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  • Target practice! More then likely a heavy 50 cal, should have used the 5" er! Scratch another pirate mother ship. Courtesy of the USS Farragut. Make the bastards swim ashore!
    Attached Files
    Last edited by Dreadnought; 02 Apr 10,, 18:22.
    Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

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    • Turkish commandos seize 9 pirates in Gulf of Aden | Reuters

      Turkish commandos seize 9 pirates in Gulf of Aden

      (Reuters) - Turkish commandos have captured nine pirates aboard a boat in the Gulf of Aden, the Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement on Thursday.

      The frigate Gelibolu, serving as part of a NATO anti-piracy mission, intercepted the pirate skiff while monitoring the security corridor for merchant shipping 80 miles from the coast on Wednesday, the statement said.

      "Commandos performed maneuvers to intercept the boat and captured nine pirates on board," it added.

      The Turkish Armed Forces' website published photos of the pirates at sea in their skiff and later, after their capture, holding their hands above their heads.

      Seaborne gangs have increased their attacks in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden in recent months, making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from seizing ships, including tankers and dry bulkers. Several vessels have been hijacked this week alone

      Turkish Naval Forces Official Website - Homepage - Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri Resmi Kurumsal ?nternet Sitesidir - Anasayfa
      Attached Files
      Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none; be able for thine enemy rather in power than use; and keep thy friend under thine own life's key; be checked for silence, but never taxed for speech.

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      • Turkish commandos intercept, capture pirate ship in Gulf of Aden

        Turkish commandos intercept, capture pirate ship in Gulf of Aden

        ANKARA — Turkey's navy captured seven suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden on March 7.


        Officials said a Turkish commando unit operating from the naval frigate TCS Gemlik intercepted the suspected pirate vessel.
        In the wake of incrased pirate activity, Turkey has decided to deploy another naval vessel in a Western-led anti-piracy mission in the Gulf, Middle East Newsline reported.
        Turkish Naval Forces Official Website - Homepage - Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri Resmi Kurumsal ?nternet Sitesidir - Anasayfa
        Attached Files
        Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none; be able for thine enemy rather in power than use; and keep thy friend under thine own life's key; be checked for silence, but never taxed for speech.

        Comment


        • White House Issues Executive Ordering Making Payment Of Ransom Illegal

          EXECUTIVE ORDER
          - - - - - - -
          BLOCKING PROPERTY OF CERTAIN PERSONS
          CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONFLICT IN SOMALIA

          By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), section 5 of the United Nations Participation Act, as amended (22 U.S.C. 287c) (UNPA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,

          I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, find that the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia, and acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, which have repeatedly been the subject of United Nations Security Council resolutions (including Resolution 1844 of November 20, 2008; Resolution 1846 of December 2, 2008; Resolution 1851 of December 16, 2008; and Resolution 1897 of November 30, 2009), and iolations of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 733 of January 23, 1992, and elaborated upon and amended by subsequent resolutions (including Resolution 1356 of June 19, 2001; Resolution 1725 of December 6, 2006; Resolution 1744 of February 20, 2007; Resolution 1772 of August 20, 2007; Resolution 1816 of June 2, 2008; and Resolution 1872 of May 26, 2009), constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat.

          I hereby order:

          Section 1. (a) All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any overseas branch, of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:
          (i) the persons listed in the Annex to this order;
          and
          (ii) any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:

          (A) to have engaged in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security, or stability of Somalia, including but not limited to:

          (1) acts that threaten the Djibouti Agreement of August 18, 2008, or the political process; or
          (2) acts that threaten the Transitional Federal Institutions, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), or other international peacekeeping operations related to
          Somalia;

          (B) to have obstructed the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Somalia, or access to, or distribution of, humanitarian assistance in Somalia;

          (C) to have directly or indirectly supplied, sold, or transferred to Somalia, or to have been the recipient in the territory of Somalia of, arms or any related materiel, or any technical advice, training, or assistance, including financing and financial assistance, related to military activities;

          (D) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of, the activities
          described in subsections (a)(ii)(A), (a)(ii)(B), or (a)(ii)(C) of this section or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order;
          or

          (E) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.

          (b) I hereby determine that, among other threats to the peace, security, or stability of Somalia, acts of piracy or armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia threaten the peace, security, or stability of Somalia. (c) I hereby determine that, to the extent section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) may apply, the making of donations of the type of articles specified in such section by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to subsection (a) of this section would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in this order, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by subsection (a) of this section.

          (d) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section include but are not limited to:

          (i) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and

          (ii) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

          (e) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued
          pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.

          Sec. 2. (a) Any transaction by a United States person or within the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

          (b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

          Sec. 3. For the purposes of this order:

          (a) the term "person" means an individual or entity;

          (b) the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;

          (c) the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any
          jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States;

          (d) the term "Transitional Federal Institutions" means the Transitional Federal Charter of the Somali Republic adopted in February 2004 and the Somali federal institutions established pursuant to such charter, and includes their agencies, instrumentalities, and controlled entities; and

          (e) the term "African Union Mission in Somalia" means the mission authorized by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1744 of February 20, 2007, and reauthorized in subsequent resolutions, and includes its agencies, instrumentalities, and controlled entities.

          Sec. 4. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in this order, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1(a) of this order.

          Sec. 5. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA and the UNPA, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.

          Sec. 6. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to submit the recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).

          Sec. 7. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to determine that circumstances no longer warrant the blocking of the property and interests in property of a person listed in the Annex to this order, and to take necessary action to give effect to that determination.

          Sec. 8. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the
          United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

          Sec. 9. This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 13, 2010.

          BARACK OBAMA

          THE WHITE HOUSE,
          April 12, 2010.

          ========================================

          ========================================


          Thoughts? Is this an instant death sentence for US crews captured by pirates? Or is this a legal green-light for immediate US/NATO/UN naval action in the event of piracy on US-flag vessels?
          Attached Files
          You know JJ, Him could do it....

          Comment


          • Originally posted by Rumrunner View Post
            Thoughts? Is this an instant death sentence for US crews captured by pirates? Or is this a legal green-light for immediate US/NATO/UN naval action in the event of piracy on US-flag vessels?
            Not exactly. Given that most of the carriers out there are foreign-flagged (albeit with crews that might be US citizens), it's likely that the ransoms will continue to be paid under the basis of the carrier's flag rather than crew composition.

            To be fair, there is currently confusion in the US segment of the shipping industry as to whether ransoms are now currently illegal. Taken from a variety of sources quoting the Associated Press:

            The U.S. Treasury Department, though, indicated it is not interested in prosecuting anyone trying to free hostages.

            "We are targeting only those individuals and entities that freely choose to support acts of piracy or armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, including through the supply of weapons, financing, communication devices, or small boats and other equipment," Adam Szubin, director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Department of Treasury, told The Associated Press.

            Still, a Treasury Department spokesperson, who was not authorized to speak publicly in line with department policy, said it is possible that if a ransom payment ends up in the hands of one of 11 individuals listed by the U.S. government along with Obama's order, the Department of Justice could become involved.
            Foggy Bottom (Department of State) really needs to send a clear message. Either you're just looking for specific violations of OFAC for these eleven SDNs or you're making a blanket statement in line with the "No negotiations with terrorists" approach from the late 70s/early 80s.

            From a tactical perspective, the order makes Maersk Alabama a more likely scenario. What would make sense for US flagged carriers now is to invest in saferooms so instead of a ridiculous and near-tragic standoff like Captain Phillips, you could have a safer (for the merchie crews) outcome like M/V Taipan. But then you're on a slippery slope - if the pirates believe that taking on a US flagged carrier means a greater chance of confrontation, they may choose to just injure or kill the crews outright rather than chance a stand-off. Seeing a US flagged carrier as a deterrent doesn't seem to work; look a the number of instances a Pirate skiff or even an action group mistakenly took on a naval forces vessel. Most of the attackers aren't bothering to ID their targets - if it looks vulnerable, it's fair game.

            Comment


            • As noted in this latest Op Ed on the NYT, even the UN fails to understand the engagement effort neccessary to end piracy originating from Somalia:

              I.H.T. Op-Ed Contributor - The War on Piracy Must Start on Land - NYTimes.com

              How does propping up a government that barely controls the capitol of the country a useful step? Director Costa obviously hasn't heard from the other nations in the area; they don't want these pirates no matter how much international subsidy is provided to beefing up their courts and prisons. They can barely keep their own inmates housed and fed, and now you would deliberately inject more potential subversives into their midst? Highly unlikely.

              The Maritime Regional Cooperation Strategy outlined in the latest USN NOC 2010 makes more sense. Enable the more stable partners in the region to take on the enforcement roles. But given the political and conflict quagmires that the US is trying to extricate from in SouthWest Asia, none of the powers with naval assets in the region (including the independents like China and Russia) have interest in getting engaged in a long-term ground solution. And that's the only way to really ensure you have law and order is imposed in Somalia.

              Comment


              • just reading some message traffic, now that the monsoon season is ending in the western IO, the Somalia piracy is picking back up.. but to stop the piracy is going to take a lot more than just patroling the waters off the coast of eastern Africa, since the pirates are getting more bold and really expanding their operations.. were going to have to destroy their means of living on land, if that includes their families, then so be it..

                Comment


                • Originally posted by dundonrl View Post
                  just reading some message traffic, now that the monsoon season is ending in the western IO, the Somalia piracy is picking back up.. but to stop the piracy is going to take a lot more than just patroling the waters off the coast of eastern Africa, since the pirates are getting more bold and really expanding their operations.. were going to have to destroy their means of living on land, if that includes their families, then so be it..
                  Making the USN come after them, very bad judgement on their part - sucks to be them
                  sigpic"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees.
                  If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."

                  Comment



                  • no pirates were harmed
                    We're so bad, we're even bad at it

                    Comment


                    • Those Russians know how to party! It looks like a good time was had by all! Have to love that Russian swagger!

                      Comment


                      • Ow-ch, no pirates harmed - all received the 72 Virginians

                        Bin Laden's Afterlife Surprise

                        After getting nailed by a Daisy Cutter, Osama made his way to the pearly gates. There, he is greeted by George Washington.

                        "How dare you attack the nation I helped conceive!" yells Mr. Washington, slapping Osama in the face. Patrick Henry comes up from behind: "You wanted to end the Americans' liberty, so they gave you death!" Henry punches Osama on the nose. James Madison comes up next, and says, "This is why I allowed the Federal government to provide for the common defense!" He drops a large weight on Osama's knee.

                        Osama is subject to similar beatings from John Randolph of Roanoke, James Monroe and 65 other 18th-century American revolutionaries. As he writhes on the ground, Thomas Jefferson picks him up to hurl him back toward the gate where he is to be judged.

                        As Osama awaits his journey to his final very hot destination, he screams, "This is not what I was promised!"

                        An angel replies: "I told you there would be 72 Virginians waiting for you. What did you think I said?"
                        Last edited by USSWisconsin; 24 Dec 10,, 19:13.
                        sigpic"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees.
                        If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."

                        Comment


                        • "Ow-ch, no pirates harmed - all received the 72 Virginians"


                          Wow, that is a lot of folks from Virginia! Sorry Whisky, could not resist!

                          Comment


                          • Saw the news report quoted below and thought some others here might be interested. I also saw reports that China may soon be flying UAVs out of SEZ, the International Airport in Seychelles.

                            Some may find these useful:
                            --- Here is a link to Wikipedia's article about Seychelles.
                            --- Here is a link to a Google search for Seychelles and China.
                            --- Here is a link to Google Maps showing location of Seychelles.



                            China to use Seychelles as counter-piracy base
                            12/13/2011 --- Jane's Navy International

                            Chinese naval vessels deployed on counter-piracy escort missions off the Horn of Africa could soon begin using port facilities in the Seychelles to replenish their stores.

                            The Seychelles government has invited the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to use facilities on the island of Mahe for resupply and recuperation, Beijing's Xinhua news agency reported on 12 December.

                            The move follows unofficial media reports suggesting that China was planning to establish a military base in Seychelles. PLAN ships engaged in counter-piracy tasks off Somalia since 2008 have resupplied in Djibouti, Oman and Yemen.

                            According to a Xinhua article published on 13 December by the PLA-sponsored chinamil.com website, the invitation by the Seychelles government was made during a goodwill visit to the islands by China's defence minister, Liang Guanglie, earlier this month.

                            In May, China delivered two Hongdu Y-12E transport aircraft to the Seychelles that could be used for maritime patrols. The US began operating RQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicles from Mahe in 2009 in support of the counter-piracy mission and also for anti-terrorist strikes in Somalia.

                            The Luyang I-class (Type 052B) destroyer Wuhan and the Jiangwei II-class (Type 053H3) frigate Yulin , together forming the 9th Chinese naval escort taskforce, concluded an eight-day-long visit to Muscat, Oman, on 8 December.

                            Having previously visited Kuwait, the two warships are now understood to be returning to China.
                            .
                            .
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                            Comment


                            • Dormant for almost a year and still not a necro. Impressive...
                              Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

                              Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

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                              • Actually, I think I rememeber Top (when he was top honcho) say that any thread that's revived after 6 mos. of inactivitely better have a damn good reason to be revived.

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