Pirates foiled by Danish

It was the most food they'd had in three weeks. Musta made 'em sleepy...

AFP via Raw Story

A bid by Somali pirates to hijack a luxury cruise ship was foiled by an international taskforce, officials said on Monday, as ransom negotiations for a Saudi super-tanker stretched into overtime.

A spokesman for the Danish navy, the current lead nation in the NATO taskforce, confirmed the operation had stopped a group of pirates from boarding a civilian vessel which reports said was carrying some 400 passengers and 200 crew.

But according to Danish TV2 News, six to eight armed pirates on two speed boats were observed speeding toward the Nautica, a cruiseliner that had set sail from Florida.

A French navy warship, alerted by the Danish Navy, scrambled a helicopter to the scene, which sent the pirates fleeing, TV2 News said.

First reports that Fixer foiled the attack by accurately bombarding the pirates with his empty whiskey bottles are apparently slightly exaggerated, though believable.

The presence of foreign navies is intended to restore confidence among shipping companies, many of whom are now re-routing to sail around the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa.

The Russian Navy said Monday that one of its frigates Neustrashimy (Fearless) had escorted three vessels through the Horn of Africa on Monday.

Every navy in the world seems to be represented in the region to help deal with the problem. With one notable exception: ours. Whassup wid dat?

Update:

Excellent article in the EssEffChron