Somali troops free cargo ship held for 5 days

[UnitedSomalia]

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Soldiers of a regional government, with guns blazing, freed a Panama-flagged cargo ship Tuesday that pirates had held off the Somali coast for five days, according to an official from the region.

Also Tuesday, other pirates failed to act on their threat to blow up a Ukrainian ship laden with weapons that has been held for nearly three weeks, a U.S. military spokesman said.
The Panamanian-flagged vessel and its 11 crew members — nine Syrians and two Somalis — were freed after a gunbattle in which one soldier was killed and three wounded, said Deputy Seaport Minister Abdiqadir Muse Geele. No hostages or pirates were hurt, Geele said.
The 10 pirates who had held the ship since Thursday surrendered when they ran out of ammunition, said Geele, a deputy minister in the government of the northern Somalia semiautonomous region of Puntland.
Pirates had threatened to destroy Ukrainian ship by early Tuesday unless ransom was paid. But the U.S. Navy said the deadline passed without incident.
The MV Faina, carrying a crew of 20 and a cargo of heavy weapons, is still in one piece, said Lt. Stephanie Murdock, a spokeswoman for the 5th Fleet in Bahrain.
American warships continue to monitor the Faina, which is docked near the Somali port of Hobyo, Murdock said.
A spokesman for the pirates said Monday they were considering extending the deadline. They have held the ship and its crew for almost three weeks.
Pirates have seized more than two dozen ships this year off Somalia's coast.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081014/ap_on_re_af/af_somalia_piracy;_ylt=AhRjV66zlKdLqYOtG2ZKI1696Q8F

 

[UnitedSomalia]

I think as this rescue mission by Somali troops of one of the hijacked ships proves that Somali forces are capable enough to carry out rescue missions and foreign troops need to not come within Somali territory.

 

[senojekips]

I think as this rescue mission by Somali troops of one of the hijacked ships proves that Somali forces are capable enough to carry out rescue missions and foreign troops need to not come within Somali territory.

I think that they have left their run far too late to avoid that now. If having foreign troops intervene was a concern, the Somalis should have done this within days of the hijackings.

If anything it has merely highlighted the point that they are most certainly capable, but perhaps not willing to do anything until they are backed into a corner, by the threat of outside intervention.

 

[UnitedSomalia]

"I think that they have left their run far too late to avoid that now. If having foreign troops intervene was a concern, the Somalis should have done this within days of the hijackings.

If anything it has merely highlighted the point that they are most certainly capable, but perhaps not willing to do anything until they are backed into a corner, by the threat of outside intervention."

The ship was only held for 5 days, that is probably the same amount of time it took the Somali troops to negotiate and plan the rescue operation at the same time. You can't just carry out an operation without details of the ship, crew, gunmen locations, trapped areas etc.

The fact that this ship was rescued by Somali troops is due to the fact that the pirates docked this ship within an area of Somalia that is under the government control. And the reason why Somali government troops can't rescue some of the other ships is probably due to the fact that they are docked in parts of Somalia that is outside the puppet Mogadishu regime's control. Probably the other ships are docked in areas that are warlord controlled.

 

[rock45]

not willing

senojekips
If anything it has merely highlighted the point that they are most certainly capable, but perhaps not willing to do anything until they are backed into a corner, by the threat of outside intervention.

Couldn't have said it any better the Somali government is as crooked as the day is long.

UnitedSomalia
Deputy Seaport Minister Abdiqadir Muse Geele. No hostages or pirates were hurt, Geele said.
The 10 pirates who had held the ship since Thursday surrendered when they ran out of ammunition,

Funny how a Seaport Minister handles such thing in this wonder land. The no pirates hurt comment doesn't surprise me one bit there already released and planning their next hijacking, what a joke. I'm sure the Islamic Courts came down on them and made them say 100 times 'death to Americans" before letting them go.

 

[senojekips]

The ship was only held for 5 days, that is probably the same amount of time it took the Somali troops to negotiate and plan the rescue operation at the same time. You can't just carry out an operation without details of the ship, crew, gunmen locations, trapped areas etc.

The fact that this ship was rescued by Somali troops is due to the fact that the pirates docked this ship within an area of Somalia that is under the government control. And the reason why Somali government troops can't rescue some of the other ships is probably due to the fact that they are docked in parts of Somalia that is outside the puppet Mogadishu regime's control. Probably the other ships are docked in areas that are warlord controlled.

The Faina is at sea several miles from shore, surely the Somali forces can raid that?

The very fact that these warlords can exist is an indictment against the Government. It is almost impossible for people from first world countries to reconcile this, to me it says that the "Government" is not really in power. The country has no actual ruling Government.

e.g If something like this was to happen in my country, I'm sure it would all be over in under 24 hours.

 

[5.56X45mm]

e.g If something like this was to happen in my country, I'm sure it would all be over in under 24 hours.

Senojekips, if something like this happened off the Coast of the Great State of Florida. the citizenry themselves would have already taken care of it. j/k

But in all seriousness. The main issue is not the Somali People. It's both the Somali Government and the Warlords. The government is about as honest as a two dollar ***** with the clap and it's has enough power to rule the country as a small mouse against steam roller.

The Warlords and the Somali Government are working hand and hand. skimming off the top, bribes, pay offs, etc....

I am for a free and just Somalia. But right now Somalia isn't that...

 

[senojekips]

The way I see it, is that the "Government" may be in place, but they are not in control. Therefore they are not a true or legitimate "Government" because they don't "govern" the country.

Until this is recognised, Somalia will go nowhere. They can have all the riches imaginable, but until someone develops them they are of no use other than to attract those who wish to steal them. No one will invest in the infrastructure that's necessary for Somalia to access them while the country is at war with itself.

 

[03USMC]

There is no goverment, no infrastructure nada. Hasn't been since 91. Just clans and warlords one after the other, that control portions of the entire "nation" at a time.

 

[A Can of Man]

You'll see "government" and "rebels" working hand in hand in many cases. Both profiteer from each others presence.

 

[UnitedSomalia]

"Funny how a Seaport Minister handles such thing in this wonder land. The no pirates hurt comment doesn't surprise me one bit there already released and planning their next hijacking, what a joke."-Rock45

The reason their were no pirates hurt could be that the pirates had a shootout with the government troops and as it states "The 10 pirates who had held the ship since Thursday surrendered when they ran out of ammunition." What happen was probably that they had a shootout with the government and that some surrendered quickly and others kept shooting till they ran out and eventually surrendered.

"I'm sure the Islamic Courts came down on them and made them say 100 times 'death to Americans" before letting them go."-Rock45

Let me break something down for you right here, the incident happen in the Puntland semi autonomous region, this region has ran its own affairs since the breakup of the central government in Mogadishu in 1991, as did the other autonomous region of Somaliland that use to be British Somaliland. These two regions were the only stable regions in Somalia since the fall of the central government, these regions have their own police, army, local government and they didn't get destroyed like the rest of Somalia. These regions have no warlords presence at all, they are as peaceful as Miami, you can be an America and walk down the street and no one will even bother you at all.

Now the area that saw the civil war in Somalia and that is warlord infested is Southern Somalia which previous to independence use to be called Italian Somaliland. This area is region the capital and the central government is located in. Now this area was warlord infested from 1991-2006 when the Islamic Courts drove all the warlords away and established Islamic state. The Islamic Courts were roughly in power 1 year till 2007 and in that one year not 1 pirate attack occurred any pirate or warlords that was captured was put to death under sharia law. Now the only region of Somalia that saw civil war and no one could tame from 1991-2006 they managed to tame in 1 year, they established a local government like the ones that exist in the 2 other regions of Somalia such as British Somaliland and Puntland since the fall of the central government that shielded those regions from the civil war and carnage that plagued the rest of the country i.e Italian Somaliland.

Now here is my last point of education for you my friend, why would the Islamic Courts be in Puntland when they were never their and their power was limited to Italian Somaliland. Puntland has a local government that was in place since 1991 and this is the government that rescued this ship not the Islamic Courts. How you brought the Islamic Courts into this amazes me and as your limited understanding of the Somali conflict and the different regions and who is in charge of those regions. The Islamic Courts have no power or control in Puntland, their aim is Italian Somaliland and Mogadishu, they want to overthrow the puppet central regime that was installed in Mogadishu by the Ethiopians and Americans, their fight is not in Puntland which has a local Somali installed government. Now lets look at your theory that the Islamic Courts had something to do with the rescue of a ship in a region they have no power in, if the Islamic Courts were involved all those pirates would be marched of the ship and promptly beheaded under Sharia law for theft amongst other charges. The pirates would not be alive trust to God, if the Islamic Courts had anything to do with this rescue, and the pirates are probably happy that it wasn't the Islamic Courts knowing the Islamic Courts history of how they execute warlords and pirates.

The corruption comes from the central government that America and Ethiopia installed in Mogadishu, where the Federal president Abdullahi Yusuf is a former warlord himself, this brought back the warlords and pirates who fled when the Islamic Courts were in power. Their are no warlords in Puntland and the other semi autonomous region that use to be called British Somaliland, and their wouldn't be any warlords and pirates in former Italian Somaliland and Mogadishu if the Islamic Courts was in power. You can try to absolve the great mistake and debacle America and Ethiopia made in installing this warlord infested central government where the federal president was a warlord, the mayor is warlord, the head of police is a former warlord and in which every leader is either a former warlord or has ties to warlords. America and Ethiopia's quest not to have an Islamic government they brought to power the same elements that pillaged and destroyed Somalia since 1991, the same elements America itself was battling in 1993. You always speak of that Somalis need to take responsibility for their country and what happens their, well you need to accept and the American government needs to take responsibility in bringing these warlords back in their short sighted quest to overthrow the Islamic Courts.