Pirates seize French cruise ship

[Spencer Collins]

Pirates seize French cruise ship

PARIS, France (AP) -- Pirates seized control of a French cruise ship Friday off the coast of Somalia, France's Foreign Ministry said.

A ministry official said details about the attack were scarce, and it was not clear how many crew members were on board the ship or if there were any passengers.

The ship is in the high seas in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.

The official declined to identify the vessel or its owner.

The ministry has set up a crisis center to deal with the situation, said the official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Pirates seized more than two dozen ships off the Somali coast last year.


The U.S. Navy has led international patrols to try to combat piracy in the region. Last year, the guided missile destroyer USS Porter opened fire to destroy pirate skiffs tied to a Japanese tanker.

Wracked by more than a decade of violence and anarchy, Somalia does not have its own navy and a transitional government formed in 2004 with U.N. help has struggled to assert control.

The International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy, said in its annual report earlier this year that global pirate attacks rose by 10 percent in 2007, marking the first increase in three years.

Pirates seize French cruise ship - CNN.com

Hard to believe that these cruise ships cannot defend themselves.These ships are international,American,French,Japanese.

[cnredd]

Originally Posted by Spencer Collins

The International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy, said in its annual report earlier this year that global pirate attacks rose by 10 percent in 2007, marking the first increase in three years.

And we can just guess WHERE these acts have increased...

[Spencer Collins]

Hostages Released, Six Pirates Captured in Somalia Yacht Hijacking


Update



PARIS — French officials on Friday said six pirates have been captured in connection with a Somali hijacking.

The French president's office says the pirates are now being held on a French Navy vessel. The president's office made the announcement Friday.

Pirates earlier had freed 30 hostages held aboard a French tourist yacht off Somalia's coast for the past week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday.

In a statement, Sarkozy thanked the French army and other French agencies "that allowed a quick end" to the hostage-taking. The statement did not elaborate on the role of the French military, but said the hostages were freed "without incident."

The statement did not say when the hostages were released or where they were. Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said France would organize the hostages' return "as soon as possible" and welcomed the "happy ending" to the standoff.

Sarkozy will meet the families of the hostages in Paris on Friday afternoon.

Pirates seized the yacht, called Le Ponant, in the Gulf of Aden on April 4. It was carrying 30 crew members, including 22 French citizens and six citizens of the Philippines.

France sent elite commando troops to the region earlier this week to bolster efforts to free the captives. A French frigate was diverted from its NATO duties and tracked the yacht, while a French plane dispatched from a French base in Djibouti flew over the boat, military officials said.

Kouchner, in a statement, urged the international community to mobilize efforts against pirates in the Gulf of Aden, and said discussions were under way at the United Nations to bolster global efforts against pirates.

FOXNews.com - Hostages Released, Six Pirates Captured in Somalia Yacht Hijacking

Aye..I'm pleased that this incident has been resolved but these modern day pirates need to be keel hauled!

[cnredd]

This will become a national holiday...

The first ever French victory...

[Spencer Collins]

Originally Posted by cnredd

This will become a national holiday...

The first ever French victory...

Oh...there have been many French victories. A review of the Napoleonic wars will soon confirm this.Also..they were successful in saving millions of lives with their victories over some of our greatest enimies,the microbes.

Some of our greatest enemies in life are what we cannot see with the naked eye.

Anyway...this gives the new "conservative" president some bragging rights.Let's let him chalk this up as a successful rescue with no loss of life.I saw Sarkozy's speech in congress,he loves America and I would not want to spoil a promising relationship by politicizing "everything" the French encounter.President Washington would confirm our gratitude during the reveloutionary war,we may well have lost it if not for the French.We were friends then and I would like to see a return to that great friendship. I see a glimmer of hope with Sarkozy,let's encourage it..

God knows America could use more friends...

[Mikeyy]

You think they would have noticed a pirate ship gaining on them by the skull and crossbones. Don't be too mad at the samolis. At least they find jobs for the handicapped. Amazing what a bunch of guys with wooden legs and hooks can do when given a chance. Its inspirational if you ask me. They even overcame the eye patch and the parrots on their shoulders to get the job done. As cnredd would tell you, in this country they would be on welfare. Argh

All joking aside I have a friend that has a commercial fishing company in australia. He had a ship built in china a couple years ago. They mounted machine guns on the bow and stern. And didn't remove them until they got the ship to Darwin.