Pirate attacks rise worldwide

[unhappycamper]

Pirate attacks rise worldwide
By Tom Maliti - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 16, 2007 22:01:29 EDT

NAIROBI, Kenya — Pirate attacks worldwide jumped 14 percent in the first nine months of 2007, with the biggest increases off the poorly policed waters of Somalia and Nigeria, an international watchdog reported Tuesday.

Reported attacks in Somalia rose rapidly to 26 up from eight a year earlier, the London-based International Maritime Bureau said through its piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. And some of those hijackings have turned deadly.

“The seafaring industry is very concerned about this,” said Cyrus Mody, a senior analyst with IMB. “There is absolutely no regard for law in that area. Not only is it not good for business in Africa, but it blocks humanitarian aid and is bad for the general stability of the continent.”

The political instability in Somalia gave pirates “totally free rein without any sort of deterrence from the law,” Mody said. “They’ve got a free hand right now.”

~snip~

Oil-rich Nigeria suffered 26 pirate attacks so far this year, up from nine in the same period last year.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/10/ap_pirate_071016 /



uhc comment: Africom is about O-I-L folks. Long live the empire!

[Eagle_Eye]

1. Meanwhile bush has the US Navy hamstrung with operations in the Persian Gulf

Bush's illegal war in Iraq is sucking up our military capability. The pirates know there is not enough ships available from western countries like the US, Britain and France to enforce International Law.

The pirates are having a field day. The problem is getting worse and bush wants to keep the 'surge' going. The republicans need to be voted out of office and some responsible Democrats need to take the reins.

[TheUniverse]

2. Pirates still exist?

[mcscajun]

7. "Pirates" as in the Jolly Roger, gold earrings and AAARRR!, no.

Piracy as a crime has never left us; those who commit piracy are still called pirates, without any romantic or swashbuckling overtones.

Piracy is a sea-going robbery (or other violent crime) by civilians; i.e., those not commissioned by any sovereign nation.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

3. Another fascinating article

on modern pirates in Indonesia appeared in last month's National Geographic. Check it out.

[Snarkturian Clone]

4. The most important question is...

do they really say "arRRRR" all the time?

[soothsayer]

5. Aaaaargh!

[ret5hd]

6. Well good! Because according to the Church of FSM, more pirates = less global warming!

[trotsky]

8. LOL

Exactly what I was thinking!