Drudge is linking to a couple of stories, today, about Somalian "Pirates" who have hijacked a Saudi ship containing $100 million worth of crude oil, 1/4 of Saudi Arabia's daily output.
The Saudi Royal Family condemned Somali pirates as terrorists today after losing $100 million worth of oil in an audacious heist that saw bandits seize a supertanker in the Arabian Sea.
The Sirius Star, which was carrying two million barrels of oil, a quarter of the Kingdom's daily output, was captured with its multi-national crew, including two Britons, 450 miles off the coast of Kenya on Sunday.
The hijack was the biggest ever act of piracy in the perilous shipping lanes off the east coast of Africa. Vela International, the ship’s owners, said today that the crew were safe and that their response team was awaiting further contact with the gang.
The furious Saudi foreign minister said the banditry was akin to terrorism and demanded an international crackdown on the pirates.
Yes, just what we need, more international action, taken in tandem with an extremist Muslim nation.
And yes, these "Pirates" certainly are audacious.
Look at all the stories of piracy circling today:
HONG KONG CARGO SHIP HIJACKED BY PIRATES... DEVELOPING...
Danish oil ship briefly seized off Nigeria... Developing...
PIRATES CAPTURE SUPERTANKER WITH $100 MILLION CARGO...
Open negotiations...
Saudis brand pirates 'terrorists' ...call for international action
US Admiral 'stunned' by pirates' reach...
Ay, matey.
Reliapundit sent me an email questioning whether it is possible that these "piracy" operations are the work of the CIA, giving them a cloak for boarding and inspecting ships in international waters.
That could be.
Personally, as the piracy has increased in recent weeks, I've been wondering if, perhaps, these pirates are like "Contraband launderers" or Illegal Customs Agents, who check cargo while it's out at sea, by seizing it, making payment, and then delivering it to its intended destination;
Al Qaeda in Africa.
My theory is they aren't stealing. They are contraband laundering middlemen, designed to help the Saudis transfer goods to the Jihadis with a cover.
Think about it this way. In recent weeks, we have seen a ship containing apparent nuclear materials from Iran seized by "Pirates" and then disappear. And now, a Saudi ship containing the proverbial boatload of oil, seized.
Will it disappear?
Or, will something actually be done about it?
Stay tuned.
17 comments:
Pastorius,
"Pirates" Seize Boatload of Oil From Saudis? Are these pirates also Jihadists? So if the steal from Saudi Arabia, perhaps the most Islamic state on Earth, now that there is no more Taliban, Could it be argued that they are stealing from there own?
My theory is they aren't stealing. They are contraband laundering middlemen, designed to help the Saudis transfer goods to the Jihadis with a cover.
Does that make sense.
Pastorius,
It does make sense. The Saudis will probably do all they can to make it look like they don't support terrorism so non Islamic states will keep buying their oil. Man I can't wait for the day when we no longer need oil
Various experts I respect have spoken of AQ's desire to fund Wahhabism in Africa.
I think that Pastorius's theory could well be correct.
Furthermore, for decades Saudi has walked a fine line with AQ -- saying just enough to keep themselves from being attacked again by OBL's adherents.
I'm not sure that the CIA could successfully investigate a paper bag. Maybe I'm wrong on that.
there is no way any pirate or pirates can take a ship, unless it is an "inside job". Even if they threaten to use rockets, and the ship slows down to a halt, there is no way to scale a 60-80 foot metal wall,without help "from the inside". Besides, even if someone from "the inside" droped down a boarding ladder, wait until most of the pirates are climbing, then drop some concrete blocks on them, and they will end up as shark bait.
Or better yet, have 4 or 5 guys fire off a couple of shotgun rounds, and your pirate problem is solved forever.
This is nothing more than a Cabbalistic ploy to fool the dumdum
public at large, and the World is falling for it. Idiots!!!!
AOW,
I think the CIA could investigate the paper bag, but they'd probably get caught holding the evidence.
Anonymous,
Well put, dude.
There is something very strange here.
"The furious Saudi foreign minister said the banditry was akin to terrorism and demanded an international crackdown on the pirates."
I got an idea. Let the Saudi Navy deal with the problem.
I guess they could fly a plane into the Pirate's boat.
Oh sorry, that's the Saudi Air Force.
The CIA theory explains some things, like the US and other Navies NOT getting ships together in convoys protected by at least air, and maybe a couple of frigates.
I mean ISN'T THAT A FRIGGIN OBVIOUS SOLUTION?
However, I don't buy it.
The world is screwed up. That's the reality. These guys are for better or worse making a living and they have to my knowledge NEVER failed to deliver the ship and crew safely after ransom is made.
If the world wants to stop this ..just CONVOY the damn ships. If it stopped wolfpacks of sub fleets I think it might work on glorified large speedboats armed with RPG'S and AK's.
This has not ended because people don't care enough to organize to do so.
Epa,
"The world is screwed up" is another theory which accounts for the bizarre circumstances.
Whatever the theory, though, I think we can agree, there is something not right here. Supertankers with $100 million cargoes are being hijacked by primitives, and no one is doing anything about it.
That doesn't make sense.
Well if you wire the tanker with explosives, and it's fully loaded (which it is), and you can blow it up by remote....
Once seized I think it's too late. Everyone is complacent. Entropy increases every day
The key is prevention, not a delta force raid on a wired oil bomb the size of three aircraft carriers.
I hadn't heard that these guys were wiring these supertankers with explosives.
My assumption
Wouldn't you?
"Think about it this way. In recent weeks, we have seen a ship containing apparent nuclear materials from Iran seized by "Pirates" and then disappear. And now, a Saudi ship containing the proverbial boatload of oil, seized".
It is not possible for ships to 'disappear' in this day and technological age. There is nothing that can hide from our eyes in the sky, and nowhere to go even if you could hide.
I agree with Pastorius. There is more here than meets the eye.
Even if we were watching the pirates in real time from orbit..how would that affect things?
I don't understand.
They were in a tug stolen the day before with speedboats loaded on it..you saying we knew and let it unfold?
Or we did it for some other reason?
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