The most dangerous trend now is the security vacuum in the Red Sea created by the war on Iran, which has allowed the pirates to return in force.
As long as the war continues, there is little hope of stopping this burgeoning banditry on the high seas.
Somali Piracy Was Under Control, Then Came The Iran War…
From the start, the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has been a story of unintended consequences. Contrary to President Donald Trump’s hopes for a quick victory, the conflict has morphed into a sustained crisis, one that has driven up oil prices, driven down tourism in the Middle East, and reshaped the region’s geopolitical map.
Bandits off the Horn of Africa have taken advantage of the deteriorating security sitauation, attacking at least 15 ships this year
Now, a new unintended consequence has emerged: the return of piracy to Somalia’s coasts. This shift, which comes after a decade of quiet, threatens some of the world’s most important shipping lanes and the interests of the United States and its allies.
Pirates have attacked at least 15 vessels in the region this year, a sharp uptick from the five attacks that occurred last year, according to data from the International Maritime Organization. The renewed criminal activity has led to extended hostage situations, including one ongoing seizure of an oil tanker and its crew.
US Bombs Somalia For 81st Time This Year
US Africa Command announced on Friday that its forces launched another airstrike in Somalia as the Trump administration continues a record-breaking bombing campaign in the country, which receives virtually no coverage in US media.
AFRICOM said the strike was launched on September 8 and targeted al-Shabaab in the vicinity of Quumbi, a village about 50 miles northeast of the southern port city of Kismayo,
Previous blog entry:
Pirates: Danish Navy frees 16 Iranians from suspected Somali pirate ship
Any idea why we’re saving Iranians?
Since when does the Danish Navy provide ‘Islamic Burials’ for dead terrorists?
(CNN) — After a firefight with suspected Somali pirates, Danish sailors freed 16 Iranian hostages on board an alleged mother ship, according to the Danish Royal Navy.
Four suspected pirates were killed and 10 wounded during the firefight Thursday, the Royal Navy said on its website. No one on board the Danish ship Esbern Snare was hurt, and the hostages were also not injured.
The Esbern Snare closed in on the suspected pirate mother ship Thursday while patrolling off the coast of Somalia, according to the statement. “When Esbern Snare tried to stop the mother ship with calls, the mother ship opened fire on Esbern Snare, which immediately returned fire,” the statement said.
After the firefight, the crew could see weapons being thrown overboard from the suspected mother ship, and “there were signs of the pirates surrendering,” the statement said. The crew then took control of the ship.
Sixteen hostages and 28 suspected pirates were on board, along with several weapons and some equipment, the Navy said. Four pirates had been killed and 10 wounded in the firefight, while 14 others were unharmed, said the statement.
The 10 injured were being treated onboard the Esbern Snare, the Royal Navy said. The four suspected pirates who were killed were buried at sea “in accordance with NATO procedures with regards to Muslim traditions.”
The 16 Iranians “can look forward to a quick reunion with their respective families,” according to the statement.
What were the 16 Iranians doing in those waters? Cruising?
All the suspected pirates were being held onboard the Esbern Snare while Danish authorities looked into possible prosecution, the Navy said.
I won’t hold my breath.
United States:
Eight Pirates to Get Plea Deal
Pathetic.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Eight men charged with piracy in the hijacking of a yacht that left four Americans dead will enter plea agreements, according to court documents.
The men are among 15 people from Somalia and Yemen who had previously pleaded not guilty to piracy, kidnapping and firearms charges in the February hijacking of the yacht Quest in the Gulf of Aden.
Prosecutors contend the men boarded the boat in an effort to hold its passengers for ransom.
The owners of the Quest, Jean and Scott Adam of Marina del Rey, Calif., along with friends Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay of Seattle, were shot to death several days after they were taken hostage several hundred miles south of Oman.
The U.S. Navy was using unmanned airplanes and four warships to track the captured yacht and negotiations were under way when the pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade, authorities say.
Special forces boarded the vessel and found the Americans had been shot, according to the military. Pirates have blamed the deaths of the American hostages on the Navy, saying the pirates felt under attack.
It was the first time U.S. citizens have been killed in the pirate attacks that have plagued the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean in recent years. The pirates are typically motivated by the potential for millions of dollars in ransom money.
The Adamses, who were retired, had been sailing full-time on their 58-foot yacht and delivering Bibles around the world.
An indictment accuses at least three of the 15 men of shooting and killing the four Americans without provocation, although it doesn’t specify who pulled the trigger.
David Bouchard, attorney for accused pirate Mohamud Salad Ali, said his client would plead guilty to the piracy charge and a new charge of hostage taking in exchange for the weapons and kidnapping charges being dropped. Bouchard said his agreement will also ensure Ali doesn’t face the death penalty, although he faces a mandatory life sentence. The documents filed in U.S. federal court in Virginia did not say what charges the other men would plead guilty to.
Bouchard said Ali was on a Navy ship at the time of the shootings.
“My guy doesn’t know who pulled the trigger,” Bouchard said. “He was trying to resolve the problem.”
Ali is one of three men whose hearings are scheduled for Friday. A second man, Mohamud Hirs Issa, also faces a new hostage taking charge. The other five men will have their hearings next week.
The group making plea agreements does not include Mohammad Saaili Shibin, who the U.S. says is the highest-ranking pirate it has ever captured. Prosecutors say Shibin never boarded the yacht and operated from Somalia as the pirates’ chief negotiator. Court documents say Shibin has also acknowledged acting as a negotiator for a German vessel, the M/V Marida Marguerite, which was taken hostage by pirates in May and released in December, receiving $30,000 for his services.