bobdina
05-26-2009, 03:36 AM
NATO disarms pirate suspects in Gulf of Aden
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday May 25, 2009 14:21:57 EDT
BRUSSELS — A NATO warship from Canada intercepted two boats carrying suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden, seizing a large amount of firearms, rocket-propelled grenades and hook ladders.
The Canadian frigate HMCS Winnipeg chased the boats and eventually boarded them, releasing the suspected pirates after confiscating the equipment, the alliance said Monday. NATO does not have an agreement with Kenya to hand them over for trial.
NATO has five warships on anti-piracy patrol off the Somali coast. Similar operations are also being carried out by the European Union and nations including the U.S., China, Russia and India.
The Gulf of Aden is one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, crossed by 20,000 ships a year, and a prime target for Somali pirates.
France’s foreign minister, meanwhile, said Monday that his nation’s first military base in the Gulf was an important step in the international effort to fight piracy and safeguard crucial oil routes.
“The world’s seas must remain free from threats,” French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told a regional security conference in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi.
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday May 25, 2009 14:21:57 EDT
BRUSSELS — A NATO warship from Canada intercepted two boats carrying suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden, seizing a large amount of firearms, rocket-propelled grenades and hook ladders.
The Canadian frigate HMCS Winnipeg chased the boats and eventually boarded them, releasing the suspected pirates after confiscating the equipment, the alliance said Monday. NATO does not have an agreement with Kenya to hand them over for trial.
NATO has five warships on anti-piracy patrol off the Somali coast. Similar operations are also being carried out by the European Union and nations including the U.S., China, Russia and India.
The Gulf of Aden is one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, crossed by 20,000 ships a year, and a prime target for Somali pirates.
France’s foreign minister, meanwhile, said Monday that his nation’s first military base in the Gulf was an important step in the international effort to fight piracy and safeguard crucial oil routes.
“The world’s seas must remain free from threats,” French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told a regional security conference in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi.