Article

2008-09-30 Africa Horn

Pirates who seized Ukraine ship reduce ransom demand to $20-mln from $35-mln

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Posted by Fred 2008-09-30 00:00|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 Wow, that's a pretty good sale price. More than 40% off list.

This economic stuff even effects Somali pirates. ;>)

Posted by Intrinsicpilot 2008-09-30 00:23|| 2008-09-30 00:23|| Front Page Top

#2 Don't worry, the Dhimmicrats will modify the Community Reinvestment Act to include any distressed areas in Somalia. That will let the pirates apply for a 0% down, seller-financed mortgage on the ship. Fannie Mae will guarantee it. Lehman Brothers will securitize it. AIG will insure the security. I mean, what could go wrong?

Posted by Steve White 2008-09-30 00:25|| 2008-09-30 00:25|| Front Page Top

#3 What goes wrong is they do not have lending power. Old wolves demolish the pittance, Moral Hazard ensues, The US Government has an immediate bill to pay for it's reckless use of regulation.

Posted by newc">newc 2008-09-30 01:11|| 2008-09-30 01:11|| Front Page Top

#4 Some dissension in the ranks perhaps?

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Pirates holding a Ukrainian ship laden with tanks and weapons claimed Tuesday they were celebrating the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr despite being surrounded by American warships and helicopters. They also denied a report of a shootout aboard the seized ship.

"We are happy on the ship and we are celebrating Eid," pirate spokesman Sugule Ali told The Associated Press by satellite phone. "Nothing has changed."

Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Program said there was an unconfirmed report that three Somali pirates were killed Monday night in a dispute over whether to surrender, but he said he had not spoken to any witnesses.

But the pirate spokesman insisted that was not true."We didn't dispute over a single thing, let alone have a shootout," Ali told the AP.

There was no way to independently verify either account. The U.S. 5th Fleet also said it had no new information to report Tuesday on the six-day standoff.

Posted by tu3031 2008-09-30 09:36|| 2008-09-30 09:36|| Front Page Top

#5 "We are happy on the ship and we are celebrating Eid," pirate spokesman Sugule Ali told The Associated Press by satellite phone. "Nothing has changed."

So they are muslim, hmm?

Posted by Ptah">Ptah 2008-09-30 10:50|| http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org]">[http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2008-09-30 10:50|| Front Page Top

#6 So somoli pirates understand risk vs. return...

Posted by swksvolFF 2008-09-30 11:20|| 2008-09-30 11:20|| Front Page Top

#7 I wonder when the SEAL team will get there...

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2008-09-30 11:53|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2008-09-30 11:53|| Front Page Top

#8 ransom's been marked down...

poor Ukranians, they've been abducted by K-Mart!

Posted by Querent 2008-09-30 13:02|| 2008-09-30 13:02|| Front Page Top

#9 many more ships anchored out there and Somalia is gonna need a port authority to keep trak of all the comin's and goin's....

Posted by USN, Ret. 2008-09-30 14:09|| 2008-09-30 14:09|| Front Page Top

#10 Make 'em a Michael Corleone offer: "Nothing."

Posted by mojo">mojo 2008-09-30 14:50|| 2008-09-30 14:50|| Front Page Top

#11 Pray they aen't smart enough to fire a tank main gun, if yes, they're all smart fish food.
(Chum, if that large, more like a fine mist mixed with steel chunks.)

Posted by Redneck Jim">Redneck Jim 2008-09-30 19:36|| 2008-09-30 19:36|| Front Page Top

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