Pirates again attack US-flagged Maersk Alabama; Pirates LOSE!

[jedi]

SOURCE: Maersk Alabama repels 2nd pirate attack with guns - Yahoo! News

NAIROBI, Kenya – Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama for the second time in seven months on Wednesday, but guards on board the U.S.-flagged cargo ship repelled the takeover attempt, the EU's naval force said.
Pirates hijacked the Maersk Alabama last April and took ship captain Richard Phillips hostage, holding him at gunpoint in a lifeboat for five days. Navy SEAL sharpshooters freed Phillips while killing three pirates in a daring nighttime attack.
Somali pirates attacked the ship with automatic weapons early Wednesday about 350 nautical miles east of the Somali coast, but guards on board the craft fired back and thwarted the attempted hijacking.
Cmdr. John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force, called it "pure chance" that the Maersk Alabama had been targeted a second time.
"It's not the first vessel to have been attacked twice, and it's a chance that every single ship takes as it passes through the area," Harbour said. "At least this time they had a vessel protection detachment on board who were able to repel the attack."
An EU patrol aircraft from the Horn of Africa nation Djibouti was called in to investigate, and the closest EU Naval Force vessel was tasked with searching for the pirate attack group, the EU Naval Force said in a statement.
Phillips' ordeal last spring galvanized the attention of the U.S. public to the dangers of operating merchant ships in the Horn of Africa, one of the busiest and most precarious sea lanes in the world.
Pirates have greatly increased their attacks in recent weeks after seasonal rains subsided. On Monday, a self-proclaimed pirate said that Somali hijackers had been paid $3.3 million for the release of 36 crew members from a Spanish vessel held for more than six weeks — a clear demonstration of how lucrative the trade can be for impoverished Somalis.
Phillips told The Associated Press last month from his farmhouse in Vermont that he was contemplating retiring from sea life after his ordeal. He's been given a book deal and a movie could be in the works.
Phillips was hailed as a hero for helping his crew thwart April's hijacking before he was taken hostage, but he says he never volunteered, as crew members and his family reported at the time.

Hum... Lets see last time no weapons for the crew = capture for the crew
Now crew has weapons = NO capture of the cew.

Hum... should we give the crews then?

OFF COURSE NOT!!!!! Them evil things are dangerous!

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

As far as I can tell, they're employing one of those sonic devices.

Forget shattered skulls; those pirates now have shattered eardrums.

Non-lethal and hopefully almost just as effective.

 

[tyler34]

from my understanding the crews not having weapons is so there is not a mutiny aboard the ship.

 

[jedi]

from my understanding the crews not having weapons is so there is not a mutiny aboard the ship.

Yes and No. The other issue is the legal issues of arms (semi or fully auto) on broad a ship when it docks at port "xyz". Some ports (aka countries) have laws that when a ship docks to their port (no firearms can be on/off the ship even if locked up *in* the ship). So many companies to avoid the legal jumble of laws keep their ships "gun free" or at least their employees "gun-free".

What I think you are starting to see if ships contracting out for guards on the ships which are on the ship while in international waters. Read once the ship leaves the docks and is 15 miles out the guards come on board and are with the ship until the ship is 15 miles from the other dock.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I think if I were a shipping company... I'd do my best to arm my ships.

And to not tell anyone but those few people aboard who'd handle the weapons.

They get locked up tight and WELL hidden when in port...

OR have enough to "turn over to authorities" when you get to port... only to have reserves in stowage on board.

Because no one else hides things aboard ship... No Sir, doesn't ever happen!

-J-

 

[jedi]

I think if I were a shipping company... I'd do my best to arm my ships.

And to not tell anyone but those few people aboard who'd handle the weapons.

They get locked up tight and WELL hidden when in port...

OR have enough to "turn over to authorities" when you get to port... only to have reserves in stowage on board.

Because no one else hides things aboard ship... No Sir, doesn't ever happen!

-J-

Dear Mr. J's Shipping Company,

We have done an internal review of our insurance policies and regret to inform you that we will be cancelling your insurance policy effective DEC 1, 2009. We thank you for your many years as a customer but with the present work environment you deal in can no longer offer you our products.

----
This is probably what will happen when the insurance company finds out you have weapons on board your ships.



Dear Mr. J's Shipping Company,

An inspection by The People's Republic of Jedi onboard your ship, The Royal J Cargo Ship, has revealved that it has firearms on board. Firearms are not allowed within our country unless they are registered with the Ministry of Safety which can only be done by citizens' of the People's Republic of Jedi. As such we have siezed your ship and have provided transportation for your crew to go home. You can pettition the Court of The Jedi to hear your case in getting your ship back or contact your local UN rep.

----
I think a country does have the ability to sieze your ship by force if need be which may or may nt be legal but then again if they have your ship who you gonna call? Plus while they have your ship you (as a biz) are NOT making $$$$.

 

[SavageEagle]

This incident just hurts the case about arming sailors. They used those LRAD type devices. They should have had Barrett .50, M4's, and a few RPG's themselves. I mean, sure, stop the pirates, but why not send them to Davy Jones while they're at it?

 

[rambone]

I can't believe the same captain who made the news for 5 days was attacked again.

You'd have to pay me a lot of money to run those deliveries.

 

[pudly]

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

Personally, I think it'd be worth our while to post a destroyer or two over there, and just blow those pirates out of the water on sight. Bet the chance of getting sunk on sight would cut down on piracy quite a bit.

 

[Pami]

I can't believe the same captain who made the news for 5 days was attacked again.

You'd have to pay me a lot of money to run those deliveries.

Not the same captain. The same ship.

 

[jblomenberg16]

I thought in one of the articles that I read that they returned fire with both conventional and the newer LRAD devices.

Something about a private security detachment on board (so probably had actual firearms). Like was mentioned by another poster, they probably are only on the ship while in international waters to avoid any mess with local firearms regs when in territorial waters.


Wither way, major LOSE for the Pirates, and major WIN for the good guys.


Something about the saying "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me" comes to mind...

 

[mrjarrell]

Looks like the security team DID have more than one of those silly sound "weapons". David Codrea has some links on the subject and a statement from a pirate "leader".
From Gun Rights Examiner

In a crushing blow to environmental and social justice, imperialist foreign mercenaries on the corporate warship Maersk Alabama have opened fire on activist Somali sea stewards. At least that's how a leading local "conservationist" describes things.

From The New York Times:

“We have been told over the phone today that four of our colleagues were killed and two were injured,” said a Somali pirate boss known as Red Teeth. “We will keep attacking on foreign vessels until illegal fishing and toxic dump is stopped,” he added.
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More at the source.