Hohoo, talk about a deathwish!

$20M Somali ransom demand for ship; 1 crewman dies

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5igGmlfz-K3g6EyC2vN8yK10vpCugD93G5LKO1

So the story is Somalian pirates hijacked a Ukrainian ship that's destined for Kenya, and on the ship are 33 Russian T72 tanks and crap load of weapon/ammo/parts that was purchased by Kenyan government. They demand $20 million ransom. A Russian crew member has died of "hypertension".

A U.S. destroyer is keeping an eye on them, and a Russian missile frigate is ordered directly there.

Man these pirates just messed with the wrong people and in some deep doo doo!

The Russian government doesn't give a crap about the crew. They care about setting an example, so that this sort of thing doesn't happen ever again. While the U.S. Destroyer keeps an eye on the situation, the Russian Frigate will get into position, perhaps give the pirates one chance to surrender, or (more likely) blow the ship into teeny tiny pieces.

Unlike the U.S. Navy, the Russian Navy has no problem allowing its Captains to break out the hardware when it's clearly called for.

they dont want to lose the tanks i bet they will board the ship

"The [pirate] spokesman also warned that the pirates would fight to the death if any country tried military action to regain the ship..."

I wonder whose death he meant? :thinking:

Monocrom said:

the Russian Frigate will get into position, perhaps give the pirates one chance to surrender, or (more likely) blow the ship into teeny tiny pieces.

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With thirty-plus tanks inside and who knows how much other hardware? I have my doubts...

The pirates are either very smart or atrociously stupid. If they're smart they'll have placed explosives on the ship. If they get assaulted they blow up the ship, and untold millions of military hardware sink to the bottom of the seas. They might just have put the russian government in a position where it's safer and potentially much cheaper to just pay them than to attempt anything else.
How they hope to get out of that situation after they've been paid, though, I don't know...

There's no love lost between Russia and the Ukraine, so the Russians won't think twice about sinking that ship if they feel like it. The military hardware is all obsolete, and Kenya may (or may not) have paid the Ukraine for it. So Russia won't worry too much about that either. I don't think I would want to be one of those pirates.

Piracy is an international crime and any country can intervene--not just the country of registry or destination or the flag of the vessel. The U.S. can board and seize the ship if it wants to.

The pirates won't be paid khat. A team of special forces will likely hit the ship and kill the pirates--but maybe that's wishful thinking on my part.

paulr said:

"The [pirate] spokesman also warned that the pirates would fight to the death if any country tried military action to regain the ship..."

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Yeah my reaction to that statement when I read it last night was "those pirates are sooooo dead!"

I don't wish to see anyone killed, but this situation could become pretty sticky. I am interested to see how it plays out. Honestly I hope Ukraine takes a loss whatever the outcome. Selling arms to most nations in Africa is about a slimeball-ish as you can get. (too bad so many other nations do as well)

I'm waiting to read an update on this. It doesn't seem to be grabbing the national press which I thought it might do.

Because this is already in the public eye Russia may try to appear politically careful, with a heavy emphasis on may. But even if the pirates make it out of that ship (and I doubt it ) I wouldn't give them a year to live. Their done! :wave:

Seems from here in East Texas that this won't have a happy ending....

Don't see any way the terrorists can come out alive!

Can't see Russia getting too het up about a Ukraine ship/crew either...

Some update, apparently when the pirates found out u.s. navy and russian navy are on their butt, they had an argument on how to proceed, and evolved into a gun battle and three of the pirate is dead. The rest went on to celebrate a muslim holiday.

Ok, yeah, they are definitely atrociously stupid.

paulr said:

"The [pirate] spokesman also warned that the pirates would fight to the death if any country tried military action to regain the ship..."

I wonder whose death he meant? :thinking:

Click to expand...

That's awfully tough talk for somebody whose ship doesn't have any holes in it yet.