Saturday, March 18, 2006
As in the turn of the 18th to the 19th Centuries, so it goes on around the turn of the 20th to the 21st...the US Navy is still engaging with pirates, and not all that far from where they used to do it in the Mediterranean. Interestingly enough, the USS Gonzalez was involved in another incident I posted here, pulling some stranded Iranian mariners out of the water. Busy, busy.
Here's a clue to all pirates: When a Missile Cruiser and a Missile Destroyer are coming at you...put ... the RPG ... down.
[Update: DoD photos from the clash here, here, here and here.]
U.S. Navy Ships Return Fire on Suspected Pirates
The incident occurred about 25 nautical miles off the central eastern coast of Somalia in international waters.
Cape St. George, a guided missile cruiser, and Gonzalez, a guided missile destroyer, were conducting maritime security operations in the area as part of Combined Task Force 150, officials said.
Members of this maritime coalition task force, currently led by Royal Netherlands Navy Commodore Hank Ort, spotted a suspect vessel towing two smaller skiffs bearing west toward the coast, officials reported. As Gonzalez's boarding teams prepared to conduct a routine boarding of the suspect vessel, the two Norfolk, Va.-based Navy ships noticed the suspected pirates were brandishing what appeared to be rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
The suspected pirates then opened fire on the Navy ships. The Cape St. George and Gonzalez returned fire with small arms in self defense, officials said.
No U.S. sailors were injured in the engagement, officials said.
The Navy ships are providing medical treatment to the wounded suspects, continuing search-and-rescue efforts for any additional suspects and collecting further evidence from the vessel and skiffs, officials said. Royal Netherlands Navy medical personnel, including a medical doctor, are en route to provide assistance from HNLMS Amsterdam.
Coalition forces conduct maritime security operations under international maritime conventions to ensure security and safety in international waters so all commercial shipping can operate freely while transiting the region, officials said.
On March 15, the United Nations Security Council encouraged naval forces operating off the coast of Somalia to be vigilant and take action against piracy. Pirate attacks against aid ships have hindered U.N. efforts to provide relief to the victims of a severe drought in the area, officials said.
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