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2006-03-19 Africa Horn
Somalis say U.S. fired first in high-seas gunbattle
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Posted by Fred 2006-03-19 11:03|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 That's a long way from shore to be needing those smaller boats for anything other than chase/attack boats. And the weapons confirm the purpose. So I don't really care who fired first or whether it was 25 miles or 10 miles -- interrogate the pirates, have a proper and speedy military trial on board, and then execute them all, returning them to the sea.
Posted by Darrell 2006-03-19 11:51||   2006-03-19 11:51|| Front Page Top

#2 ROFL!

Did you photoshop that picture to make them into ninja characters? Or was it done by DOD to "protect their identities"? LOL. Sometimes I have to wonder about how everyone demands, and usually receives, US-style "rights" without a second thought, in foreign lands where such things do not exist. And never will. :)
Posted by Griper Phulet7709 2006-03-19 11:51||   2006-03-19 11:51|| Front Page Top

#3 ROTFLMAO

Commentary... hilarious... *pant* *gasp*
Posted by DarthVader 2006-03-19 12:09||   2006-03-19 12:09|| Front Page Top

#4 That's a before photo. Here are after photos.
Posted by ed 2006-03-19 12:14||   2006-03-19 12:14|| Front Page Top

#5 Loved the first one in the sequence, LOL.
Posted by Griper Phulet7709 2006-03-19 12:23||   2006-03-19 12:23|| Front Page Top

#6 Actually, there is a good chance the US fired the first shot, but it would have been a warning shot to signal the vessel to stop for inspection, after it ignored more subtle signals - like radio, flag, bullhorn, etc. I suppose the militia navy could have been "protecting the country's sea resources" - if you define 'sea resources' as sea 'turf' for their proprietory pirate operations.
It's all about spin.
Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore  2006-03-19 12:32||   2006-03-19 12:32|| Front Page Top

#7  "The militiamen were in an operation to protect the country's sea resources from illicit exploitation by foreign vessels,"

That is laugh-out-loud funny! For sure, you don't want the likes of Glomar Explorer hoovering up Somali manganese nodules off the sea floor.
Posted by SteveS 2006-03-19 12:50||   2006-03-19 12:50|| Front Page Top

#8 If they were in international waters, they weren't patrolling Somali waters, were they?
Posted by Robert Crawford">Robert Crawford  2006-03-19 13:36|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/]  2006-03-19 13:36|| Front Page Top

#9 Depends upon what you mean by "international waters"... They don't appear to be equipped to know where the hell they are, LOL.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that Somali waters are among the most densely shark-infested on the entire planet. Surely that factoid indicates that their "resources" as safe from any random pillaging, LOL.
Posted by Griper Phulet7709 2006-03-19 13:41||   2006-03-19 13:41|| Front Page Top

#10 The US Navy shot first? SO WHAT?? I say good shootin. A skiff starts at you and the men on board are armed, what shoud you do? Wait until the boat detonates or fires on the US ship? This is not hollywood, first one to shoot lives, second one to shoot dies. They are lucky they're not shark food and not reported.
Posted by 49 Pan">49 Pan  2006-03-19 14:12||   2006-03-19 14:12|| Front Page Top

#11 Somalis say U.S. fired first ...

So did Hans Solo.
Posted by DMFD 2006-03-19 14:20||   2006-03-19 14:20|| Front Page Top

#12 Check out photo #2 in the series Ed notes.

The bastards put a bullet pock-mark on the Gonzalez.

That means a couple of ordinary seamen will be out there tomorrow scraping and painting, scraping and painting. They at least will be ready to turn the 12 prisoners into chum.
Posted by Steve White">Steve White  2006-03-19 14:42||   2006-03-19 14:42|| Front Page Top

#13 Good shootin?

They only killed one and wounded 12. It should have been 1 capured 26 killed.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-03-19 14:48||   2006-03-19 14:48|| Front Page Top

#14 "You may fire when ready, [KABANG!] Gridley!"

Ima worried about Fred.

"[KABANG!] You may fire when ready, Gridley!"
Posted by 6 2006-03-19 15:05||   2006-03-19 15:05|| Front Page Top

#15 They are all still alive? Oh noes. We need to quit taking prisoners. One captured, 25 dead is a better deal.
Posted by SPoD 2006-03-19 15:26|| http://sockpuppetofdoom.blogspot.com/]">[http://sockpuppetofdoom.blogspot.com/]  2006-03-19 15:26|| Front Page Top

#16 I take it they didn't use the 5" guns both of those ships are equipped with?

It was a CG and a DDG being attacked. They both have not only 5" guns, but standard missiles.
Posted by Phil 2006-03-19 15:51||   2006-03-19 15:51|| Front Page Top

#17 5' gun is overkill. Missiles are way overkill.

If initial shots were fired, it would be by machine gun. SOP used to be (don't know if it still is) some across the bow, then walk rounds up the ship's wake if it didn't heave-to.
Posted by Pappy 2006-03-19 16:36||   2006-03-19 16:36|| Front Page Top

#18 We fired first?

GOOD!

'Bout damn time.
Posted by  Barbara Skolaut"> Barbara Skolaut  2006-03-19 17:56|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html]  2006-03-19 17:56|| Front Page Top

#19 We shoulda used the tiny sea-going robots against them.
Posted by Spavick Clomort6573 2006-03-19 18:17||   2006-03-19 18:17|| Front Page Top

#20 Damn! its such a shame all the USnavy poisonous dart firing remote controled dolphins were washed away by hurricane catriona, i can see a use for them off the somali coast. Wheres my tinfoil hat i need to paint a skull and crossbones on it.
Posted by pihkalbadger 2006-03-19 19:33||   2006-03-19 19:33|| Front Page Top

#21 Steve Martin as INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU > "Stupid Amercaines, don't you know the pirates are sexy"!?
Posted by JosephMendiola 2006-03-19 20:18||   2006-03-19 20:18|| Front Page Top

00:03 CrazyFool
23:41 DMFD
23:28 JosephMendiola
23:22 Rafael
23:20 USN Ret.
23:08 Brett
23:08 JosephMendiola
23:07 Rafael
23:03 Oztralian
22:05 49 Pan
22:01 lotp
21:54 SR-71
21:52 mom
21:52  Barbara Skolaut
21:45 Robert Crawford
21:44 gromgoru
21:42 mom
21:42 Nimble Spemble
21:41 Pappy
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21:39 Brett
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21:35 Darrell









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