Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker In Brazen Attack

Seizure Off The Kenyan Coast Is Furthest Out To Sea And On Biggest Vessel Yet

(CBS/AP)  Somali pirates hijacked a supertanker hundreds of miles off the Horn of Africa, seizing the Saudi-owned ship loaded with crude and its 25-member crew, the U.S. Navy said Monday.

It appeared to be the largest ship ever seized by pirates.

After the brazen hijacking, the pirates on Monday sailed the Sirius Star to a Somali port that has become a haven for bandits and the ships they have seized, a Navy spokesman said.

The hijacking was among the most brazen in a surge in attacks this year by ransom-hungry Somali pirates. Attacks off the Somali coast have increased more than 75 percent this year, and even the world's largest vessels are vulnerable.

The Sirius Star, commissioned in March and owned by the Saudi oil company Aramco, is 1,080 feet long - about the length of an aircraft carrier - making it one of the largest ships to sail the seas. It can carry about 2 million barrels of oil.

For the U.S. and foreign navies trying to protect shipping, this attack has opened up a whole new front in the pirate wars, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips.

The latest incident took place about 500 miles off the coast of Kenya, well out in the Indian Ocean, rather than in the Pirate Alley of the Gulf of Aden, where most of the recent attacks have happened.

"That's an area that is four times the size of Texas," says Commander Jane Campbell of the U.S. Navy. "Greater in size than the entire Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea combined."

To protect themselves, ship captains like Colin Darch, who was hijacked earlier this year, are now being urged to arm their crews.

But as for getting in a gunfight with armed attackers in speedboats, Darch is not so sure, Phillips reports.

"They do have these rocket launchers," Darch says. "And I think a rocket launchers could punch a hole in a ship and well maybe sink it.

"They'd soon scramble up and get aboard, especially if they were shooting at anybody trying to cut the ropes or prevent it."

Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, said the pirates hijacked the ship on Saturday about 450 nautical miles off the coast of Kenya - the farthest out to sea Somali pirates have struck.

By expanding their range, Somali pirates are "certainly a threat to many more vessels," Christensen said. He said the pirates on the Sirius Star were "nearing an anchorage point" at the Somali port town of Eylon Monday.

Somali pirates have seized at least six several ships off the Horn of Africa in the past week, but the hijacking of a supertanker marked a dramatic escalation.

The pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues, using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rockets launchers and various types of grenades.

With most attacks ending with million-dollar payouts, piracy is considered the most lucrative work in Somalia. Pirates rarely hurt their hostages, instead holding out for a huge payday.

The strategy works well: A report last month by a London-based think tank said pirates have raked in up to $30 million in ransoms this year alone.

In Somalia, pirates are better-funded, better-organized and better-armed than one might imagine in a country that has been in tatters for nearly two decades.

They do occasionally get nabbed, however. Earlier this year, French commandos used night vision goggles and helicopters in operations that killed or captured several pirates, who are now standing trial in Paris. A stepped-up international presence of warships recently also appears to have deterred several attacks.

The Sirius Star was sailing under a Liberian flag. The 25-member crew includes citizens of Croatia, Britain, the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia. A British Foreign Office spokesman said there were at least two British nationals on board.

An operator with Aramco said there was no one available at the company to comment after business hours. Calls went unanswered at Vela International, the Dubai-based marine company that operated the ship for Aramco.

Classed as a Very Large Crude Carrier, the Sirius Star is 318,000 dead weight tons.

Raja Kiwan, a Dubai-based analyst with PFC Energy, said the hijacking raises "some serious questions" about what is needed to secure such ships on the open seas.

"It's not easy to take over a ship" as massive as oil tankers, which typically have armed guards on board, he said.

But pirates have gone after oil tankers before.

In October, a Spanish military patrol plane thwarted pirates trying to hijack an oil tanker by buzzing them three times and dropping smoke canisters.

On April 21, pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades at a Japanese oil tanker, leaving a hole that allowed several hundred gallons of fuel to leak out, raising fears for the environment.

In September, three pirates in a speed boat fired machine guns at an Iranian crude oil carrier, though the ship escaped after a 30-minute chase.

Warships from the more than a dozen nations as well as NATO forces have focused their anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, increasing their military presence in recent months.

But Saturday's hijacking occurred much farther south, highlighting weaknesses in the international response.

Graeme Gibbon Brooks, managing director of British company Dryad Maritime Intelligence Service Ltd, said the increased international presence trying to prevent attacks is simply not enough.

"The coalition has suppressed a number of attacks ... but there will never be enough warships," he said, describing an area that covers 2.5 million square miles.

He also speculated that the crew of the Sirius Star may have had a false sense of security because they were so far out to sea.

He said the coalition warships will have to be "one step ahead of the pirates. The difficulty here is that the ship was beyond the area where the coalition were currently acting."

[kk217]

I know there has to be some international law prohibiting commercial vessels from arming themselves but this is ridiculous!!!

[questionnews]

They could do what the Chinese do to pirates.
10 minute trial & 5 minutes to put a bullet in the back of their heads. Yea, they''re not much for sorting out the details, but those even thinking about that line of work quickly start thinking about a different career.

[nikosk11]

Nuke the ba$tards.

[questionnews]

Nuke the ba$tards.


Posted by nikosk11 at 11:07 AM : Nov 17, 2008


Independence Day??

[flipper137]

Would someone please explain to me how a bouch of rag tag thugs in an open 18 foot boat with an out board engine can pull over an oil super tanker. I don''t get it.

[bobnjersey]

["It''s not easy to take over a ship" as massive as oil tankers, which typically have armed guards on board, he said. ]

may i suggest raising the ladder on the side of the ship once it''s out to sea. there are also highly directional audio systems used on cruise ships to defend against undesirable approaches.

another strategy would be a modified form of the phalanx ciws anti missile system used on most american warships. a few of these on every major ship would put an end to the pirate business being an attractive option.

[questionnews]

Would someone please explain to me how a bouch of rag tag thugs in an open 18 foot boat with an out board engine can pull over an oil super tanker. I don''''t get it.

Posted by Flipper137 at 11:19 AM : Nov 17, 2008

They thrown grappling hooks over the edge of the ship & climb up with their weapons. Since weapons are banned on almost all ships (especially fuel ships), there''s little the crew can do.

[brianp55]

Guess who''s going to be asked to protect these Saudi tankers with their navy?

[demdump]

Bait the pirate and blow each one on them when they come near....

[secundus2]

Instead of patrolling millions of sq. miles, perhaps some warships should be assigned to convoy commercial vessels formed into groups.

Also, an occasional decoy that turned against the attackers wouldn''t be amiss.

[earache4]

NOW Haliburton will get involved....

[sincity_q]

The affected waters are really a bit too vast to patrol with the limted international effort thus far put forward. But what could be done far easier would be to assign warships to block access to the major Somali ports where the pirates take their victims/ships. In essense, an internation blackade of Somali ports to suffocate the pirates... keeping them on dry gound and preventing them from having a place to go with hijacked vessels.

[claydowner]

The US Navy needs small Corvettes like the Swedish Visby class at about 1,400 tons or a slightly larger version of a Coast Guard cutter. These type of ships need are ideal for these asymmetrical threats posed by pirates. The 19th century British Royal navy kept many of these small corvettes permanently stationed along their shipping lanes around the world. They were ideal for working with local officials and became the face of the British Empire for millions of people. America should do the same thing today in the 21st century that the British did in the 19th century.


The military industrial complex is focused on huge weapons programs based on Cold War era concepts of conventional warfare. These huge weapons programs have an anal fixation for spending many billions of dollars on nuclear aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, fighter plane programs like the F-18 Super Hornet, F-22 fighter plane (that costs $200 billion per plane), the B-2 bomber, missile defense in Alaska, and many others for all the services. If WW III happens we are in great shape. What value are these weapon systems against guerrillas, terrorists, or pirates for small limited wars or a terrorist with a suit case nuke?

[gop_will_win]

What is with these liberal pirates stealing ships at sea? Arent their welfare checks enough?

[xalen54]

Maybe this is just a sign that it is time we should nuke Somailia....

[engymass2]

Why are soo many on this post making references to liberals ?? You better watch what you say.... least President Obama send the US Military to YOUR doorstep !!

[questionnews]

I see the politically obsessed still have their election vitriol locked on the wacko setting.

[neonink]

LMAO...

In 2008 we still have Pirates? Cool.

Pirates of the Arabian coming to a theater near you.

[antoniof123]

Another day in the world and everyone thinks they have the answer to fix it.

If it were that simple I am sure that they would have already fixed.

By the way I am a liberal with a gun......

[questionnews]

These pirates got the mother lode, seizing a Saudi ship...let''''s see what the Saudi''''s do!


Posted by zoe-2009 at 02:37 PM : Nov 17, 2008

Just tell them that they are pirates are drinking rum & watching porn on the blessed ship. They will have the hanging squad in a heartbeat.

[decarlo12-2009]

Mount Quad .50''s, one in front and one in back of the ship, end of hi-jacking..........

[demdump]

Nato and US where are thou....??

[questionnews]

Just tell them that they are pirates are drinking rum & watching porn on the blessed ship. They will have the hanging squad in a heartbeat.

Posted by Questionnews at 02:42 PM : Nov 17, 2008

Sorry. My above post should be a lesson to those that try to type while eating hot wings with blue cheese. Do one or the other.

[daffy64]

Any vessel crazy enough to ply these waters needs to have an armed team aboard and learn how to repel boarders.

[msobamaishot]

Why are so many referring to these pirates as terrorists? Pirates aren''t terrorists, they''re more like kidnappers or "shipnappers". Besides, how can they be considered terrorists if they don''t harm anyone captured on the ship? I thought terrorists use violence to incite fear for political reasons, isn''t that the whole idea behind the terror part of the word? Seems to me like Americans use the word terrorist to describe just about anyone they dislike.

These Somalian pirates are just poor people trying to eat. Think about it...Who in their right mind would board a tiny boat and try to take over another boat thats 10 times bigger and whose crew outnumbers yours 5 to 1? Sounds like a pretty dumb idea no matter how uneducated you might be, right? I don''t care if you have a rocket launcher, GPS, or that suit that Ironman wears. There''s no way anyone would even think about doing anything like that unless it depends on their life or the life of their family.

[engymass2]

WHAT IS EVERYBODY ANGRY FOR ??? THESE ARE NOT US SHIPS THEIR JACKING !!! The Saudi''s were responsible for 9/11... Remember Bin Laden (A Saudi) and all the Saudi hijackers... Now the same people that
the Saudi''s represented for on 9/11 (Muslim Extremists) have turned against them... WHAT ARE ALL YOU GUYS ON HERE MAD FOR ???

[demdump]

Saudi will send insurgent for Jihaded the tanker, Al Queda will also send the suiacide bomber....

[drivelphobe]

Baboo has a ship carrying 2 million barrels of oil, sailing right past pirates'' heaven off the coast of Somalia. Allah will protect his cargo. No need for armed gunmen. They are all busy planning jihad. Where is Allah???

[ricklf1]

I will bet the world oil prices will now go way up again. This is just the excuse the oil companies were looking for. Lower prices were too good to last, now that the political elections are over in the USA.

[MIpapaof4]

And I thought the Pirates were in Pittsburgh playing baseball.

[demdump]

Hopefully the Pirates continue to Hijack the OIL Tanker, they are all Muslim let see how they are dealing withh each other...jihahhhhhhhhh

[Scooter68]

Has anyone thought about antitheft equipment for ships that have to sail through that area? It would seem it would be possible to develop a satellite link system that would disable the ship if the crew realizes that they are going to be hijacked. The shipping company could then re-enable the ship once the highjackers have left the ship.
Granted there is the hostage situation but sooner or later something has to give here. If the waters cannot be adequately patrolled and pirate "removed" from threatening the shipping lanes it seems that something needs to be done that would make highjacking impractical.

[walt1944-2009]

It has been learned that Somali pirates have seized a super tanker filled with crude 5 miles from the Kenya coast.

It is rumored that the pirates are holding the ship for ransom and threatening to send the ship laden with explosives into Kenya''s port city in the hopes of blowing the country off the map if their demands are not met. Because Great Emperor-elect Obama has relatives in Kenya, the ranson the pirates are demanding are jobs in the Obama administration WITHOUT having to fill out the 9 page employment application form.

Obama is considering asking the Great Emperor Bush II to either send in the Navy''s 5th Fleet to re-capture the ship or sending a "swat" team of specially picked mercenaries from Blackwater USSA to handle the job!

Meantime corporate executives of BIG OIL, seeing an opportunity, are contemplating raising the price of gasoline back up to $4.50 a gallon because of the increased threat of pirate "terrrrrrrorism"!

SIG HEIL, I LIKE PIRATE MOVIES!!!, BUSH!!!

[demdump]

This is so funny that our Ship with a sophisticated RADAR and we don''t even know the Pirate Mothership ????

[tipsyinct]

YAARRR!!! I don''t know what ye be talkin'' ''bout when ye say that there be no armed guards on oil tankers. It bloody says it in the blasted article...yaaarrr.

""It''s not easy to take over a ship" as massive as oil tankers, which typically have armed guards on board, he said."

[downtowner97]

We need to make sure there are plenty of pirate corpses rotting on dockside gallows in every African port. That''s how they did it in the old days.

[stupidrules3]

Maybe lo-jack would be a good idea.

[get_it_str8]

TA-HARRRR!! Tie the scurvy dogs to the yard arm!!!

[amurguz]

Argh!! Love all the scurvy, salty dog, comments!!! Especially the one about page 9 of the application for a job with the new Pres...frick''n great comedic relief!!!

Carry on...

[vatofla]

No one told them the price of oil had dropped

[toolmangler-2009]

Very simple solution, sink every Somali boat or ship you see.

[wdh3007]

This is another good reason for America to drill it''s own domestic oil. Piracy has been around for centuries but they have never really been taken seriously maybe now they should be made to walk the plank?

[demdump]

This is another good reason for America to drill it''''s own domestic oil. Piracy has been around for centuries but they have never really been taken seriously maybe now they should be made to walk the plank?

Posted by wdh3007

Obama rule out no drilling a week ago...

[demdump]

Very simple solution, sink every Somali boat or ship you see.


Posted by ToolMangler

Very good Idea, just send the Predators circle around and around...

[pensacola98]

Time to give the Navy and Marines some target practice.

[andrew_693]

why not just simply destroy their ports with tomahawk missiles, just simply massacre all the speed boats parked in the harbor.

[hissteps4u]

Send a Seal Team and KIll them all this can not be allowed to continue...

[markavelli2]

"why not just simply destroy their ports with tomahawk missiles"
"Send a Seal Team and Kill them all this can not be allowed to continue... "

How about the rest of the international community take care of this one. Seems the more America tries to help other nations the more B.S. criticism gets tossed around.
Instead of "a day without a Mexican" we should implement " a year without help from America"

[qasaye1]

What you called Piracy is the result of Illegal Fishing and dumping Nuclear Waste off Somali Coast by European, Asian and American companies. They are not Pirates but acting as Somali Coastguards.Those criminal companies must be brought to justice.

Those who commented here to destoroy the Somali ports with uranium jacketed cluster bombs, hahah.., you are simply idiots. This can never happen, if so, our uranium is AK 47, RPG, and Anti-air craft guns, these simple weapons will kick your *** out of the Somali Waters.

[toolmangler-2009]

They are not Pirates but acting as Somali Coastguards.Those criminal companies must be brought to justice.

Those who commented here to destoroy the Somali ports with uranium jacketed cluster bombs, hahah.., you are simply idiots. This can never happen, if so, our uranium is AK 47, RPG, and Anti-air craft guns, these simple weapons will kick your *** out of the Somali Waters.
Posted by Qasaye1 at 08:53 PM : Nov 17, 2008



400 miles from the coast is in national waters, that makes them lying thieves just like you. Saddam had anti-aircraft guns also, they didn''t help him at all. If you can''t find it, you cant shoot it down.