Somali pirates capture supertanker with $150 mil worth of oil

Give them what they want!

My suggestion is a bullet to the head.

This is ridiculous. Somali has become a pirate nation, generating a wealth based on pirating and ransoming. What's to be done? Are we to return to the days of hanging pirates till they rot as a warning to others? Do they still bury treasure or is it nowadays a nice secure Swiss bank account?

Just avoid that route near Somalia!

roughneck, The supertanker was taken 200 miles from the coast of Oman. Twenty percent of the world's oil goes through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran, the U.A.E. and Oman. So you can't just "avoid" that route. I stick by my above solution.

Where are the no blood for oil crowd?

I can never understand how these pirates can board a moving super tanker at sea. How do they even get on board without being seen by the crew of the tanker?

It's probably cheaper to station a team of mercercenaries (or as they call it these days, a private military security firm) on each ship than to blanket the coast of Somalia with bombs.

Sniper time! probably could take out that entire country with about 4 bombs...and they only thing that would happen is less pirating

The U.S. Navy has people specifically trained in this stuff. I'd call them first.

Taka

Somali pirates capture supertanker with $150 mil worth of oil

wow, they'll be able to drive their cars forever!

I strongly feel there is a well orgainized crime syndicate behind these 'sea jackings' I mean, just look at the money involved here. Those poor young Somali 'pirates' in tattered clothes are simply used to do the dirty and dangerous part for only a few thousand bucks at their own risk.

Pretty soon Somalia is going to be the world's #1 consumer of Mercedez Benz luxury vehicles if they keep at it.

TheBigRiceBowl.

Saw an interview on telly with one of the pirates, he got 30.000USD for the last hijack and when asked where the money is now. His reply gone to women and booze.

Now that amount I reckon could have gotten him a house and and his own business there, he was interviewed in a cel like room with a thin mattress for furniture.

Somehow don't think that the Mercs will be owned by the Pirates.

The Pirates are very good at what they do, they use mother ship to get further out to sea and then launch their attack boats.

When and if they get spotted by any navy all they do is throw their weapons overboard and put out fishing lines.

You can't arrest fishermen fishing in international waters.

The reason that piracy is more prevalent now is because of the North westerly winds which bring much calmer waters then the South east winds.

My question is why are the superpowers ignoring Somalia when they know it is also a nesting ground for terrorists equal to Afghanistan and Pakistan boarder mountains.

Again WHY is the UN security council failing when it comes to Somalia???

Surprisingly no effective measures have been taken by any naval forces which is silently encouraging these pirates.

I thought these waters were being patrolled. How many Somali boats are out there?

How do you sell $150 mio worth of stolen oil? Is there a buyer for it and how do they not get caught.

Porter, it's not the oil that they are after. It's "ransom".

When will this blatant piracy end? The world literally runs on fossil fuel, we cannot keep letting this situation deteriorate. It's time to call in private firms like Blackwater and sort these rogue pirates out once and for all.

I heard of security companies putting armed guards on some ships....but I can't imaging that would work on super tankers....one round in a tank could blow the whole ship.....the companies should hire/form their own navy patrol to guard against pirates getting close.

It's probably cheaper to just go and bomb the villages of the pirates and kill their women and children than to try to protect every ship.

Zenny - Ah, but where there are pirates, there are leaders of the pirates, and those guys are the ones likely making the big bucks.

So men in Somalia blow their wad on women and booze too, do they? Will wonders never cease.

The Murakami Suigun used to stop ships going up and down the Seto Inland Sea to collect ransom from them. In times of war however, they were sometimes hired as a temporary navy for the warlord who could afford them.

Perhaps the international community should hire at a good salary a large body of pirates to police the other ones. A good steady salary over a long period of time has to have some allure, surely! Use a thief to catch a thief.

They should bring back the old anti-piracy laws and hang them, publicly. Ships should have soldiers on board who are able to fire first and ask questions later.

I see a big business opportunity

Billgates:

" I strongly feel there is a well orgainized crime syndicate behind these 'sea jackings' I "

Yes, and it is called Al Shabat. Come on, there is no need for wild speculation when the pirates are quite clear about their affiliations.

MrDog: Where do you want to hang them?

WilliB: (from Zenny) Saw an interview on telly with one of the pirates, he got 30.000USD for the last hijack and when asked where the money is now. His reply gone to women and booze.

Doesn't sound quit Islamic to me... They can claim whatever they want as you do...

"ransom prices are on the rise"

This must be because some ransoms are actually paid instead of taking out the pirates.

They are doing it for selfdefence only...

MrDog: Where do you want to hang them?

In the middle of their home village as an example. Where else?

You ask what is being done? I travelled this route just a couple of weeks ago on a substantial ship, a UK ship. Before entering the danger area we where boarded by an RN serviceman, not to protect us but to give guidance as how to behave if -. As an example, all lights out at night, stay away from windows if the occasion occurs ( get into safe steel corridors ). The attitude of the pirates were explained. We followed in a convey and daily we spotted a warship from one or another navies and their helicopters sometimes flew over. Many navies are present - European, Asian ( including Japan, I'm told )and Australian. In one paricular convey of tankers and other ships, sailing at convey speed, that is at the speed of the slowest, were guarded by Navy ships from Malaysia and China. We were told of the instance where a small craft could not be rescued by reason that the pirates had taken a large ship out of port and driven it to ram a naval vessel. It is further surprising to see passenger ships and cargo ships with barb wire surrounding the stern. Our ship had equipment ready by way of fire hoses to offer some form of protest and the seaman drilled at this as well as keeping watch at night. Every ship in the area, which is apparently getting wider, is aware of the dangers and a fear of not getting through is real. It is an earnest problem and being tackled as best as one can see.

It looks like it's time for the Navy Seals to get in some more target practice. The less piracy we have, the better off the world will be.

Pirates currently hold 29 ships and roughly 660 hostages

Political correctness is the best thing that ever happened to these pirate scum.We need more countries to be like South Korea.