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Daylife/Getty Images used by permission
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| French soldiers inspect pirate attack boat. Nivose in the background. |
The French Navy said they seized 11 pirates Sunday after they apparently mistook a French military vessel for a commercial ship and made a run at it.
Two pirate assault boats approached the Nivose “at great speed,” Capt. Christophe Prazuck said, but a French helicopter intervened before the attackers had time to fire at the French Navy ship.
The helicopter fired warning shots, he said.
The pirates, who had a mother ship as well as the two assault boats, are being held for questioning on the Nivose, Prazuck said. The vessels were carrying AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, but the pirates did not fire, he said.
At least they weren’t suicidal.
In the past three weeks, the Nivose has intercepted 24 suspected pirates as part of a European Union anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia, which has become a piracy hotspot.
Over the past year, more than 100 suspected pirates have been picked up, Prazuck said. Of that total, 27 have been released, and more than 70 taken to jail in France, handed to authorities in Somalia or taken to Kenya under an EU agreement with the government in Nairobi.
This was a missed opportunity as the French Navy should have waited for the pirates to shoot first.
Oh what a thrill to have seen Gatling guns used on these creeps.
Darwin Awards candidates.
#1 – Alfred1 – I wonder if poor visibility had anything to do with it.
The weather look quite perfect on the picture.
#2 – Dallas – Oh what a thrill to have seen Gatling guns used on these creeps.
Nope, they’re just doing catch and release… 😛
When the nations of the world decide to get serious, and execute these pirates on sight, since they ARE terrorists, maybe it will stop. But don’t wait for that! No. Human life is too precious.
#1, #4, #5, #6 Alfred1, you’ve exceeded your generous quota for being wrong on a single topic.
I doubt this was a mistake on the pirates’ part. They have probably studied history and fully expected the French Navy to surrender.
#5, Ayatollah,
but when you are a mile or less, navel ships have a distinct look.
I’ve noticed that too. Belly buttons are seldom confused with other body parts.
Obama sure has changed the world.
It is definitely a different world when the French are the courageous ones patrolling the waters and the Americans sit aside in cowardice. God help a world where the Americans sit by and do nothing, while the French act.
#8 – Dallas
LMAO
Well is was a French navy vessel. Maybe the pirates were thinking the French would surrender.
#9, danno, it’s tough to surrender when your boat has one gear — backwards.
Yeah, you’d think the grey color and external aramament would give these guys a clue as to the nature of the vessel, huh?
Surrendering and collaborating with the Nazis, refusing to fight in Iraq – the French nation’s cowardice is apparent for all to see.
Maybe the pirates forgot recent French raids against them and figured the ship would surrender.
#9, Danno,
Maybe they really thought it was a ship of fundies too wrapped up in their bibles to know when someone was pointing a gun at them.
You do know who sails on navel ships?
That’s how it was done in the 1700’s. It was very effective.
on the web site of the french new paper le figaro they say a different story starting by the name of the capt http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2009/05/03/01003-20090503ARTFIG00158-la-marine-francaise-capture-11-pirates-presumes-.php
Is it the first time French Navy won a fight?
I don’t know, but if it really is then the frogeaters should celebrate May 2nd every year as French Navy Superiority Day (until better victory comes handy – i.e. shooting some pirates)
#16, Maria,
So you condemn a whole nation for what a few people did to cooperate with their invaders?
Well, I guess we should be condemning the entire Iraqi Parliament. Oopps, and what about Afghanistan?
Has anyone considered the cost of maintaing these naval assets in this area? Eliminate the source of the problem. Damn it would only take dumb rockets from rotary wing aircraft, and some antique 500 pound dumb bombs. A single carrier group could put this to rest for years to come. Maybe having the shit blown out of a few ports will reel the damn country into some serious negotiations. Pay the Russians to do it, they still have some balls left.
#17:
Oranges? Lint?
Looks like the Navy Seals gunning down the child pirates who had nowhere to go, had little impact in deterring other pirates from attacking Naval Ships… like many here had predicted.
You’d think that with their high level of quality education, well-off middle class lifestyle and surplus of local jobs, those pirates would be more sensible, or at least know all about the various markings and shapes of the myriad of foreign ships. Tch, tch.
{ Sarcasm off }
Actually I’d like to see us use massive firepower – and particularly target kids and llamas – kittens and puppies too! If you whack the kids you take care of that pesky over population problem and I just HATE llamas.
Napalm sticks to babies! – Gooood eaten too!
A lot of these pirates appear to want to be captured.
#21 Fusion
I don’t know why Iraq or Afghanistan matter. We didn’t save their @$$’es like we did to the French some 60 odd years ago.
And it just wasn’t a “few ill guided” people – there was a whole “Vichy” France hedging their bets that the Nazis would win. So they schemed to have half the country side with us, the other half with the Nazis – so they could go whining to momma, regardless of who won, to beg for a Marshall or Marschall Plan.
And then the whole refusal to fight in Iraq.. after all that we did to them..
I think they’re onto something here – If they would only disguise some military vessels, they would probably catch a whole lot more pirates than patrolling millions of miles of ocean.
#7 and #22, yeah they should blow to hell all those pirates… then get back to dumping toxic/nuclear waste and raping the environment off all their resources off their coast without interference.
Why are ‘black’ pirates all over the news everyday, while ‘white’ polluters get no press coverage?
Answer: Ratings, ‘pirate attack’ sells more air time/papers than ‘shit bag fuckers screwing over the poor black people’
I don’t trust the French gov, not to fake this story. Or at least, distort some facts about it. Their Navy is more likely there, making the seas safe for their country’s illegal dumping operations. Ever since the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, by the French secret service, to permit their nuclear testing to go unprotested in the southern pacific. I’ve not trusted their side of any story concerning what actions they feel they must take. This has nothing to do with their refusal to aid us in the Iraq war.
Just a quick note to all those who are saying why the pirates never noticed it was a naval vessel, They mainly operate at night!
Plus the navy usualy operate with no deck lights and standard nav lights!
#29. The color of their skin makes no difference. They are pirates! Will you stop making this a race thing. Their is a black president. black/white not so far apart anymore! If you take the easy rout and steal and kill people count yourself dead to me! Don’t care what color you are. Take your head out your bum and join the rest of the world. Its the choices you make not the color of the skin. As long as their are people like you their will always be racism. Anyways I am glad the French finally won one!! Good Job guys. Keep it up. I am glad someone is doing something about it!!