Petraeus: Shippers should consider armed guards

[PegLeg45]

Petraeus: Shippers should consider armed guards

  By LARA JAKES, Associated Press Writer Lara Jakes, Associated Press Writer   – 1 hr 11 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The global shipping industry should consider placing armed guards on its boats to ward off pirates who have become increasingly violent, the U.S. military commander who oversees the African coastline said Friday. Gen. David Petraeus told a House committee Friday that just trying to outrun or block pirates from boarding cargo ships isn't enough to deter sea bandits off the Somali coast who are becoming more aggressive.

But the shipping industry has resisted arming their boats, which would deny them port in some nations.

Petraeus said defensive preparations short of armed guards "can work. You can have water hoses and others that can make it more difficult," Petraeus told a House Appropriations subcommittee.

But in a wry tone, he added: "It's tough to be on the end of a water hose if the other guy is on the end of an RPG. So you've got to think your way though that calculation as well."

An RPG is a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

Petraeus said the Navy would continue to patrol the region, but added that some shippers in the past hadn't taken even basic steps to avoid pirates.

"We started off by saying, 'If you just speed up, when the pirates approach you that will help. If you take evasive action, that's even better. And if you unbolt the ladder that allows the pirates to climb onto your ship before you set sail, you get extra credit for that,'" Petraeus said. "These were not being taken before."

Joe Cox, president of the Chamber of Shipping of America, cautioned that deploying armed guards aboard cargo ships could escalate violence if pirates expect a gunfight.

"If you asked us two weeks ago, we would say, 'No guns on ships,'" Cox said Friday. "Now the reaction is, 'Let's talk.' That's not a ringing endorsement of going in that direction. But we know, under the current circumstances, something has to be done."

The Washington-based trade association represents 32 shipping companies.

Cox also called on the government to remain committed to securing the high seas. "We don't want them to abrogate the responsibility," he said.

Pirates have hijacked more than 100 ships off the Somali coast over the last year, including one in a dramatic standoff between pirates and the U.S. Navy earlier this month in the Indian Ocean. A U.S. sea captain was held hostage for five days before three of his captors were shot and killed by Navy SEALS. A fourth pirate is now being held in New York, where he awaits prosecution.

Naval forces from several nations patrol the waters that Petraeus described as many times the size of Texas. But he said there is no way for any military to be able to safeguard all commercial ships that ply those waters.

The region is one of the world's most crucial shipping lanes, with oil vessels and other merchant ships carrying billions of dollars worth of cargo. Authorities say pirates are well aware that ship owners have been willing to pay an average of $2 million ransom for each seized ship.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090424/ap_on_go_co/us_us_piracy

[Big Frank]

Just for an instant I thought it said Strippers should consider armed guards. The may be a good idea too.

[fightingquaker13]

Just for an instant I thought it said Strippers should consider armed guards. The may be a good idea too.

They are at a disadvantage when carrying concealed.
FQ13

[twyacht]

Evasive maneuvers are tough in a tanker/freighter., its like a school bus with flat tires. Armed protection is the way to go. Blackwater Inc,. has something in the works with an old vessel called the Olympic. Also has offered armed squads for any ship that wants it.

If ports of call won;t accept armed vessels, do business at different ports. OR charge a fee to deliver goods to a "port of risk"

The world commerce market better step up, a lawless cesspool of a nation( Somalia )  dictating maritime commerce through the Gulf of Aden?

Petraeus is a military man, if attacked or threatened, FIGHT THE **** BACK!  Sounds great to me....

[cookie62]

They are at a disadvantage when carrying concealed.
FQ13

I prefer when they open carry

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

Evasive maneuvers are tough in a tanker/freighter., its like a school bus with flat tires. Armed protection is the way to go. Blackwater Inc,. has something in the works with an old vessel called the Olympic. Also has offered armed squads for any ship that wants it.

If ports of call won;t accept armed vessels, do business at different ports. OR charge a fee to deliver goods to a "port of risk"

The world commerce market better step up, a lawless cesspool of a nation( Somalia )  dictating maritime commerce through the Gulf of Aden?

Petraeus is a military man, if attacked or threatened, FIGHT THE **** BACK!  Sounds great to me....

We don't even let armed ships come into ports( unless they are US citz, even then there are bunch of restrictions)

in every single trainign corse  I had in the USCG, they all stress we looked for 5 things.

1drugs
2money
3plants/animals
4guns/weapons
5people


with drugs being number 1, guns/weapons being number 2 and 3 being people.

[twyacht]

from TAB

We don't even let armed ships come into ports( unless they are US citz, even then there are bunch of restrictions)

in every single trainign corse  I had in the USCG, they all stress we looked for 5 things.

1drugs
2money
3plants/animals
4guns/weapons
5people


with drugs being number 1, guns/weapons being number 2 and 3 being people.

You and the Shipping companies will need cash on hand for that mindset, its called:

PAYING RANSOM TO PUNK ASS THUG PIRATE WANNABE'S

[TAB]

no, its called getting sniped from long range   

We really need to start the practice of hanging pirates.  Try them right as they are captured, then hang them on the ship that captured them.  it worked great in the past.

[fightingquaker13]

We don't even let armed ships come into ports( unless they are US citz, even then there are bunch of restrictions)

in every single trainign corse  I had in the USCG, they all stress we looked for 5 things.

1drugs
2money
3plants/animals
4guns/weapons
5people


with drugs being number 1, guns/weapons being number 2 and 3 being people.

This seems like something could be easily fixed at the UN in about a week. Just require that while in port they declared inventoried and kept in a safe under a customs label until the ship leaves. Its no different than flying through Heathrow with rifles on your way to Kenya, a PITA but legal and doable.
FQ13

[TAB]

Trust me, it will never happend.( atleast not in our life times)  The guns you need to defend yourself against priate effectively start at a mounted 30 cal machine gun, a m2 would be better.  You have to understand, once your boarded, your screwed.  You need to take them out at range.  thier only real threat is a RPG, so yu need to get them before they get in RPG range.  Non miltary ships can't take a hit from from a RPG, you would be shocked at the condition some of these ships are in.  They are litterly ran til they are no longer profitable to do so.  Seeing a ship that is 30 years old is not uncomon.  Many ships are dry docked, cut up and extended, its cheaper to do that then it is to buy a new ship.  Up until just recently it was not unherad of to have a motor running for years at a time.  Its only with the new envroment regs and the price of fuel that the practice has changed. ( mainly envro regs)