US Marines seize ship from pirates off Somalia

(MANAMA, Bahrain) – US Marines seized a pirate-controlled ship in the Gulf of Aden according to a statement from the Fifth Fleet.

Early Wednesday, pirates captured the German-owned vessel M/V Magellan Star. Crew members locked themselves in a safe compartment of the ship once the pirates had boarded. At 5 a.m. local time, 24 members of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Maritime Raid Force boarded the Magellan Star, capturing all pirates without firing a shot. No injuries to the crew, Marines, or pirates were reported.

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Obama should call climate bill by appropriate name—Cap and Raid

Updated on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 11:41AM by Kay B. Day, Editor

Updated on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 3:35PM by Kay B. Day, Editor

The UN building must create a large carbon footprint of its own. Alarmists like Al Gore rarely consider their own footprint. [Photo from UN website.]After President Barack Obama’s speech to the United Nations Tuesday, Americans will soon see pressure on Congress to pass climate change legislation, HR 2454. The bill is alternatively called ‘Waxman-Markey’ or ‘Cap and Trade’. We prefer the term ‘Cap and Raid’ because this bill will create an economic bubble Democrats are famous for and we believe it will transfer American wealth out of Main Street pockets into hedge fund coffers and developing countries with weak governments. Obama said the U.S. is “determined” to combat climate change, according to Fox News.

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Vice Admiral Gortney says vessels need self-protection to combat piracy

The Sirius Star at anchor off the coast of Harardhere, Somalia, as seen by a U.S. Navy aircraft flying overhead. The ship was attacked Nov. 15 more than 450 miles off the East coast of Africa, and was forced to proceed to an anchorage in Somali territorial waters (U.S. Navy photo by Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class William S. Stevens.)U.S. Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, Commander, Combined Maritime Forces, said ships must take security measures to help combat piracy. Approximately 10 days after Gortney gave his recommendation, a ship owned by Oceania Cruises was attacked. A news release on the Oceania website reported the Nov. 30th attack:
“M/S NAUTICA was transiting through the Gulf of Aden within the prescribed Maritime Safety Protection Area which is patrolled by international anti-piracy task forces. As the vessel sailed past several groups of non-hostile fishing vessels, two small skiffs were sighted by the Officer on Duty and deemed potentially hostile. The skiffs, approaching from a range of approximately 1000 meters [1,094 yards], attempted to intercept the vessel’s course. Captain Jurica Brajcic and his officers immediately began evasive maneuvers and took all prescribed precautions. NAUTICA was immediately brought to flank speed and was able to out run the two skiffs. One of the skiffs did manage to close the range to approximately 300 yards and fired eight rifle shots in the direction of the vessel before trailing off. No one aboard NAUTICA was harmed and no damage was sustained.”

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Military analyst’s warnings about piracy prove true with Somalia attacks

Maj. W. Thomas Smith, Jr., is a military expert, author and journalist whose work has appeared in top media around the globe.Exclusive feature about piracy and Somalia

(Columbia, S.C.)—Maj. W. Thomas Smith Jr. (SCSG) — military analyst, counterterrorism/counterpiracy expert, and former U.S. Marine infantry leader — says Islamists may well be “capitalizing” on high-seas piracy. As a journalist, Smith has reported from battlefields in the Balkans and the Middle East—from the West Bank to Iraq (two tours) to Lebanon—and he covered the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks from "ground zero" in New York. Smith agreed to an exclusive Q&A with The US Report about piracy.

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