03 November 2011

Piracy 'delaying vital food aid from reaching Somalia' - CNN

Piracy 'delaying vital food aid from reaching Somalia' - CNN:

Piracy 'delaying vital food aid from reaching Somalia'
CNN
(CNN) -- Somali pirates are notorious for being behind a spate hijackings on the high seas but their activities have also exacerbated food shortages in the Horn of Africa, a senior official from the African Development Bank has said. ...

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Pirates seize oil tanker and kidnap crew near Nigeria - USA Today

Pirates seize oil tanker and kidnap crew near Nigeria - USA Today:

BBC News

Pirates seize oil tanker and kidnap crew near Nigeria
USA Today
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) – Pirates seized an oil tanker off the coast of Nigeria's southern delta, kidnapping the crew in a bid to steal ship's cargo in the latest hijacking targeting the region, private security officials said Thursday. ...
Nigeria pirates hijack MT Halifax oil tankerBBC News
Pirates Sieze Oil Tanker off NigeriaVoice of America (blog)

all 128 news articles »


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02 November 2011

UN Urging More Anti-Piracy Action Off African Coasts - Voice of America (blog)

UN Urging More Anti-Piracy Action Off African Coasts - Voice of America (blog):

UN News Centre

UN Urging More Anti-Piracy Action Off African Coasts
Voice of America (blog)
A senior UN official says that despite unprecedented efforts to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia, countries must do more to address the problem. Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs TayƩ-Brook Zerihoun told the Security Council ...
Current efforts to stem piracy off Somali coast must be strengthened – UN officialUN News Centre
Somali pirates inspire copycat attacks: UNMSN Philippines News

all 12 news articles »


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Somali pirates need jobs or jail, not ransom or death - Left Foot Forward

Somali pirates need jobs or jail, not ransom or death - Left Foot Forward:

Left Foot Forward

Somali pirates need jobs or jail, not ransom or death
Left Foot Forward
David Cameron's announcement that UK flagged merchant ships will be licenced to carry armed guards has been interpreted as tough action to take the fight to Somali pirates. But on its own, it's a move that could make a complex situation worse and put ...
You can shoot Somali piratesThe Sun
Somali piracy: UK merchant vessels to be armedLink2Portal
Armed guards on UK vessels to counter piracyFinancial Times
Reuters -The Maritime Executive
all 575 news articles »


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Somalia: Is Pirate Fishing the Cause of Piracy and Will the Gulf of Guinea ... - AllAfrica.com

Somalia: Is Pirate Fishing the Cause of Piracy and Will the Gulf of Guinea ... - AllAfrica.com:

Somalia: Is Pirate Fishing the Cause of Piracy and Will the Gulf of Guinea ...
AllAfrica.com
Last year London based international maritime organisations such as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Maritime Bureau (IMB) began to sound the alarm about the increasing threat of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, ...

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Ten Somali pirates sentenced to life imprisonment - gulfnews.com

Ten Somali pirates sentenced to life imprisonment - gulfnews.com:

Ten Somali pirates sentenced to life imprisonment
gulfnews.com
Muscat: The Appeal Court in Muscat has sent ten Somali pirates to prison for life imprisonment while handing down three-year jail to three others in a separate case, according to a press release by the Public Prosecution on Tuesday. ...

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Somali Pirates Hijack Greek Tanker, 22 Crew - Voice of America (blog)

Somali Pirates Hijack Greek Tanker, 22 Crew - Voice of America (blog):

Reuters Africa

Somali Pirates Hijack Greek Tanker, 22 Crew
Voice of America (blog)
Somali pirates have hijacked a Greek-owned vessel with 22 crew members on board and are taking the ship toward Somalia. The NATO Shipping Center says a vessel was hijacked Monday in the western Gulf of Aden. Andrew Mwangura, a regional piracy expert, ...
Somali pirates hijack Greek-owned chemical tankerReuters Africa
Chemical Tanker Liquid Velvet Falls To Pirates, 22 Crew Held HostageGCaptain (press release)
Somali pirates hijack Greek-owned chemical tankerNational Post (blog)
The Epoch Times -The Handy Shipping Guide
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18 October 2011

Ex-Marines Fighting Pirates as World Shipping Lanes Attacked - BusinessWeek

Ex-Marines Fighting Pirates as World Shipping Lanes Attacked - BusinessWeek:

Ex-Marines Fighting Pirates as World Shipping Lanes Attacked
BusinessWeek
“The pirates will back off and wait to find a vessel that isn't armed. For the vessels that are unable to protect themselves, the violence will be quite intense.” PVI guards in September repelled a pirate attack on a vessel owned by Torm A/S, ...

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Piracy Attacks at Record Levels But Hijackings Decline - Insurance Journal

Piracy Attacks at Record Levels But Hijackings Decline - Insurance Journal:

NASDAQ

Piracy Attacks at Record Levels But Hijackings Decline
Insurance Journal
“Somali pirates are finding it harder to hijack ships and get the ransom they ask for. The navies deserve to be complimented on their excellent work: they are a vital force in deterring and disrupting pirate activity,” said Mukundan. ...
Watchdog: Emboldened Somali pirates drive world attacks to recordMonsters and Critics.com
Watchdog says world sea piracy has hit new high with more raids in Somalia, BeninWashington Post
Piracy rising to record ratesNASDAQ

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17 October 2011

Pirate hostages saved by HMS Somerset - This is Somerset

Pirate hostages saved by HMS Somerset - This is Somerset:

Pirate hostages saved by HMS Somerset
This is Somerset
Crew on board a Royal Navy frigate rescued a group of Pakistani fishermen who had been taken hostage by Somali pirates who seized their trawler. In a daring mission Royal Marines from HMS Somerset boarded a large fishing dhow being used by the pirates ...

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16 October 2011

Pirate Busters UK Ltd - The Sun

Pirate Busters UK Ltd - The Sun:

The Sun

Pirate Busters UK Ltd
The Sun
Last month Brit tourist Judith Tebbutt, 56, was kidnapped by Somali pirates and her 58-year-old husband David was shot dead. Last year Brits Paul and Rachel Chandler were released for a reported £600000 ransom after months in captivity. ...
SEA TRANSPORTATION: Targeting The MiddlemenStrategy Page

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Tough time for pirates, sea robbers as Navy gears up for war - Vanguard

Tough time for pirates, sea robbers as Navy gears up for war - Vanguard:

Tough time for pirates, sea robbers as Navy gears up for war
Vanguard
For maritime operators in Nigeria, it has been one long tale of woes over the raw deal they have been having in the hands of pirates and sea robbers on waterways who delight in seizing their ships with near impunity. ...

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Message in a Bottle: Old School S.O.S. Helps Rescue Hijacked Ship - Wired News

Message in a Bottle: Old School S.O.S. Helps Rescue Hijacked Ship - Wired News:

shropshirestar.com

Message in a Bottle: Old School S.O.S. Helps Rescue Hijacked Ship
Wired News
Ship owners can now fend off hijackings with puke-inducing chemical sprays, ear-splitting sonic blasters and anti-pirate lasers. But this week a ship's crew foiled a hijacking with help from a decidedly older technology: a message in a bottle. ...
AUDIO: Pirates foiled by crew's bottled SOSBBC News
Somalian pirate ship's town linkHartlepool Today
Message in bottle tells rescuers that pirate hostages are safe in citadelMarine Log
shropshirestar.com -GCaptain (press release) -The Maritime Executive
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Tanker hijacked off Nigeria with 20 crew freed - AFP

Tanker hijacked off Nigeria with 20 crew freed - AFP:

CTV.ca

Tanker hijacked off Nigeria with 20 crew freed
AFP
LAGOS — The 20 Eastern European crew of a tanker hijacked off Nigeria nearly a week ago were freed along with the vessel on Friday, officials said, amid mounting concern at West African pirate attacks. Details of the release of the crew as well as the ...
Tanker Hijacked Off Nigeria Released Along With CrewGCaptain (press release)

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BOLTON: Treat Somali pirates like terrorists - Washington Times

BOLTON: Treat Somali pirates like terrorists - Washington Times:

Washington Times

BOLTON: Treat Somali pirates like terrorists
Washington Times
The recent kidnapping of a handicapped French woman from a Kenyan resort, initially attributed to Somali pirates, was the second such kidnapping in a month. Kenyan authorities now blame al-Shabab, the Somali terrorist group affiliated ...
IMO Host Anti Pirate Day but Freight and Shipping Interests Still Await Better ...The Handy Shipping Guide
UK to set up maritime center in Seychelles to combat piracyeTurboNews

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SOMALIAN PIRATES WHO ARE BEING STOPPED IN THEIR TRACKS BY BRITISH MERCENARIES - Daily Star

SOMALIAN PIRATES WHO ARE BEING STOPPED IN THEIR TRACKS BY BRITISH MERCENARIES - Daily Star:

SOMALIAN PIRATES WHO ARE BEING STOPPED IN THEIR TRACKS BY BRITISH MERCENARIES
Daily Star
RUTHLESS Somali pirates unleashing terror on the high seas are being smashed by groups of British mercenaries. Anti-piracy firms are making a fortune by hiring out teams of £1500-a-day ex-military hard men to protect ships from gun-toting ...

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13 October 2011

Brit Marines save 23 in daring Somali pirate raid - The Sun

Brit Marines save 23 in daring Somali pirate raid - The Sun:

AFP

Brit Marines save 23 in daring Somali pirate raid
The Sun
BRITISH Commandos were today praised as heroes after storming a cargo ship and freeing 23 hostages from the clutches of Somali pirates. The ten-strong team of elite Royal Navy specialists and Royal Marines mounted a joint operation ...
Marines overpower pirates after crew sends message in a bottleScotsman
Message in a bottle foils pirate attackHerald Scotland
Somali pirates foiled by British and U.S. naval forcesGlobalPost
CNN International -AFP -Aljazeera.net
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Owner: 20 sailors on tanker seized off Nigeria - The Associated Press

Owner: 20 sailors on tanker seized off Nigeria - The Associated Press:

AFP

Owner: 20 sailors on tanker seized off Nigeria
The Associated Press
Violent pirate attacks in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea have risen in recent months, leading an umbrella group of London insurers to list Nigeria, neighboring Benin and nearby waters in the same risk category as Somalia.
Pirates Seize Tanker off Nigerian CoastVoice of America
Pirates hijack tanker off Nigerian coastAFP
Tanker ship, crew seized off Nigeria's coastForbes
Sky News Australia
all 257 news articles »


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Weather slows dive on Blackbeard's pirate ship - msnbc.com

Weather slows dive on Blackbeard's pirate ship - msnbc.com:

msnbc.com

Weather slows dive on Blackbeard's pirate ship
msnbc.com
Diving archaeologists are in the midst of a monthlong expedition to the sunken wreckage of the pirate Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, off the North Carolina coast, but the weather is not cooperating. ...

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Southsea captain helped lead pirate swoop - Portsmouth News

Southsea captain helped lead pirate swoop - Portsmouth News:

Portsmouth News

Southsea captain helped lead pirate swoop
Portsmouth News
A ROYAL Navy captain from Southsea was involved in the daring mission to free an Italian cargo ship captured by pirates, it has emerged. Captain Gerry Northwood, 49, played a leading role in the operation from the naval supply ship RFA Fort Victoria, ...

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Crew of pirate fishing vessel seized off Alaska faces deportation - Alaska Dispatch

Crew of pirate fishing vessel seized off Alaska faces deportation - Alaska Dispatch:

Alaska Dispatch

Crew of pirate fishing vessel seized off Alaska faces deportation
Alaska Dispatch
Mark Begich, D-Alaska, suggested that the "pirate fishing vessel" be towed out into the Bering Sea and blasted to smithereens as a target for Coast Guard gunships. "It would send an unambiguous signal that pirate fishing is unacceptable to the United ...

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Somalian pirate ship's town link - Hartlepool Today

Somalian pirate ship's town link - Hartlepool Today:

shropshirestar.com

Somalian pirate ship's town link
Hartlepool Today
A SHIP which made international headlines when its crew was subjected to a terrifying hijack by Somalian pirates was berthed in Hartlepool just last month. The Italian ship Montecristo was stormed by a crack team of Royal Marine commandos after it was ...
Message in bottle tells rescuers that pirate hostages are safe in citadelMarine Log
UK forces storm pirate-held shipBBC News
Sea captain helps rescue ship after pirate attackshropshirestar.com
The Handy Shipping Guide -GCaptain (press release) -The Maritime Executive
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05 July 2011

Pirates Reasonably Close to Indian Territory:

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HIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Piracy activities in the Indian Ocean were getting closer to Indian territory, Air Marshal Sumit Mukerji, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command (SAC), said on Thursday.
Addressing a farewell press conference at the SAC, Mukerji retired on Thursday after a career spanning nearly four decades - he said that pirates were ‘reasonably close’ to the Lakshadweep Islands.
“They are still in International waters. Now, the Indian Navy is engaged in anti-piracy measures. At the moment it is felt adequate,” he said. While pirates are believed to be upgrading their weaponry and mode of transportation, pre-empting a pirate attack is still a difficult proposition, he said.
“For one, the Indian Ocean is so vast. Identifying a pirate ship is a problem. They are quite fearless and mix and merge with other ships. Only when an attack is attempted, we know,” he said.
With the Indian Ocean region gaining in strategic importance, the SAC is adding more teeth to its Air Defence capabilities. Air Marshal Mukerji said that the Command would be getting new assets to ‘reach out into the Indian Ocean.’ The Tanjore and Sulur air bases will become fully operational soon. By 2016, Tanjore will have a Sukhoi-30 fighter squadron and Sulur, a Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) squadron by 2012-2013, he said.
“Tanjore is going to see a lot of activity. “The Su-30 fighters aside, it will also have an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) squadron and also a transport aircraft squadron in addition to a radar unit,” he said. The Su-30s can cover the Indian Ocean from the Malacca Straits to the Straits of Hormuz. “We are also getting a lot of radars. Our radars are also integrated with that of the Navy and the Airport Authority of India,” Mukerji said.
The IAF proposal to revive the World War II airfield at Kayathar in southern Tamil Nadu was being actively pursued by the Ministry of Defence, he said.

Somali pirates go high tech

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Somali pirates aren't content just floating around in their fishing boats, looking for victims. These days, pirates off the Horn of Africa are turning to a sophisticated mix of weaponry, jury-rigged GPS devices and ingenious hacks of shipping-industry databases to hunt down prey. The resulting technology isn't just fascinating — it also has a real impact on foreign millitaries who are fighting piracy.

In addition to random attacks on cargo and passenger ships, Somali pirates are increasingly relying on the use of GPS systems, satellite phones, and open-source intelligence such as shipping industry blogs in order to figure out the location of ships. Much of the technological infrastructure used by the pirates is allegedly located in the Somali city of Eyl, which has been described as the "piracy capital of the world."

In an interview with Abdullahi Jamaa of Egyptian Web publication OnIslam.net, Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers Assistance Program detailed the methods used by the pirates:

"The most important thing for Somali pirates is getting relevant information regarding merchant vessels that they wish to hijack. But this does not come easily without the use of certain technologies […] What they must know includes information on the value of vessels, the value of the goods and the number of crew members […] They use navigational technologies in their daily operation. This involves a combination of technologies, most important[ly] they use satellite cell phones for long range communications."

Satellite phones are easily attainable in the chaos of Mogadishu; foreign importers earn a hefty premium bringing the expensive phones into the beleaguered country. However, the weapon in the Somali arsenal that's most interesting to Western observers is the use of pirate-operated radar to locate targets at sea. Pirate “motherships” with radar and advanced weapons capabilities have strayed far beyond the Horn of Africa to locales as far-flung as Madagascar, India and the Persian Gulf.

.....

07 April 2011

A modern piracy story ends in DC with sentencing of Somali man who attacked 2 ships

By Associated Press, Thursday, April , 12:27 PM

WASHINGTON — A Somali man who has acknowledged being a modern day pirate and attacked two ships off the coast of Somalia has been sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison.

Jama Idle Ibrahim was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court. He had previously pleaded guilty to a failed assault on the Navy’s USS Ashland and an attack on a Danish ship called the CEC Future, for which he and other pirates got a $1.7 million ransom.

Under a plea agreement, Ibrahim was sentenced to 25 years in the attack on the Danish ship to run concurrently with a 30-year sentence in the Ashland case.

The case is believed to be the first time a pirate who successfully got a ransom was prosecuted in the United States.


08 March 2011

Navy Captures Pirates Without Firing a Shot - Wired News (blog)

Navy Captures Pirates Without Firing a Shot - Wired News (blog): "

Fox News

Navy Captures Pirates Without Firing a Shot
Wired News (blog)
In the first major operation against pirates since the deaths of four Americans aboard a hijacked yacht last month, a US Navy destroyer helped free a captured oil tanker on Sunday. The hijackers didn't bother putting up a fight. ...
Norfolk-based Bulkeley frees ship, crew from suspected piratesThe Virginian-Pilot
Pirate attack foiled on tanker off OmanUPI.com
Japanese Tanker, Crew Rescued from Pirates by US DestroyerKGO-AM
GCaptain (press release) -Gather.com -WAVY-TV
all 205 news articles »
"

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EU NAVFOR Disrupts Suspected Pirate Group - MarineLink

EU NAVFOR Disrupts Suspected Pirate Group - MarineLink: "

EU NAVFOR Disrupts Suspected Pirate Group
MarineLink
On March 5, an EU NAVFOR aircraft and the EU NAVFOR French warship FS Nivose disrupted a suspected pirate whaler off the Somali coast. The whaler was suspected of leading a Pirate Action Group (PAG) at the time of the incident. ...

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"

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Pirates open fire, attempt to board chemical tanker off coast of Nigeria

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LAGOS, Nigeria — Pirates off the coast of Nigeria's commercial capital of Lagos have attacked a chemical tanker in an unsuccessful bid to board and rob the ship in the Gulf of Guinea.

A report by the International Maritime Bureau shows the failed attack happened Thursday about 3 nautical miles off the coast. Three people aboard a green fast boat approached the tanker at anchor and fired their weapons in the air.

The report, obtained by The Associated Press Monday, says the robbers demanded that the gangway be lowered, but that the shipmaster refused and moved away from the anchorage. It says the crew is safe, and pirates did not board.

Pirate attacks have risen around Nigeria in recent years. They mostly occur off the port of Lagos.

03 March 2011

Yacht crew rescued from pirate attack by private security firm - GCaptain (press release)

Yacht crew rescued from pirate attack by private security firm - GCaptain (press release): "

GCaptain (press release)

Yacht crew rescued from pirate attack by private security firm
GCaptain (press release)
By rob Private security firm Naval Guards Ltd successfully rescued their Dutch clients on board M/Y Capricorn after it had been overrun by pirates in the central Arabian Sea yesterday. The crew of the 21-meter M/Y Capricorn had contracted Naval Guards ...

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"

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No plans for offensive action against Somali pirates: Antony - The Hindu

No plans for offensive action against Somali pirates: Antony - The Hindu: "

CTV.ca

No plans for offensive action against Somali pirates: Antony
The Hindu
File photo Defence Minister AK Antony on Thursday ruled out any plans for offensive action against Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden despite an increase in piracy-related incidents. Expressing concerns over the rise in such incidents, ...
US looking at new moves on Somalia piracy-ClintonReuters Africa
The Only Way to Suppress PiratesFamily Security Matters
Governments harangued for not tackling piracyTanker Operator
Vancouver Sun -ScrippsNews -Sify
all 153 news articles »
"

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01 March 2011

Fighting Somalia Piracy Onshore And Off - Council on Foreign Relations (blog)

Fighting Somalia Piracy Onshore And Off - Council on Foreign Relations (blog): "

Sail World

Fighting Somalia Piracy Onshore And Off
Council on Foreign Relations (blog)
Members of a visit, board, search and seizure team made up of US Navy sailors and Coast Guard guardsmen from the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg and US Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team South, approach a suspected pirate ...
Is US Preparing for a New War…against Pirates?AllGov
Ruthless new breed of Somali pirates craves riches, not revengeWashington Times
Stormy seas off SomaliaLos Angeles Times
Peoria Journal Star -The Hill
all 10 news articles »
"

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US senator seeks tough anti-piracy measures - AFP

US senator seeks tough anti-piracy measures - AFP: "

3News NZ

US senator seeks tough anti-piracy measures
AFP
He has proposed several options including a 'Pirate Exclusion Zone' to allow the immediate boarding or sinking of any vessel from Somalia not approved by allied forces and a blockade of pirate-dominated ports like Hobyo in Somalia. ...
Pirates Hijack Vessel Carrying 7 Danes, Including 3 ChildrenNew York Times
Seychelles jails ten Somali pirates for 20 yearsReuters Africa
Stormy seas off SomaliaLos Angeles Times
AllGov -Maritime Executive Magazine (press release) -Washington Times
all 312 news articles »
"

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Madagascar captures Somali pirate 'mother ship.' Now what? - Christian Science Monitor

Madagascar captures Somali pirate 'mother ship.' Now what? - Christian Science Monitor: "

DAWN.com

Madagascar captures Somali pirate 'mother ship.' Now what?
Christian Science Monitor
The capture of a Somali pirate 'mother ship' north of Madagascar, some 2500 miles from Somalia, has highlighted this impoverished island nation's outdated piracy laws. By Hannah McNeish, Correspondent / March 1, 2011 The weekend arrest of 14 suspected ...
MV Izumi Released By Somali Pirates, 20 Filipinos in Safe PortMaritime Executive Magazine (press release)
Released Panama-flagged Vessel Docks at Kenyan PortCRIENGLISH.com
Somali pirates seize Greek shipAFP
Reuters Africa -ITAR-TASS -Las Vegas Review - Journal
all 88 news articles »
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