HMCS Winnipeg thwarts pirate attack

[tocqueville]

Source: CBC News

For the second time in recent days, a Canadian warship has intervened to protect ships in the Gulf of Aden from pirates.
Canadian sailors seized several weapons, including assault rifles.

A Sea King helicopter from HMCS Winnipeg chased two suspected pirate boats, which split up and sped away after the men on board spotted the aircraft.

Both the helicopter and warship caught up to one of the boats, about 80 kilometres off the coast of Yemen.

A boarding party seized several weapons from the boat, including AK-47 assault rifles, ammunition, an M-16 rifle and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher with two warheads, said Cmdr. Craig Baines, captain of HMCS Winnipeg.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/05/24/pirates-hmcs-winnipeg.html

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Canada seeks to change policy on pirate prosecution: MacKay
Last Updated: Thursday, May 21, 2009 | 2:52 PM ET Comments131Recommend42
CBC News

Canada, looking to make a shift from current policy, is in negotiations to have Kenyan authorities prosecute pirates apprehended by the Canadian navy, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Thursday.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/05/21/canada-piracy-kenya894.html

[HeresyLives]

1. Yaaaay Canada!

Making us look good IN SPITE of our current moronic government!

[CatholicEdHead]

2. O Canada.....

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

[AzNick]

3. No report in the MSM ... same with the French navy

The French navy actually even lured a pirate boat by sailing between the sun and their boats, and when they closed in, turned around and tadaah... Sorry, guys, wrong ship.

But overall it's a sad fact. These guys have nothing left and only resort to piracy because of that.

[Posteritatis]

4. I saw both these stories on mainstream sources (nt)

[vadawg]

5. yep its their last resort, so the ships they take have the right to defend themselves

with that fact in mind, i dont even think hanging from the yardarm would discourage the pirates, only thing that might work is to deny them the coast by destroyig their bases and ships.

[WVRICK13]

6. Wow

I guess the next time you are mugged you can feel sorry for the mugger.

[comtec]

10. I think his point was that Somalia is so bad this IS a legitimate way to make a living

not that it's acceptable, but if it's the only way to live...

Look at the poppy farmers in Afghanistan, or the cocaine growers in Columbia.

These people are trying to make a life.

I would also remind you that the US, along with nearly EVERY OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRY fed, and pushed the OPIUM TRADE down china's throat during the 1800's.

The communist revolution came about because they could not clean up their country any other way.

We are really hypocrites in this case, as the US made bank! pirating for the brits against the Spanish and French navies.

that said, they're still pirates, and there is only one way to deal with pirates....

[AzNick]

15. No that was not my point, but okay...

My point is that I understand that these people had their waters fished out of most of the fishes they needed to live off of and that their country is in complete shamble.

[comtec]

17. my apologies

.

[AzNick]

13. Are you a Fox News viewer?

I say I understand, it does not mean I excuse them.

[tocqueville]

7. Russian destroyer prevents Somali pirate attack on cargo vessel

09:3625/05/2009

VLADIVOSTOK, May 25 (RIA Novosti) - A destroyer from Russia's Pacific Fleet, which was escorting six merchant vessels through the Gulf of Aden, fired warning shots at Somali pirates as they tried to seize a ship, a Navy spokesman said on Monday.

The Eide Trader, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was part of the convoy being escorted by the Admiral Panteleyev on Saturday when two speedboats closed in on the slow-moving ship in an attempt to hijack it. The Russian destroyer fired warning shots at the pirates who immediately backed off.

"Six merchant ships from different countries were under the Admiral Panteleyev's protection as part of an international convoy through a safe region in the Gulf of Aden. The Pacific Fleet agreed to escort the Eide Trader freighter... despite its slow speed," the Navy spokesman said.

All the ships made it safely through the pirate infested waters and the Admiral Panteleyev is heading for Bahrain to take on supplies before returning to its duties in the Gulf of Aden.

The Admiral Panteleyev is an Udaloy-class missile destroyer armed with anti-ship missiles, 30-mm and 100-mm guns, and two Ka-27 Helix helicopters.



http://en.rian.ru/world/20090525/155080110.html

[shadowknows69]

8. One military that gets shortended in respect IMO. Go Canada!

Small in stature but massive in spirit. They are also bleeding daily with our people in Afghanistan.

[Bragi]

9. WTF!

Why are we (I'm Canadian) negotiating anything with anyone in Africa about pirates in the Persian Gulf.

Because we're part of NATO?

Well here's an idea: how about NATO negotiates with Kenya, and we'll mind our own business?

Truth is, I am sick to death of our neocon government thinking it's our job to engage in battles everywhere, just because the U.S says so.

Until and unless Obama changes U.S foreign policy, and Americans start to question the fear and terror being sold to them, I'm quite happy to let the U.S. fight its endless wars abroad using its limitless defense budget.

For our part, I'd prefer if my country went back to what our public actually wants us to do abroad: peacemaking and international development.

We should leave the global war on terror to the too-easily-frightened Americans.

Piracy indeed.

A handful of half-starved wanna-be pirates in rundown aluminum skiffs with cold war rifles and rockets. I couldn't give a damn about them.

- B

[tocqueville]

11. I really don't understand you

1) the US "didn't say" "go and fight the pirates". The US was relatively uninterested in the pirate question until the Maersk Alabama was hijacked. The initiative was European.
2) NATO cannot detain pirates so far, because it has no detainment policy. The warship must follow its national law. They can only arrest them if the pirates are from the warship country, the victims are from the warship country, or if they are in the warship's territorial waters. Other countries have other agreements or policies like the EUNAVFOR, which is not NATO.
3) According to you I wonder what Canada does ? is it a member of NATO or not ? Then if it is a member it must follow NATO's rules of engagement.
4) the solution with Kenya is a good one, because Kenya has signed the Montego Bay treaty and is willing to try and detain pirates. Kenya is a relatively well functioning democracy by African standards and not a dictatorship. The US, EU and Russia support that solution.
5) even if I can agree that the US is easily frightened by fearmongers, it's not true that the pirates are a minor nuisance. They have captured big ships and have already taken plenty of hostages.
6) The pirates are vaguely related to "the war on terror". They are not an Al-Quaeda gang. But there are suspicions that the ransom money could finance some islamist activities.
7) how would you react if a Canadian merchant ship was hijacked and the crew taken hostage ? I bet most Canadians would be pissed and demand a solution.

[Bragi]

12. Fair questions all..

My response is that, as a Canadian, I have no real stake in whether there are pirates operating off Somalia. Next to zero. If those shipping routes are in jeopardy, then I'd suggest to any Canadian shipper that they use other routes. Or, if shippers want to get together and hire the US military, or Blackwater, or any other armed outfit they like to attack pirates, be my guest.

As for Canada using our limited naval prowess to remove pirates from the Gulf, my suggestion is that our patrol vessels be redeployed to somewhere where they will benefit Canada's national interests. Patrolling Arctic oceans we may lose control over if we don't maintain our presence there would be a good place to go, for example.

I'm not willing to spend my tax dollars on exotic policing actions in foreign lands which are of little national consequence to us. I assume that coming up with ever-increasing gobs of money to fight these battles and enforce its global will is something U.S. taxpayers like/want to do. It isn't what I want to do.

(Needless to say, I also oppose our neocon government's continued waste of treasure and lives in Afghanistan.)

- B

[TankLV]

14. Aaaaaargh!

[Vidar]

16. Bravo Canada.