2010-01-03, 00:02 | Link #5302 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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I know that some ships do hire mercenaries (aptly called contracted security detail) armed with CQB-type assault weapons to protect their cargo. But most shipping companies want their profit margin, and the price of life of a shipboard personnel is grossly undermined as compared to their overall shipping profits. But considering the fact that Singaporean males go through National Service and are trained in armed combat, any Singaporean flagged ship COULD be said to, in a small extent, a Q-ship. But that hardly counts against a group of pirates well-versed in counterterror tactics and armed to the teeth.
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2010-01-03, 08:40 | Link #5303 | |
Asuki-tan Kairin ↓
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Fürth (GER)
Age: 43
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2010-01-03, 09:29 | Link #5304 | |
On a sabbatical
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
Age: 43
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2010-01-03, 10:15 | Link #5305 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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Quote:
Shipping routes usually for speed, cutting through places like the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden, which we already know that are highly dangerous due to the "mud cities" surrounding them. But if you want to be armed, you can always fashion a ballistic knife out of pens and rubber bands.
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2010-01-03, 10:45 | Link #5306 | |
On a sabbatical
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
Age: 43
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2010-01-03, 11:23 | Link #5307 | |
On a sabbatical
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
Age: 43
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Moving on...
Quote:
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2010-01-03, 11:28 | Link #5308 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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1. Difference in area The Gulf is significantly larger than the Straits, approximately 1000-1200km long and more than 500m wide whereas the Straits is 800km long and less than 400km wide. This means that the Straits can be more easily covered by patrols than the Gulf itself. 2. Regional Stability The Strait is home to countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia with stable political structures and modernised navies. Coupled with regional coordination (under the "Let's all earn money together!" incentive) and the narrow length of the straits, it allows quicker reaction to any hijack attempt and increases the difficulty pirate operations. The Gulf, however is home to many unstable countries like Yemen, Somalia and Ethiopia. Where poverty rules, political instability is rife, especially in Somalia after the Islamic Crap Underdogs Courts Union seized power in 2006. It led to the collapse of the transitional government installed by US (not UN). It led to Somalia being a safe haven for terrorists who use piracy to fund their attacks. There is too much enmity in the area, particularly between Ethiopia and Eritrea, in which the former started the mess in 1991 by ousting Prez Barre and the latter messing it up again in 2006 by helping the ICU. Yemen, on the other hand, is fighting a civil war between Shiite rebels and the army (Saddah Insurgency). As we all know that Iran wants a ruling hegemony over in ME, resources are diverted from the already poverty stricken country to fight insurgents armed by another state. As a result, black marketeers and bandits thrive due to internal insecurity. Having 2 states bordering the Gulf in turmoil, it is not surprising that the Gulf is in such a mess. Blame bad governance. Too much control over the people until all the laws they set become seemingly harmless to the ordinary citizen, who can fork out a roll of bills to keep even the most on-the-ball policeman's mouth shut.
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2010-01-03, 11:34 | Link #5309 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: China
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There is also the question of what you do with the pirates once you capture them. Do you try them in court in the same way the one who got captured by the U.S. in early 2009? You can't exactly punish them in the same way back in the 17th/18th century - i.e., death by hanging before wrapping the body in chains to keep the corpse from falling apart. The current anti-piracy operation, IMHO, is not sustainable. The underlying problem is not being solved, and any punishment (or threat of punishment) being imposed isn't a big enough deterrence on its own. Quote:
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2010-01-03, 11:43 | Link #5310 | |
Not Enough Sleep
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: R'lyeh
Age: 48
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2010-01-03, 11:56 | Link #5311 | ||
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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Pretty lame way of dealing with prisoners IMO. Each boarding personnel, assuming they are armed with MP5s only, carry 180-240 rounds of 9mm each. Each round costs only US$0.20 to make, why not use them? The SAS peppered one terrorist with over 50 rounds during the Iranian Embassy Siege in 1981. Quote:
Insurance doesn't really work. Shipping is all about taking risks.....between the net profit and extra-services costs. Also, when it comes to defence, how are you exactly going to get an insurer to cover T-72 tanks being sent to a political ally? Denial is never credible and is hardly believed. I had a friend who worked as a shipboard engineer, and he is a pretty optimistic person so I refused to tell him the difference between his sailing pay and the piracy insurance. He'd quit his job.
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2010-01-03, 12:15 | Link #5313 |
On a sabbatical
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
Age: 43
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For all the awards that Changi, Narita and Incheon get, I'd like them to see this.
An Invitation to Fly Local I mean, as a frequent flyer, I do notice that the logjams are pretty terrible at Narita and Incheon especially since their security is RIGHT AFTER CUSTOMS. Really, that's just stupid - I mean, if you know you have that problem, then Changi it by taijiquanning your check to the gates... Really, someone should focus on Haneda especially since it's infinitely expandable as it faces the sea and we can reclaim more land outwards (come on, Changi is sitting on 100% reclaimed land - no problems there - just that Kansai was a failed example...) and it'd solve Hatoyama's problems of "not enough jobs". Then we can close pork-barrel Narita and convert it into some government facility. Shift the administration there, everyone knows Chiyoda's a security loophole in itself (Aum Shinrikyo proved that to us.) Or better still, a Gundam research facility (OK I'm joking here.)
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2010-01-03, 12:38 | Link #5314 | |
Not Enough Sleep
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: R'lyeh
Age: 48
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and it is also cheaper which has never enter into the minds of politicians.
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2010-01-03, 14:11 | Link #5315 | ||
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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I remember someone here saying about UN being an over-funded talkshop. He is right.
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2010-01-03, 15:49 | Link #5316 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
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environmentalists fighting the greenies |
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2010-01-03, 17:58 | Link #5317 | |
Asuki-tan Kairin ↓
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Fürth (GER)
Age: 43
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Quote:
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2010-01-03, 22:18 | Link #5318 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: China
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2010-01-04, 03:25 | Link #5319 | |
Zettai Ryouiki Lover
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: The Bay Area
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In other news here's a list of the What's going on with public transit in the United States and Canada: http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2...ed-for-2010-2/ |
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2010-01-04, 05:36 | Link #5320 | |
The AnimeSuki Pet kitten
IT Support
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Melbourne has 1 private train operator (Metro), 1 private tram operator (Keolis Downer) and over 50 private bus operators. There a bus routes that range from having a bus every 15 minutes, to buses every 40 minutes. Routes that are long, short and in some cases repetitive of another route (411 and 412 are a perfect example, anyone living in Altona). Our old system, Metcard (thankfully still in use), was a simple paper/cardboard based ticket that worked similarly to a flat-rate fee (for example, $3.70 gets you 2hour travel in Zone 2 on all trains, trams and buses running in that zone). Myki's initial release has buses and trams out of the loop because of problems with the mobile software, hence why it "makes a mockery of our multi-modal transport system". I guess no government likes looking red-faced. In response to a story regarding hijacking of ships, there's a few ships that will be transporting some new X-Trapolis trains from Europe to Australia. I just want to see the look on the premier's face when one goes missing.
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current affairs, discussion, international |
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