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French Frigate Foils Attack, Captures Pirates

Reuters  |  Jan 2, 09 8:00 AM CST

(Newser) - A French warship nabbed a boat full of pirates in the Gulf of Aden today, responding to a distress call from a Panamanian vessel, Reuters reports. The pirates fled when they saw the French ship approach, but they later returned to try their luck with the ship again, and the frigate captured them. “Resistance was impossible when faced by a well-armed warship,” said a French armed forces spokesman. More »

Rivals Wary of China's New Sea Power

Christian Science Monitor  |  Dec 30, 08 8:25 PM CST

(Newser) - China's decision to flex its burgeoning naval muscles by sending two warships to patrol Somalia's pirate-infested waters has been met with equal parts thanks and worry from the international community, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The mission is China’s first outside of its own waters, and many are wondering what the country will do next with its growing sea power. More »

Chinese Set Sail to Join Fight Against Piracy

CNN  |  Dec 26, 08 6:29 AM CST

(Newser) - Chinese warships are leaving home waters today for the first time in centuries, heading to the Gulf of Aden on an anti-piracy mission, CNN reports. Two destroyers and a supply ship are setting out to protect Chinese vessels in response to soaring pirate attacks off Somalia. The warships will join a multinational naval group patrolling the Gulf. The mission will last as long as it’s needed, China says. More »

Pirate Hostages Brace for Christmas at Sea

CNN  |  Dec 24, 08 1:49 PM CST

(Newser) - More than 260 hostages will spend Christmas with pirates off Somalia’s coast, CNN reports. At least 14 vessels remain in pirate custody as a tumultuous year—with nearly 100 attacks on cargo ships, oil tankers, and yachts—nears its end. The EU, China, and Iran have stationed naval vessels in the Gulf of Aden, and some Europe-bound cargo has been rerouted around the African continent instead. More »

Pirates Step Up Attacks After UN OKs More Force

BBC  |  Dec 17, 08 10:10 AM CST

(Newser) - Pirates attacked more vessels off the coast of Somalia today despite a UN Security Council decision green-lighting foreign military forces to pursue them on land, reports the BBC. Four ships were attacked, and three—a tugboat, merchant ship, and private yacht—were being held by the pirates. A Chinese ship repulsed attackers until help arrived. More »

Indian Navy Seizes 23 Pirates, Arms, and Ammo

CNN  |  Dec 13, 08 5:08 PM CST

(Newser) - The Indian navy has arrested 23 Somali and Yemeni pirates who tried to capture an Ethiopian merchant vessel off the Somali coast, CNN reports. Officials, whose helicopter sent the pirates scurrying for cover today, also recovered seven AK-47 automatic rifles, rockets, grenade launchers, and a GPS receiver. Pirates have attacked nearly 100 vessels off Somali’s coast this year and hijacked almost 40. More »

Tired of Pirate Attacks? Time to Call Blackwater

American Spectator  |  Dec 11, 08 6:05 PM CST

(Newser) - Somali hijackers have free rein around the Horn of Africa, and neither the US nor any other nation has a prayer of stopping them with their ineffectual patrols. What to do? Call in the troops—or, more precisely, the fomer troops, writes Peter Hannaford in the American Spectator . Namely, Blackwater. Shipping nations have no choice now but to hire private escorts, and there's none better than the group known for its tough tactics in Iraq. More »

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