# UK & US forces rescue pirate-held Italian ship.



## callpor (Jan 31, 2007)

More positive news like this may help?

see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15261734


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Interesting bit of new's thank you and well done to all concerned, however, the subtitle's reveal an even better piece of new's in regard's to Italy placing Armed Military Forces on their Merchant Vessel's and about time too although as suspected civilian security operator's are already in place.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

I'm expecting Liam Fox to pop-up and take credit.


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## Mick Spear (Jan 6, 2007)

Good to see the RFA getting mentioned. Lets hope Shaun and the lads get a pat on the back?
Mick S


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

Fair play to them for boarding, glad to see the pirates didn't offer any resistance.


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## callpor (Jan 31, 2007)

chadburn said:


> Interesting bit of new's thank you and well done to all concerned, however, the subtitle's reveal an even better piece of new's in regard's to Italy placing Armed Military Forces on their Merchant Vessel's and about time too although as suspected civilian security operator's are already in place.


On the same subject, if you want cheering up take a look at the blog from gCaptain at http://gcaptain.com/navies-fire-photos-pirate-skiff?32370


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## Gollywobbler (Dec 4, 2010)

sparkie2182 said:


> I'm expecting Liam Fox to pop-up and take credit.


The Fox too busy running away from the hounds at the moment!


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## Gollywobbler (Dec 4, 2010)

This piece in the Daily Wail is interesting:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ked-ship-arresting-pirates-coast-Somalia.html

If the journos are right, the crew of the Italian ship were able to move into an armoured shelter near the engine room. From there, they were able to make the ship head towards the warships. If they could manoevre the Italian ship in this way then presumably they could talk to the warships as well?


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## John Dryden (Sep 26, 2009)

Scary stuff I imagine for the crew but the RFA and SN are without doubt a force to be reckoned with.Hard to get the details Gollywobbler so maybe that,s a good sign and anti-piracy operations will be stepped up a notch.


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## Pat Kennedy (Apr 14, 2007)

A very good account of the rescue by Royal Marines from RFA Fort Victoria at this link;
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/11/somali-pirates-captured-british-forces


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## Mike S (Dec 27, 2005)

Excellent stuff........looks like sanity is starting to prevail.


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## LouisB (Dec 23, 2007)

Mike S said:


> Excellent stuff........looks like sanity is starting to prevail.


The only thing is, how on earth have we let it get this far? There doesn't seem to have been any political will to react in a situation that has arisen for far too long.

If it had been aircraft or large cruise ships I am sure that a different line would have been taken. The excuse of 'not being sure what law would apply' didn't seem to bother the UK when hostages were rescued from the 'West Side Boys' by British special forces in Somalia, not so long ago. So what has changed?

It's all right, their only foreign seamen. 



LouisB


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## Gollywobbler (Dec 4, 2010)

Is there any direct link between the Armed Forces getting tougher about the ships and the pirates kidnapping tourists from nearby coastal resorts? 

If a link can be shown then I suspect that the Seafarer will get the short straw from all the Governments concerned. The Seafarer doesn't attract headlines in the same way as the Tourist, after all.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

LouisB, it's got this far because the various "agency's" have sat on their hand's in the same manner that the UN does on most occasion's when it's met with a problem as in Bosnia which led to a large loss of life and a shameful episode for which the British Forces carried the can despite their warning that to the UN that armed intervention was the only answer to protect one of the villiage's which was attacked whilst our Forces were "stood down"
This is also a shameful episode in allowing the capture of around 500 seafarer's by lack of action from those who are supposed to protect them, what future do they have in captivity?, there is certainly a change and about time too, when these so called Pirate's set fire to a vessel to smoke the crew member's out from their designated safe area the the word for these people changes from "Pirate's" to Terrorist's and they should be dealt with a such.
The further these Terrorist's reach out from the Coast the more chance of an interception and hopefully other Countries will support Germany and Italy in the move to have Armed (hopefully Military) Forces on board Merchant Vessel's when they route through these dangerous water's.
The RFA vessel did a great job making the interception but it cannot be everywhere and although she is "cheaper" than a Warship and I accept we have a duty to protect fellow Seafarer's who is footing the bill to keep this vessel on station?


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