Silly Pirates

[JALU3]

CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/05/03/kenya.pirates/index.html)

Pirates seized after threatening French navy ship
updated 10:54 a.m. EDT, Sun May 3, 2009

(CNN) -- The French Navy said they seized 11 pirates Sunday after they apparently mistook a French military vessel for a commercial ship and made a run at it.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/africa/05/03/kenya.pirates/art.nivose.afp.gi.jpg

Two pirate assault boats approached the Nivose "at great speed," Capt. Christophe Prazuck said, but a French helicopter intervened before the attackers had time to fire at the French navy ship.

The helicopter fired warning shots, he said.

The pirates, who had a mother ship as well as the two assault boats, are being held for questioning on the Nivose, Prazuck said. The vessels were carrying AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, but the pirates did not fire, he said.

The incident took place about 1,000 km (620 miles) east of Mombasa, Kenya, at 8:30 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) he added.

In the past three weeks, the Nivose has intercepted 24 suspected pirates as part of a European Union anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia, which has become a piracy hotspot.

http://www.ambafrance-th.org/newsite/UserFiles/Image/Nivose%20trois%20quart.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niv%C3%B4se_(F_732))
the Nivosa

Seriously! What were they thinking!?! How can they mistake that for a commercial vessel when it's sporting a 100 mm Naval Artillery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_100_mm_naval_gun) piece.

It's like they say, only the stupid criminals get caught.

Edit:
RoK Navy assist DPRK Merchant ship being chased by pirates (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5giMlNedwYUCQ5NZOID5l2M0Gqg7AD97VCIDO0)

[Arclight]

Yep, I'd say that's a pretty big mistake. Maybe they're all off raiding ships because they need some cash for new glasses? :hmmm:

[Schroeder]

It's a French ship. They probably thought it would raise a white flag when they approach it.:D

[Dowly]

It's a French ship. They probably thought it would raise a white flag when they approach it.:D

ROFL! :haha:

[Oberon]

:rotfl:Oh dear, not very good with their ship recognition skills are they? :har:

[SteamWake]

Well when you spot a ship barely over the horizion from the stern and in low visibility I can see the mistake. By the time they were close enough to realize their mistake the helicopter was prosecuiting them.

Just proves they must be hungry because they attack just about anything that floats by.

[Oberon]

You can just see it now, can't you?

Memo to all pirates
Locate and raid nearest ship containing Zeiss optics :haha:

But yeah, you've got a point, and with the over the horizon radar and helicopter technology, it was just a case of very bad luck for them and good luck for us :up:

[bookworm_020]

A photo of their faces when they realized that it was a warship would be priceless!:rotfl::rotfl:

[d@rk51d3]

Problem is, they're just gonna drop them back off in Somalia, to be dealt with at home......

..........where they will probably be released, straight back out onto the seas again.

[Schroeder]

I thought the EU has a treaty with Kenya for that, or was it just Germany?:06:

[Jimbuna]

It's a French ship. They probably thought it would raise a white flag when they approach it.:D

LMAO :rotfl:

[JALU3]

I thought the EU has a treaty with Kenya for that, or was it just Germany?:06:

I know the US does, I am unsure if France does as well.

To bad CTF-151 isn't authorized to operate its own admiralty court to prosecute the pirates. I would imagine that a detention facility could be set up which to hold them, or ones that may soon be unoccupied may be used for that reason.