Blackwater gunboats will protect ships – Africa, World – The Independent — FYI
The American security company Blackwater is planning to cash in on the rising threat of piracy on the high seas by launching a flotilla of gunboats for hire by the shipping companies.
The firm, which gained international notoriety when its staff killed civilians in Iraq, has already equipped one vessel, called The McArthur, which will carry up to 40 armed guards and have a landing pad for an attack helicopter.
The McArthur, a former survey ship, arrives in the Gulf of Aden, the scene of the recent high-profile hijackings and shootouts with Somali pirates, at the end of the year. It is to be joined by three or four similar vessels over next year to form the company’s private navy.
Navy ships, don’t have barbecues.
Blackwater will stop this shit in a week. Any skinny – ass black dude wearing a head dress and riding in a boat off the coast of Somali will have his ass blown out of the water quicker than a Liberal can say “Discrimination”.
#2
On that I have to agree with you. Nothing kills better (and unrestricted) than a private army.
Blackwater tried to get a government contract for armored replacement for the humvee, called the Grizzly. They took $120,000 from the state of NC and built the manufacturing facility, but lost out on the contract last month.
So they now have a navy and have the production capability to build armored vehicles near thier headquarters near Elizabeth City, NC.
If the s**t hits the fan with the economy, Blackwater will have the resources to carve out their own little empire on the NC coast.
Nothing new about private armies and mercenaries in Africa. This is just the next step, actually it’s a pretty good idea. I can’t think of any other merc organization that’s got their own navy, I think it’s a good time to invest in Blackwater.
#3,
I know, and isn’t it great ! No iphone carrying MBA’s making the rules. Just former Navy Seals with state the art weapons free to kill everyone of these bastards found in a boat. Within a week you won’t be able to
catch these bastards holding a glass of water much less out at see hijacking ships. Problem solved. Now only if we can get them to take care of the shit in east Oakland so the hardworking people living there could live a normal life free of drugs and gang shootings.
Sounds good to me. They got to do something out there. It completely out of control. And who really cares if a few hundred pirates get killed.
I thought this is what the Marines were for. You know, “shores of Tripoli” and all that.
Just like the Barbary pirates, the Somali pirates are muslims. I guess President Obama will bring them all back to the U.S. for a trial.
This country is lost. Rather than dealing with this new lot of terrorists with a bullet to the head, we’re likely fly them over here, feed them, house them, pay for their legal defense, and when they serve their sentence, release them among us.
If private companies WISH to pay for this FINE..THEIR PROBLEM..
IF the USA GOV, wants to use them.,..NO.
We have the coast guard and NAVY..and they dont get paid 1/4 as much..
Hostis Humani Generis!
#6 the problem will not be solved in a week. Why would Blackwater kill their market? they will just kill some to look essential. They they will be in business for years.
This is a good idea. Navies are under strict rules of engagement due to treaties & such. Private individuals are not…
#10
They killed plenty of iraquis and the only thing the US Goverment did was tell them to wear masks the next time they get caught on video.
I think that’s the way to go. If you’ve got several boats, and a couple dozen heavily armed Blackwater boats, with a “Private Navy”, they’ll either leave those ships alone, or get shot out of the water.
Jean Lafitte lives!!
All of a sudden everyone loves Blackwater. What a bunch of ignorant sheep here with the exception of Angel and maybe one other. These guys are nothing but highly paid murderers, and the US govt will have no problem paying these guys to kill Americans when it is “deemed” necessary.
Fucking idiots.
#16,
That’s just what the Somali Hijackers said when they heard Blackwater was on the way!
Ok, Ok, here is # 16’s response to Somali Hijackers:
I’d like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I’d like to buy the world a Coke
And keep it company
That’s the real thing.
(Repeat chorus)
I’d like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I’d like to buy the world a Coke
And keep it company
That’s the real thing
Well if these tankers are in international waters, when the pirates show up, I don’t know how legal it is for someone like Blackwater to just frag whoever gets in the way. There must be a reason why the tankers aren’t heavily armed, in the first place. Escorting them with gunships only transfers the issue of armaments, to ships not owned by the Cargo carrier. But if they’re hired by said carriers, what’s the friggin diff? It’s only going to be a matter of time before someone’s navy and Blackwater, clash over this.
BTW, rather than a Hello Kitty with an eyepatch. The Danger Mouse logo would be better. But as I detest Blackwater, I’d be pissed if they officially adopted DM.
Once Blackwater thins out the competition, guess who the pirates will be?
#19 Glen:
Hostis Humani Generis.
Private armies scare the shit out of me ….
Some security companies like Blackwater have been offering their services for a certain time, saying they could board a few men in the boats, to help the boat defend tehmselves.
Military advisors were very much againt that proposal: their opinion is that, as of now, pirates know the boats crew is not dangerous, and they treat them correctly. If they know they’re armed and dangerous, the first thing they’ll do when boarding a ship is kill everyone.
So now, it’s your choice: do you prefer to save the boat, or the crew?
#23, that’s BS, the only thing that keeps pirates from killing the crew is the ransom. Often times ships are hijacked to steal the ship. Regular cargo vessels are very numerous and similar looking. You think these are the Jack Sparrow hollywood type of pirates? Wake up! Used to be a damned decent living working in the merchant marine, now what you got are a few ‘white’ officers and a mostly 3rd world crew. That’s why they don’t want weapons on the ships, they’re afraid the crew will mutiny and pirate the ship themselves.
What they need are MK 15 Phalanx fore and aft, port and starboard. Poor little pirates get too close they get turned into paste.
lAWS GO LIKE THIS…
IN OPEN, water they are FAIR game in international waters.
IF they arent carrying GUN/weapons/such FINE..
AS soon as there are weapons ONBOARD they are a TARGET to ANY fleet that WISHES.
the Problem is in INTERNATIONAL waters, they are BAIT. IF the security agencies FOLLOW and watch over them, they CAN be safe..
the SECURITY firms CANT enter ANY WATERS that BELONg to another nation, unless they have a BASE and location to DOCK of there OWN.
NATIONS can not DEFEND cruise ships, AFTEr they LEAVe their OWN WATERS..
24,
Deregulating the shipping industry was the first thing needed for “globalization”. They’re basically slave ships now.
I remember a few years ago a cargo ship showed up in the Toronto harbour and moored there. No money left, so the just dumped the boat and came on land. Without those ships flying under Nigerian or other flags of convenience, overseas goods would not be so cheap. Well, we reap what we sow.
Not cool. According to the Church of the FSM, decreasing pirates increases Global Warming: http://www.venganza.org/about/open-letter/
Also, are these real pirates? Do they speak properly? Would they fit in on Talk Like A Pirate Day? http://www.talklikeapirate.com/
Saudi needs its own navy and maybe it needs to put chopper gun ships with missiles on its super tankers.
As long as these guys are getting rich rather than killed they’re going to keep coming.
This is a good idea. Pirates, like any other criminals operate outside of the international law, but they are citizens of a country. If a state navy starts killing them, they are killing the civilians of that country, which can create a lot of problems. A private security company is a much better solution.
Remember what I am saying: 12 months after Blackwater starts dealing with these scum-bags, naval piracy in that area will go down 90%.
I wish them good luck.
As long as they kill as many pirates as possible, I don’t care. These people, as well as most of the African Continent, are completely out of control and without law. Mercenary groups like Blackwater, that aren’t constrained by politics or public opinion are really the only thing that will be effective.
Who’s navy? Somalia? Doubt it, they are the pirates. Every other navy is fully pissed off at these pirates and if they were aloud to take off the gloves, would do the same as Blackwater is going to do.