Somali troops free cargo ship held for 5 days

Mon Oct 13, 2008 12:28 PM EDT

MOGADISHU — Soldiers of a regional government, with guns blazing, freed a Panama-flagged cargo ship Tuesday that pirates had held off the Somali coast for five days, according to an official from the region.

Also Tuesday, other pirates failed to act on their threat to blow up a Ukrainian ship laden with weapons that has been held for nearly three weeks, a U.S. military spokesman said.

The Panamanian-flagged vessel and its 11 crew members — nine Syrians and two Somalis — were freed after a gunbattle in which one soldier was killed and three wounded, said Deputy Seaport Minister Abdiqadir Muse Geele. No hostages or pirates were hurt, Geele said.

The 10 pirates who had held the ship since Thursday surrendered when they ran out of ammunition, said Geele, a deputy minister in the government of the northern Somalia semiautonomous region of Puntland.

Pirates had threatened to destroy Ukrainian ship by early Tuesday unless ransom was paid. But the U.S. Navy said the deadline passed without incident.

The MV Faina, carrying a crew of 20 and a cargo of heavy weapons, is still in one piece, said Lt. Stephanie Murdock, a spokeswoman for the 5th Fleet in Bahrain.

American warships continue to monitor the Faina, which is docked near the Somali port of Hobyo, Murdock said.

A spokesman for the pirates said Monday they were considering extending the deadline. They have held the ship and its crew for almost three weeks.

Pirates have seized more than two dozen ships this year off Somalia's coast.

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1.0

0.5

{"commentId":3460646,"authorDomain":"sgreenway"}

BAjunkie

Wait.. this is still going on? WTF is the Ukraine doing? These guys are in a frikkin 16 foot dingy! Is it really that difficult to take these guys out?

{"commentId":3460646,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"sgreenway"}

1 vote

#1 - Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:09 PM EDT

{"commentId":3461125,"authorDomain":"caltha-palustris"}

caltha-palustris

a skiff...with what looks like, and perhaps a knock-off equivalent of, a single Mercury or Evinrude outboard (hard to tell from the picture, could be two outboards)...stay tuned.

{"commentId":3461125,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"caltha-palustris"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:39 PM EDT

{"commentId":3462076,"authorDomain":"sgreenway"}

BAjunkie

Ukraine's government says it is against using force in the dispute, but as a matter of policy it will not negotiate with terrorists.

Umm.. correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those pretty much the only 2 options? So this means they are pretty much saying 'We're not going to pay your ransom, you're going to give us our ship back. But we're not going to make you.' This seems to be the least thought through situation in at least a week or two.

{"commentId":3462076,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"sgreenway"}

#1.2 - Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:31 PM EDT

{"commentId":3461046,"authorDomain":"drdave"}

Dave Lindsay

More importantly, the pirates have a spokesman (see photo caption)

{"commentId":3461046,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"drdave"}

1 vote

#2 - Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:35 PM EDT

{"commentId":3461730,"authorDomain":"ostrichstealth"}

MrCerebellum

Where's the long beard, peg legs, swash buckle swords, and shoulder parrots?

I miss the old pirates.

{"commentId":3461730,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"ostrichstealth"}

#3 - Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:13 PM EDT

{"commentId":3461969,"authorDomain":"arking"}

Mark-437009

I love how they call the guy a "pirate spokesman"

{"commentId":3461969,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"arking"}

2 votes

#4 - Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:26 PM EDT

{"commentId":3462400,"authorDomain":"steelerdog"}

Fred-256289

If they're close enough to photograph, then I think they're close enough to eat a couple thousand rounds.

{"commentId":3462400,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"steelerdog"}

#5 - Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:46 PM EDT

{"commentId":3462634,"authorDomain":"roadlesstraveled"}

roadlesstraveled

This amazes me!! Any military could blast these guys into oblivion, whats the hold up?? Wow, sounds like new world order!!!

What is wrong with the governments around this planet? The bad people get rewarded because of their dangerous line of work? This kind of stuff is happening all over this planet!

Just like the innocent business owner wanting a remodel who had to pay the remodeler because the he was in bankruptcy and a judge decided the re-modeler/thief needed restitution? (thief/remodeler was paid by businees owner but never did the work for him)

Don't world leaders realize that the rules they created for themselves so that they cant get into trouble are the same rules that let this kind of thing happen to innocent people? Bad guy gets away with it because then the laws would turn against the very gov that put them in place....bad go free do to Gov. red tape!!!!!!!!!!!

What the Heck!!!

{"commentId":3462634,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"roadlesstraveled"}

#6 - Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:55 PM EDT

{"commentId":3469154,"authorDomain":"nvdirtbiker"}

rightytighty

I am surprised at the relatives comments, particularly the mother who says "they are talking arms here, but I have a son there", in the context of "just pay the ransom". Are completely stupid? Pay them? What is to stop them from hijacking ANOTHER russian ship then? And what about those arms? If they fall into the wrong hands, how many mothers will lose sons then?

I do however, see some logic in this long, drawn out process. imagine the pirates contemplating seizing another russian vessel..."oh Umbutu, hijack another Russian frieghter? Are you crazy? remember what a pain in the ass the last one was?" I beleive if we a) make it a royal pain and b) then blow thier asses out of the water, will they begin to understand it simply isnt worth the effort. BLOW THE DAMN SHIP UP AFTER WE ARE DONE TOYING WITH THEM.

{"commentId":3469154,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"nvdirtbiker"}

#7 - Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:00 PM EDT

{"commentId":3470889,"authorDomain":"macancon"}

The Original Mac

man, glad to see we aint the only cluster f*%#@ nation on the planet.

{"commentId":3470889,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"macancon"}

#8 - Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:36 AM EDT

{"commentId":3487950,"authorDomain":"swcity"}

swcity

ok, ok,, McCain called,, said pay the ransom, the money isn`t worth the paper it is printed on,, then after they exit the ship,, after they get 100 yards away,, bring in an f-15 strike eagle--

{"commentId":3487950,"threadId":"387254","contentId":"1992942","authorDomain":"swcity"}

1 vote

#9 - Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:52 AM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"387254","isPrivate":false}

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Somali troops free cargo ship held for 5 days

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