# Pirate Base Attacked by EU Forces



## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18069685


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## Mariner44 (Feb 3, 2012)

At long last!


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

One swallow doth not a Summer make.

But I agree it is something and credit where credit's due.


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## Keltic Star (Jan 21, 2006)

So, the EU now has it's own Forces? How dangerous, sounds like history is about to repeat itself.


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## Ian Brown (Jun 25, 2008)

What do you suggest?
How about this:
n July 1855, Chinese pirates in the Hong Kong area captured four merchant ships, apparently of British subject. In response on 4 August 1855, armed boats from the East India Squadron frigate USS Powhatan and the Royal Navy sloop-of-war HMS Rattler attacked the pirates at the Battle of Ty-ho Bay. HMS Eaglet towed the boats into position which then proceeded to destroy twenty of thirty-six junks. Seven merchant ships were also rescued. An estimated 500 pirates were killed or wounded and over 1,000 taken prisoner compared the an allied loss of nine dead and about a dozen wounded.


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

According to Lloyds Loadinglist today this is the result........

"Helicopter gunships in an EU taskforce launched a dawn raid on a Somali pirate base yesterday, the first since ground attacks were authorised.

The EU Naval Force (EU NavFor) said it had carried out the raid on pirate targets, near the port of Haradhere, a known pirate stronghold, using helicopters and surveillance aircraft.

The gunships destroyed at least five of the pirates’ fast-attack boats used to hijack commercial shipping.

The EU in March agreed to expand Operation Atalanta to allow forces to attack land targets as well as those at sea, but anti-piracy forces have been reluctant to attack mainland bases, fearing retaliation against the crew of captured ships. 

At risk are more than 300 hostages held by the pirates, who have so far generally refrained from killing crew as they seek multi-million dollar ransoms.

Operation Commander of the EU NavFor, Rear Admiral Duncan Potts, said “We believe this action will further increase the pressure on, and disrupt pirates’ efforts to get out to sea to attack merchant shipping and dhows. 

“The local Somali people and fishermen – many of whom have suffered so much because of piracy in the region – can be reassured that our focus was on known pirate supplies and will remain so in the future.”

Potts added: “Operation Atalanta remains committed to fighting piracy off the Horn of Africa and the humanitarian mission of protecting World Food Programme ships that bring vital aid to the Somali people.”

EU NavFor said no Somalis had been wounded in the attack and no military forces had landed on Somali territory.

Dave Heindel, chair of the ITF union’s seafarers’ section, said: “This appears to have been a timely, considered and professional operation. We hope that it will be followed by many more disruptive actions.

“Limited though the effects of any one single operation can be, it sets a precedent for future actions. It is particularly welcome in a week that has seen increased use of weapons and violence by pirates.”

rgds
geoff


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Ian, Much regret that no reporter is likely to be able to re-use prose like that these days, more's the pity. David V


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## LouisB (Dec 23, 2007)

Erimus said:


> According to Lloyds Loadinglist today this is the result........
> 
> "Helicopter gunships in an EU taskforce launched a dawn raid on a Somali pirate base yesterday, the first since ground attacks were authorised.
> 
> ...


A good, well reported and neutral article from LL I share with others the feeling of not before time.

In the event of any future major military incursions against Europe it bothers me and I often wonder how long it would take the combined European military forces and without American assistance, to organise themselves into a cohesive and effective defence group?

Not as long as the latest anti piracy actions have taken to come to fruition I sincerely hope. All the same - well done.


LouisB. (Scribe)


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## Ian Brown (Jun 25, 2008)

Varley said:


> Ian, Much regret that no reporter is likely to be able to re-use prose like that these days, more's the pity. David V


The huge irony is that with the recent oil and gas finds in Puntland in a few years ships will be heading for Somalia to load.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Ian, The report must be false - if there was oil there'd be 'feet on the ground' and lots of 'em. David V


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## Robert Hilton (Feb 13, 2011)

Not as long as the latest anti piracy actions have taken to come to fruition I sincerely hope. All the same - well done.
LouisB. (Scribe)[/QUOTE]

Reminds me of the Stanley Holloway monologue Canute the Great and this couplet:

"He landed his army at Weymouth and waited for't fight to begin,
"While Ethelred the Unready found his army and got it fell in."


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## Ian Brown (Jun 25, 2008)

Varley said:


> Ian, The report must be false - if there was oil there'd by 'feet on the ground' and lots of 'em. David V


Hello David,

It's Aussie's drilling etc.

http://www.rangeresources.com.au/operations/puntland/

Are you finally retired?


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Ian,

Various mental health acts have removed anyone likely to give me a job to secure hospitals so last years redundancy made retirement the only option - I am 61 you know (creak creak) Brother and Cousin both retired at 50 (after similar encouragement) and both dead at 65. If this is a mutual family breath-to date I have left it a bit late.

The oil news. Strange, but the oil industry has quite often been 'at the frontier'. Father had the story of BP consistently having a particular diameter of instrumentation pipe nicked. It turned out the local primitives were turning them into muzzle loaders. No lock, just a cunningly wielded cigarette.

David V


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