Somali pirates hijack ship, British guards escape

[Wretched Excess]

British security guards who had jumped into the sea, officials said.
A warship on patrol nearby sent helicopters to intervene in the attack, but they arrived after pirates had taken control of the Liberian-flagged ship, according to Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Malaysia.
The ship master had sent a distress call to the piracy reporting center, which relayed the alert to international forces policing Somali waters, Choong said. No details about how the pirates attacked or the condition of the crew were available immediately.
Choong said the ship was being operated out of Singapore.
Still on board were 25 Indian and two Bangladeshi crew members, said diplomats who could not be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media. The British security guards escaped by jumping into the water, said a news release issued by their company, Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions.[/quote]Link

Just some random questions.
1. Why did the security guards abandon their duty?
2. Why hasn't a blockade been set up around Somalia?
3. What  chemicals was the tanker carrying?


**edit by WE to include pic for Portal **

[TheSarge]

Link

Just some random questions.
1. Why did the security guards abandon their duty?
2. Why hasn't a blockade been set up around Somalia?
3. What  chemicals was the tanker carrying?

The 5th Fleet along with ships of other countries are trying to patrol the area but I think there is something like 21,000 sq miles of Ocean that these Pirates are sailing off the coast of Somalia.

Sounds to me like this is now a job for the Special Boat Service and Navy SEALS

[JohnnyReb]

The story I read said the security guards were "UNARMED". Now what good did it do to have security guards on board if they were unarmed......sounds like a DUmmie has found a job ......must be in charge of security for ships.

[DumbAss Tanker]

The story I read said the security guards were "UNARMED". Now what good did it do to have security guards on board if they were unarmed......sounds like a DUmmie has found a job ......must be in charge of security for ships.

They were using British rules of engagement - all resistance possible short of actual force.

[LC EFA]

The story I read said the security guards were "UNARMED". Now what good did it do to have security guards on board if they were unarmed......sounds like a DUmmie has found a job ......must be in charge of security for ships.

Pretty much all civilian registered ships are required to and actually conform to the law that prohibits non naval ships from being "armed".

Of course the pirates (criminals) don't much care for such niceties of "law".


 

[Peter3_1]

Boy, they need to get, at least, a quad .50 BMG THERE. Those 4 old  Ma duces  would ruin a pirates day. SCREW the "rules", or you don't get any shipping anymore.