21st century Pirates!

I thought this would be neat for Camden and future generations to look back on.

I turned on the tv this morning to hear on the news about a pirate problem they are having in Somilia. I thought this was so crazy! I didn't know we had modern day pirates...shows how much I know. The news people said they have about 200 citizens in their custody! 

 I looked it up and here are some clips of the news articles I found:

News: a member of the Somali pirates vowed that they will kill any of the American and French forces they capture in the Somali coast. Ships carrying food aid on behalf of the United Nations are among the 25 vessels hijacked since March. Piracy has existed in Somalia's coastal waters since the country plunged into civil war 15 years ago - the anarchy on land has spread to the sea.

Between six and 10 gunmen in small fishing boats known as Volvos (because of their engines) and equipped with automatic rifles and rocket propelled grenades wander offshore in search of any vessel they can find.

Sometimes ships unloading their cargo are attacked as they have to anchor 500m from the shore, with dozens of small boats and maybe 100 porters travelling back and forth, slowly unloading the goods.

Lately they seem to have become more daring, venturing into the deep international waters up to 180 miles off the coast and even hijacking international aid ships.

It is believed that seven other ships are currently being held hostage - four near the central Eyl district and three reportedly in the southern Lower Jubba region.

Ransoms are now routinely paid and the going rate is in the region of $500,000 for one ship, its cargo and crew.

The question of whether these hijackings are motivated by purely economic reasons, or whether politics is also involved, is now being investigated by the Kenyan and the transitional Somali governments.

Pirates vow to avenge deaths after U.S. Navy Seals free Captain Richard Phillips

A great cry of anger, coupled with vows of vengeance, rose up from the pirate lairs hidden around theHorn of Africa after Capt. Richard Phillips' rescue.

"Our friends should have done more to kill the captain before they were killed. This will be a good lesson for us," Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old pirate, toldThe Associated Press in the port of Eyl, a Somali pirate hub.

"From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill [the hostages]."

Somali pirates generally treat their hostages well to ensure they get their ransom. Some warned that would change after the U.S. Navy killed three Somali pirates and Friday’s French commando raid on a captured yacht killed two others.

"The French and the Americans will regret starting this killing," a pirate called Hussein told Reuters. "We shall do something to anyone we see as French or American from now on."

Some fear the pirates might retaliate against the more than 200 international mariners they hold.

In Harardhere, a major Somali pirate stronghold, residents gathered in the streets worrying about attacks by foreign navies.

"We fear more that any revenge taken by the pirates against foreign nationals could bring more attacks from the foreign navies, perhaps on our villages," said clothing store owner Abdullahi Haji Jama.