nick in* england
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Posts posted by nick in* england
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Not a bad idea. could check out the Ralph and if that's lame head to the Big Tree....
or Danny's.
But driving home drunk it a B word.
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What kind of cars do they drive in London?
We all have our own red double decker bus and black london taxi. which one we drive depends on how many pedestrians you intend to knock down.
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Big Tree would be fun.
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GET IN! Yes - I hope this happens.
Oh Wait a minute. I'm actually less than 2 years from emigrating to Toronto.
F-*-C-K THAT. Cold weather domes. That's the future. Detroits only 5 hours from TO right?
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And as I promised, as of 1 April 2009, the UK MOD position on Piracy is as follows. I have taken the top bits from the briefing document that I use to brief journalists on a daily basis.
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The Royal Navy is actively countering piracy around the Horn of Africa and supports international efforts to do so.
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Events in the region have demonstrated not only the importance of our armed forces' global presence, but also the high level of UK cross-government engagement and international cooperation, necessary to counter-piracy effectively.
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The Royal Navy is actively participating in counter piracy activities off the Horn of Africa, as well as coming to the aid of those under attack. All its actions are in accordance with international law.
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We are at the forefront of the European Union mission – Operation ATALANTA – established to escort World Food Programme vessels bringing aid to Somalia, protect vulnerable shipping, and to counter piracy in the region. We are providing the Operation Commander and the Operation HQ at Northwood.
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The Royal Navy provides frigates to the Combined Maritime Force conducting maritime security operations in the region. As part of this, HMS PORTLAND is conducting counter piracy missions, on a case by case basis, through Combined Task Force 151.
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The UK continues to work with the International community to tackle piracy at its root – instability in Somalia – through the provision of humanitarian and development assistance.
In 2008 the UK Government adopted a more proactive posture with regards to piracy off the Somali coast.
The UK is engaged in efforts to combat acts of piracy off Somalia, latterly as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 and more recently, when required, through the newly established, counter piracy specific, CTF 151. RN vessels are continuing to actively conduct operations to counter de-stabilising activities primarily aimed at deterring and disrupting acts of smuggling and counter terrorism.
Following EU Ministers’ agreement on 10 Nov 08 to launch, the first ever ESDP naval operation, Op ATALANTA, declared Initial Operating Capability on 13 Dec with a one year mandate. The UK is at the forefront of this mission, providing the Operation Commander (Rear Admiral Phil Jones RN) and the Operation HQ at Northwood. The Royal Navy also provided a frigate, HMS NORTHUMBERLAND, for the first three months of the operation. ATALANTA is already regarded as a high profile political success for ESDP.
Piracy is a symptom of wider issues and the UK continues to work with the International community to tackle them at their root, through the provision of humanitarian and development assistance. This year, the UK is providing £30m of humanitarian and development assistance. We are encouraging the European Commission and other partners to increase targeted support for governance/economic development, in particular in coastal areas.
In line with UN Security Council Resolution 1851, the international Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia has met on two occasions to discuss an international response to piracy. The Contact Group is currently attended by 27 countries and 5 organisations, including UK representatives. The UK is leading a Working Group on how to strengthen international coordination, including taking forward work on regional capacity building.
The UK set up an arrangement with the Kenyan Government which allows the transfer of suspected pirates to Kenya for prosecution. In cases in which suspected pirates are detained during operations, if it is considered that there is sufficient evidence on which to charge them they will be detained and transferred under the terms of this agreement for prosecution.
Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, including attached RN units deployed to the region with a mandate which allowed them to conduct counter-piracy operations from mid-October. The NATO mission came to an end on 4 December.
All actions taken by the RN are in accordance with international law. Under UNCLOS all States have a duty to cooperate in the repression of piracy. RN vessels and coalition forces in the region seek to deter and disrupt pirate activity, and RN vessels can actively search for suspected pirate vessels. These can be boarded and any piracy equipment can be seized and, if it is not practicable to keep it, destroyed. The RN can also take robust action to come to the aid of a victim vessel under attack by pirates in international waters. This can again range from deterring and disrupting the attack to the use of reasonable force to defend the victims.
Every incident of piracy is different and RN personnel undergo maritime security training that provides them with the ability to deal with circumstances that require such intervention.
Q. This increase in piracy will be a greater threat to UK shipping and UK crew members – what is being done about this?
A. In most parts of the world, incidents of piracy and maritime armed robbery are decreasing; however, it is true that there is an increase in attacks off Somalia. Clearly any act of piracy causes great concern; however, the number of incidents remains relatively small and only affects a tiny percentage of merchant traffic (0.4%) in the area. DfT provides information to UK ships on threats they may face and the FCO is working with international partners to identify ways of preventing further attacks.
Q. What will happen if the piracy off Somalia gets worse?
A.. The threat from all illegal activity at sea in the Gulf region is constantly reviewed and employment of units adjusted accordingly – RN units be they part of an international mission or operating independently will be prepared to meet HMG’s obligations regarding piracy should the situation dictate and, if requested, may provide support to other Government Departments engaged in resolving incidents
Q. What is the UK doing to assist the coordination of all the military vessels in the region?
A. UK officials were in attendance at the international Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, which is discussing a coherent international response to this difficult problem. Subsequently the UK, with the support of the International Maritime Organization, is leading a Working Group addressing activities related to military and operational information coordination, including taking forward work on regional capacity building.
However, coordination between international naval forces is already considered effective, notably between Op ATALANTA and the Combined Maritime Forces, resulting in an unprecedented amount of multi-national cooperation. This has been possible through the innovative use of a RN web-based chat room, FEXWEB, allowing registered military users to share information in a restricted access forum. CMF ensures that tactical deconfliction between all the ships and nations operating in the Gulf of Aden occurs and that there is a good level of shared awareness
Q Should private security companies be used to protect shipping?
A The MOD does not condone the use of armed security companies by the shipping industry to counter pirates in the region. A broad range of advice, including evasion tactics, can be sought from the Department for Transport, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa website for ships transiting through the Horn of Africa.
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The Royal Navy is actively countering piracy around the Horn of Africa and supports international efforts to do so.
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link here explains lots of detail: http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/resea.../snbt-03794.pdf
release from UK today:
CMF and NATO Ships Help Thwart Two Pirate Attacks
From Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs
MANAMA, Bahrain - The British military support ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Wave Knight (A389) working in support of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), thwarted two pirate attacks on merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden, April 18, which resulted in the release of 13 hostages and disrupted the activities of 14 Somali pirates.
“This is a clear demonstration of how cooperation between more than a dozen international naval forces can result in the successful disruption of piracy activity,” said Royal Navy Commodore Tim Lowe, Deputy Commander of the Combined Maritime Forces. “In the last 72 hours alone, coordinated efforts of six different nations resulted in the release of 49 innocent merchant mariners who had been held hostage by armed pirates, as well as the interception of 46 suspected pirates.”
Lowe cautioned that naval forces will not be the sole solution to piracy, but by coordinating international naval efforts, criminal acts of piracy will continue to be disrupted.
While working in conjunction with international naval forces deployed to the region, Wave Knight received a distress call at approximately 8:00 a.m. from Merchant Vessel Handy Tankers Magic, which was under attack by pirates.
The attack broke off before Wave Knight arrived, but the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship followed the skiff to a fishing dhow, later confirmed to be a pirate “mother ship.” Via radio, Wave Knight ordered the dhow to stop and used a Royal Navy armed force protection team as well as the ship’s own weapons team to provide cover. The pirate vessel complied.
Dutch warship HNLMS De Zeven Provincien (F802), deployed as part of the NATO’s Standing Naval Maritime Group 1 (SNMG-1), arrived on-scene and determined there were pirates and hostages aboard the vessel. Ultimately, 13 fishermen who had been held hostage by pirates since April 12, were freed and able to return home to Yemen. Since the seven suspected pirates aboard the dhow were not captured in the act of piracy they were released, but they were disarmed and their weapons destroyed.
Two hours later, Wave Knight received a second distress call from Merchant Vessel Front Ardennes. Wave Knight arrived on scene and successfully deterred the skiff and prevented the pirates from boarding the tanker. Following repeated warnings to move away, Wave Knight fired warning shots, which caused the pirates to break off their attack and flee the scene.
With the assistance of helicopters from the NATO task group ships HMCS Winnipeg (FFH 338) and USS Halyburton (FFG 40), Wave Knight followed the pirate skiff for six hours, until relieved on-scene by Winnipeg, who conducted a boarding of the skiff. Wave Knight provided fuel and landing facilities for the NATO warships’ helicopters and was able to manoeuvre into a position to stop the suspected pirates, allowing Winnipeg’s boarding team to disarm and then subsequently release the suspected pirates.
“RFA Wave Knight is a modern replenishment ship designed to be able to support a myriad of Coalition maritime operations,” said Royal Fleet Auxiliary Capt. I. N. Phillips, Wave Knight’s Commanding Officer. “Our primary role is refuelling and aviation operations, but we are fully capable of conducting anti-piracy operations in and around the Horn of Africa. We have been on station for over a year providing support to many nations, and we remain committed to helping ensure maritime security.”
CMF is comprised of 23 nations whose role is to conduct Maritime Security Operations (MSO) throughout the region to help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment. Maritime Security Operations help develop security in the maritime environment, which promotes stability and global prosperity.
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I'm back at work tomorrow after vacation - so I'll see what new info i can cough up for you guys on what's really been happening.
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...is that he is a total douchebag. I'm sorry - but nothing he said in there stands him up as a good guy or is even a little bit grateful that the Bills took a chance on him.
A classless buffoon.
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Bottom line: Peters wanted out. He just had enough of the team, the town, the lot. No matter what we would pay him he was going to go. He hurt the team by doing a no-show last year. We didn;t get the value I would of liked out of him - but frankly, his attitude was horrible and I think we should feel OK about seeing him go. Not sure he will set the world on fire in Philly.
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Trade back a few spots with 11 - to about 15, pick up a 3rd rounder in the bargain. Draft DE/TE with the first pick, OT with the second. Whatever you didn't get with the first pick DE/TE go for that round 2.
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Every year I get my hopes up for a good draft, but I pretty much forget about last year's draft and who might still emerge from it. Yet I think other than the first two picks from this year, the later picks from last year's draft are more likely to have an impact than later picks this year. So I am going to put on my rose colored glasses to take another look at last year's draft class and who I think might get significant playing time for Bills in 2009:
Leodis McKelvin - Of course, we all expect it. I sort of doubt that he will be a major upgrade from last year though (not a slight to Leodis, I just liked Jabari).
Derek Fine - Unless the Bills draft a TE in the first round or sign a major free agent, you have to figure that Derek is going to compete for the starting job and I think he wins it with the advantage he has of being a second year player. I think there is a reasonable chance he will be a good, solid player.
Demetrius Bell - The opening is there at left guard for someone to step in and become a starter. Last year I think the book on him at draft time was that he was athletic, but needed work. Kyle Williams statement would seem to indicate there is some potential.
Reggie Corner - He should compete with Youboty and Florence for time as a nickel or dime back.
Steve Johnson - I think one of the mistakes that was made last year was that when Josh Reed went down, James Hardy, was put in. Hardy just wasn't ready. I think Steve Johnson was more NFL ready. Maybe Hardy someday becomes the better player, but I figure Johnson is their fourth best receiver and if there is an injury to Reed, Evans or Owens, he should get the playing time and will do well.
Chris Ellis - Defensive lineman don't do particularly well in their first year. It is way too early to give up on Chris Ellis. He might surprise some people. If the Bills don't draft a defensive end in the first two rounds, he will have a chance.
This is kind of a 'meh' group.
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The highlighted part is your first clue in regards to the truthiness of the article
It's actually a piece from a National Newspaper over here on Monday.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/comme...rs/johann-hari/
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This is at the bottom of the piece;
POSTSCRIPT: Some commenters seem bemused by the fact that both toxic dumping and the theft of fish are happening in the same place - wouldn't this make the fish contaminated? In fact, Somalia's coastline is vast, stretching to 3300km. Imagine how easy it would be - without any coastguard or army - to steal fish from Florida and dump nuclear waste on California, and you get the idea. These events are happening in different places - but with the same horrible effect: death for the locals, and stirred-up piracy. There's no contradiction.
But it's not the same as that! Look - it's a bad analogy he has made. The last point is right. There are more factors in play here than just piracy. That's a symptom, not a cause.
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Hey Nick, any truth to the assetions in this piece. Doesn't seem to me to be supported by any facts whatsoever. But I figured I would ask.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/...o_b_155147.html
I'll refrain from comment here. It's not my job to comment on specific media reports. I deal with Johann Hari at work, so doubly inappropriate for me to speculate about his piece.
But - how could it be true that European countries are both:
-dumping nuclear waste in the sea off somalia
-fishing for seafood in the sea off somalia
I'm afraid that doesn't add up.
Other than that - I agree with Johann - the problem is not at sea. It is on land. Somalia needs fixing. Then you wouldn't have poor fishermen turning to Piracy.
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I agree with you dib. Throw a couple of .50 cals and mk-19s on each ship. Handle these situations like the military handles vehicle born IEDs. If a speeding boat is clearly headed in your direction, sound an alarm/signal. If the boat continues to come at you, fire warning shots. If they still want to come you, open up on them. Is it really hard to imagine terrorist groups looking at this pirate situation, and seeing an easy score? This should be an eye opener to some of these companies. Ransoms aren't that bad with all things considered, IMO.
And imagine how much cheaper that solution would be than, say, a massive multi-national deployment of warships...
5 x .50 cal machine guns = approx $300,000
1 x warship = $tens of millions
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Great post...thank you!
When you say...
...if Somalia has no functioning govt, then who is enforcing this...the UN?
Well - which responsible government or nation state will intentionally put itself in breach of international law? The answer, simply, is none.
The UN have a role in enforcing this. As do the international courts. As do the courts of the home nations of the navies present. I know UK and EU extends further than the very limited application of UNCLOS.
Think of the repercussions of, say, a US Navy Warship entering Somalia TTW:
- will Kenya feel secure that it can continue to operate it's own TTW without feat of the US 'invading'?
- the commander of the USS could be court martialled
- whatever diplomacy goes on between US and Somalia would be severly undermined
- what about the reaction of Iran? US unlawfully entering another Islamic state's sovereign area? Under Obama, I can't see this happening.
I could spend time reeling off more scenarios. But you get the picture.
Bottom line - countering this is something that has to be done legally by responsible nations. This is not one of those situations that the US wants to wade in unilaterally on.
Remember Mogadishu anyone?
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I heard that the shipping companies pay the ransom. Filing insurance claims would end up increasing their liability costs. So it's cheaper to just pay the ransom themself
The above info I got from a friend who's brother works as an able bodied seaman.....heheheheheh, seaman
Correct - it's the companies - not the insurers who are paying.
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Nick, thanks for a good explanation. How feasible is it for many of the ships to detour around Africa and avoid the area altogether?
Completely unfeasible. You're talking about diverting around the Cape - which adds thousands of miles onto the journeys.
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Pats going to London......
yay.
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It's been reported that guarding against pirate attcks along the coast of Somali is too difficult becuase there are so many ships and too much ocean to cover. But I have to assume while the area the pirates work in is vast, they only sail from a handful Somali ports. So my question is why can't those ports be blockaded to prevent pirate vessels from sailing?
Discuss.
PTR
I actually know something about this. I work for the Ministry of Defence in the UK - I head up the Operations Desk in our Press Office. Piracy is one area that I deal with (in addition to British operations in Iraq and Afghanistan) on a daily basis. (If you are sceptical, you can check my credentials by googling Nick Manning MOD, and marvel at the results). Some of what I say below is a personal opinion, however, and is not an official MOD statement.
The simple answer to PTR's question is that foreign navies cannot enter Somali Territorial Waters - that is the belt of ocean 12 nautical miles wide from coastline to its edge. Therefore, a blockade is not possible.
The real answer is slightly more complex.
Piracy out of Somalia isn't happening in a small area of sea. It's happening in massive swathes of ocean from the relatively small Gulf of Aden, right out into the Indian Ocean. We are talking well in excess of a millions square miles of open ocean here. So even a massive deployment of Naval assets to the region can only monitor a limited amount of shipping activity in that region.
Pirates are not operating out of great wooden ships flying a jolly roger flag. They tend to operate out of Skiffs or Dhows, these are small fishing vessels capable of carrying 4-10 people and a small cargo of fish. These are the traditional fishing vessels of the region - operating out of Somalia and out of Yemen. Within the region, the majority of these small boats routinely go about their law abiding business doing fishing and so on as a matter of course. Don't forget also, that just because a fishing boat with a man holding an AK47 is not uncommon. AK's are status symbols in massive parts of the world - so it's not uncommon to see people with them who have not illegal intent. What's more these skiffs are tiny. Unless a warship is right on top of it, it's not going to be able to see it clearly. Even air assets (in shorts supply globally as they are being used to protect troops in Iraq and Afghanistan) have little hope of detecting piracy in these areas because the intelligence picture is so poor.
So it's not as simple as sinking every skiff or shooting every fisherman with an AK. And you can't arrest or detain every fisherman coming and going from ports in Somalia - where is the legal proof that they are a pirate? Unlike the pirates, most nations involved in combating piracy abide at a minimum to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) so flagrant breaches would amount to commanders of Navy ships being in very hot water.
Pirates tend to operate out of secret ports, or from flotillas at sea. They usually have a 'mothership'. This might normally be a pirated luxury yacht or leisure vessel that they can move about in quickly and with agility. This gives them the flexibility of moving around constantly and anchoring up wherever they like. It is on these vessels that they can store the pirate 'paraphernalia' like grappling hooks, rope ladders, RPGs, guns and ammo. So ports aren't completely necessary for these guys.
The truth of the matter is that despite lots of media attention on the antics of pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the problem is twofold.
First - the shipping companies ALWAYS pay a ransom - so from a pirates point of view this is good business. Millions and millions of dollars are paid every year to pirates by the shipping companies. This is because it's cheaper to pay ransoms that to pay for on-board security teams. Armed guards on vessels in the 'hot zone' would dramatically reduces the chances of attacks being successful.
Secondly - and this is the important one - this problem is not a sea problem. As odd as that sounds, the solution to piracy attacks will be on land. Somalia is in a desperate state right now, with no functioning government and poverty as bad as any place you care to mention. Somalia has been without an effective central government since President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. You have civil war, tribal war lords, breakaway nations, everything you need to create a disaffected, rebellious and desperate society. Perfect for breeding criminals and destruction.
So there you have it, a rather longwinded explanation of some of the problems.
The US Fifth Fleet, British Royal Navy, EU Op ATALANTA, China, Australia, Combined Maritime Force, India, etc etc etc are all making a small difference and are helping essential shipping make safe passage through the region. Escorting World Food Programme vessels is a priority to ensure that aid reaches the right places at the right time. But as I say - this is not a problem that will be solved militarily at sea. It has to be a combination of diplomacy, nation-building, and sensible counter-measure by the shipping companies and individuals intent on moving thought the entire region.
Questions?
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in other news, i need to pee.
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i actually like the SB44 logo.
the London 2012 one, well, I have to like it - part of my civic duty. what was ever wrong with this: http://swimforgold.com/images/800px-london...go.svg_yuxb.png
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I'm with you. I think Parker thinks the aloof approach is a better tactic, this early in the negotiation, though.
bear in mind that they don't need to finalise anything until about 3 days into camp...
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It will be hard.
1. Farve
2. Big Ben
3. Rivers
4. Cutler
The only one of those I think has outplayed Trent is Big Ben, but the voting public doesn't see Trent too much.
I disagree.
1. Cutler (will win the public vote)
2. Edwards (wins the players and coaches votes, gets little public support)
3. Roethlisberger (public runner up)
Michael Jackson dead - Cardiac Arrest
in Off the Wall Archives
Posted
Guys - a bit of respect please.
One of the most influential and controversial artists of a generation has just died.