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This would be awesome if y'know, it wasn't real.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/27/world/africa/27pirates.html?hp

September 27, 2008
Somali Pirates Seize Ukraine Ship
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

NAIROBI, Kenya — Somalia’s notorious pirates have staged perhaps their most brazen attack yet, seizing a Ukrainian ship in the Indian Ocean full of arms bound for Kenya’s military, including dozens of battle tanks, maritime and diplomatic officials said Friday.

Somalia’s 1,880-mile coastline is infested with pirates, and they have been striking with increasing impunity, grabbing everything from private sailing yachts to oil tankers. They then usually demand millions of dollars in ransom for the ships and their crews.

But this time the pirates may have got more than they bargained for. Unloading the tanks is likely to be well beyond the capacity of the pirates, experts said. Meanwhile, an American naval vessel was Friday in hot pursuit to intercept the ship and the Russian Navy said it was not far behind.

The Ukrainian ship was seized Thursday evening about 200 miles off the coast of Somalia.

According to Andrew Mwangura, the program coordinator of the Seafarers’ Assistance Program in Kenya, the ship was carrying around 30 T-72 battle tanks, which were to be offloaded in Mombasa, Kenya.

“These pirates are getting bolder ever day,” said Mr. Mwangura, whose organization tracks pirate attacks. “They are now going to use these weapons as a bargaining chip.”

A Western diplomat in Kenya, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters, said the pirates would not have the know-how or the equipment to unload the tanks, which weigh more than 80,000 pounds.

“ If there are tanks on board,” the diplomat said, “I don’t think there’s a chance in hell they can get them unloaded.”

Kenyan and Western officials said that an American warship was steaming toward the hijacked Ukrainian ship to intercept it, and the Russian Navy announced on Friday that it too was sending a warship, named the “Dauntless,” to the region.

Lt. Commander. Bill Speaks, a spokesman for the United States military, said on Friday afternoon, “We are aware of the situation and actively tracking it.”

The pirates are often former fishermen who have turned to the more lucrative work of plying the seas with binoculars and rocket-propelled grenades. They travel in light speedboats, deployed from a mother ship far out at sea.

When pirates tried to attack an American naval supply ship earlier this week, the Navy ship fired warning shots and the pirates fled.

Alfred Mutua, a spokesman for the Kenyan government, said the tanks and other arms were for the Kenyan military, which has become a key ally of the West in the war against terrorism.

“We’re concerned,” Dr. Mutua said. “This is a big loss for us.” But, he added, “at least we have insurance.”

The attacks sometimes take place as far out as 300 miles from shore. This year is one of the worst on record for pirate attacks in the region, with more than 50 ships attacked, 25 hijacked and 14 still currently being held by pirates.

Somali officials say the pirates are growing in numbers, with more than 1,000 gunmen at their disposal, and they have evolved into a sophisticated organized crime ring with their headquarters along the rocky shores of northern Somalia. There is even a pirate spokesman (who could not be reached on Friday).

One Somali official who asked not to be identified described the pirates as an oceangoing “mafia” and said they had netted millions of dollars which they use to buy fancy cars and big houses.

“Paying the ransoms is just making this worse,” the Somali official said.

European countries and the United States have tried to crack down on the problem, with different navies patrolling the waters and escorting United Nations-chartered ships bringing food to Somalia.

An official in the Ukrainian Embassy in Nairobi said Ukraine was closely watching the situation but had scant information about the hijacked ship. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s Web site, there were 21 people aboard, including 17 Ukrainians, three Russians and a Latvian. The site did not describe the cargo.

An official at the Mombasa port said the ship, called the Faina and registered in Belize, was due to dock at 6 a.m. on Monday, and that it was carrying 2,320 tons of “project cargo,” a term that is usually used to describe heavy machinery.

According to the Russian Interfax news agency, a Ukrainian state arms exporter shipped 33 tanks, a significant amount of ammunition and grenade launchers to Kenya, all in line with Ukrainian law.

More worrisome, he said, was the prospect that the ship was carrying smaller armaments, machine guns, mortars or light artillery, which could be easily funneled to insurgents battling the government.

In the past week, insurgents linked to Somalia’s ousted Islamist movement have mounted attacks on government forces in the capital, Mogadishu. Dozens of civilians have been killed and thousands are fleeing again.

Somalia has been enmeshed in chaos for 17 years, since the central government collapsed and clan warlords carved the country into fiefdoms. The fighting, however, has intensified since December 2006, when Ethiopian troops invaded the country and overthrew a grassroots Islamist movement that controlled much of Somalia.

Ethiopian and American officials said the Islamists were sheltering Al Qaeda terrorists, and the American military has helped the Ethiopians hunt down Islamist leaders.

The United Nations World Food Program has said that the conflict and recent drought have pushed millions of Somalis to the brink of famine. More than 3 million people, nearly half the population, need emergency food to survive. The constant hijackings by pirates on the high seas have threatened the pipeline of food into the country.

Michael Schwirtz contributed reporting from Moscow, and a Somali journalist contributed from Mogadishu, Somalia..

What a farking mess. I was going to make a 'Send in the ninjas' post but lack the stomach for it. Rwanda, Somalia...we do a good job of simply ignoring that entire continent.

I say keep the ship from making it to harbor, take the New Jersey out of mothballs and let the battleship have some fun for old times sake. Barring that we have a working Avenger torpedo bomber at the museum (if Ike didn't kill it). Nothing says loving like a WWII re-enactment with live ammo.

As far as unloading is the tanks is concerned, necessity is the mother of invention. They will figure out how. Hell, it took me 15 seconds to figure out how and I'm not being pursued by the US and Russian (such as it is) navies. But ya, find a sheltered cove, run the ship aground and cut a hole in the hull, then drive out.

I say beach the ship somewhere and build a trailer park out of the scattered tank hulls.

The VietCong stole a US army tank, disassembled it, and rebuilt it in a tunnel complex. I'm pretty sure the pirates, who probably rule parts of the country, can figure out something to do.

dude wouldn't it cool if there was a REAL Ironman who could put a stop to that sort of thing.

Why would they need the whole tank?

Just dismount the cannons on the rest and mount them in pairs on a fast yacht.

Tanks run without air-support are just targets, and nobody with half a brain would buy those hot goods.

just say'n that would be my plan.... if I was a pirate

Tacobake wrote:dude wouldn't it cool if there was a REAL Ironman who could put a stop to that sort of thing.

There probably is, as far as we know. He's just drunk all the time.

On one hand I'm worried about the mayhem 8 mbts can get up to, and a little shocked at just how lawless the region has gotten.

On the other hand I'm kind of wishing the plucky buggers some luck, and thinking how to fit this into my Dark Heresy campaign.

sebster wrote:
On the other hand I'm kind of wishing the plucky buggers some luck, and thinking how to fit this into my Dark Heresy campaign.

Do you thinly veil modern events into all your RPGs?

"You see a carefully prepared room. Everything in the room looks selected and
arranged for its symbolic importance. Everything focuses on thelectern that stands
before the double eagle of the Imperium as if the one there was born to stand
before the Emperor himself and stare the sights down the Chaos threat that lingers
everywhere and anywhere. You are so impressed, in fact, that everyone must
make an awe check to see if they are psychologically debilitated by the man
who now speaks before the digital recording devices."

"'The fundamentals of our great Imperium are solid. All the ones responsible for our
current crisis of failed credit repositories have been found out for the chaos scum that
they are. Worshipers and fiends, everyone one of them. My rival, who would deal
with these elements as a sympathizer and appeaser, is delusional if he hopes to
turn the tainted back to the light of the Emperor. Such lead to the rise of the betrayer,
Horus."

dogma wrote: But ya, find a sheltered cove, run the ship aground and cut a hole in the hull, then drive out.

Seriously?
Do you know how far offshore a ship of that magnitude would actually "beach" itself? There's no "running [it] aground." You wouldn't get NEAR "aground."
Cut a hole in the side, drive out a tank, watch your tank and crew sink into 15+ feet of water (probably far more than that) to be claimed by the sea forever.

Even if they "beach" a ship, it would take them MONTHS to build any sort of a dock or other unloading structure to REACH the ship... and probably over a year to build one sturdy enough to handle an Eighty Thousand Pound tank.

These guys aren't going to try to keep the tanks. They're going to hold the people and vessel for ransom and, when/if they leave, they will take everything they CAN of of the ship (possibly to include any AMMO for the tanks that might have been present).


Eric

I'm trying to figure out why we haven't launched a bombing run from a nearby carrier group just to solve the problem? How often do you get to sink a freighter?

I was speaking broadly, not specifically. Obviously things are more complicated than I indicated. The point was that you don't need massive dock facilities to unload heavy cargo.

In any case, there are plenty of less reputable cities/nations on the African and Middle Eastern coast that would gladly pay for and unload 33 MBTs. Especially T-72s which are extremely reliable and cheap to maintain.

jfrazell wrote:I'm trying to figure out why we haven't launched a bombing run from a nearby carrier group just to solve the problem? How often do you get to sink a freighter?

Were there prisoners?

Not going to happen if the Navy is tracking.

malfred wrote:

jfrazell wrote:I'm trying to figure out why we haven't launched a bombing run from a nearby carrier group just to solve the problem? How often do you get to sink a freighter?

Were there prisoners?

"Fire the Main Guns!"
"Prisoners, er, no, not now."

jfrazell wrote:Not going to happen if the Navy is tracking.

In ten years time this operation will be the heart of a film that tries to show us a
more enlightened day and age of piracy at sea. There will be a governor's daughter
looking for adventure, the orphaned son of a Somali pirate overlord and a heavily
mascaraed ne'er do well who holds the whole key to locating the treasure of the
Tanks, but No Tanks escapade.

jfrazell wrote:Not going to happen if the Navy is tracking.

The American sea presence is very limited off of Western Africa. The Persian Gulf would obviously be off limits to the pirates, but anywhere up until the Suez Cannal is pretty much free and clear. Especially if they stay out of international waters.

Thats what satellites are for. Track that puppy. Unleash evil NeoCon Black Project (code name Godzilla). Attack freighter. Just stay away from Tokyo for awhile...


Ho! Godzilla is attacking the city!

malfred wrote:

Tacobake wrote:dude wouldn't it cool if there was a REAL Ironman who could put a stop to that sort of thing.

There probably is, as far as we know. He's just drunk all the time.

Maybe he's fuelling his imagination.

It would be the small arms on board that will pose the biggest problem. They could be unloaded and the pirates would be much better armed than they are now.

im with dogma, what do they cae about the ship when they now have enough gear for the start of a small force?
they will just run it aground, slice it open then move the tanks out, and im sure it will be protected thanks to the weapons on board.

I wonder what international law says about firing on a hijacked ship. can a third country (US or Russia) just sink it? Somehow I doubt it, prisoners or no.

I read something about a "Toyota War" back in the '80s. Imagine these tanks broken down and fitted onto pickups - cuz they can't keep 'em operational for too long. A tracked one. One with a 125mm cannon. One with grenade launchers. And several with tank armor strapped to the sides.

Gorkamorka.

I doubt they can simply drive the tanks away. A tank is a complicated machine to drive if you don´t know how to do it you´ll throw a track or stuck the tank at the first right turn you take and I don´t think the pirates take extra credits as tank drivers in their curricula. Also I don´t belive that the tanks will be fueled, the batteries connected and all that minor stuff that needs a competent mechanic to fix.

The grenade launchers and ammo on the other hand...

M.

UPDATE

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/09/27/somalia.piracy.ukraine/?iref=mpstoryview

Pirates lower ransom demand to $5M

* Story Highlights
* Pirates holding Ukrainian ship carrying tanks lower ransom to $5 million
* Ukrainian ship seized off Somalia by pirates had 33 tanks in cargo
* Cargo also contained substantial quantity of ammunition, spare parts
* Russia sending patrol ship from Russia's Baltic Sea fleet to the area

(CNN) -- Pirates who seized a Ukrainian vessel loaded with tanks and weapons off the African coast have lowered their ransom demand to $5 million.

The pirates initially demanded $35 million and no military action, said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya Seafarers Association. They later decreased their demands for several reasons, Mwangura said.

Those reasons include that the crew is from eastern Europe and not the United States; the weapons the ship carries are secondhand; and there is no way to unload the tanks without coming onto land, he said.

The vessel Faina, flying a Belize flag, was headed to the Kenyan port of Mombasa after departing from Nikolayev, Ukraine, according to Lt. Col. Konstantin Sadilov, spokesman for the Ukrainian defense ministry. He said it was seized by pirates on Thursday not far from its destination.

According to the defense ministry, the ship was carrying 33 Soviet-made T-72 tanks, tank artillery shells, grenade launchers and small arms.

The weapons were sold to Kenya by the Ukraine, said Ukraine Defense Minister Yuri Yekhanurov, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. He said the entire shipment was contracted and carried out by Ukrspetzexport, Ukraine's state arms exports monopoly, and it would know better exactly what was on board.

The ship deliberately took a route far from the coast of Somalia, where pirates are known to operate, in an attempt to avoid them, the minister said.

The Kiev-based source told Interfax on Saturday that radio contact was made with the ship's captain, who reported the crew has come down with malaria. However, the source said the claim might have been an attempt to hasten negotiations.

Ukraine's anti-terrorist center in its capital, Kiev, is analyzing the situation and consulting with military and security experts, Sadilov told CNN. Ukrainian diplomats are also working in Kenya to resolve the situation, he said.

The Pentagon said U.S. naval ships in the area are "monitoring the situation."

"I think we're looking at the full range of options here," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said, because the United States does not want the pirates to dock the ship in Somalia and offload the weapons.

The ship's crew consists of 17 Ukrainians, three Russians and a Latvian.

U.S. officials said the ship reported being surrounded by three small boats of pirates while sailing 250 miles off the coast of Somalia.

The Russian patrol ship Neustrashimy, which left Wednesday for the coast off Somalia, may help crack down on pirates, a source in the Russian Baltic Fleet headquarters told Interfax-AVN on Friday.

And the Russian Navy's commander, Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, told Interfax that Russia plans to send combat ships to the Somali coast to fight piracy.

"We have such plans for the near future," he said. "However, Russian ships will not be involved in any international operations. They will do this job on their own."

U.S. officials, meanwhile, said they are urging all commercial shippers to carry security personnel on their decks when sailing near Somalia. Earlier this week, a U.S. Navy warship fired warning shots at a small boat that got too close to it, fearing a possible attack.

Meanwhile, Mwangura said an Egyptian ship previously seized by pirates has been released, and a Japanese ship was released after a $2 million ransom was paid.

In addition, a Greek ship was seized by pirates Friday, he said. The ship has a Romanian crew and was heading from Europe to the Middle East.

CNN's Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow and Barbara Starr in Washington contributed to this report.

Please let their Captain be called Badrukk.....

Please.

So, if they try to unload in Somalia, they'll be sunk?

Sensible. Wonder what the russians and Americans have stalking 'em?

jfrazell wrote:I'm trying to figure out why we haven't launched a bombing run from a nearby carrier group just to solve the problem? How often do you get to sink a freighter?

Because they never attack American shipping due to the fact we will hunt them down and kill them and the number of Merchant Marines on our ships do not encourage them. It is also bad in Asia especially the Straits of Malacca. The actual governments usually get a cut so they show up afterward to act like they are doing something.