I have been a bit amazed at the whole Somali piracy scenario. Little bitty boats you can see miles away are allowed close enough to SAUDI tankers filled with millions of dollars worth of oil then they board and HOLD the tanker HOSTAGE? Or, worse, a tanker with some mysterious hazardous material? And everyone is wondering what to do about this problem?
Maybe I am shallow or stupid, but I’m sorry but there is something seriously wrong with this very avoidable picture.
Trust the Danes to figure out a way to stick it to Somali pirates without blasting them out of the water:
Side note, as a result of some previous UNHCR reading, I can’t believe the number of Somalis who were getting visas to America. I see hundreds of Palestinians denied at the US Embassy who would make huge contributions to the great melting pot yakhni of America. If it was about racial diversity, why not Darfurian Sudanese? At the time Iraqis REALLY needed to be welcomed by the thousands, it was Somalis who had the greatest number of visas given. Somalia is one scary place, one of few I couldn’t be PAID to visit. Sorry to be naming names, but Somalis, they don’t seem to ‘melt’ well, and bring some of their less ‘pirate-like’ , but also undesirable, behaviors with them. Currently, they are NOT being allowed, due the amount of immigration fraud they used under ‘family reunification’, which is hindering every other refugee/immigrant family until it is settled.
I think I better stick with Pioneer Woman for free reading the rest of the year.
I am also very upset with WordPress for changing AGAIN. Sigh.
December 5, 2008 at 3:01 pm |
These ship do only have a handful of staff on board that can’t work and monitor the surrounding seas. But I know if I was as ship captain navigating through that Bermuda Triangle, I would stick a few pirates and cannonballs on my boat for protection! But seriously how do these pirates scale the hull and board the vessel? Those ships docked in Aqaba are mighty big!
Do tell us more about the pirate-like behaviors of these immigrants. I please the 5th on immigration…we need some SERIOUS reform and a lot of work to overhaul.
December 5, 2008 at 3:15 pm |
yfa, true about the number of staff…and yet, since ship piracy has been in the news for years now, it would seem logical to have ’sea marshals’ at least on radar lookout? Looking at the value of the cargo, it would seem something done long ago to insure safety. The cruise ship that got away had some sort-of anti-takeover siren that blasts their ears.
Whew, immigration reform…huge issue!! One reason I have avoided learning more, is I discovered that to make it an ‘issue’ paints you a specific political color. I am decidedly more purply blue than red on, but need more study.
December 5, 2008 at 6:59 pm |
you can’t imagine the amount of fun poked at the pirates in America’s late night comedies. For one, being “out run by a cruise ship full of fat people sitting at a buffet.” : )
December 5, 2008 at 8:01 pm |
Ma3-boos, you, Hareega and Samer Marzouq almost compel me to start watching TV!
December 6, 2008 at 2:08 am |
i like the new wordpress :p
December 8, 2008 at 8:52 pm |
At night, you can’t see these little boats on radar or with binoculars because they are too small. (it’s called “below the radar” for a reason)
The pirates throw a grappling hook over the rail and climb the rope, and are more heavily armed than the crews.
December 10, 2008 at 8:37 pm |
Lazy Gardens, thanks for visiting! Yes, good points you make…maybe I have seen too many action movies with google Earth pinpointing the ‘bad guys’. It would seem that with that kind of cargo, and the proliferation of piracy, that there would be more security around.