"Thanks, But No Tanks"

M/V Faina Sept. 25 2008

"The Taking of M/T Sirius Star"

M/T Sirius Star Nov. 15 2008

Somali Pirate Operations For Sept. 2008 To Dec. 2009

On The Scene In The Port of Hobyo, Somalia

The Taking of MV Faina

Feature Date: Sept. 27 2008

Event Date: Sept. 26 2008

The Story of A Restrained U.S. Navy & Task Force 150

 The Air & Ocean Logistics- Customs Broker Attorneys

International Trade Consultants

"Overlooking Runway 25 - Right, at Los Angeles International Airport"

On The Scene -- At The Port of Hobyo, Somalia

 A 2008 Countryman & McDaniel

Cargo Nightmare Prize Contender

DAY 105 - M/V Faina

Day 55 - M/T Sirius Star

When Will The Western Navies Take Action?

The Date: September 25 2008

The Time: 3:30 p.m.

The Place: Approx. 250 Miles Off Coast of Somalia

M/V Faina In Better Days

M/V Faina VESSEL PARTICULARS IMO NUMBER : 7419377 VESSEL TYPE: RO-RO CARGO HULL TYPE: DOUBLE HULL GROSS TONNAGE: 10.931 tons SUMMER DWT : 9.019 tons BUILD : 1978 BUILDER: LODOSE VARV LODOSE - SWEDEN FLAG : BELIZE OPERATOR: TOMEX TEAM ODESSA - UKRAINE OWNER: WATERLUX PANAMA CLASSIFICATION: KM* L3: Last Special Survey 2008 Aug 2001 : GENERIC PRESENT CREW: 22 Crew - 1 Deceased 30 Pirate Crew - 3 Pirates Deceased - 40 To 50 Pirates Involved

M/V Faina VESSELDIMENSIONS BREADTH EXTREME: 18,03 m BREADTH MOULDED: 18,03 m DEPTH: 13,35 m DRAUGHT: 6,72 m FREEBOARD: 6.640,0 mm LENGTH B/W PERPENDICULARS: 152,50 m LENGTH OVERALL :161,37 m LENGTH REGISTERED :161,40 m NET TONNAGE : 3.280 tons DISPLACEMENT (SUMMER) : 13.650 tons BALLAST : 3.565 tons BUNKER :525,00 tons FUEL OIL :900 tons

Tank You, From The Somali Pirates Somalia - Sept. 2008 THE Most Spectacular Act of Piracy In The 21st Century THIS REPORT WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED

Over 30 Pirates Seize M/V Faina Off Somalia - U.S. Navy Photo THE Most Spectacular Act of Piracy In The 21st Century From The Cargo Letter - Sept. 27 2008 Ukrainian (Belize-flagged) vessel M/V Faina, Nikolayev, Ukraine to Kenyan port of Mombassa, seized by pirates off the coast of Kenya on Sept. 26. The vessel was carrying 33 soviet-made T-72 tanks, tank artillery shells, grenade launchers and small arms. The ship's crew consists of 17 Ukrainians, 3 Russians and a Latvian. The weapons had been sold to Kenya by Ukraine. The vessel had deliberately taken a route far from the coast of Somalia, where pirates are known to be rampant. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Sept. 27 2008) --- --- Somali Pirates Take M/V Faina By Force - U.S. Navy Photos Current Video The Horn of Africa - Somalia Pirate Territory Somalia's NE Tip Juts Out into the Indian Ocean & Commands Access To The Gulf of Aden, A Key Int'l Maritime Route Leading To The Suez Canal & Through Which An Estimated 30% of The World's Oil Transits.  From The Cargo Letter - Sept. 28 2008 U.S. Navy destroyer USS Howard has made visual contact with Ukrainian M/V Faina now moored off the Somali coast. There is no indication that the USS Howard is about to approach the MV Faina, which is carrying 33 T-72 main battle tanks destined for Kenya's government. Russian missile frigate Neustrashimy is heading towards the region at top speed. The pirates have reportedly demanded a ransom of US$35M (£19m) to release the Ukrainian vessel and her crew. But the Kenyan government has cast doubt on the report, saying it had not been issued with ransom demands. The pirates warned against any attempt to rescue the crew or cargo of the ship. This time -- perhaps the pirates should be warned. Speaking in imperfect English, Capt. Nikolsky of M/V Faina said he had recently spoken to the captain of what he said was a U.S. Coast Guard ship, who asked about the situation aboard M/V Faina. "I tell him that everything in normal condition," he said. While Ukrainian officials had said there were 21 people aboard _ 17 Ukrainian, three Russian and a Latvian _ Capt. Nikolsky said there were 21 crew and a total of 35 people aboard. Life.ru showed images of Russian passports for Capt. Nikolsky and Capt. Kolobkov. "Everybody in normal condition. Not good, but normal," he said. He said he was speaking from the bridge but that the rest of the crew members were all "collected in one room without free air." Daily Vessel Casualties: Visit this website to keep up to date on all the serious events at sea each day, including the continuing crisi of the Somali pirates. Or Visit The Cargo Law Ship's Store To Learn That "Ship Happens!" A Timeline of Piracy In The Gulf of Aden Modern Day Piracy -- Presentation By Michael S. McDaniel, Esq. of Modern High Seas Piracy Return of The Pirates -- A History Channel Special - featuring Michael S. McDaniel San Diego Based USS Howard DDG 83 - Now On Guard With The Vessels of Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150) In Visual Range -- Able To Conclude This Incident Upon Order From The Cargo Letter - Sept. 28 2008 - One Crew Dead? Guided missile destroyer USS Howard was stationed off the Somali coast on Sept. 28, making sure that the pirates did not remove the US$30M worth of tanks, ammunition and other heavy weapons, including rocket launchers & an extra number of armored personnel carriers from M/V Faina, which was anchored off the coast. A spokesman for the U.S. 5th Fleet said the U.S. Navy remained "deeply concerned" over the fate of the ship's 21-member crew and cargo. In a great gesture of cooperation, the Americans are keeping an eye on the Faina until the Russian missile frigate Neustrashimy, (or Intrepid in English) reaches the area. The Russian ship was still in the Atlantic on Sept. 28, the Russian Navy reported. From The Cargo Letter - Sept. 28 2008 PM - One Crew Dead Russian Navy Approaches Late reports are that the pirate ransom demands have crashed from US$35M to US$5M -- as the Russian Navy approaches. A Russian crew member of MV Faina died Sept. 28 because of hypertension. [Now said to be Capt. Vladimir Kolobkov - 1 Oct.]   Russian Missile Frigate Neustrashimy Avenging Vessel Is Enroute -------- The Russians Messing With The Wrong Victim? Russian Spetsnaz May Be Seen 33 T-72 Main Battle Tanks Aboard The Ultimate Pirate Prize Booty Edtor Note - Sept. 28 2008 PM After years of watching the Somali pirates seize hapless travelers & UN food relief ships, we watched French Commandos retake the luxury S/V Le Ponant in April 2008. Job well done! Now the stakes are higher as deadly Russian military hardware sits off the coast in M/V Faina. Will Russian Spetsnaz forces come as the ghosts they are? Maritime history may be made. The Russians are not known for elegant solutions. Russia has used force in the past to end several hostage situations &emdash; sometimes disastrously, as in the 2004 storming of a school in Beslan, which resulted in 333 deaths, nearly half of them children. The hijacking brings the number of attacks off Somalia to 62 this year, or more than one every week. Of them, 26 ships were hijacked, and 15 remain in the hands of the pirates with 300 crew. You Can't Make This Stuff Up, Michael S. McDaniel From The Cargo Letter - Sept. 28 2008 -- The Other Ship We Can't Forget - M/T Stolt Valor Hong Kong-flag chemical tanker hijacked on Sept. 15 in the Gulf of Aden is M/T Stolt Valor, owned by Japanese company Central Marine. The ship is on time charter to Stolt Tankers and managed by Fleet Management. Central Marine says the 2004-built, 25,269 dwt ship was hijacked by Somali pirates while transitting the Gulf of Aden, bound for Mumbai. All 22 seafarers are safe and well and that the vessel. Vessel is heading towards Somalia. The owners, assisted by the managers are doing everything possible to resolve the situation and allow for the safe return of their crew of 22, comprising Indians and Filipinos in the main, with a Russian C/E and Bangladeshi 2/O. From Our Moscow Correspondent &endash; Pirates Were Tipped? - Sept. 28 2008 PM World media saying pirates lowered ransom demand from US$35M to US$5M, which is no big deal and champaign toasting for ship manager anyway. But of course we don't know exactly, how talks are going on and who's taking part, except pirates and ship manager. Still, we may make a wild guess and hardly be wrong assuming, that pirates are figuring out different ways to handle that jackpot, 33 tanks T-72 each costing about US$1M (TV Channel Russia Today made a special investigation and found out, that 33 tanks on highjacked vessel are of modernized type, sold to Georgia and other countries, including Kenya). Kenya rejected to take part in negotiations and has all the reasons in the world to do so, as long as all responsibility lies with shipper, as was also found by TV Channel Russia Today. If pirates lowered the price, it may mean only one thing, they're afraid to keep such dangerous (in all means) cargo for too long, risking all they have including lives, as who knows, what will do say, Ukraine &endash; they may send commando team to claim stealed fortune. Whatever the outcome, I'd like to highlight three aspects arising from this highjack of M/V Faina: 1. There are strong reasons to believe vessel highjacking was not an accident, pirates tipped on vessel, her cargo and her route; 2. Master was navigating too close to Somali coast, Valentin Bartashev (master of M/V Lehmann Timber, highjacked by pirates in the end of May) was told by pirates, that vessel is safe if it's navigating 200 miles and more off Somali coast; 3. Shippers &endash; Ukranian side, either private or state company, made a grave mistake, not providing vessel with either convoy navy ship or some armed guards on board, downright foolishness considering cost of cargo and situation around Somali waters; 4. Forced release of the vessel (any highjacked vessel) with minimum risk for crew possible only on the way from place of highjacking to a place where vessel will be kept, as there are usually few pirates on board, and crew is scattered around vessel's compartments. As soon as as vessel is anchored in some place along Somali coast, any commando attempt to free the vessel will lead to crew casualities, because crew kept in one compartment, and vessel full with armed pirates. Mike Voitenko - The Cargo Letter, Moscow Correspondent From The Cargo Letter - Sept. 29 2008 -- Deadly Cargo Was Bound For Sudan, Not Kenya U.S. helicopters on Sept. 29 buzzed a hijacked Ukrainian cargo M/V Faina carrying 33 Soviet-designed tanks and other weapons that officials fear could end up in the hands of al-Qaida-linked militants in Somalia if the pirates are allowed to escape. The pirates aboard the blue-and-white Ukrainian-operated freighter are now said demanding US$20M to release the ship. U.S. Navy destroyers & cruisers have been deployed within 10 miles of the hijacked M/V Faina and helicopters were circling overhead because of "great concern" over the possibility of the cargo falling "into the wrong hands.". At one point on Sept. 28, the captain of the Faina said a warship was about two miles away. U.S. intelligence reports said the cargo's ultimate destination was Sudan and that Kenya was only a transit point, said a Western official in Washington who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing classified material. This startrling news suggests the deadly cargo is actually bound to support genocide in Darfur. "The Islamists have sent pick-ups from Mogadishu to go and collect the gear," said an analyst with a network of Somali informers. "There's not much they can do with the tanks &emdash; they can't get them off &emdash; but the rest of the weapons they are trying to move ashore." Somalia's insurgents have made a series of impressive gains in recent weeks. They now control the port city of Kismayo and have armed and equipped pirate gangs as part of a campaign to control the seas. Ukrainian and Russian media have said M/V Faina is operated by Tomex Team, a company based in Odessa. Its representatives have repeatedly declined to comment. Th