Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 04/08/09
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AC, I don’t want this comment to be taken the wrong way, or that I am insensitive, but why don’t these companies STOP paying ransoms? Maybe a few people die, but if pirating is no longer financially rewarding than maybe it will stop?
I operated on U.S.S. Enterprise, with U.S.S. Long Beach and U.S.S. Bainbridge in 1962 – the first nuclear Task Force. The Bainbridge will be able to handle any situation that they encounter in the Indian Ocean.
Hopefully the Navy will rescue the captain and hang the pirates from the highest yardarm.
The good news is that these pirates have historically treated their hostages very well in hopes of getting a rich ransom. Let's hope that holds true for the captain.
More about Levi Johnston and the Palin's..now my night i complete! 🙂 haha!
Somalia has no central government and no economy.
Yes.
It baffles me that this small group of pirates (though heavily armed) can take over ships that quickly and effectively.
Thanks Erica Hill for the info
I have to agree with Maren in Oregon & Mike in Syracuse...why on *Earth* are these people unarmed?
I personally think that if you pay ransom to these "pirates" they will not have any reason to stop.
This pirate situation sounds like a job for Johnny Depp.
The Jeremy Pivens character is based on Rahm Emanuels brother...
Anderson, What is the Obama administration saying about this?
@ Maren in Oregon
Thank you for your comment.
I don't know what the defense should or could be...perhaps enlarge the Navy? Or use of technology? Air Power?
However, since they have accumulated millions from ransoms, they obviously can afford better ships and most importantly Weapons!
@Erica..wow, thats cool that we are allowed to text AC360..
We will found out if they rescued from Navy, I hope.
Pirates have in fact been a threat for several years. My dad was station in Dijbouti for Operation Iraqi Freedom and he said even then that modern day pirates were a big security threat for his ship. Not sure if they were Somali pirates in that instance.
Good Evening Bloggers Anderson great to have you back home
Those pirates are trying to push Obama and his level of expirence
So which of our allies is coming to our rescue?
hi, everyone. what a wild story today – and the twists and turns keep coming.
a reminder – AC mentioned this just before the break – you can now text us. here's the deal - text : AC, your name and question to 94553.
There have been several attacks by these pirates – one a Saudi Arabian ship I believe- I think this US ship was just another one of the hold-ups. According to the Dad of one of the crew members, the crew did have training combatting terrorists in these type of situations ( hear this on NPR this pm) so I am glad they put their training to good use. Now let's pray for the captain.
I don't judge people of their desired lifestyle. Only God may judge them. I may only shake my head aganist the desired lifestyle, so that I may keep my own soul intact with God.
Why were the crews not armed or ever armed during there times around the Somalia sea section.
I wonder what the pirates motives were to let the ship go but keep the captain....
Good evening Anderson, Erica, Ac360 crew and bloggers,
The Somali pirate attacks should be controlled, there is no seroius measures so far.
I understand our satellites can pick up a nickle on the sidewalk...Why don't we use our Satellites?
Somalia has no central government and no economy.
The presidensts favorit show is Entourage.....!!!!!!!!
How do these pirates actually start their kidnapping? They're sitting in a nut shell of a boat and then they stop a tanker? How? Can't the huge ship not plough through?
I kinda would like to meet pirates, just to see how they work.
21st century piracy isn't new. It's been going on for years in the Strait of Mullacca near Singapore.
So in Somalia the government hardly exist now-a-days.
It will be very interesting to see what Pres. Obama will have to say about this, and whether or not there will be US retaliation beyond a rescue effort?
I'm gonna guess Entourage...
@ Starr – if Somalia is as long as the US east coast, try to imagine how the US woud defend against pirates in that location. Then remembr how much more primitive the Somalis are. There just has to be a way to stop these people.
Anderson,
You asked a question about if the lifeboat has a motor. It does in fact have a motor which is required to operate for 24 hours at a speed of 6 knows.
If these ships go through such dangerous areas, why are they not armed? I haven't heard anyone answer this yet.
Hopefully after sunrise they can rescue the captain peacefully. What a scary situation.
Somalian pirates... whats next, Kenyan ninjas?
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the beginning of the civil war in this country in the 90s. This is not today, but almost nothing was done to resolve the issue.
What can nations (NATO members or not) do?
Careful, Maren from Oregon – just because people break the law, does not mean that they are primitive.
@ Joe Johns, excellent report!
I heard earlier today that the coast of Somalia is as long as our east coast! That's a lot of territory to cover.
I wonder if these guys are testing us to see how Obama will respond.
Isn't Somalia an open air arms market ?
It does not surprise me that the pirates
are well armed.
Hello, everyone! How can that even be possible, "pirates on deck"?
I've heard that these cargo ships are hiring private security as a precaution against this very type of threat. Anyone know anything about this?
Hi Anderson, Erica, everyone. Sounds the crew and the captain of this ship have both been resourceful in dealing with the pirates. But what did happen when crew retook the ship.
Good to know that the US navy's encounters w/ pirates have not been violent. Hard to believe that the captain and pirates are out on the open ocean in a lifeboat. Hope he is safely released and returned to his ship and crew.
Why would we have ships as contractors working for our country in dangerous foreign waters such as Somalia and not be armed, knowing that pirates are a very common threat?
I didn't realize the threat pirates still pose until a highly publicized attack last year. For some reason, I thought this form of organized crime was relegated to times past. Guess not...
where are these weapons coming from? don't tell me it's just the pirates pillaging.