company Maersk, which deals with the U.S. Department of Defense. Christensen said the vessel was not working under a Pentagon contract when hijacked.

"Our initial concern is to ensure proper support of the crew and assistance to their families," Maersk said in a statement.

An U.S. embassy spokeswoman was not immediately able to confirm the incident.

Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Program said the ship was taken about 400 miles from the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The vessel is the sixth to be seized within a week and the first with an all-American crew.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

With the other ships flagged in other countries we had no authority to retake those ships. This one being US flagged we would have the authority to "recover" it by whatever means we chose...

[TripleDigitRide]

It's unacceptable that this type of thing is still going on.

It's obviously time for these crew members to be armed with some serious weaponry.

The pirates should never even get close to the ship.

[Cajun]

By stangin

[TGO David]

/in before Navy SEALS kick some Somali Pirate ass

[Guest Frazsteve]

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With the other ships flagged in other countries we had no authority to retake those ships. This one being US flagged we would have the authority to "recover" it by whatever means we chose...

Problem is it will be whatever means Obama choses, not what WE chose.

Will be interesting to see what he does on this one....

[poak]

Looks like Maritime Security Operations should be a growth industry

[Guest mustangdave]

The White House...now renamed Duh CRIB...is monitoring the situation...typical. How can we best exploit the situation without doing anything

[dunndw]

Perhaps Barry will send a strongly worded letter to the pirates...or toss them a few billion in stimulus aid.

[poak]

How can we best exploit the situation without doing anything

Those pirates were armed w/ 90% US Guns!

[Guest Frazsteve]

Perhaps Barry will send a strongly worded letter to the pirates...or toss them a few billion in stimulus aid.

Who would be surprised if we find out another one of his half brothers or cousins is one of the pirates??

[bvarnell]

Perhaps Barry will send a strongly worded letter to the pirates...or toss them a few billion in stimulus aid.

I'm thinking a UN resolution might be called for.

[Punisher84]

Maybe he can send them some nice region 1 DVDs or a toy from the gift shop?

[G27]

I'd love to see us send in the SEALs at night and wipe those pirates out, literally taking no prisoners, and dumping their bodies overboard. Make a statement with action.

I fear we have the wrong person in the WH to make this happen.

[Guest pjblurton]

Sounds like the crew has just regained control of the ship...

[Guest db99wj]

You would think they would have screwed up, but probably not. Let's wait and see.

[Curiousgb]

I would be surprise if more than a whisper is heard from our government. Don't you know it is our (America's) fault that these poor neglected people (pirates) are forced to use such desperate measures.

Personally I think is WAY past time to turn the dogs loose.

[Guest pjblurton]

One pirate is in custody by the crew, Three other pirates are "in the water"....

[Guest db99wj]

One pirate is in custody by the crew, Three other pirates are "in the water"....

Get the hell off our boat!

Leave it to some Americans to kick their Somolian asses.

[Guest Jcochran88]

Once again it looks like the Americans are the only ones to stand up to this and put an end to it.

[Guest GT_Rat]

Heck yeah! Although I'm disappointed we didn't get to see any cool SEAL action.

[Guest CK1]

Looks like Maritime Security Operations should be a growth industry

yeah, sounds like some skills with a decent .338 lapua could be a fast track to first mate!

[poak]

yeah, sounds like some skills with a decent .338 lapua could be a fast track to first mate!

Seriously!

Nothing like a face full of buckshot to discourage boarding a vessel without permission.

[Defender]

I hear that Obama is formulating an apology to the pirates for the unwarranted violence perpetrated by that mean ass crew when rescuing their vessel. They didn't even give diplomacy a chance to work! Typical Americans. Acting independently and rashly!

[TripleDigitRide]

Reports mentioned a Navy warship about 300 nautical miles away. Any chance the SEALs could have made it to the Maersk Alabama that fast?

[Curiousgb]

Reports mentioned a Navy warship about 300 nautical miles away. Any chance the SEALs could have made it to the Maersk Alabama that fast?

Could have been bait.

I think they need to bring back the Q ships! Wouldn't that be a lovely surprise.

Oh scary pirate please don't board us!