Nationals 5 Pirates 0

US Navy frigate captures 5 pirates near Seychelles

NAIROBI, Kenya – U.S. naval forces say they've captured five pirates after exchanging fire with them, sinking their skiff and confiscating a mother ship.

The USS Nicholas came under fire early Thursday from pirates in an area west of the Seychelles.

The U.S. Africa Command said the five pirates seized would remain in U.S. custody on board the frigate for time time being. The Nicholas is home-ported in Norfolk, Va.

International naval forces have stepped up their enforcement of the waters off East Africa in an effort to thwart a growing pirate trade.

Experts say piracy will continue to be a problem until an effective government is established on Somalia's lawless shores. The country has not had a functioning government for 19 years


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100401/ap_on_re_af/af_piracy

 

Finally. The Gnats step up to the plate and hit.

 

Those weren't bullets that sunk the skiff. Those were fastballs from Stephen Strasburg.

 

The revenge of Nyjer Morgan.

 

Yeah, I want to take on the U.S. Navy in a skiff.

I love that they also captured a mother ship. Did they communicate with it through music?

 

Re: Natinals 5 Pirates 0

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Fixed.

 

Ryan Zimmerman went three-for-three.

 

Just wondering...

If Somalia has gone on for 19 years without a government, what would be their motivation to establish one any time soon?

 

Just gonna throw this out there:
They didn't attack a Danish freighter or the Madagascar Scuba team. They went after a friggin' U.S. NAVAL SHIP?
To me, that smacks of a pretty idiotic thing to do. The only reason I can possibly see them going on that kind of a suicide mission was to distract the U.S. ship from stopping another attack elsewhere. Why else would you go after a ship that can sink you pretty much whenever it decides to?

 

So, you're a U.S. military vessel out there minding your own business (a big assumption, I know, but play along). You are fired upon. Wouldn't it just have been easier to fire a couple of shells that leave all the occupants as a buffet of sorts for the sharks to clean up?

 

Are you saying untrained pirates with AK-47s in a skiff are no match for this?