No word yet on how many nuclear powered row boats China is sending to 
deal with the situation.

`````````````````````````````````````


Somali pirates threaten to kill captive Chinese crew

Gang warns 25 sailors aboard De Xin Hai cargo ship will be killed if 
China makes good on promise of a military rescue


China has vowed to make "all-out efforts" to rescue a Chinese cargo ship 
hijacked by Somali pirates north-east of the Seychelles. Photograph: 
AFP/Getty Images

A Somali pirate gang said it will kill 25 Chinese sailors aboard a 
hijacked ship if China makes good on a threat to launch a rescue attempt.

The De Xin Hai, carrying 76,000 tonnes of coal from South Africa to 
India, was captured 550 miles north-east of the Seychelles yesterday 
morning. Reuters quoted a gang associate in Haradheere, a noted piracy 
town on Somalia's east coast where the captured vessel may be headed, 
warning against any military operation to free the sailors.

"If they try that we will execute the whole crew … we tell them to 
change their mind regarding any rescue, otherwise they will regret it," 
said the man identified only as Hassan.

In Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesman, Ma Zhaoxu, earlier told 
reporters that the government was making "all-out efforts to rescue the 
hijacked ship and personnel". China has three warships patrolling the 
Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

Though Chinese sailors have previously been held hostage on Taiwanese 
and Korean-flagged ships off Somalia, the De Xin Hai appeared to be the 
first Chinese vessel captured by pirates, according to Andrew Mwangura, 
head of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme.

He said a rescue attempt was unlikely because of the risk of crew 
casualties and the nature of the cargo. Coal carriers are vulnerable to 
tipping if "messed with", Mwangura said. "The gunmen are willing to die. 
The only way out of this is negotiation."

Somali pirates are now holding six vessels and 146 foreign crew. With 
the rough seas of the monsoon season becoming calmer, attacks are 
expected to increase sharply in number and geographical scope until April.

In the past few weeks pirate gangs using "mother ships" have moved into 
previously safe waters. One attack took place off the coast of Oman, to 
the north of Somalia, while the Chinese bulk carrier, which is owned by 
the Qingdao Ocean Shipping Company, was taken 700 miles south-east of 
the Somali coast.

There are up to 33 foreign warships on anti-piracy missions in the Gulf 
of Aden and Indian Ocean, but co-ordination among the different navies 
as well as shipping firms was still lacking, Mwangura said. The De Xin 
Hai, for example, was not registered with the Maritime Security Centre 
(Horn of Africa), which seeks to safeguard ships travelling in the 
region by tracking their positions.

"The Chinese navy is working one way, and Nato another," said Mwangura. 
"Meanwhile the pirates are expanding their area. It's very hard to stop 
them."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/20/somali-pirates-chinese-kill-threat

On 2009-10-21 13:35:52 +0200, Jesse  said:

> No word yet on how many nuclear powered row boats China is sending to 
> deal with the situation.
> 
> `````````````````````````````````````
> 


You might be surprised to discover how sophisticated the Chinese navy 
is. And they are now building 3 new aircraft carriers using money from 
America. Neat trick, eh? And this comes at a time when America is 
actually having to downgrade its resources. No more big items, Gates 
wants to see small items for small wars. What he means is that he 
hasn't got money any more.

In message <hbn7b8$eqn$02$1@news.t-online.com>, Krak 
writes
>On 2009-10-21 13:35:52 +0200, Jesse  said:
>
>> No word yet on how many nuclear powered row boats China is sending to
>>deal with the situation.
>>  `````````````````````````````````````
>>
>
>
>You might be surprised to discover how sophisticated the Chinese navy
>is. And they are now building 3 new aircraft carriers using money from
>America. Neat trick, eh? And this comes at a time when America is
>actually having to downgrade its resources. No more big items, Gates
>wants to see small items for small wars. What he means is that he
>hasn't got money any more.

Actually the reason why the Chinese (and others) are  sending ships to
deal with the Somalis is the abject failure of the US Navy over the last
2 years..... They were going to "save the world" as usual and er didn't
(as usual)

-- 
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
\/\/\/\/\ Chris Hills  Staffs  England     /\/\/\/\/
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/