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MS Hanjin Tianjin
ROKN Choi Young
FNS Pohjanmaa
Once again from a European correspondent comes news of piracy and once again it is near the Gulf of Aden.  First the background story and then some comments on it.


On April 21, 2011 the 6500 TEU containership MS Hanjin Tianjin came under attack by pirates in the Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden 400 km eaast of Socotra.  The ship and its crew of 20 seafarers, 14 Koreans and 6 Indonesians were rescued by the Korean Navy ship ROKS Choi Young.


The crew of the MS Hanjin Tianjin had stopped the engine "to hold it in position" and hid in the citadel (panic room) to protect themselves".  The pirates did some damage to the ship but left on the approach of the ROKN warship.


Comment: NAUTICAL LOG is not quite sure why this vessel was stopped in order for the pirates to board.  Look at the size of it and the difficulty of climbing the side, perhaps they rig the pilot boarding ladder for the pirates to make things easier for them!!  It may be that these are 'Standing Orders to Masters' from Hanjin not to resist these pirate boardings, if so one would question that approach.


On April 06, 2011 the Finnish warship FNS Pohjanmaa detained a group of pirates but later released them after requests for prosecution to various States, including Finland, proved unsuccessful.


Comment: If there is not going to be any prosecution why spend vast sums of monies operating EU NavFor patrols.  Let's just all go home and leave it up to the shipping companies to hire armed guards.  Combined with stopping the ship to facilitate the pirates boarding this entire procedure is a complete waste of time and effort. 


UPDATE:  In another brilliant piece of action from our current Administration Mohamed Ali, also known as Ismail Ali or Ahmed Ali Adan has been residing in Somalia.  He was arrested April 20, 2011 at Dulles International Airport and following investigation he was indicted April 15, 2011 the charges being unsealed today April 26, 2011.  He is charged with conspiracy to commit piracy, piracy under the law of nations, attack to plunder a vessel and aiding and abetting in the crimes.  If convicted he faces a life in prison for these crimes.  This marks the first time charges have been filed in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia against a person accused of negotiating and receiving a ransom in an act of piracy.  It concerns his being involved in the piracy of the Danish MS CEC Future carrying American cargo.  It is somewhat of a mystery why Ali travelled to the United States in the first place, we may find that out at his eventual trial.


While this would seem to be largely a political-correctness action at least it draws attention to the fact the United States is willing to prosecute pirates.  In Europe bunga-bunga (Indonesian for flower by the way) parties seemingly take presidence.


Good Watch.

Please remember the seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia - let us work with India and others to free them.

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