dutch ship escapes pirate attack

[Amby 490]

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Somali pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked a Dutch-operated container ship off the coast of Tanzania but failed to hijack the vessel, a maritime official said Sunday.

The attack Saturday shows the pirates are becoming bolder and extending their reach further from their base in Somalia, said Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.

Eight pirates in two speedboats chased and opened fire at the ship about 520 miles east of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, starting a fire on the vessel that was quickly doused by the crew, he said.

"The pirates used RPGs and automatic weapons to attack the ship but it managed to escape after the captain increased vessel speed," Choong said.

The ship, which has 19 crew members, flies a Hong Kong flag but is operated out of the Netherlands, he said.

Choong said a white-hulled fishing vessel was spotted nearby and was suspected to be the pirates' mother vessel.

The International Maritime Bureau issued an alert to all ships off the coast of Tanzania to be on a strict anti-piracy watch, he added.

Warships from Denmark, India, Malaysia, Russia, the U.S. and NATO patrol a vast international maritime corridor in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia, escorting some merchant ships and responding to distress calls. But the pirate attacks have not abated.

Some 100 ships have been attacked off the Somali coast this year, of which 40 vessels have been hijacked. Thirteen ships remain in the hands of pirates, including a Saudi supertanker filled with $100 million of crude and a Ukrainian ship loaded with 33 battle tanks.

Choong said his bureau has also warned ships to be on alert for suspected Indonesian pirates in the South China Sea off Malaysia's coast. The group is believed to be responsible for four attacks in recent months, he said.

Since September, pirates armed with guns and machetes have robbed three vessels and hijacked a tug and barge off Tioman island, he said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,463147,00.html

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I hope Obama stops the pirates when he is President.

[Ling Ling 22]

I hope Obama stops the pirates when he is President.

We've seen past Presidents continue to work on behalf of world peace as diplomats.

I hope Bush takes a journey to talk with the pirates when Obama is President.

[Danno 1,228]

I hope Obama stops the pirates when he is President.

We've seen past Presidents continue to work on behalf of world peace as diplomats.

I hope Bush takes a journey to talk with the pirates when Obama is President.

Oh that's cute.. we'll sign a PEACE ACCORD with a bunch of Pirates.

Let's see now, they will agree to stop hi-jacking vessels and collecting millions in ransom and we will meet them half way, how?

As far as I know these ships under attack have not been American, if this is the case, what

business do we have doing anything?

[Ling Ling 22]

I hope Obama stops the pirates when he is President.

We've seen past Presidents continue to work on behalf of world peace as diplomats.

I hope Bush takes a journey to talk with the pirates when Obama is President.

Oh that's cute.. we'll sign a PEACE ACCORD with a bunch of Pirates.

Let's see now, they will agree to stop hi-jacking vessels and collecting millions in ransom and we will meet them half way, how?

As far as I know these ships under attack have not been American, if this is the case, what

business do we have doing anything?

I just think if Bush goes out there and talks to them, it can do a lot of good.

[Teacher Mark 53]

I hope Obama stops the pirates when he is President.

We've seen past Presidents continue to work on behalf of world peace as diplomats.

I hope Bush takes a journey to talk with the pirates when Obama is President.

Oh that's cute.. we'll sign a PEACE ACCORD with a bunch of Pirates.

Let's see now, they will agree to stop hi-jacking vessels and collecting millions in ransom and we will meet them half way, how?

As far as I know these ships under attack have not been American, if this is the case, what

business do we have doing anything?

I just think if Bush goes out there and talks to them, it can do a lot of good.

The sarcasm appears to have went over our friends head. It's too late anyway. Bush and his cronies have done the damage already. Hopefully it's not irreparable.

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

I hope Obama stops the pirates when he is President.

We've seen past Presidents continue to work on behalf of world peace as diplomats.

I hope Bush takes a journey to talk with the pirates when Obama is President.

Oh that's cute.. we'll sign a PEACE ACCORD with a bunch of Pirates.

Let's see now, they will agree to stop hi-jacking vessels and collecting millions in ransom and we will meet them half way, how?

As far as I know these ships under attack have not been American, if this is the case, what

business do we have doing anything?

here's my solution to it

Edited December 8, 2008 by charles!

[Danno 1,228]

I hope Obama stops the pirates when he is President.

We've seen past Presidents continue to work on behalf of world peace as diplomats.

I hope Bush takes a journey to talk with the pirates when Obama is President.

Oh that's cute.. we'll sign a PEACE ACCORD with a bunch of Pirates.

Let's see now, they will agree to stop hi-jacking vessels and collecting millions in ransom and we will meet them half way, how?

As far as I know these ships under attack have not been American, if this is the case, what

business do we have doing anything?

here's my solution to it

Now that line of diplomacy would have real results.

I think the problem is, they board so quickly that they then have hostages.

[Amby 490]

I just think it's hilarious everytime I read about pirates attacking ships

[Ling Ling 22]

I just think it's hilarious everytime I read about pirates attacking ships

Argghhh Matey

[SpiritAlight 1]

Amby, you're not supposed to tell what we've been up to.

Remember: grrrrl, you could tell, and then you'd have to kill.

Arrrrrrr....

B)

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I just think it's hilarious everytime I read about pirates attacking ships

Don't forget attempted rape. Those are hilarious too. Maybe you should start a funny crimes thread.

[Amby 490]

I just think it's hilarious everytime I read about pirates attacking ships

Don't forget attempted rape. Those are hilarious too. Maybe you should start a funny crimes thread.

oh yeah attempted rapes are funny too

[Scott & Lai 12]

I hope Obama stops the pirates when he is President.

We've seen past Presidents continue to work on behalf of world peace as diplomats.

I hope Bush takes a journey to talk with the pirates when Obama is President.

Oh that's cute.. we'll sign a PEACE ACCORD with a bunch of Pirates.

Let's see now, they will agree to stop hi-jacking vessels and collecting millions in ransom and we will meet them half way, how?

As far as I know these ships under attack have not been American, if this is the case, what

business do we have doing anything?

here's my solution to it

That's the U.S.S. Iowa, and since it was decommissioned, I don't think it would be a good solution

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

I hope Obama stops the pirates when he is President.

We've seen past Presidents continue to work on behalf of world peace as diplomats.

I hope Bush takes a journey to talk with the pirates when Obama is President.

Oh that's cute.. we'll sign a PEACE ACCORD with a bunch of Pirates.

Let's see now, they will agree to stop hi-jacking vessels and collecting millions in ransom and we will meet them half way, how?

As far as I know these ships under attack have not been American, if this is the case, what

business do we have doing anything?

here's my solution to it

That's the U.S.S. Iowa, and since it was decommissioned, I don't think it would be a good solution

yeah i didn't mean get out the battleships - but naval gunfire sure solves things like this on the high seas.