Pirates? Are you kidding me?

**Bob Loblaw** · 10-04-08, 11:14 AM

What the hell is going on over there?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa....ap/index.html

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- There have been four failed pirate attacks in the last 24 hours off the lawless Somali coast despite the presence of six American warships guarding a hijacked ship full of weapons, a U.S. Navy spokeswoman said Saturday.

Navy Cmdr. Jane Campbell, from the 5th Fleet in Bahrain, says three attacks were averted because crew members escaped at high speed.
Another attack was foiled because the pirates were badly prepared: The ladder they had brought to climb on to the ship was too short.
The Navy says three of the attacks were in the heavily patrolled corridor within the Gulf of Aden. The location of another was not precisely known but was somewhere off the Somali coast.

Last week's attack on a Ukrainian ship laden with 33 Soviet-designed tanks and weapons has focused international attention on piracy in Somalia. American officials have expressed fears the weapons onboard the MV Faina could fall into the hands of Somalia's al Qaeda-linked Islamic insurgency.

Watch Russian warships move to confront pirates »
Eight European countries have offered to help form an anti-piracy force. On Friday, Russia called for greater efforts to protect the Gulf of Aden waters, one of the world's most important shipping lanes. There have been nearly 70 pirate attacks this year and some 26 ships successfully hijacked.

**Jenna** · 10-04-08, 11:16 AM

I blame the Pirate-glorification promoted by "Talk Like a Pirate Day".

**Hawk1** · 10-04-08, 03:00 PM

Yeah..but they aint that smart. I've read they have only demanded US$20 million for the russian T55 tanks and all other stuff (including the cargo freighter)

Kinda like Dr Evil asking for "1 million dollars" (in your best Dr Evil voice)......

Idiots..just scuttle them

**Xiphos** · 10-04-08, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by Hawk1

Idiots..just scuttle them

That's my sentiment. If the shipping company was too stupid to put protection on a ship carrying military weapons and traveling through heavily pirated waters it's their own stupid fault.

**Jenna** · 10-04-08, 04:38 PM

I wonder if pirate activity goes up on "Talk Like a Pirate" Day. Maybe the day provides a cover story for pirates--if they get caught, they can just claim they were just celebrating "Talk Like a Pirate" Day!

Also I wonder if sometimes when a ship gets boarded by pirates on "Talk Like a Pirate" Day, people on the ship think it's just a practical joke.

**Car 4** · 10-04-08, 10:56 PM

They were quoted as saying that they were prepared to "fight to the death" to keep the tanks.

I say, What the Hell.....let em fight to the death.

Car 4

**keith720** · 10-05-08, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by Jenna

I wonder if pirate activity goes up on "Talk Like a Pirate" Day. Maybe the day provides a cover story for pirates--if they get caught, they can just claim they were just celebrating "Talk Like a Pirate" Day!

Also I wonder if sometimes when a ship gets boarded by pirates on "Talk Like a Pirate" Day, people on the ship think it's just a practical joke.

Now that's some funny stuff!