Yet more proof that our top military leaders haven't a bloody clue.
Yet more proof that our politicians haven't a bloody clue.
Yet more proof that international co-operation in peacetime rarely works.
Yet more proof that the blokes in boats can easily outwit billion dollar warships.
Yet more proof that crime pays.
And just possibly an insight into what makes it into a press report may or may not be influenced by some hidden hand.
On December 10, the European Union Naval Force combatting sea bandits from Somalia gathered its commanders to cut a cake celebrating the mission's first anniversary and trumpet a "year of success".
Meanwhile,
the pirates were cutting their own cake in the Indian Ocean, defying
warships with their nimble skiffs to hijack more vessels and rake in
record ransoms.
Odd idea of success don't you think except the NAVFOR flagged force says it is only there to protect World Health Organisation shipments!
Of course they could easily form these ships up into convoys and sail them through the pirate infested waters with a single warship and its helicopters as guard boat. But they don't because then there would be no "international co-operation".
"Lots of militiamen are joining our piratehood every day and this is one of the reasons for the increased number of attacks," Abdi Yare said from Somalia's "piracy capital" of Harardhere.
Somali pirates still hold at least 11 other vessels -- with trophies ranging from a British chemical tanker to a ship carrying 2,300 Korean cars -- and more around 270 seamen."I would say right now there are around 100 of our pirates out at sea hunting ships on a given day," Abdi Yare said.
"This is a very high number considering the weather and, for sure, the number will increase once the wind dies," he added.
Again the Navfor commanders were celebrating success by cutting a bloody cake!
Ransoms for the most valuable ships they seize can often fetch three million dollars and more. Even the small share a rank-and-file pirate is left with after the bounty is divided constitutes a powerful magnet for Somali youth.
"Nobody is really hunting us, our teams go and seize ships under the noses of the foreign forces," boasted Hasan Ganey, another Harardhere-based pirate. "When we see the navy, we simply change tack and they don't follow us."One pirate freshman said business was brisk and explained he also enjoyed a spirit of camaraderie he did not find elsewhere.
"There is a great business out here. You go with friends, you seize a ship without firing a single shot and weeks later you come back with big money," said the 23-year-old, who gave his name only as Gure.
"We prefer to do this piracy thing until change comes to this country," he told AFP by phone from Harardhere.
No I am not accusing AFP of making anything up here but that last line does not ring true with the rest of it does it!
You can see the whole report here
One final point. We have a silly First Sea Lord going to argue his case today that his Navy needs two high tech carriers and bloody expensive American planes to complement his bloody expensive and toothless new destroyers, his bloody expensive nuclear attack submarines and his bloody expensive trident submarine replacements!
Whilst a few jolly and desperate young chaps in wooden boats armed with rifles, AK47's and RPG's can thwart not just the Royal Navy but every single other navy currently playing around off the coast of Somalia.