Somali women flocking to port in hope of marrying pirates

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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:46 pm

Quote:

Former Navy SEAL Kaj Larsen decribes the dificulties in combating pirates off
the Somali coast.

Pirates are holding a U.S. captain hostage at sea. The Navy is watching
everything that happens. So what is supposed to happen next? And what is driving
this problem? We talked to someone who knows a thing or two about the pirates
and has experience covering them in Somalia. Kaj Larsen, former U.S. Navy SEAL,
spoke to T.J. Holmes on CNNs American Morning Thursday.

Larsen says the root conditions of poverty, lawlessness and civil war on the
ground in Somalia are to blame. The large sums of ransom money being paid out to
pirates, he says, is even leading some Somali women to venture to the port town
of Bosaso in hopes of marrying these newly-rich men.

CNN News article:

http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/09/somali-women-flocking-to-ports-in-hope-of-marrying-pirates

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:49 pm

Somali's line the streets and cheer these pirates when they return from sea - like they're damn heroes! I guess with the amounts of ransom they have received, a pirate must be a good catch!

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

Why does this scream "modality" to me?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 11:59 pm

Yup, I am thinking exactly how I can arrange getting a lad to Somalia to marry a pirate. Laughing

Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 11:43 am

Simple solution.

You issue electronic beacons to the countriies concerned and tell them that it is up to them to regulate and register all vessels operating from their shores. All boats with an electronic beacon identifying them will be left alone, for as long as they don't do anything wrong. Each beacon sends out an individual coded signal.

Any boats operating without a beacon will be blown to smithereens without any questions asked.

Any country where beacons are being dropped or their boats are caught in the act of piracy, they get their quota of beacons reduced or taken away. The same if beacon replication takes place.

This way a few aircraft carriers or helicopter carrying vessels can cover a vast area without having to waste time pussy footing about.

Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 2:29 pm

Gomer could you modify that to cover computers sending scam messages?

Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 4:32 pm

As long as pirates have AK-47s and RPG anti-tank weapons, and the ships have none, there will be piracy. But the high-sided steel ships represent stable fortresses compared to the bouncy wooden pirate skiffs. The ship owners are influenced by their legal advisors and insurance carriers - they're concerned that pirates may shoot at the ship, causing fire and loss of property or life. But if crews were armed with .50 caliber sniper rifles with telescopic sights, they could brace on the ship's deck, put a round ahead of the skiff to warn pirates off before the skiff came into RPG range, and the pirates would veer off. If the pirates continued approach, a .50 caliber round through the outboard engine power head would stop the engine (forever). No killing would be necessary unless the pirates continued approach. And with odds of 4 armed pirates against 20 armed crewmen, what pirate would attempt to climb the bluff side of a container ship or tanker?

At least some shipowners will eventually take up arms. Bet on it.

Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 6:56 pm

An obstacle to arming ships is the fact that so many countries prohibit various weapons in their territorial waters. So if I have my ship outfitted with lots of sweet guns and so forth, the pirates may not seize my ship, but the government of one of the countries at which I dock probably will.

That isn't to say that people won't take up arms...in fact, they probably will start doing so soon. When that happens, piracy will be greatly reduced.

Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:00 pm

Three fewer pirates to attack ships.

Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:24 pm

Four. Three dead and one in US military custody. So I don't suppose he'll be getting married any time soon.
The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea allows the USA to try and sentence him.

Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:28 pm

That ship's captain is soon going to be a very wealthy man. I look forward to the TV movie that is inevitably going to be made about this incident.

Wannabe Baiter Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 94

I was so happy to hear they saved him. Way to go, US Navy!

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:07 am

Mr Tambourine Man wrote:

Four. Three dead and one in US military custody. So I don't suppose he'll be getting married any time soon.
The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea allows the USA to try and sentence him.

And that would mean a trial for kidnapping and attempted murder (the snipers got the green light when weapons were aimed at the captain); sentence to be served in a Federal prison, no doubt.

I think his time will be hard!

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:02 am

Yastreb wrote:

I think his time will be hard!

What was the movie where someone referred to, something to the effect of "Federal Ass-pounding Prison"?

edit - Google is your friend:

Quote:

"We get caught laundering money, we're not going to white-collar resort prison. No, no, no. We're going to Federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison."

One can only hope our pirate friend lives a long, long life in the above referenced facility.

Wannabe Baiter Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 94

angusmactavish wrote:

Yastreb wrote:

I think his time will be hard!

What was the movie where someone referred to, something to the effect of "Federal Ass-pounding Prison"?

edit - Google is your friend:

Quote:

"We get caught laundering money, we're not going to white-collar resort prison. No, no, no. We're going to Federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison."

One can only hope our pirate friend lives a long, long life in the above referenced facility.

Office Space?

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:58 am

So maybe there could be a wedding for the surviving criminal...? Shocked

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:13 am

Sweet little skinny pirate, formerly of Somalia, meet Bubba, formerly of Aryan Brotherhood. I now pronounce you Man and Bitch. Bubba, you may stretch the Bitch's asshole.

Wannabe Baiter Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 94

dr stephen williams wrote:

Sweet little skinny pirate, formerly of Somalia, meet Bubba, formerly of Aryan Brotherhood. I now pronounce you Man and Bitch. Bubba, you may stretch the Bitch's asshole.

Win.

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:18 am

It was just announced on BBC radio that Somali chiefs have told pirates to specifically target US ships in retaliation for the rescue.

I think they'll regret that.

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:43 pm

Anyone for Q boats ?

At the current levels of piracy they would be a useful deterrent. Basically it's a merchantman armed to the teeth that keeps its firepower hidden. It could be serviced and supplied by the navy without ever docking to avoid issues over being armed in another country's territorial waters.

As the ships would not need to have any major alterations they could be swapped and changed at regular intervals to prevent pirates recognising them.

I don't see any reason for pussyfooting around with pirates. If they show weapons and intent - poof !

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:43 pm

The Q ships is what we need.
Better yet, there should be no trials. Just let the boats that leave the pirates den, never return. It's probably easier to control what leaves Somalia, than look for them once they are out in the open sea.

Can't a couple of those armed predators pull that off?

'sorry, you've wandered into a 'no asshole zone'. Bye bye!'

The US federal pens, with the exception of a handful, are much nicer and softer than the State pens. Crooks prefer to go to them.

Atlanta is a hell hole. Let's hope he ends up there.

Damn. If the US goes into SOmalia to clean them out, we'll end up with another bill for reconstructing a country.

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:46 pm

Why bring the pirates to the US?

Don't US Navy ships have yardarms for hanging or planks for walking?

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:51 pm

ooops. answered while CB was answering. Hanging isn't 'PC' anymore.
Crying or Very sad

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:59 pm

Q ships would be too cool and easy but overkill. There would be no reason to have a few cargo containers with fold down sides and missiles on the ships. The potential loss of a major gun or missile system would not be worth the rewards. Recoilless rifles would work just fine. Four 75 mm avalanche control rifles used by the forest service would be wonderful on any ship. The crews could use the 0.50 cal spotting systems for practice and be ready to fire for effect when needed.

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:47 pm

Putting a bounty on the heads of pirates would go someway to resolving this. There's very little honour among them and it would be cheaper to get them to do their own dirty work.

Only down side is it would probably kick off another civil war which is what bought them to this point in the first place.

Somalia is a right old poo hole by the sounds of it and they have nothing to lose as far as they can see. They don't even seem that bothered if they get killed attempting to hit the jackpot. Rolling Eyes

Q-ships behaving like pirate vessels would be a good way to spread confusion.

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