Pirate 'mother ship' lurking off the coast of Somalia - Page 2

Hammock Parties · 11-12-2005, 05:16 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa...hip/index.html

CNN) -- Officials are searching for a "mother ship" believed to be used to launch high-speed boats for several recent pirate attacks off Somalia.

Since November 5, when pirates tried unsuccessfully to attack a 440-foot cruise liner operated by Seabourn Cruise Lines, at least five other attacks have taken place, most of them northeast of Somalia, said Andrew Mwangura, program coordinator at the Kenyan Seafarer's Association.

Overall, he said, seven ships and crews have been taken into captivity in that section of the Indian Ocean.

Fishermen in the area spotted a "pirate mother ship" drifting off the Somali coast in July, on November 5 and earlier this week, Mwangura said. Only one mother ship has been spotted, but there may be more in existence. Officials think the smaller boats used in attacks are launched from the mother ship, he said.

A crew of more than 10 people, including a captain and engineer, are believed to be on the ship. The crew is believed to be well-organized, Mwangura said.

"We are trying to call up the coalition forces to track the vessel and to get pictures of the mother ship," he said.

Earlier this week, the director of the International Maritime Bureau, appealed to vessels off the Somali coasts to come to the aid of ships under attack in a statement citing an "alarming rise" in the number of piracy attacks in the area.

"At the very least," said Capt. Pottengal Mukundan, IMB director, "they can prevent the hijackers from taking these ships into Somali waters. Once the vessels have entered these waters, the chances of any law enforcement is negligible."

Twenty-five pirate attacks have been reported in the past six months, the statement said. "In one incident, a ship was lured into danger by pirates firing bogus distress flares."

In the attempted cruise liner attack, pirates were in two boats and armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, Deborah Natansohn, president of Seabourn Cruise Lines, told CNN at the time. (Watch passengers recall their encounter with ocean marauders -- 2:34)

The northern and southern coastline of Somalia -- Africa's longest -- links trade routes for key commodities like oil, grains and iron ore from the Gulf and Red Sea region down to the Mozambique Channel. Thousands of merchant ships snake down the Somali coast to the Cape of Good Hope every year.

Some of the world's leading shipping bodies called on the U.N. to urgently address the issue.

The piracy watchdog has warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 nautical miles away from the Somali coast -- an admonition that has gone unheeded.

After two years of relative calm, 32 pirate attacks have been recorded since mid-March, including raids on ships carrying supplies for the U.N. World Food Program.

Somalia has been ruled by rival warlords since dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Many of the warlords are believed to run gangs who smuggle drugs, weapons and people by road, sea and air around the region.

Piracy is a lucrative and growing offshoot of this trade.

On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council criticized Somalia's squabbling government and urged rival factions to work to confront the chaos and piracy plaguing the lawless nation.

The council expressed "serious concern" about the recent wave of pirate attacks off the coast, and urged regional powers and international bodies to address the problem urgently.

4th and Long · 11-12-2005, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leviw

Detroit=Tigers
Pittsburgh=Pirates

Maybe they were Tiger Pirates? Or Pirate Tigers? Or something ...

go bo · 11-12-2005, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4th and Long

You left out Pittsburgh.

pittsburgh, pittsburgh...

crap, i said detroit when i should have meant pisstburgh...

4th and Long · 11-12-2005, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go bo

pittsburgh, pittsburgh...

crap, i said detroit when i should have meant pisstburgh...

Someones been into the cough syrup again.

go bo · 11-12-2005, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leviw

Detroit=Tigers
Pittsburgh=Pirates

yeah, that's what i meant...

tiger pirates...

go bo · 11-12-2005, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4th and Long

Maybe they were Tiger Pirates? Or Pirate Tigers? Or something ...

dammit, beat me to it...

4th and Long · 11-12-2005, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go bo

dammit, beat me to it...

Sorry old timer. I'll try and type ... s - l - o - w - e - r .

Ultra Peanut · 11-12-2005, 10:08 PM

Tiger Pirate Ghost Ninjas.

go bo · 11-12-2005, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4th and Long

Someones been into the cough syrup again.

o man....

back in the day (waaaay back in the day), robitusin was rockin'...

it actually had good drugs in it (mostly codeine iirc)...

you could split a standard size bottle with a couple of normal sized teens, or two my size...

ahhh, those were the days...

now it's just a little herbal remedy from time to time (*cough*) with the occasional drink, or several...

leviw · 11-12-2005, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go bo

o man....

back in the day (waaaay back in the day), robitusin was rockin'...

it actually had good drugs in it (mostly codeine iirc)...

you could split a standard size bottle with a couple of normal sized teens, or two my size...

ahhh, those were the days...

now it's just a little herbal remedy from time to time (*cough*) with the occasional drink, or several...

So you're normal sized, right?

go bo · 11-12-2005, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psicosis

Tiger Pirate Ghost Ninjas.

yikes...

now i don't want to float my plastic boat in the tub tonight...

i'm too worried about pirates!

go bo · 11-12-2005, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leviw

So you're normal sized, right?

i know there's a joke in there somewhere, but all this thinking about cough syrup in the old days has clouded my sensorium and dulled my rapier wit...

rapier...

odd sounding name for a little thin sword, isn't it?

like a little needle thing like that could actually rape someone...

and no, i'm not normal sized, i've always been on the large side (6'2" and 200 lbs. at age 16)...

nowadays i'm on the very large side, 5X to be more precise (being precise is somewhat difficult right now for some reason...

)

**KcMizzou** · 11-12-2005, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psicosis

Tiger Pirate Ghost Ninjas.

Zoinks!

go bo · 11-12-2005, 10:25 PM

why does rum and coke start to taste really really good after the third one in ten minutes??

you know, when you start having a splash of coke to go with your ice and rum (in a regular size glass)?

the stronger the drinks get, the better they taste...

mmmmmm...

i wonder why that is...

4th and Long · 11-12-2005, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go bo

why does rum and coke start to taste really really good after the third one in ten minutes??

you know, when you start having a splash of coke to go with your ice and rum (in a regular size glass)?

the stronger the drinks get, the better they taste...

mmmmmm...

i wonder why that is...

Might it have something to do with your home herbal remedies messing with your taste buds?

dtebbe · 11-12-2005, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leviw

Detroit=Tigers
Pittsburgh=Pirates

Atlanta=Ass Pirates aka. turd burglers

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

DT

11-12-2005, 05:16 PM
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4600478	Pirate 'mother ship' lurking off the coast of Somalia http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa...hip/index.html CNN) -- Officials are searching for a "mother ship" believed to be used to launch high-speed boats for several recent pirate attacks off Somalia. Since November 5, when pirates tried unsuccessfully to attack a 440-foot cruise liner operated by Seabourn Cruise Lines, at least five other attacks have taken place, most of them northeast of Somalia, said Andrew Mwangura, program coordinator at the Kenyan Seafarer's Association. Overall, he said, seven ships and crews have been taken into captivity in that section of the Indian Ocean. Fishermen in the area spotted a "pirate mother ship" drifting off the Somali coast in July, on November 5 and earlier this week, Mwangura said. Only one mother ship has been spotted, but there may be more in existence. Officials think the smaller boats used in attacks are launched from the mother ship, he said. A crew of more than 10 people, including a captain and engineer, are believed to be on the ship. The crew is believed to be well-organized, Mwangura said. "We are trying to call up the coalition forces to track the vessel and to get pictures of the mother ship," he said. Earlier this week, the director of the International Maritime Bureau, appealed to vessels off the Somali coasts to come to the aid of ships under attack in a statement citing an "alarming rise" in the number of piracy attacks in the area. "At the very least," said Capt. Pottengal Mukundan, IMB director, "they can prevent the hijackers from taking these ships into Somali waters. Once the vessels have entered these waters, the chances of any law enforcement is negligible." Twenty-five pirate attacks have been reported in the past six months, the statement said. "In one incident, a ship was lured into danger by pirates firing bogus distress flares." In the attempted cruise liner attack, pirates were in two boats and armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, Deborah Natansohn, president of Seabourn Cruise Lines, told CNN at the time. (Watch passengers recall their encounter with ocean marauders -- 2:34) The northern and southern coastline of Somalia -- Africa's longest -- links trade routes for key commodities like oil, grains and iron ore from the Gulf and Red Sea region down to the Mozambique Channel. Thousands of merchant ships snake down the Somali coast to the Cape of Good Hope every year. Some of the world's leading shipping bodies called on the U.N. to urgently address the issue. The piracy watchdog has warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 nautical miles away from the Somali coast -- an admonition that has gone unheeded. After two years of relative calm, 32 pirate attacks have been recorded since mid-March, including raids on ships carrying supplies for the U.N. World Food Program. Somalia has been ruled by rival warlords since dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Many of the warlords are believed to run gangs who smuggle drugs, weapons and people by road, sea and air around the region. Piracy is a lucrative and growing offshoot of this trade. On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council criticized Somalia's squabbling government and urged rival factions to work to confront the chaos and piracy plaguing the lawless nation. The council expressed "serious concern" about the recent wave of pirate attacks off the coast, and urged regional powers and international bodies to address the problem urgently.
Posts: 278,245

11-12-2005, 10:08 PM	#22
Ultra Peanut v^V^v^V^v^V^ Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Holland* Casino cash: $10005177	Tiger Pirate Ghost Ninjas. __________________
Posts: 39,518

11-12-2005, 10:25 PM	#28
go bo Flop = Man of Steel!! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: independence Casino cash: $10006405	why does rum and coke start to taste really really good after the third one in ten minutes?? you know, when you start having a splash of coke to go with your ice and rum (in a regular size glass)? the stronger the drinks get, the better they taste... mmmmmm... i wonder why that is...
Posts: 36,678