Somalia

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Rivals Wary of China's New Sea Power

(Newser) - China's decision to flex its burgeoning naval muscles by sending two warships to patrol Somalia's pirate-infested waters has been met with equal parts thanks and worry from the international community, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The mission is China’s first outside of its own waters, and many are wondering...

President of Somalia Resigns as Rebels Battle

Islamist groups turn on one another in political vacuum

(Newser) - Somalia's warlord-turned-president resigned today, reports the New York Times, as militant Islamists continued their gradual takeover of the country. The departure of Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed prefigures more woe for the deeply troubled nation, but it could also provide an opportunity. His resignation may let moderate Islamists come into the government,...

Pirate Hostages Brace for Christmas at Sea

More than 260 remain off Somalia's coast in 14 hijacked vessels

(Newser) - More than 260 hostages will spend Christmas with pirates off Somalia’s coast, CNN reports. At least 14 vessels remain in pirate custody as a tumultuous year—with nearly 100 attacks on cargo ships, oil tankers, and yachts—nears its end. The EU, China, and Iran have stationed naval vessels...

China May Launch Pirate Patrol
 China May Launch Pirate Patrol 
Dec 18, 2008 2:09 AM CST

China May Launch Pirate Patrol

Officials weigh Chinese naval mission in 500 years

(Newser) - China is poised to embark on its first naval combat mission in 500 years—to take on pirates off the coast of Somalia, reports the Financial Times. Any patrols launched would be closely monitored by the US, Russian and British navies, concerned about China's growing  military power. 

Pirates Step Up Attacks After UN OKs More Force

Security Council says foreign forces can pursue Somali miscreants onto land

(Newser) - Pirates attacked more vessels off the coast of Somalia today despite a UN Security Council decision green-lighting foreign military forces to pursue them on land, reports the BBC. Four ships were attacked, and three—a tugboat, merchant ship, and private yacht—were being held by the pirates. A Chinese ship...

Citing 'Treason,' Somali Prez Fires His PM

Gov't near collapse, insurgents vow never to talk to leadership

(Newser) - Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf fired his prime minister today and accused him of paralyzing the government with "corruption, inefficiency, and treason." Hours later, as the government veered toward collapse, Islamic insurgents held a brazen news conference in the capital and vowed never to negotiate with the leadership.

Indian Navy Seizes 23 Pirates, Arms, and Ammo

Pirates off Somali coast have grown brazen, upped attacks

(Newser) - The Indian navy has arrested 23 Somali and Yemeni pirates who tried to capture an Ethiopian merchant vessel off the Somali coast, CNN reports. Officials, whose helicopter sent the pirates scurrying for cover today, also recovered seven AK-47 automatic rifles, rockets, grenade launchers, and a GPS receiver. Pirates have attacked...

Tired of Pirate Attacks? Time to Call Blackwater

US forces aren't coming, Shippers need to hire their own army

(Newser) - Somali hijackers have free rein around the Horn of Africa, and neither the US nor any other nation has a prayer of stopping them with their ineffectual patrols. What to do? Call in the troops—or, more precisely, the fomer troops, writes Peter Hannaford in the American Spectator. Namely, Blackwater....

Cruise-Ship Outfit Flies Passengers Around Pirates

Liner picks them up in Oman to continue month-long journey

(Newser) - Passengers will evacuate a German cruise liner and fly over the troubled waters off Somalia’s pirate-infested coast to avoid being the next victims of a maritime attack, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Hapag-Lloyd ship, slated to reach Yemen today, will travel empty through the Gulf of Aden and...

Somali Pirates Arrrr... Our Future Heroes?

Piracy is back

(Newser) - They may not wear eye patches or cry “Arrr!” but make no mistake, Somali pirates are successors of the 17-century villains we romanticize today, David Montgomery writes in the Washington Post. Pirates inspire “awe and a little bit of envy at authentic roguish derring-do," even...

Obama Must Put Lawless Somalia Back on Agenda

US has treated nation as if it doesn't matter ... just like pre-9/11 Afghanistan

(Newser) - With a government “rotten to the core,” continuing civilian deaths, and burgeoning Islamic extremism that echoes the atmosphere in Afghanistan under the Taliban, it’s time for the US to stop ignoring Somalia, writes Aidan Hartley in Vanity Fair. After two helicopters were shot down there in 1993,...

Danish Navy Rescues Drifting Probable Pirates

Somalis had weapons on board; men handed to Yemeni coast guard

(Newser) - Danish sailors sent to the Gulf of Aden to combat piracy found themselves instead rescuing a group of hungry Somali men in a broken speedboat filled with grenades and AK-47s. The navy ship, which had been patrolling the area as part of an international anti-piracy effort, confiscated the weapons and...

Hit Pirates With Somalia Blockade
 Hit Pirates With 
 Somalia Blockade 
OPINION
Dec 4, 2008 12:18 PM CST

Hit Pirates With Somalia Blockade

Policing them where they hold their prey is more effective than ocean patrols

(Newser) - The Somali pirates terrorizing shipping lanes are clever, Peter Fromuth writes in the Washington Post, but their biggest advantages are those pirates have enjoyed throughout history: “big seas, many prey, and few protectors.” There are too many targets for warships to mount effective patrols on open waters. Instead,...

Pirates Made Big Noise, Few Waves: Cruise Passengers

Passengers say they felt little in danger as ship outran attackers off Somalia

(Newser) - Sunday’s pirate attack lasted only about 5 minutes, but left an impression on passengers of the M/S Nautica. “We didn’t think they would be cheeky enough to attack a cruise ship,” one New Zealander traveling aboard the luxury liner tells the AP today. “I couldn’...

Cruise Ship Escapes Pirates
 Cruise Ship Escapes Pirates 
Dec 2, 2008 6:44 AM CST

Cruise Ship Escapes Pirates

Shots fired, but boat carrying 1000 steers to safety

(Newser) - A cruise ship carrying 1000 people was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, but made it to its destination safely, the Times of London reports. A pair of small boats carrying a few pirates each approached the Nautica and fired eight shots, but a crew member had spotted...

Reporter's Preteen Daughter Gets Pirates to Talk

Crew being treated well: pirates, captain

(Newser) - After a BBC reporter failed to get Somali pirates on the phone, her 12-year-old daughter begged for a chance to call them. "Mummy, mummy," she said from the back seat of their car. "I want to phone the pirates." At the end of her rope, the...

Somali Pirates Capture Another Prize
Somali Pirates Capture Another Prize
Nov 28, 2008 12:39 PM CST

Somali Pirates Capture Another Prize

Another ship released.

(Newser) - Somali pirates hijacked a Liberian chemical tanker with 27 crew members today in the Gulf of Aden. A rescue helicopter arrived too late to prevent the hijacking but did pick up three security guards who had jumped into the sea. Greek authorities, meanwhile, said a Greek-owned cargo ship seized by...

India Sank Wrong Ship in Pirate Attack

'Pirate mother ship' was actually hijacked Thai trawler

(Newser) - The "pirate mother ship" blown out of the water by the Indian navy in the Gulf of Arden last week was actually a Thai fishing trawler that had been seized by the pirates, the International Herald Tribune reports. The boat's owner learned of the mistake when a surviving crew...

Freed Hostages Blast Pirates
 Freed Hostages Blast Pirates  
Nov 25, 2008 6:28 AM CST

Freed Hostages Blast Pirates

Hostages released as Somali pirates seize another ship

(Newser) - Crew members freed from a ship seized by Somali pirates say they were harshly treated by their captors and lived in fear of being killed, CNN reports. The men, greeted by relieved friends and family when they arrived home in India, say they were constantly held at gunpoint in a...

Pirates Cut Saudi Tanker Ransom to $15M

Discount from $25M after biggest maritime hijacking in history

(Newser) - After the biggest hijacking in maritime history, Somali pirates have cut their ransom demand for a Saudi supertanker from $25 million to $15 million, Reuters reports. The Sirius Star, carrying $100 million in oil and 25 international crew members, was nabbed southeast of Kenya and has been moved to 62...

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