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Posts Tagged ‘Pirates’

Ahoy, Na’y Helicopter Seen Pirate Fireblasts - Aye, Bullets

8/27/09 - Posted by Abdullah Saeed under International Affairs, Politics

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Though pirates off the Somali coast have been active for quite some time, the door to the days of swashbuckling adventure was opened up to Americans in April when Captain Richard Phillips was rescued from a gang of salty sea dogs, revealing the wonderment of days past to a public still buzzing from a series of them-park ride inspired films starring Johnny Depp.

Since the beginning of our new adventure at sea, the US Navy has played the part of the ‘good guys,’ intervening to liberate the innocent and humbly declining the opportunity to accumulate the spoils of battle; in this case meager amounts of rice, machine guns, and 4th hand Salvation Army T shirts rather than the traditional chests of gold coins. Well, today the ‘bad guys’ jumped on the offensive more directly than ever before when they fired on a US Navy helicopter. (more…)

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Pirates Show Soft Spot for Birthdays

6/01/09 - Posted by Abdullah Saeed under International Affairs

Nine months ago, Matthew Maguire was taken hostage by a Nigerian militant group that stormed the oil services ship that he and 26 others occupied. This was a routine activity for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, which opposes the Nigerian government and seeks freedom for those living in the area. Such hostage situations have proven an effective fundraising measure for MEND and similar groups, and hostages are now readily available due to the recent piracy boom. Hostages are so available, in fact, that MEND starts releasing members of a captive group before any demands are even considered by companies and governments.

Since last September, all but Maguire were released by MEND, each with a different justification. Greg Tomlin was let go because he hurt his leg. Walter Driggs said he missed watching 24 hour news, and Peter Cather said he was feeling seasick (he’s a freaking shipmate). Regardless, the militant groups holding these people are using any excuse to release them, indicating either blind humanitarianism or an ineffective business model.

Matther Maguire was released today because June the 1st is his birthday. MEND reportedly hung on to him for this long because his knowledge of traditional sea shanties kept the militants’ spirits high. Their tearful goodbye gives hope to the belief that pirates and sailors may one day live in harmony again.

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Avast Ye: Cap’n Retained, Pirates Blast’d

4/13/09 - Posted by Christopher Reinhard under International Affairs, US

Well blow me down! O’er the weekend, snipers from the imperial US Navy lined up on the poop deck and rained fire on a Somali man-o-war in order t’ free captured cap’n Richard Phillips. Thar bloody battle on the high seas resulted in the rescuin’ o’ Phillips, along wit’ three fish-feedin’ Somalis ‘n one bilge-suckin’ buccaneer captive.

Now, landlubbin’ US officials are weighin’ in on where the captured pirate—Mohamed Abdi, a young salt that, avast ye, could be as young as 14—best be tried, given his treasonin’ occurred on the open seas. Either way, it can be known fer certain that wherever Abdi ends up’ll be better than the alternative: swabbin’ the decks fer eternity down in Davy Jones’ locker. Savvy?

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Pirates 0, India 1

11/19/08 - Posted by Matt Gierhart under International Affairs

The weekend hijacking of a supertanker and general increase in pirate activity have finally led the Indian Navy to take things into their own hands– by sending out a battleship.

In a short shootout that took place Tuesday evening about 525 kilometers southwest of Oman’s Salalah port, the Indian battleship successfully set fire and caused multiple explosions on board the Somalian’s version of the Black Pearl. Two speed boats were able to escape the fight and the mother ship itself limped away. There are unconfirmed reports of the pirate boat actually sinking. Update: Battleship!

The battle took place after repetitive request for surrender. The pirates scurried about the deck with their guns and rocket launchers; the Indian battle ship fired a couple shots and showed the pirates who’s boss. Its unclear if the pirates tried to invoke a parley.

This is great news for India. First they splatter their flag all over the moon, then take out the pirate ship everyone else was scared to fight. We’ll be watching the Bombay Stock Exchange today to see if they can pull a three-peat. Go India Go.

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Somali Pirates Arg Somalia Bound

11/17/08 - Posted by Carmel Hagen under International Affairs

The Sirius Star, a Saudi Arabian owned supertanker that was TAKEN BY PIRATES! this past Saturday, is making its way towards Ely, Somalia, on the Indian Ocean Coast. This is the eleventh ship to be taken by Somali pirates and held at ransom, and also indicates that the criminals are now operating in an area covering over 1.1 million square miles.

Steering towards land is routine procedure for pirates, who take all hijacked ships to shore in order to discuss “negotiations.” Contrary to popular belief, these ship-holding towns are in no way similar to the rape+pillagevilles depicted in Pirates of the Caribbean, instead functioning largely like any other third-world docking zone. To further add to insult, most of these pirates are entirely unattractive, wear denim, and need things to be cooked before they eat them. Take ‘em out, Navy.

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