Somali pirates die in Ukraine ship shootout

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Somali pirates die in Ukraine ship shootout
Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:07am EDT

By Andrew Cawthorne

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Rival Somali pirates arguing over
what to do with a hijacked Ukrainian ship and its cargo of
33 tanks engaged in a shootout on board, killing three of
their number, a maritime group said on Tuesday.

In the most high-profile of this year's wave of hijackings
off lawless Somalia, pirates seized the MV Faina six days
ago and have demanded $20 million in ransom.

-snip-

Andrew Mwangura, of the East African Seafarers' Assistance
Program, said factions among the roughly 50 pirates on board
had argued over whether to free the cargo and 20-man crew.

"The radicals on board do not want to listen to anyone,"
said Mwangura, whose Kenya-based group is monitoring the
saga via relatives of the crew and the pirates. "The moderates
want to back-peddle. The Americans are close, so everyone is
tense. There was a shootout and three of the pirates were
shot dead."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE48T14Y20080930

[Enrique]

1. sounds like a rough crowd

I don't think I'd make it as a pirate.

[dipsydoodle]

2. There were some doubts

about the ultimate destination of those tanks which were enroute to Kenya. Sudan ? and if so I hope the boat sinks.x(