Indian Navy Scores Rare Win Over Pirates

Warship Repels Attack By Somali Pirates; Victory Comes As At Least 2 Other Vessels Seized

(CBS/AP)  The Indian navy said Wednesday its warship dedicated to fighting pirates had successfully fought off an attempted pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden, but it was a rare victory in a snowballing battle against Somalia's emboldened pirates.

An official press release said a suspected pirate ship with two speed boats in tow approached the INS Tabar late Tuesday, threatened to blow up the warship, and opened fire. Indian naval officers saw well-armed men roaming the ship's deck.

CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports the crew of the Tabar said the pirate's main vessel was destroyed.

The Indian ship chased one of the speed boats, which was later found abandoned, while the other escaped.

The attack came the same day pirates hijacked a Thai boat and an Iranian bulk cargo carrier off Somalia's coast, and three days after pirates seized a Saudi supertanker.

There were also reports Wednesday morning that a Greek bulk carrier had been seized in the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia's coast. CBS News could not immediately verify the reports.

If confirmed, the Greek vessel would be the ninth ship to be seized in the area in the past two weeks, according to maritime officials.

Pirates hijacked the Thai fishing boat Tuesday with its 16 crew members in the Gulf of Aden, said Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur. Also Tuesday, an Iranian bulk cargo carrier with 25 crew members was seized in the area, according to earlier reports.

Both vessels were heading to the Middle East when they were hijacked, he said.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet based in Bahrain dispatched an aircraft to the area after the hijackings were reported, and spotted the two vessels in the hands of the pirates, 5th Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr Jane Campbell said.

She said there were no U.S. ships in the vicinity when the hijackings were taking place. In any case, ships would have to be "within 10 minutes responding time to prevent any hijacking," she told The Associated Press.

Choong said the Thai boat, which was flying a Kiribati flag but operated out of Thailand, made a distress call as it was being chased by pirates in two speedboats but the phone line got cut off midway. The bulk carrier was flying a Hong Kong flag but operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines.

"There is no firm deterrent, that's why the pirate attacks are continuing. The criminal activities are flourishing because the risks are low and the rewards are extremely high," Choong said.

Kaj Larsen, a filmmaker who produced a documentary on pirates in southeast Asia, told CBS' The Early Show that hijacking a cargo ship is "extraordinarily easy."

Larsen said the only difference between the methods of pirates today compared with those of centuries past is the use of AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades.

Piracy is a growth industry - Somalia's only one. In three years, the pirates have netted an estimated $30 million. For the hijackers, there are three sources of revenue from every ship seized; ransom for the crew, the cargo, and the ship itself which can be repainted, reflagged and resold.

CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports they've invested those profits and upgraded their gear. The marauders are now equipped with GPS, sophisticated communications equipment and rocket launchers. And now they're going after bigger prizes.

Choong said Tuesday that at least 17 vessels remained in the hands of pirates along with more than 300 crew members - including a Ukrainian ship loaded with arms and the Saudi Arabian supertanker carrying $100 million in crude that was taken over the weekend.

MacVicar reports that there is a specialist team on alert in Dubai, waiting for the pirates to make contact again from the massive Sirius Star tanker, but negotiations with pirates in control of a ship are often long and drawn out. The Ukrainian ship carrying Russian tanks and weapons that was seized in September is still being held by Somali pirates.

Tuesday's incidents brought the number of attacks in Somali waters this year to 95, with 39 ships hijacked. That number did not include the Greek vessel reportedly seized Wednesday.

Despite increased patrols by a multicoalition naval force, attacks have continued unabated off Somalia, which is caught up in an Islamic insurgency and has had no functioning government since 1991. Pirates have seized dozens of ships off Somalia's coast in the last year, generally releasing them after ransoms were paid.

NATO has three warships in the Gulf of Aden and the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet also has ships in the region.

But, Campbell said, naval patrols simply cannot prevent attacks given the vastness of the sea and the high number of vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden - 21,000 every year.

"Given the size of the area and given the fact that we do not have naval assets - either ships or airplanes - to be everywhere with every single ship" it would be virtually impossible to prevent every attack, she said.

On Tuesday, a major Norwegian shipping group Odfjell SE ordered its more than 90 tankers to sail around Africa rather than use the Suez Canal after the seizure of the Saudi tanker, MV Sirius Star, on Saturday.

"We will no longer expose our crew to the risk of being hijacked and held for ransom by pirates in the Gulf of Aden," said Terje Storeng, Odfjell's president and chief executive.

The Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, connects to the Red Sea, which in turn is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal. The route is thousands of miles and many days shorter than going around the Cape of Good Hope off the southern tip of Africa.

Saudi Arabia, which is the world's leading oil producer, has condemned the hijacking and said it will join the international fight against piracy. Somali officials vowed to try to rescue Sirius Star by force if necessary.

The supertanker was anchored Tuesday close to Harardhere, the main pirates' den on the Somali coast, with a full load of 2 million barrels of oil and 25 crew members.

[leeanna58]

Piracy is nothing othere than Terrorism. It shouldn''''t be tolerated. Why isn''''t it crushed quickly?

Posted by LMartinK

Probably because it would violate their human rights.

[wdrussell1]

******Mother Ship Destroyed*******
Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum wanted for questioning.

[walt1944-2009]

Since battling pirates on the high seas is BEYOND the scope and abilities of the USSA, Russian, and British Navies, the Indian Navy has stepped in to do something about it.

This, of course, is all in keeping with the philosphy of the Great Emperor Bush II who feels that the Chinese and Indians have a lot of money now, so let them do the "police" work on the high seas, while the Great Emperor Bush II continues to chase "bogey-man terrrrrrrorists" in Iraq, lose the war in Afghanistan, and tick off both Pakistan and Iran!

So much for a "Commander-in-chief" who can''t put 2 words together logically!!!!

SIG HEIL, I KNOW HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH, I THINK!!!, BUSH!!!

[guatom]

By the way, have you noticed that they don''t have any British or American ships? I guess they have seen some pirate movies.

[guatom]

Here''s a hint: Take a few warships to Harardhere, the main pirates'' den on the Somali coast, and take over. Hasn''t anyone seen a pirate movie? Let''s not wait until they get religion and become authorized terrorists. And why not call a supertanker of oil a WMD? Or a shipload of tanks? By the way, I was never sure of how many people needed to die to count something as a WMD. Seems like the AK47 has killed millions in this region. That sounds kind of massive to me!

[sleepyric]

We should view the pirate situation as a training opportunity for all the world''s navies. Make it open season. Bring out the gatling guns, and sink them all.

[emmonnier]

To impeach_w;
I''ve seen this comment from you on numerous news items. Just what does this have to do with anything?

To usedtobefedup1;
The 50 cal. is a bit obsolete. Think of the new and improved electric gatlin gun with approx. 4000rpm and computer supported target aguisition.

To the Indian Navy; well done, next time try and get video footage. As said a photo is worth 1000 words. A video is priceless.

[babooph]

Seems like some know how to deal with the problem-how about some "sleeper" vessels luring in the greedy crooks & giving them a little surprise???

[used2bfedup1]

3 50cal machine guns on the deck of the cargo ships and ppl who know how to use them would schred any speedboats beyond recognition.

Cheap and easy to implement.

Problem solved.

[used2bfedup1]

I''''m happy to hear that the US isn''''t the only Navy out there hunting pirates... As WE (the US military) are not the worlds police force..

Posted by libsh8theUSA at 03:13 PM : Nov 19, 2008

Im surprised to hear u say that as most other republicans seem to think that we are.

[dewbug2]

These pirates remind me of those guys in aluminum jon boats out hunting geese with their double barrel shotguns here in the US....
the pirates probably have a little less hooch in ''em than the duck hunters do (after all,it ain''t very cold there) so they''re able to pull it off...also, they probably have a little inside help from the crews of those pirated ships...If someone who was truly interested in protecting that ship from these real high-tech well-equipped and well trained "pirates",they could do it with a slingshot or a .22 rifle.speedboats my butt....they look like a dang 12 foot aluminum fishing boat owned by most of the grandpappys in the backyards of 50 percent of the American homes.what a joke.

[dewbug2]

Somalia doesn''t have an established government, so they have pirates.....(as someone posted here)...
Hell, guys, we have an established government, and WE have pirates! ! ! In fact, they ARE the government...different victims, that''s all !

[inketolstoy]

"Piracy is a growth industry"

No wonder I saw that busload of Lehman executives booking a flight to Somalia.

[libsh8theusa]

I''m happy to hear that the US isn''t the only Navy out there hunting pirates... As WE (the US military) are not the worlds police force..

I''m surprised that the speed boats can''t be blown out of the water.. and seeing how this area is shark infested there wouldn''t be any jail time or court dates to worry about.. An F/A 18 would make quick work of them..

Indian Navy... hmm aren''t they the ones that wanted to lease a Russian nuclear sub that had problems a while back.. (they are renting it with tax dollars generated from American out sourced labor) So keep supporting the companies that out source American jobs..

[drputt45]

Thats one in the win column for the Indians. Now, if the Indians in 1492 had a few more victories, we would be trading wampum for our corn and thanksgiving would have a whole different meaning.

[bushie3]

It real no question here 100 mill in oil verse 100 k in protection. Its up to the companys to supply the protection. The free world is not always free.

[review3]

Way to go Indian Navy! as the saying goes: Action speaks lounder than words.

[jusdane]

Curmudgeon99 - Get a clue. Half way around the world in international waters we don''t have the right to bomb other countrys fully loaded cargo ships. Like the story explains, Somalia doesn''t have an established government. That along with the strategic location of oceanic traffic using the Gulf of Aden is why the pirates are where they are . . . no police allows looting.

[jusdane]

Posted by TomFlint69 at 11:12 AM : Nov 19, 2008 Why didn''''t they bomb the oil tanker?
____________________________________

Um, maybe because they weren''t on it! Read the story!

It is important to nip this piracy in the bud. If it grows, it will be a festering wound and cancerous like Al Qaeda. One dollar in a million of international trade can put together an international security force to keep sea routes safe for trade. BTW, India had always contributed to peace keeping missions admirably.