guys - can we please keep the focus on INS Tabar, piracy and Somalia?
we have enough threads talking about the other stuff
Indian Navy and International Anti-Piracy Ops
Re: INS Tabar nails pirate ship (sort of)
NEWS Headline on CNN
Dear Admins, please rename this thread already to
Dear Admins, please rename this thread already to
Forget Zee news and other motley DDM - Be grateful they did not mention that the Indian ship fired off an Agni 3 missile at the pirate speedboat.INS Tabar Nails Pirate Ship
Re: INS Tabar nails pirate ship (sort of)
The piracy issue is a real serious issue. The global commerce is at stake. It seems only India is interested in fighting it. The Americans are trying to make dollars out of the issue (read blackwater). If the pirates are allowed to run the show for some more time, this issue can turn to another Taliban like issue in the ocean.
Re: INS Tabar nails pirate ship (sort of)
I just hope GoI stays out of the IN's way and doesn’t attempt to micromanage the IN’s charge in future cases of this kind short of clear directions on rules of engagement.
P.S.
Another thing that may have helped is the lack of ‘embedded’ media highlighting the ‘targetted persecution and violation of human rights of’ the pirates on the high seas. The navy can and should use extreme prejudice in eliminating this menace, esp since there is no collateral civilian damage to worry about on the high seas. Unless piracy is made a loss making enterprise, it will continue.
Which brings up another problem, that the pirates could in future use bound human shields on their ships to pre-empt sinking of their mother ships, perhaps. Loops within loops….
P.S.
Another thing that may have helped is the lack of ‘embedded’ media highlighting the ‘targetted persecution and violation of human rights of’ the pirates on the high seas. The navy can and should use extreme prejudice in eliminating this menace, esp since there is no collateral civilian damage to worry about on the high seas. Unless piracy is made a loss making enterprise, it will continue.
Which brings up another problem, that the pirates could in future use bound human shields on their ships to pre-empt sinking of their mother ships, perhaps. Loops within loops….
Re: INS Tabar nails pirate ship (sort of)
the concept of 'mother ship' raises worldwide antenna because we are conditioned by the
media to view taking out The Mother , the root of all the hell-spawn as a happy ending.
whether it be Aliens or Reign of Fire, there is always a big fight against the Mother after
which peace reigns for a while.
on in this case there are many other motherships on the prowl and no real means to
detect them from superficial looks.
media to view taking out The Mother , the root of all the hell-spawn as a happy ending.
whether it be Aliens or Reign of Fire, there is always a big fight against the Mother after
which peace reigns for a while.
on in this case there are many other motherships on the prowl and no real means to
detect them from superficial looks.
Re: INS Tabar nails pirate ship (sort of)
More than human shields, pirates may opt to create environmental damage in case of ship sinking or boarding hijacked tankers. The ship hijacked the other day carries some 3 m barrels of oil. Imagine if they blow up the tanks and spill all the oil! IN should be indeed very careful when they target such vessels and try and capture as many of their crew for trials later. Costs of environmental damage can go to billions of US Dollars and may turn out to be a massive headache for the GOI.
Re: INS Tabar nails pirate ship (sort of)
5300 and countingSingha wrote:3800+ articles on google news and counting.
Re: INS Tabar nails pirate ship (sort of)
How sea piracy is hurting India
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7737084.stm
About a week ago, an Indian cargo ship sailing in the Gulf of Aden spotted a pirate vessel operating off the coast of Somalia.
The captain of the ship sent out a SOS to the INS Tabar, a state-of-the-art Russian built Indian naval warship which has been patrolling waters in the region to combat the pirate menace.
The warship responded by sending out a helicopter to the area, which chased away the pirate vessel.
A similar incident happened on Wednesday, when an Indian navy warship destroyed a suspected Somali pirate vessel after it came under attack in the same area.
Shashank Kulkarni, secretary general of the Indian National Ship Owners Association (Insa) says that there is now no doubt that Indian-owned cargo ships are coming under increasing danger from pirates operating in the region.
There is also no doubt that the government is taking the menace of high sea piracy in the Gulf of Aden seriously.
So far, in the Indian public imagination, piracy has been synonymous with river pirates who have kidnapped and looted small fishing boats for paltry ransoms and goods in the Sundarbans region in eastern India for decades.
Spirited campaign
But the kidnapping of the Japanese-owned cargo ship MV Stolt Valor with 18 Indian crew members on 15 September off the Somali coast brought the country's attention to a bigger and more serious problem of piracy.
A spirited campaign was launched by Seema Goyal, wife of the ship's captain PK Goyal, who pressured the usually unresponsive government to secure the release of the crew members.
The fact that every detail of the whole drama was captured on 24/7 news television captivated the nation and no doubt played its part in making the government act.
Ms Goyal's relentless pressure appeared to have forced the government to deploy warships in the Gulf of Aden to prevent pirate attacks and secure her husband's ship.
Over the weekend the crew members were released by the pirates - local media reports said a large ransom had been paid by the Japanese ship-owners, though the owners did not confirm this.
There have been rising concerns in the local shipping industry that Indian crew members - who comprise a sixth of the world's maritime crews - may now be reluctant to sail in the Gulf of Aden after the recent rises in piracy in that area.
In September, the crew of an Indian-owned cargo ship carrying aviation turbine fuel from Kuwait to London refused to sail because of security concerns.
Senior shipping officials tried to get the crew to change their mind, but they were not to be persuaded, pointing to the "war like situation in the Gulf of Aden".
Finally, the crew agreed to sail after they were promised an "extra bonus" for the journey.
India has now, clearly, decided that it cannot take chances with its cargo ships travelling through Gulf of Aden.
Some 25 Indian-owned ships a month sail through the route, carrying around $100bn of India's sea trade.
One of the main commodities is precious crude oil usually heading from the Arabian gulf to the western coast of India - India imports 70% of its oil. Heavy machinery comprises the other major cargo flow through the route.
Larger interest
India has a larger interest in ensuring the protection of even non-Indian owned cargo ships on the route - because 85% of India's sea trade on the route is carried by foreign-owned ships.
Around a third of India's total fleet of 900 cargo ships deployed in international waters are at risk on the route.
That is possibly why the navy says that the INS Tabar has safely escorted some 35 ships, including a number of foreign-owned ones, during transit through Gulf of Aden.
The navy also claims that the warship has "prevented two hijacking attempts" last week.
"India has had to move ahead and take measures. It has no other option. With such incidents, a career at sea is losing its charm for Indians. The crew are refusing to sail. So India had to join other nations to fight this menace," says Shashank Kulkarni.
So, Indian warships have joined ships from at least eight countries now operating in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
The hijackings off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden - an area of more than 1m sq miles (2.6m sq km) - make up one-third of all global piracy incidents this year, according the International Maritime Board.
More than 90 ships have been hijacked off Somalia this year.
It is a battle which India's traders cannot afford to lose.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7737084.stm
About a week ago, an Indian cargo ship sailing in the Gulf of Aden spotted a pirate vessel operating off the coast of Somalia.
The captain of the ship sent out a SOS to the INS Tabar, a state-of-the-art Russian built Indian naval warship which has been patrolling waters in the region to combat the pirate menace.
The warship responded by sending out a helicopter to the area, which chased away the pirate vessel.
A similar incident happened on Wednesday, when an Indian navy warship destroyed a suspected Somali pirate vessel after it came under attack in the same area.
Shashank Kulkarni, secretary general of the Indian National Ship Owners Association (Insa) says that there is now no doubt that Indian-owned cargo ships are coming under increasing danger from pirates operating in the region.
There is also no doubt that the government is taking the menace of high sea piracy in the Gulf of Aden seriously.
So far, in the Indian public imagination, piracy has been synonymous with river pirates who have kidnapped and looted small fishing boats for paltry ransoms and goods in the Sundarbans region in eastern India for decades.
Spirited campaign
But the kidnapping of the Japanese-owned cargo ship MV Stolt Valor with 18 Indian crew members on 15 September off the Somali coast brought the country's attention to a bigger and more serious problem of piracy.
A spirited campaign was launched by Seema Goyal, wife of the ship's captain PK Goyal, who pressured the usually unresponsive government to secure the release of the crew members.
The fact that every detail of the whole drama was captured on 24/7 news television captivated the nation and no doubt played its part in making the government act.
Ms Goyal's relentless pressure appeared to have forced the government to deploy warships in the Gulf of Aden to prevent pirate attacks and secure her husband's ship.
Over the weekend the crew members were released by the pirates - local media reports said a large ransom had been paid by the Japanese ship-owners, though the owners did not confirm this.
There have been rising concerns in the local shipping industry that Indian crew members - who comprise a sixth of the world's maritime crews - may now be reluctant to sail in the Gulf of Aden after the recent rises in piracy in that area.
In September, the crew of an Indian-owned cargo ship carrying aviation turbine fuel from Kuwait to London refused to sail because of security concerns.
Senior shipping officials tried to get the crew to change their mind, but they were not to be persuaded, pointing to the "war like situation in the Gulf of Aden".
Finally, the crew agreed to sail after they were promised an "extra bonus" for the journey.
India has now, clearly, decided that it cannot take chances with its cargo ships travelling through Gulf of Aden.
Some 25 Indian-owned ships a month sail through the route, carrying around $100bn of India's sea trade.
One of the main commodities is precious crude oil usually heading from the Arabian gulf to the western coast of India - India imports 70% of its oil. Heavy machinery comprises the other major cargo flow through the route.
Larger interest
India has a larger interest in ensuring the protection of even non-Indian owned cargo ships on the route - because 85% of India's sea trade on the route is carried by foreign-owned ships.
Around a third of India's total fleet of 900 cargo ships deployed in international waters are at risk on the route.
That is possibly why the navy says that the INS Tabar has safely escorted some 35 ships, including a number of foreign-owned ones, during transit through Gulf of Aden.
The navy also claims that the warship has "prevented two hijacking attempts" last week.
"India has had to move ahead and take measures. It has no other option. With such incidents, a career at sea is losing its charm for Indians. The crew are refusing to sail. So India had to join other nations to fight this menace," says Shashank Kulkarni.
So, Indian warships have joined ships from at least eight countries now operating in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
The hijackings off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden - an area of more than 1m sq miles (2.6m sq km) - make up one-third of all global piracy incidents this year, according the International Maritime Board.
More than 90 ships have been hijacked off Somalia this year.
It is a battle which India's traders cannot afford to lose.
Re: INS Tabar nails pirate ship (sort of)
I think GoI should deploy an additional warship just in case, until the international community reacts by placing a UN styled force to combat piracy.
Just afraid that this might ensue into a USS Cole like incident.
Just afraid that this might ensue into a USS Cole like incident.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Ok janta, rediff has some pics.
slideshow link
Shows the speedboats the pirates escape in, no pic of the other ship sadly. Also the hand weapons the pirates use (Russian weaponry).
Ensoi.
slideshow link
Shows the speedboats the pirates escape in, no pic of the other ship sadly. Also the hand weapons the pirates use (Russian weaponry).
Ensoi.
Last edited by vsudhir on 19 Nov 2008 21:09, edited 1 time in total.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
reinforcements in the form of a couple of OPVs with a strong force of marcos and zodiac
boats need to be sent, and a couple helicopters ofcourse. this is the kind of role a naval
dhruv would do efficiently while a lumbering sea king or NH90 is overkill.
ideally ofcourse the Trenton could be the 'mothership' of IN ... no news of trenton lately.
boats need to be sent, and a couple helicopters ofcourse. this is the kind of role a naval
dhruv would do efficiently while a lumbering sea king or NH90 is overkill.
ideally ofcourse the Trenton could be the 'mothership' of IN ... no news of trenton lately.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Indian Navy sinks a pirate vessel, big blow for the brigands
Wednesday 19 November, 2008
An Indian naval frigate sunk a pirate vessel after repulsing an attack in the Gulf of Aden in a significant blow to the sea brigands at the heart of their operations in a third successive strike in as many weeks.
The success for INS Tabar to neutralise rising sea piracy off Somalia came in the first major offensive from among dozens of warships from several countries protecting shipping lanes in the area when it destroyed the 'mother ship' of a group of pirates after a fierce battle on Tuesday.
The pro-active operation from the Indian Navy comes a week after it saved two merchant vessels one from India and other from Saudi Arabia from being hijacked by sea pirates on 11th Nov in the Gulf of Aden near the Horn of Africa.
The Navy said the stealth frigate, currently deployed there for anti-piracy surveillance and patrol operations, successfully took on the pirates on Tuesday evening, 285 nautical miles south west off Salalah in Oman.
The frigate was deployed for the anti-piracy mission since 2nd November.
INS Tabar encountered the pirates' mother ship with two speed boats in tow and there were about 20 pirates on board the ship, it is learnt.
Pirates use mother ships, generally hijacked trawlers, to tow speedboats from which they launch their attacks.
They are also loaded with food, diesel and water.
"This pirate vessel was similar in description to the 'Mother Vessel' mentioned in various piracy bulletins. INS Tabar closed in on the vessel and asked her to stop for investigation," a Navy spokesperson said in New Delhi on Wednesday.
But the pirates threatened to blow up the warship if it sailed closer to their mother ship, despite repeated calls from INS Tabar to stop and let the Navy personnel to inspect the ship, he said.
The Navy noticed that pirates were roaming on the upper deck of the vessel with guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers in hand, and they continued the threats and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar.
In their retaliatory action in "self-defence," INS Tabar opened fire on the mother vessel of the pirates. "As a result of INS Tabar's guns booming, fire broke out on the pirate vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored on the vessel," he said.
Almost simultaneously, Indian Navy said, two speed boats were observed breaking off to escape.
The ship chased the first boat, which was later found abandoned. The other boat made good its escape into darkness, he added.
While some of the pirates could have escaped in the speed boats, a few on board the destroyed mother ship perished, he said.
The incident came as shipping groups reported a new surge in hijackings off Somalia and the International Maritime Bureau said pirates based in the lawless African nation were now "out of control".
INS Tabar was deployed on anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden since 2nd November.
Western Naval Command has been controlling the anti-piracy operation since 23rd October when the government ordered the Navy to deploy a warship in Gulf of Aden with the mandate to save Indian merchant vessels distressed by pirates.
Since deployment, INS Tabar has successfully escorted 35 ships, including a number of foreign-flagged vessels on receiving their request, safely during their transit through pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden.
It also threw back pirates, who attempted to hijack an Indian and a Saudi vessels on 11th November and accompanied the two merchant ships to safety.
The Indian action against pirates comes days after the release after the Japanese ship M V Stolt Valor with 18 Indian crew members hijacked from Gulf of Aden by Somalian pirates on 15th September.
Wednesday 19 November, 2008
An Indian naval frigate sunk a pirate vessel after repulsing an attack in the Gulf of Aden in a significant blow to the sea brigands at the heart of their operations in a third successive strike in as many weeks.
The success for INS Tabar to neutralise rising sea piracy off Somalia came in the first major offensive from among dozens of warships from several countries protecting shipping lanes in the area when it destroyed the 'mother ship' of a group of pirates after a fierce battle on Tuesday.
The pro-active operation from the Indian Navy comes a week after it saved two merchant vessels one from India and other from Saudi Arabia from being hijacked by sea pirates on 11th Nov in the Gulf of Aden near the Horn of Africa.
The Navy said the stealth frigate, currently deployed there for anti-piracy surveillance and patrol operations, successfully took on the pirates on Tuesday evening, 285 nautical miles south west off Salalah in Oman.
The frigate was deployed for the anti-piracy mission since 2nd November.
INS Tabar encountered the pirates' mother ship with two speed boats in tow and there were about 20 pirates on board the ship, it is learnt.
Pirates use mother ships, generally hijacked trawlers, to tow speedboats from which they launch their attacks.
They are also loaded with food, diesel and water.
"This pirate vessel was similar in description to the 'Mother Vessel' mentioned in various piracy bulletins. INS Tabar closed in on the vessel and asked her to stop for investigation," a Navy spokesperson said in New Delhi on Wednesday.
But the pirates threatened to blow up the warship if it sailed closer to their mother ship, despite repeated calls from INS Tabar to stop and let the Navy personnel to inspect the ship, he said.
The Navy noticed that pirates were roaming on the upper deck of the vessel with guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers in hand, and they continued the threats and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar.
In their retaliatory action in "self-defence," INS Tabar opened fire on the mother vessel of the pirates. "As a result of INS Tabar's guns booming, fire broke out on the pirate vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored on the vessel," he said.
Almost simultaneously, Indian Navy said, two speed boats were observed breaking off to escape.
The ship chased the first boat, which was later found abandoned. The other boat made good its escape into darkness, he added.
While some of the pirates could have escaped in the speed boats, a few on board the destroyed mother ship perished, he said.
The incident came as shipping groups reported a new surge in hijackings off Somalia and the International Maritime Bureau said pirates based in the lawless African nation were now "out of control".
INS Tabar was deployed on anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden since 2nd November.
Western Naval Command has been controlling the anti-piracy operation since 23rd October when the government ordered the Navy to deploy a warship in Gulf of Aden with the mandate to save Indian merchant vessels distressed by pirates.
Since deployment, INS Tabar has successfully escorted 35 ships, including a number of foreign-flagged vessels on receiving their request, safely during their transit through pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden.
It also threw back pirates, who attempted to hijack an Indian and a Saudi vessels on 11th November and accompanied the two merchant ships to safety.
The Indian action against pirates comes days after the release after the Japanese ship M V Stolt Valor with 18 Indian crew members hijacked from Gulf of Aden by Somalian pirates on 15th September.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Indian Frigate 1, Pirate 'Mother Ship' 0
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/11/i ... igate.html
CSM article: India destroys Pirate Ship off Somalia
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1119/p99s01-duts.html
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/11/i ... igate.html
CSM article: India destroys Pirate Ship off Somalia
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1119/p99s01-duts.html
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Other Asian countries are planning to add their ships to fight piracy too. I just read that the South Koreans and the Japanese are both considering to send out a destroyer or cruiser to help fend off pirates from their merchant ships.
I think however that the world needs to take a more aggressive role. They need to have decoy merchant vessels with two dozen armed commando's sailing up and down the Somali coast and the Gulf of Eden waiting to be attacked. Once the pirates board the ship, they should be killed. Two or three of these decoy vessels will seriously hurt the pirate business as the body count goes up.
I think however that the world needs to take a more aggressive role. They need to have decoy merchant vessels with two dozen armed commando's sailing up and down the Somali coast and the Gulf of Eden waiting to be attacked. Once the pirates board the ship, they should be killed. Two or three of these decoy vessels will seriously hurt the pirate business as the body count goes up.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
thats a pretty good idea. and no risk to civilian crewmen either.
but the danger is the pirates have 200+ hostages today and might start
shooting them.
but the danger is the pirates have 200+ hostages today and might start
shooting them.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
check out the link at the bottom of the article.harbans wrote:Indian Frigate 1, Pirate 'Mother Ship' 0
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/11/i ... igate.html
[Photo: B-R; arrrrr! MC]
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
check out the link at the bottom of the article.
Thanks, just did. Looks BR is being used as a ready reference. But are there any Copyright issues involved in plucking photographs and using them?
Thanks, just did. Looks BR is being used as a ready reference. But are there any Copyright issues involved in plucking photographs and using them?
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 186821.ece
Indian Navy sinks pirate mothership during bold stand-off in Gulf of Aden
Some comments from the article above..
Indian Navy sinks pirate mothership during bold stand-off in Gulf of Aden
Some comments from the article above..
Where do I sign up for the Indian Navy?
Charles, Minnesota, USA
Great news for freedom and commerce! A larger Indian naval presence is much preferable to a larger Chinese or Russian naval presence. Let us increase cooperation between the US and Indian navies. A democratic India is much more trustworthy than the ruthless Chinese and Russian oligarchies.
carl, Clive, IA, USA
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
This news has made it to headline the Yahoo page here in Massaland. http://www.yahoo.com/. Dont know how long it would stay there though...
And no longer any doubt about sinking the ship.
Looks like the world is cheering on the good guys - us.
-- Jayram
And no longer any doubt about sinking the ship.
Looks like the world is cheering on the good guys - us.
-- Jayram
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Congrats to the Nausena! Operations like this will remind the people that the armed forces are there to protect their freedom away from own soil!
Trivia junkie in me asks is the first time since '71 we have sunk another vessel in anger? Did we strike any LTTE boats in Op Pawan?
Trivia junkie in me asks is the first time since '71 we have sunk another vessel in anger? Did we strike any LTTE boats in Op Pawan?
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
The news is getting a l-o-t of coverage. One reason is that the west
(or the western shipping cos) want(s) to propagate this news to ward
off would be pirates.
(or the western shipping cos) want(s) to propagate this news to ward
off would be pirates.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Marcos (called IMSF back then iirc) blew up LTTE craft in their docks after infiltrating in rafts...Lt. Arvind Singh got the MVC during one of those actions.Aditya G wrote:Congrats to the Nausena! Operations like this will remind the people that the armed forces are there to protect their freedom away from own soil!
Trivia junkie in me asks is the first time since '71 we have sunk another vessel in anger? Did we strike any LTTE boats in Op Pawan?
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Indian Navy Destroys Pirate Ship in Gulf of Aden
Jai Hind!..compared to other navies patrolling the pirate-infested water, India's warships are showing no hesitation in opening fire to thwart hijackings and protect their national interests beyond its shores.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Let Somali pirates steal a big one and then make Somalia become our new Pokhran !! This will be very satisfying for some of our strategic planners.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Great going IN, you have done us proud!
Following is a link to the lifestyle that piracy brings to the Somalis. Helpful in understanding their psyche.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11 ... index.html
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Somalia's increasingly brazen pirates are building sprawling stone houses, cruising in luxury cars, marrying beautiful women -- even hiring caterers to prepare Western-style food for their hostages.
And in an impoverished country where every public institution has crumbled, they have become heroes in the steamy coastal dens they operate from because they are the only real business in town.
"The pirates depend on us, and we benefit from them," said Sahra Sheik Dahir, a shop owner in Haradhere, the nearest village to where a hijacked Saudi Arabian supertanker carrying $100 million in crude was anchored Wednesday.
These boomtowns are all the more shocking in light of Somalia's violence and poverty: Radical Islamists control most of the country's south, meting out lashings and stonings for accused criminals. There has been no effective central government in nearly 20 years, plunging this arid African country into chaos.
Life expectancy is just 46 years; a quarter of children die before they reach 5.
But in northern coastal towns like Haradhere, Eyl and Bossaso, the pirate economy is thriving thanks to the money pouring in from pirate ransoms that have reached $30 million this year alone.
In Haradhere, residents came out in droves to celebrate as the looming oil ship came into focus this week off the country's lawless coast. Businessmen started gathering cigarettes, food and cold glass bottles of orange soda, setting up small kiosks for the pirates who come to shore to re-supply almost daily.
Dahir said she is so confident in the pirates, she instituted a layaway plan just for them.
"They always take things without paying and we put them into the book of debts," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "Later, when they get the ransom money, they pay us a lot."
For Somalis, the simple fact that pirates offer jobs is enough to gain their esteem, even as hostages languish on ships for months. The population makes sure the pirates are well-stocked in qat, a popular narcotic leaf, and offer support from the ground even as the international community tries to quash them.
"Regardless of how the money is coming in, legally or illegally, I can say it has started a life in our town," said Shamso Moalim, a 36-year-old mother of five in Haradhere.
"Our children are not worrying about food now, and they go to Islamic schools in the morning and play soccer in the afternoon. They are happy."
Despite a beefed-up international presence, the pirates continue to seize ships, moving further out to sea and demanding ever-larger ransoms. The pirates operate mostly from the semiautonomous Puntland region, where local lawmakers have been accused of helping the pirates and taking a cut of the ransoms.
For the most part, however, the regional officials say they have no power to stop piracy.
Meanwhile, towns that once were eroded by years of poverty and chaos are now bustling with restaurants, Land Cruisers and Internet cafes. Residents also use their gains to buy generators -- allowing full days of electricity, once an unimaginable luxury in Somalia.
There are no reliable estimates of the number of pirates operating in Somalia, but they must number in the thousands. And though the bandits do sometimes get nabbed, piracy is generally considered a sure bet to a better life.
NATO and the U.S. Navy say they can't be everywhere, and American officials are urging ships to hire private security. Warships patrolling off Somalia have succeeded in stopping some pirate attacks. But military assaults to wrest back a ship are highly risky and, up to now, uncommon.
The attackers generally treat their hostages well in anticipation of a big payday, hiring caterers on shore to cook spaghetti, grilled fish and roasted meat that will appeal to a Western palate. They also keep a steady supply of cigarettes and drinks from the shops on shore.
And when the payday comes, the money sometimes literally falls from the sky.
Pirates say the ransom arrives in burlap sacks, sometimes dropped from buzzing helicopters, or in waterproof suitcases loaded onto tiny skiffs in the roiling, shark-infested sea.
"The oldest man on the ship always takes the responsibility of collecting the money, because we see it as very risky, and he gets some extra payment for his service later," Aden Yusuf, a pirate in Eyl, told AP over VHF radio.
The pirates use money-counting machines -- the same technology seen at foreign exchange bureaus worldwide -- to ensure the cash is real. All payments are done in cash because Somalia, a failed state, has no functioning banking system.
"Getting this equipment is easy for us, we have business connections with people in Dubai, Nairobi, Djibouti and other areas," Yusuf said. "So we send them money and they send us what we want."
Following is a link to the lifestyle that piracy brings to the Somalis. Helpful in understanding their psyche.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11 ... index.html
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Somalia's increasingly brazen pirates are building sprawling stone houses, cruising in luxury cars, marrying beautiful women -- even hiring caterers to prepare Western-style food for their hostages.
And in an impoverished country where every public institution has crumbled, they have become heroes in the steamy coastal dens they operate from because they are the only real business in town.
"The pirates depend on us, and we benefit from them," said Sahra Sheik Dahir, a shop owner in Haradhere, the nearest village to where a hijacked Saudi Arabian supertanker carrying $100 million in crude was anchored Wednesday.
These boomtowns are all the more shocking in light of Somalia's violence and poverty: Radical Islamists control most of the country's south, meting out lashings and stonings for accused criminals. There has been no effective central government in nearly 20 years, plunging this arid African country into chaos.
Life expectancy is just 46 years; a quarter of children die before they reach 5.
But in northern coastal towns like Haradhere, Eyl and Bossaso, the pirate economy is thriving thanks to the money pouring in from pirate ransoms that have reached $30 million this year alone.
In Haradhere, residents came out in droves to celebrate as the looming oil ship came into focus this week off the country's lawless coast. Businessmen started gathering cigarettes, food and cold glass bottles of orange soda, setting up small kiosks for the pirates who come to shore to re-supply almost daily.
Dahir said she is so confident in the pirates, she instituted a layaway plan just for them.
"They always take things without paying and we put them into the book of debts," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "Later, when they get the ransom money, they pay us a lot."
For Somalis, the simple fact that pirates offer jobs is enough to gain their esteem, even as hostages languish on ships for months. The population makes sure the pirates are well-stocked in qat, a popular narcotic leaf, and offer support from the ground even as the international community tries to quash them.
"Regardless of how the money is coming in, legally or illegally, I can say it has started a life in our town," said Shamso Moalim, a 36-year-old mother of five in Haradhere.
"Our children are not worrying about food now, and they go to Islamic schools in the morning and play soccer in the afternoon. They are happy."
Despite a beefed-up international presence, the pirates continue to seize ships, moving further out to sea and demanding ever-larger ransoms. The pirates operate mostly from the semiautonomous Puntland region, where local lawmakers have been accused of helping the pirates and taking a cut of the ransoms.
For the most part, however, the regional officials say they have no power to stop piracy.
Meanwhile, towns that once were eroded by years of poverty and chaos are now bustling with restaurants, Land Cruisers and Internet cafes. Residents also use their gains to buy generators -- allowing full days of electricity, once an unimaginable luxury in Somalia.
There are no reliable estimates of the number of pirates operating in Somalia, but they must number in the thousands. And though the bandits do sometimes get nabbed, piracy is generally considered a sure bet to a better life.
NATO and the U.S. Navy say they can't be everywhere, and American officials are urging ships to hire private security. Warships patrolling off Somalia have succeeded in stopping some pirate attacks. But military assaults to wrest back a ship are highly risky and, up to now, uncommon.
The attackers generally treat their hostages well in anticipation of a big payday, hiring caterers on shore to cook spaghetti, grilled fish and roasted meat that will appeal to a Western palate. They also keep a steady supply of cigarettes and drinks from the shops on shore.
And when the payday comes, the money sometimes literally falls from the sky.
Pirates say the ransom arrives in burlap sacks, sometimes dropped from buzzing helicopters, or in waterproof suitcases loaded onto tiny skiffs in the roiling, shark-infested sea.
"The oldest man on the ship always takes the responsibility of collecting the money, because we see it as very risky, and he gets some extra payment for his service later," Aden Yusuf, a pirate in Eyl, told AP over VHF radio.
The pirates use money-counting machines -- the same technology seen at foreign exchange bureaus worldwide -- to ensure the cash is real. All payments are done in cash because Somalia, a failed state, has no functioning banking system.
"Getting this equipment is easy for us, we have business connections with people in Dubai, Nairobi, Djibouti and other areas," Yusuf said. "So we send them money and they send us what we want."
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
sooner or later the whole world will unite and take action against those pirates in an organized manner. We should take a lead and time is now . they are every country's enemy. its a good way of showing the naval might without hurting any country. we need to be more aggressive , we need more presence and more examples like this recent operation.
if we sink enough of these pirate ships then the piracy will go down and the success will be attributed to us.
i am in support of what we are doing now, we are showing the willingness to use power, we need to show more political willingness too.
if we sink enough of these pirate ships then the piracy will go down and the success will be attributed to us.
i am in support of what we are doing now, we are showing the willingness to use power, we need to show more political willingness too.
Last edited by vdutta on 20 Nov 2008 00:28, edited 1 time in total.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Take out the infrastructure. Then go after the pirates. :Edited as per mod instructions: Simply no mercy 
Last edited by vavinash on 20 Nov 2008 01:57, edited 1 time in total.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
^^^
Enough of this !
this is still BRF and such comments are not welcome. get your act in order.
Enough of this !
this is still BRF and such comments are not welcome. get your act in order.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/gunboa ... 42557.html
wonder what was the original destination ?US warships are monitoring the Ukrainian-flagged merchant ship Faina, loaded with tanks and other weapons and still under the control of Somali pirates who seized it in September. Lieutenant Christensen did not expect warships to monitor the recently seized boats.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Qat/Khat might be responsible for making pirates of aforementioned mother ship to mistake INS Tabar for helpless merchantman (or maybe like some of the people from Florida who responded to the timesonline article, they didnt know that India even had a Navy!)Ameet wrote:The population makes sure the pirates are well-stocked in qat, a popular narcotic leaf, and offer support from the ground even as the international community tries to quash them.
During the Blackhawk down episode US troops were amazed when young somali men would simply come at them in droves even without weapons despite their numbers being mowed down by machine gun fire from troops and little birds till they realized that all of those fighters chew khat and experience a few hours of khat high at a certain time each day, at which time the have no fear as they are completely stoned out of their minds.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Regardless of who does what next, it is Indian Navy’s cojones that will be credited. So I agree that we should take the lead now, bulk up our presence and press the advantage. There is little to lose. If some IN ships pay a friendly visit to these Somalian “home ports” and enforce an effective blockade, where would the pirates go for supplies and how will they enjoy their large stone houses, nice cars and beautiful wives? The Somali “government” is hardly in a position to refuse permission for such a visit?
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
I agree this is a golden opportunity to take charge of a multi-national effort and that too in an area where we have supreme interests. Definitely a must-have experience for a superpower-in-training. US Navy for example, has not been that active going by its deeds (plus American interests are not adversely affected).....IN should step in to fill this void and build some goodwill and more importantly reputation amongst nations in this region...ofcourse all is in the hands of Allah and our esteemed politicians 
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Kenya. Or should I say... Kenya?Rahul M wrote:http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/gunboa ... 42557.htmlwonder what was the original destination ?US warships are monitoring the Ukrainian-flagged merchant ship Faina, loaded with tanks and other weapons and still under the control of Somali pirates who seized it in September. Lieutenant Christensen did not expect warships to monitor the recently seized boats.
http://www.economist.com/world/mideast- ... d=12381465
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Guru log, a simple newbie question onlee.
For such actions, how is the chain of command like? How much control does a ruling government have on such actions? Can a warship take independent decisions to attack or not attack a pirate ship, or does it have to wait for some kind of permission/order from New Delhi?
For such actions, how is the chain of command like? How much control does a ruling government have on such actions? Can a warship take independent decisions to attack or not attack a pirate ship, or does it have to wait for some kind of permission/order from New Delhi?
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
RoE are established between IN, MoD and MEA(guess) before the ships sail off.
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Wow ! Great News ! Good job naval guys ! Keep going !
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Proud of IN. Just one little logical consequence........pirates might hurt or kill Indian nationals amongst hostages. I think US and Russkies are doing the same but without publicizing it.JMT
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Something that needs to be highlighted more is its happening in "Indian Ocean", our backyard.
Also, do we need such heavy ships for pirates? I know its outside our maritime borders or Extended Economic Zone, but would have been nice if it were delegated to Indian Coast Gaurd.
If we can base a few vessels in middle eastern ports and let them handle these guys, that would be awesome!
Also, do we need such heavy ships for pirates? I know its outside our maritime borders or Extended Economic Zone, but would have been nice if it were delegated to Indian Coast Gaurd.
If we can base a few vessels in middle eastern ports and let them handle these guys, that would be awesome!
Re: INS Tabar destroys pirate mothership
Dead hostages are no good to pirates...bad for business. They are not feeding their hostages grilled meat and what not out of hospitality....healthy hostages means healthy ransoms. Moreover killing hostages means you have crossed the sacred line and anything goes after that in terms of retaliation.Unlike PLO/HuM types who take hostages to prove some demented point, the pirates are more like kidnappers who take hostages as a form of currency.rsingh wrote:Proud of IN. Just one little logical consequence........pirates might hurt or kill Indian nationals amongst hostages. I think US and Russkies are doing the same but without publicizing it.JMT