Lunacy begets piracy

[SirRealism]

I was flipping through the channels tonight, and happened to stop on the BBC news. They were reporting on all the recent ships (including a 1,080 ft Saudi supertanker) which had been commandeered by Somali pirates recently. They went through a laundry list of anti-piracy implements with which the ships might soon be outfitted: "...high-pressure water hoses, noise-making devices, electrified barbed wire, and, [get this!] as an absolute last resort, armed guards."

Brilliant.

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[NateIU10]

If i was forced to run ships through there, you better believe I'd have people armed to protect my interests. Last resort. What morons.

 

[Metro 40]

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[Cwood]

I am somewhat surprised that this is a Saudi vessel. I've never considered Saudis to be the kind of folks that have much hesitancy to kill people. Maybe there is a French company contracting for supertanker security?

Seriously, if anything leads to the destruction of a society, it is cowardice in the face of evil. These pirates should have been blown upon the water before even getting close enough to board the supertanker.

I agree, until the bodies start piling up from failed attempts then nothing is going to make them think twice. They have to make it so it is too risky and the success rate of taking the ships is improbable.

 

[techres]

Today it was reported that the usual, trained, response is to surrender if they open up with AK's. If need be, drop them a ladder to board your ship.

Oh, man....

How about .50's on mounts ready to hammer?! Not hard to do, or difficult to make happen.

The whole world has gone stupid.

And last week when Blackwater mentioned creating a security force for the area, one official stated, "We don't want to make this the wild west here!"

Yeah, umm...maybe you missed the news, you are already there...

 

[Metro 40]

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[Vigilant]

Some people/countries will never learn! Some people just need but, until everybody is done being afraid getting someone's feelings all butt-hurt, it will continue, and we'll continue to pay the price! (don't think 2 million hijacked barrels of oil aren't gonna cost us!)

 

[Prometheus]

If i was forced to run ships through there, you better believe I'd have people armed to protect my interests. Last resort. What morons.

Laws forbid it or make it almost impossible... for anyone who hasn't travelled the high seas every country has different laws and regulations for firearms on boats for citizens, much less foreigners. Foreign companies are required to go thru almost impossible hoops for EACH country they port or dock in. For many of these countries forms must be filled out each time and inspections made or weapons surrendered while in port ect. ect.

It's insanity yes, but the threat of piracy vs being locked in some 3rd world crap hole jail keep smost from arming themselves.

Sad, but thats how it is. I'm sure insurance regulations are part of it not to mention some antigun corporate nazi who sits behind a desk with a dozen armed guards outside his door.

 

[ATM]

Since when is there any greater natural enemy of the pirate than the ninja?
They should be like the trunk monkey of shipping.

 

[Chefcook]

Robbing someone is not about property, the same as rape is not about sex. It is about power, control and taking a person's freedom and dignity. If one is not willing to defend their own freedom and dignity, then they may as well submit to the barbarians as their slaves and whores.

 

[dburkhead]

The Constitution of the United States authorized Congress to grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal. While there exists a treaty prohibiting such things, the US is not a signatory to that treaty.

The issuance of a few Letters of Marque to US flagged vessels for the suppression of piracy combined with prize rules and/or an outright bounty on pirates, would, I expect go a long way toward solving the pirate problem.

Unfortunately, Pelosi's crowd would never go for it. They'd much rather "understand" the pirates and "feel their pain."

 

[Hotdoger]

Saudis need to hire Blackwater guys to fix their problems.

 

[dblagent]

All these countries and India was the first to sink a ship!?

Indian navy sinks suspected pirate "mother" ship - Yahoo! News


Hope this keeps up!

 

[MilitaryArms]

Laws forbid it or make it almost impossible... for anyone who hasn't travelled the high seas every country has different laws and regulations for firearms on boats for citizens, much less foreigners. Foreign companies are required to go thru almost impossible hoops for EACH country they port or dock in. For many of these countries forms must be filled out each time and inspections made or weapons surrendered while in port ect. ect.

It's insanity yes, but the threat of piracy vs being locked in some 3rd world crap hole jail keep smost from arming themselves.

Sad, but thats how it is. I'm sure insurance regulations are part of it not to mention some antigun corporate nazi who sits behind a desk with a dozen armed guards outside his door.

There is a simple solution, we put U.S. Coastguard personnel on our ships, and have the companies pay for their services. Our military can go into almost any port.

 

[Rookie]

They went through a laundry list of anti-piracy implements with which the ships might soon be outfitted: "...high-pressure water hoses, noise-making devices, electrified barbed wire, and, [get this!] as an absolute last resort, armed guards."

I really like the idea of noise makers!!! I think we should all help out on this. Everyone should go to their local dollar store, buy some party favors, and we can mail them to the ships who are serious about protecting their assets.

 

[mettle]

""He said 17 vessels remain in the hands of pirates along with more than 300 crew members, including a Ukrainian ship loaded with weapons and a Saudi Arabian supertanker carrying $100 million in crude.""

Impressive really. Who would of thought that men who can't spell their own name, refuse the evils of using soap and prefer man-on-man ship love; in reality, could organize, take and hold a ship containing $100 mil in crude?!

we need these guys on our Southern Border... 'contractors'

 

[Seancass]

mettle, men like that are called pirates. Always have been. The only way to defeat them is to have more guns than them.

Besides, it doesn't really take much for armed men to attack unarmed men with no where to run. Heck, these pirates have a pretty safe/lucrative gig going.

 

[10ring]

They need snipers and miniguns and this would stop quick after word got out that you turn into swiss cheese if you try this crap.

 

[mettle]

mettle, men like that are called pirates. Always have been. The only way to defeat them is to have more guns than them.

Besides, it doesn't really take much for armed men to attack unarmed men with no where to run. Heck, these pirates have a pretty safe/lucrative gig going.

I readily understand what a 'pirate' is. so much for fun and interesting conversation.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

Saudis need to hire Blackwater guys to fix their problems.

A few shipping companies have used BW in a limited capacity in the past according to what BBC news has written in the past about the issue of modern day piracy, but most choose not to hire them because they are cost prohibitive. And yes, I realize that the idea of it being cost prohibitive is moot when the current vessel being hijacked happens to be your vessel.

I know that we practiced hostile boarding prevention drills when I was in the Navy from 1989-1994 that would start with 1MC (PA) announcements with warnings to the potential boarders and then progressed to men on the sides with firehoses to repel boarders, ending with the Marine detachment onboard standing by with 12 gauge shotguns, .45's, and manning the .50 cal's.

I think that the shipping companies WILL begin to upgrade their security with armed parties onboard or smaller vessels that trail the larger vessels as they near ports with known piracy issues to provide some measure of protection, but I consider it like online computer security - they will only take measures that give a look of security when in reality it does little or nothing to solve the problem of being vulnerable to groups of people that are the least bit organized to commit illegal acts.