NORFOLK
In just two weeks, a new U.S. Navy anti-piracy effort has picked up a pair of allies - the weather and a nation willing to accept captured pirates.
Choppy seas have discouraged piracy attempts since the Navy established the force, known as Combined Task Force 151, two weeks ago. The U.S. also has reached a preliminary agreement with Kenya to accept captured pirates, said Rear Adm. Terry McKnight, commander of the task force.
The Navy established the task force as piracy attempts in the Gulf of Aden continued to grow and Chinese and Russian navy ships moved to guard merchant vessels.
The U.S. task force is coordinating efforts with 14 nations, said McKnight, a Norfolk native in charge of both the force and Norfolk-based Expeditionary Strike Group Two. The navies have established a corridor along the Gulf of Aden to make it easier to protect merchant ships, he said.
Piracy attacks rose at an unprecedented rate in 2008, according to an annual report issued last week by the International Maritime Bureau. Reported incidents grew 11 percent, to 263 worldwide.
More than one-third of the attacks occurred in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia. The incidents peaked with 19 attacks in September, including the high-profile seizure of a Ukrainian freighter ship carrying weapons. That ship is still being held by pirates waiting for their ransom demands to be met.
The Navy's new task force is operating with the amphibious ship San Antonio and destroyer Mahan, both based at Norfolk Naval Station.
On Monday, the San Antonio's crew discovered artillery shells aboard an Iranian charter boat in the Red Sea, according to CBS News, raising concerns about the intended recipient of the munitions. Navy officials requested assistance from Egypt to perform another search of the ship, according to reports from CBS and The Associated Press.
A Navy spokesman declined to comment on the report.
The anti-piracy operation is being coordinated from the San Antonio, which is making its maiden voyage. The ship spent a month in the shipyard in Bahrain to fix oil leaks shortly into its deployment.
McKnight said the ship's communications systems, helicopter air wing and Marines make it an ideal ship to command anti-piracy operations. The ship also includes a Coast Guard law enforcement unit and a Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent to collect and preserve evidence to be used against suspected pirates.
"It's really a law enforcement operation," he said.
McKnight has been meeting with European navy officers to coordinate efforts. Kenyan assistance will be important, he added.
Captured pirates have often been released back to their native Somalia, where they face no punishment because the government has collapsed, he said. Kenya has agreed to a framework for holding suspects, and lawyers are working on the details.
The international cooperation has come about through common goals, he said. "We want free commerce throughout the world."
Louis Hansen, (757) 446-2322, louis.hansen@pilotonline.com
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Private security can't be used because...
Hey, CoolGuy:
The answer to your question is so simple...private security will do their jobs, they will send the pirates to the bottom. Remember the private security in Iraq and the stuff that hit the fan when they shot and killed 20 or so terrorists that attacked their convoy? That was a Virginia security company if I remember correctly; please correct me if I'm wrong.
Submitted by coolguy81 on Fri, 01/23/2009 at 9:47 am.
My tax dollars going to protect commerce in foreign waters. Nice.
Why not force these tankers to hire their own security teams? Malls, armored trucks, and superstars do, so why are we handing out the corporate welfare to shipping companies?
The importance of the Gulf of Aden
Many ships carrying American goods transit the Gulf of Aden. Cruise ships carrying American passengers transit the area too. The importance of keeping this area free from piracy should not be discounted. It IS an important region for the U.S. Navy to patrol.
Whenever a ship is attacked or captured out there, insurance rates go up on goods shipped at sea, thus increasing costs on items sold here in America. That is another reason why it is important for the Navy to patrol the region.
Once the pirates are caught in the act, they should be summarily shot and killed. Only through harsh punishment like that will the attacks stop.
From a Navy website
"Mission of the Navy
The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas."
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/organization/org-top.asp
These pirates are aggressors (terrorists) and are choking the freedom of the seas.
Barbary Coast
The Corsairs of the Mediteranean were Libyan military. The US attempted to control the Med. The Corsairs were too powerful. So, America made a treaty it broke and ambushed the Libyan fleet breaking the power of the Corsairs.
Since then the US has used its military to bully most of the world.
Piracy
Once again the US feels it has the right to police the world. America can stop piracy on the high seas yet it cannot stop piracy on Wall Street.
release the kracken
release the kracken
Pirates
When this nation was young, the Pirates of the Barbary Coast required Tribute to sail through the area they controlled.
We had to send Ships to capture the Pirates, and if I remember correctly the consequences for being a Pirate caught in the act, was to be hung from the Yard Arm!
This effective remedy should still apply today!
Law enforcement operation?
I totally agree with the comments that pirates caught in the act on the high seas should stay right there and become shark bait. Returning them to shore, even to a different country, only delays their next attack. Sadly however, as soon as one of our servicemen "solves the problem on the spot", he will soon be on trial for murder. We just don't get it.
Pirates in Rubber Boats?
How hard can it be to fight one? Put a few operators on merchant ships, and when the "pirates" approach, pop a LAW or AT4 at them.....
Foreign waters
Those foreign waters happen to be the access way to the Suez Canal. That's a critical route for international shipping and directly effects the US economy.
Pirates?
Arrrr. Prepare to be boarded.
AFRICA ???
Why is it the VP cannot figure out that Africa is not a country. Blacks all over America think Africa is a country. Does anyone know that it isn't ? Don't tell me that the Navy is going to Africa, tell me the country!! I don't care what continent the Navy is going to, I want to know what country !!
Woohoo
My tax dollars going to protect commerce in foreign waters. Nice.
Why not force these tankers to hire their own security teams? Malls, armored trucks, and superstars do, so why are we handing out the corporate welfare to shipping companies?
Rediculous in my opinion.
This isn't new
I was part of CTF151 during my 2005-2006 deployment, and we sat off the coast of Somalia most of the time conducting anti-piracy ops. In fact two of the US ships in our group were responsible for the capture of several pirates after a brief gun battle (nothing like pirates taking potshots at a cruiser with a rifle). The survivors were "guests" on our ship for almost a month before someone higher up sent us to Kenya to offload them for trial. So - none of this is new.
pirates
I agree with Marcusw; they should walk the plank and be marked off the roster.
Skip Sharp
piracy
This seems to be an easy one. We shouldn't burden any country with "caught" pirates. They deserve and should be drowned upon capture like the rats they are. period. No incarceration after the trial on board - they go overboard!
piracy
This seems to be an easy one. We shouldn't burden any country with "caught" pirates. They deserve and should be drowned upon capture like the rats they are. period. No incarceration after the trial on board - they go overboard!
It's finally,
ABOUT TIME.