Darlene
11-02-2007, 03:07 PM
Hay Eva, Redjack, Have You guys been up to something?
U.S. Navy Battles Modern Day Pirates On The Open Sea
For most people the only pirates they think about are the ones in the movie series, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' or the ones that lived on Earth hundreds of years ago that made sea travel a dangerous experience. However, there are modern day pirates and they are becoming a larger problem everyday, especially in coastal waters off the continent of Africa. In recent days, the U.S. Navy has been sent to rescue various vessels that have been taken over by pirates with the latest being an oil tanker off the coast of Somalia. There have also been stories, over the past couple of years, about pirates trying to take control of 'cruise ships' and other vessels carrying valuable cargo.
When I read the story this morning about two (2) U.S. Navy warships that were dispatched to save an oil tanker from pirates, my thoughts drifted back to the saying - 'the more things change, the more they remain the same'. While crime on the high seas has always been a problem, in recent years that crime has gone more high tech and the tools to fight it have changed a great deal, as well. When I think about huge American warships, I envision jet fighters taking off from an Aircraft Carrier or large guns firing five hundred (500) pound projectiles dozens of miles with pin point accuracy. I do not think of U.S. Navy personnel fighting thieves for control of a civilian vessel.
The fact that at any given time thousands of ships are sailing the oceans of this world and contained on those ships are billions of dollars worth of cargo, it does make sense why pirates are looking for creative ways to steal from them. What is more worrisome to me is that terrorist could also become pirates and start taking hostages aboard cruise ships or even worse, hijack an oil tanker and try to explode it near a large city. The good news is that the U.S. Navy is on the job trying to protect the delivery of goods, in a timely way, around the world. While almost everyone thought the days of pirates was over, in reality very few things really change, they just take on a slightly different look and unfortunately a more deadly mode of operation.
U.S. Navy Battles Modern Day Pirates On The Open Sea
For most people the only pirates they think about are the ones in the movie series, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' or the ones that lived on Earth hundreds of years ago that made sea travel a dangerous experience. However, there are modern day pirates and they are becoming a larger problem everyday, especially in coastal waters off the continent of Africa. In recent days, the U.S. Navy has been sent to rescue various vessels that have been taken over by pirates with the latest being an oil tanker off the coast of Somalia. There have also been stories, over the past couple of years, about pirates trying to take control of 'cruise ships' and other vessels carrying valuable cargo.
When I read the story this morning about two (2) U.S. Navy warships that were dispatched to save an oil tanker from pirates, my thoughts drifted back to the saying - 'the more things change, the more they remain the same'. While crime on the high seas has always been a problem, in recent years that crime has gone more high tech and the tools to fight it have changed a great deal, as well. When I think about huge American warships, I envision jet fighters taking off from an Aircraft Carrier or large guns firing five hundred (500) pound projectiles dozens of miles with pin point accuracy. I do not think of U.S. Navy personnel fighting thieves for control of a civilian vessel.
The fact that at any given time thousands of ships are sailing the oceans of this world and contained on those ships are billions of dollars worth of cargo, it does make sense why pirates are looking for creative ways to steal from them. What is more worrisome to me is that terrorist could also become pirates and start taking hostages aboard cruise ships or even worse, hijack an oil tanker and try to explode it near a large city. The good news is that the U.S. Navy is on the job trying to protect the delivery of goods, in a timely way, around the world. While almost everyone thought the days of pirates was over, in reality very few things really change, they just take on a slightly different look and unfortunately a more deadly mode of operation.