More Iran warships to counter Somali pirates

[UnitedSomalia]

Six Iranian warships and logistic vessels will join an international armada fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden.

The deployment is in line with international efforts to curb piracy in the pirate-infested waters, which have seen over 220 ships falling victim to hijacking over the past two years.

The commander of the Iranian Navy, Real-Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, said on Monday that "six warships and support vessels have been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden region and international waters."

Adm. Sayyari called this long-range mission thousands of kilometers away from base "unprecedented" in Iranian naval history, and saw it as proof of the country's military abilities, ISNA reported.

Another Iranian warship has already joined an international fleet -- consisting of vessels from the US, Denmark, Russia, Italy and other countries -- to create a security corridor in the bandit-ridden waters.

The Islamic Republic's first deployment came after Somali pirates hijacked the Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship, Delight, operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) in the Gulf of Aden in November, 2008.

The latest incident involving an Iranian ship came in March when the pirates attacked an Iranian vessel for what they called illegal fishing in the northern semi-autonomous region of Puntland.

The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for more than 20,000 vessels going from Asia to Europe and the Americas every year.

The pirates in the area usually try to board and take over the ships, while holding their crews hostage for huge ransoms from ship owners.

Although the exact amount of their income is not known, it is estimated that last year the pirates collected tens of millions of dollars in ransom.

It is belied that part of their earning was later invested in better, faster and longer-range boats to attack commercial shipping hundreds of kilometers away from the coast.

A report earlier suggests that Somali pirates receive intelligence about the shipping traffic from associates in london, England, which is the world center for insurance and ship broking.

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=95929&sectionid=351020101

"There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris" (McGeorge Bundy)

 

[KJ]

There are several reasons for Iran to deploy part of their fleet into the gulf of Aden.
I can´t think of a single one that will do any good.

All part of the bigger game.

//KJ.

 

[UnitedSomalia]

The Iranians have a right to protect their merchant fleet, their national interests, and keep the sea lanes open for the economic well being of their nation. Also it gives them a deterrent posture and strategic deployment in a strategic waterway for any future contingency that arises.

"There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris" (McGeorge Bundy)

 

[KJ]

The Iranians have a right to protect their merchant fleet, their national interests, and keep the sea lanes open for the economic well being of their nation. Also it gives them a deterrent posture and strategic deployment in a strategic waterway for any future contingency that arises.

"There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris" (McGeorge Bundy)

Problem with this argument is twofold.

First off, posturing only work when you are able to back it up.
The Iranians have tried before and came up short.

Second, strategic deployment can only be effective when you deploy enough resources and/or are able to reinforce these resources with more.
In case of a crisis Iran could not reinforce said resources wich would mean a quick and certain iniolation of it´s fleet "task force".

This is a loose/loose situation for the Iranians and the only thing they might accomplish with it is to provoke the very countries they are afraid of..
And make no misstake about it, they are afraid..
Should the west decide to attack a military campaign in the area would be over before it started.

KJ.

 

[SHERMAN]

Great. Thats like bringing in an allegator to save you from a crocodile.

 

[MontyB]

Problem with this argument is twofold.

First off, posturing only work when you are able to back it up.
The Iranians have tried before and came up short.

Second, strategic deployment can only be effective when you deploy enough resources and/or are able to reinforce these resources with more.
In case of a crisis Iran could not reinforce said resources wich would mean a quick and certain iniolation of it´s fleet "task force".

This is a loose/loose situation for the Iranians and the only thing they might accomplish with it is to provoke the very countries they are afraid of..
And make no misstake about it, they are afraid..
Should the west decide to attack a military campaign in the area would be over before it started.

KJ.

I think you are over stating the issue somewhat as the only people to be "afraid" of in the area are pirates and I would suggest that they have deployed enough forces to handle them.

In reality this is just Iran playing the political game just the same as every other country that is there, lets face it no one is there out of the goodness of their heart they are all just flying the flag and attempting in a rather half arsed way to protect their own interests.

I really can't see any negatives here.

 

[KJ]

I think you are over stating the issue somewhat as the only people to be "afraid" of in the area are pirates and I would suggest that they have deployed enough forces to handle them.

In reality this is just Iran playing the political game just the same as every other country that is there, lets face it no one is there out of the goodness of their heart they are all just flying the flag and attempting in a rather half arsed way to protect their own interests.

I really can't see any negatives here.

I didn´t mean anyone were afraid of the pirates.
I took the context of "strategically placing resources" one step further.

I do not believe the iranian deployment have anything to do with pirates.
Nor do I believe Iran is afraid of pirates but rather the strong military presence in the gulf.
I believe this is the Iranians way of trying to show force in a strategic waterway.
As such it doesn´t really bother me either.

What bothers me is that now the western forces will have to keep an eye out behind their backs as well while dealing with the pirates.
I for one wouldn´t trust Iranian forces further then I can throw them..

 

[MontyB]

I didn´t mean anyone were afraid of the pirates.
I took the context of "strategically placing resources" one step further.

I do not believe the iranian deployment have anything to do with pirates.
Nor do I believe Iran is afraid of pirates but rather the strong military presence in the gulf.
I believe this is the Iranians way of trying to show force in a strategic waterway.
As such it doesn´t really bother me either.

Yeah but who isn't there doing the same thing?

No one is there for shits and giggles or because the weather is nice this time of year everyone there is only there to show the flag and pretend they are doing something.

I would also suggest that any "Iranian show of force" is tempered by the fact that they are part of an "international" task force which also leads me to believe this is a "political goodwill" move rather than a military one, kind of a "look at us we are playing on the international stage in a good way" sort of thing.

What bothers me is that now the western forces will have to keep an eye out behind their backs as well while dealing with the pirates.
I for one wouldn´t trust Iranian forces further then I can throw them..

I can't see what Iran could possibly do, I doubt they are going to launch Pearl Harbor II with 7 warships, they may be crazy but I doubt they are stupid.
For the record, when it comes to diplomacy I don't trust anyone further than I can throw them.

 

[A Can of Man]

I had Iranian ELINT in mind.

 

[UnitedSomalia]

The Iranian are deploying to protect their merchant fleet, they are also participating in the UN sanctioned fleet of the Somali coast, they are going their to make their presence know and to show their flag just like everyone else like Monty said. They are not threatening or provoking anyone.

But I wouldn't underestimate the Iranian flotilla because they have capable frigates, corvettes, mine layers, heavy gun boats, destroyers, ultra quite Kilo subs, and mini subs. Their warships are armed with Silkworms, sunburns, other cruise missiles, sea-to-sea missiles, sea-to-air missiles, and sea-to-ground missiles, and advanced torpedoes. They pack enough punch to hurt any enemy enough to make the enemy think twice about attacking.

"There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris" (McGeorge Bundy)

 

[oRTouCH]

Is there a real possibility of a conflict between American and Iranian battleships in Gulf of Aden? I hope you remeber Iran, captured 15 British Soldiers at gunpoint. Maybe they had their own reasons to do this, but an event like this may happen I think. Because Iran and US is not very friendly these days.

 

[03USMC]

Doubt in the Gulf of Aden. Straits of Hormuz would be different story. The Brits were taken in a disputed part of the Persian Gulf , Shatt al Arab that's been contested by both Iraq and Iran for along time. The Brit's were also captured in small craft not a line vessel.

 

[rock45]

Be interesting to see who friendly with them in the area and gives them landing rights, cough, cough Sudan. They lost a pretty big arms shipment in January in Sudan there just on a weapons run. There pick a port with a few Chinese tankers or cargo ships so they can blend in easy and during the night unload. Rocket parts, small arms, nothing that couldn't be hidden from the eyes in the sky.

What else could they be there for the pirates already have the standard issued Iranian Koran in both hardcover and paperback.

 

[UnitedSomalia]

Be interesting to see who friendly with them in the area and gives them landing rights, cough, cough Sudan. They lost a pretty big arms shipment in January in Sudan there just on a weapons run. There pick a port with a few Chinese tankers or cargo ships so they can blend in easy and during the night unload. Rocket parts, small arms, nothing that couldn't be hidden from the eyes in the sky.

What else could they be there for the pirates already have the standard issued Iranian Koran in both hardcover and paperback.

Listen the Iranian warship deployment in the Gulf of Aden is not in any form against any country or conspiracy as you try to make it seem. Sorry to deflate you bubble but the UN authorized this mission and the Iranians have every right just like any other country to have their presence felt.

Also just to show everyone your stereoype and your one sided views that everyone that reads the Koran or everyone that believes in Islam is an Iranian trained agent, you have the audacity to state that the "pirates already have the standard issued Iranian Koran in both hardcover and paperback." Let me educate you for a second, the insurgency lead by the Al Shabab believe in Wahabism which is derived from Saudi Arabia, Somalia is a Sunni Muslim country and they in no way, shape or form believe in Shiite Islam like Iran. So your attempt at defamation and libel fails by attempting to connect Iran to the pirates. If you should blame anyone for Al Shabab and the insurgency in Somalia you should lay it at the feet of your allies the Saudis which sponsor Al Shababa and its Wahabism form of Islam which has never existed in East Africa.

Its funny how you support and prop up dictators such as Mubarak of Egypt and religious zealots such as the Saudi Kingdom when it suits your benefits but as soon as they have no use to you like Saddam you are ready to overthrow them. If you are honest, sincere, and serious about democracy you would have applied it across the board regardless of the political gains.

"There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris" (McGeorge Bundy)

 

[SHERMAN]

Well, I think rock was hinting more at the Iranians trafficing arms to Gaza through Sudan.

By the way while it is true that the Iranis are Shiite and have alot of problems with the Sunis, remember that they traffic arms to Hammas which is a Suni group.

Now, i dont know much about Shiite Shria, but I would not be suprised to find out that they see it as perfectly OK to co-operate with Sunis against non-muslims.

 

[Blackout]

personally i think that the iranis have evry right to protect their shipping plus lets for one seconds assume they had some other plan, what could they achieve against the best navies in the world?!?!? they might as well sink their own ships if they wanted to do anything plus all of this is getting blown out of proportion

 

[KJ]

Ofcourse they wouldn´t openly engage the other naval forces..
There are more ways of disrupting the western navies work in the area.

The problem is that people have a hard time thinking in three dimensions when it comes to naval warfare.
Naval insurgencies may very well be the next thing..
All it takes is one navy to pass information to the wrong people to make all the other navies chase their tails and being unable to solve their mission.

Forget open large naval battles for awhile since that is not a realistic threat in the forseable future.

 

[bren122]

given their self appointed role as the defenders of true Islam, and that a significant number of the crews of these ships are from Islamic countries, it may have less to do with how it plays in the West than it does with how their fellow Islamists see the deployment. i don't know who is contributing ships thus far but i haven't heard of another Muslim country having deployed any ships. quite a PR coup if Iran can paint itself as having helped to eradicate the pirates victimising co-religionists when the two traditional Islamic middle-eastern powers, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, did nothing.
and i am pretty sure that if Australia sent ONE ship the government would be telling the world how we are punching above our weight in the region.

 

[rock45]

Egypt and Saudi Arabia

I notice that to Egypt and Saudi Arabia are pretty useless in this whole process. The Saudi's most likely back door-ing money to the poor Somalians anyway somebody must be. Can't see the tourist industry doing well.

Don't see any Somalian Muslim leaders speaking out against the pirates so the right useless warlords are getting their share. You know stuff like it's wrong to steal from others and its not the Muslim way to do such things. Islam religion stands for peace and love, etc sure whatever.

Imagine if basically a group of western or non Muslim pirates were ripping off basically Muslim ships. Now wouldn't that be a change I wonder how Muslim leaders world wide would speak out then.

I wonder if the Iranians made any Sudan visits

Can we say rocket parts!

 

[KJ]

Well there is two billion plus change rolling into Somalia right now according to United Somalia, who had been on a fundraiser.
Hopefully this money will go towards the goverment fighting pirates, not to goverment funding of pirates...

//KJ.