Arms en route to South Sudan as pirates collect $3.5m ransom

[Robbien]

Source: Sunday Herald

<snip>

This is the background against which Somali pirates last week released their most controversial hijacked ship, the Ukrainian MV Faina, packed with tanks and weapons en route to a mystery destination. The pirates released the vessel, hijacked last September, after a light plane parachuted to them a $3.5million ransom payment - the biggest bribe yet paid for the release of any of the vessels hijacked in Somali waters.

Throughout its captivity, the vessel was surrounded by naval firepower. The watching ships included a US Burke-class destroyer and a guided-missile cruiser from the US 5th Fleet, two British Type-3 frigates and a Russian frigate. None attempted to interfere with the pirates who initially demanded $20m.

The big question is: where will the Faina head next? Registered in Belize and owned by a notorious Israeli billionaire arms dealer, Vadim Alperin, the Faina and its cargo of 33 Russian-made T-72 battle tanks, which Israel specialises in upgrading, 150 rocket grenade launchers, six anti-aircraft guns and thousands of tonnes of small arms and ammunition, was reported to be heading for Mombasa. The Kenyan government claimed the weaponry was for its army, but US Navy spokesmen said the tanks and other arms were for delivery to South Sudan, on Kenya's northern border. Russian media reports said the arms consignment had been paid for by the US. Kenyan newspapers produced delivery documents showing the tanks were destined for the government of South Sudan and Kenyan officials have been unable to produce the end-user certificate that would prove their country's rightful ownership.

The Faina saga is embarrassing for Kenya, whose army is equipped with and trained on 76 British-made Vickers Mark-3 tanks and other British equipment, because the 33 T-72s are widely believed to be in addition to the earlier delivery of about 100 T-72s to South Sudan. So the pirates who hijacked the Faina unwittingly did the world's citizens a favour. Without their intervention, the murky, clandestine and conspiratorial role of various players in fuelling a potentially calamitous conflict would be unknown.

Read more: http://www.sundayherald.com/international/shinternational/display.var.2487781.0.0.php

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The article describes the background of the political situation surrounding the arms smuggling of this pirated ship.

US media just talks about the pirates.

The real story is a huge boatload of battle tanks were being smuggled.

[conspirator]

1. Are they recruiting? My IT career is slowing down a bit nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. Of course! Elvis Costello said it best:

Don't start that talking
I could talk all night
My mind goes sleepwalking
While I'm putting the world to right
Call careers information
Have you got yourself an occupation?


CHORUS:
Oliver's army is here to stay
Oliver's army are on their way
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today


There was a checkpoint charlie
He didn't crack a smile
But it's no laughing party
When you've been on the murder mile
Only takes one itchy trigger
One more widow, one less white ni***r


CHORUS


Hong Kong is up for grabs
London is full of arabas
We could be in palestine
Overrun by the chinese line
With the boys from the mersey and the thames and the tyne
But there's no danger
It's a professional career
Though it could be arranged
With just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear
If you're out of luck you're out of work
We could send you to johannesburg


CHORUS


And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today

[acmavm]

3. Really. I'm taking my first 'voluntary' day off tomorrow (we have to

take voluntary time off or some of us are gonna get the axe).