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France > Pirates
Although France is the rump of many remarks about being weak, girlie, or just generally soft, they still outmatch Somali Pirates.

The crew of La Somme, a 160-metre (525-foot) command vessel and fuel tanker, easily saw off the brazen night-time assault by lightly armed fighters on two lightweight skiffs and captured five pirates, a spokesman said.

"The pirates, who because of the darkness took the French ship for a commercial vessel, were on board two vessels and opened fire with Kalashnikovs," Admiral Christophe Prazuck said in Paris.

La Somme is the French command vessel in the Indian Ocean, overseeing French air, sea and land forces fighting Somali pirates and hunting terrorists under the banner of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom.

Officers on the ship have directed commando operations to free French hostages in the hands of Somali pirates.

The pirates tried to flee when they realised their mistake but were pursued by French forces who, after an hour-long chase, caught one of the skiffs, Prazuck said.

So, in summation: the French Navy can beat a bunch of mildly armed Somali Pirates. Way to go France. Still amazing that it was you who helped us win the revolutionary war.

Pirating Up 75%

Yes, you read that right. Pirates. They're back. I'm pretty sure I've posted on this before, but I'm also 100% positive I'm too lazy to go back and look.

Anyway, pirates are back and jacking things up.

Take for instance when they stole a ship. yup. an entire ship

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20081118/wl_ynews/ynews_wl155

Pirates in Somalia are at it again. Over the weekend they claimed their biggest prize to date: a Saudi oil tanker the size of three football fields, laden with $100 million in crude oil.

Before you summon romantic images of rum-soaked swashbucklers gallivanting "Pirates of the Caribbean"-style, consider this: The sophistication of the most recent attack has the attention of U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

On Monday Mullen said he's "stunned" at the pirates' ability to hijack a vessel in the open ocean so far from the coast (though most attacks occur closer to the Gulf of Aden, this one took place 450 miles off the coast of Kenya).

"[The pirates are] very well armed. Tactically, they are very good," Mullen said.

Indeed, the seizure of the Saudi tanker is the latest in a series of high-stakes incidents in recent months. Piracy has long plagued the waters off the Horn of Africa, but attacks this year have spiked 75 percent, according to this video from AP.

So wait, they just stole a 900 foot boat?! Although it's not right, I'm a little impressed. Then again, I've been a sailor for all of 0 years of my life. So I guess I don't know the fear of getting pirated.

But, the pirates got got by the Indian Navy most recently

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081119/ap_on_bi_ge/piracy

A multicoalition naval force has increased patrols in the region, and scored a rare success Tuesday when the Indian warship, operating off the coast of Oman, stopped a ship similar to a pirate vessel mentioned in numerous piracy bulletins. The Indian navy said the pirates fired on the INS Tabar after the officers asked it to stop to be searched.

"Pirates were seen roaming on the upper deck of this vessel with guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers," said a statement from the Indian navy. Indian forces fired back, sparking fires and a series of onboard blasts — possibly due to exploding ammunition — and destroying the ship.

They chased one of two speedboats that had been shadowing the larger ship, and which fled when it sank. One was later found abandoned. The other escaped, according to the statement.

Larger "mother ships" are often used to take gangs of pirates and smaller attack boats into deep water, and can be used as mobile bases to attack merchant vessels.

These guys are elaborate. RPGs, Mother ships, GANGS. Ah the lawless seas....remind me never to go on a boating vacation off the coast of Somalia. Or to go on vacation in Somalia.