Somalia’s pirate problem is really getting out of hand. The international community needs to bring back the idea of Q-ships : warships disguised as vulnerable merchant ships that could then gun down pirates lured in for an easy kill…
…Nonetheless, I imagine that there was an absolutely delighted crew of pirate in Somalia today, who really hit the jackpot.
Modern main battle tanks (though they probably wouldn’t know how to use them), anti-tank rocket launchers, anti-aircraft cannons, and lots of ammunition. Ethiopia (which has troops, tanks and helicopters occupying Somalia) might be a little bit annoyed though.
The pirates would hardly have been able to believe their eyes as they inspected the hold of their latest conquest, the Faina.
The Ukrainian vessel was heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa loaded down with rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft guns and 30 Russian T-72 tanks.
“They really hit the jackpot this time,” said a regional arms expert. “There is not much they can do with the tanks, but the RPGs and the Zu-23 anti-aircraft guns will soon find their way into Somalia’s arms markets.
“These are the sort of weapons that fighters in Somalia really like.”
NAIROBI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) – Three Somali pirates have died in a shootout following the differences over what to do with the seized Ukrainian ship with crew members, arms and tanks aboard, a regional maritime official confirmed on Tuesday.
Andrew Mwangura of the East Africa's Seafarers Assistance Program said the three died on Monday night as they were guarding the MV Faina over the misunderstanding on whether to release the arms cargo that included 33 T-72 tanks and 20 crew members.
"A misunderstanding erupted between the moderate and radical pirates aboard the ship prompting a shootout that left three of them dead," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone.
"The moderates want to give in but the radicals don't want this to happen. The U.S. naval ships are very close and there is panic among the pirates," said Mwangura.
