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  OssanULTRA at 11:59 AM JST - 24th August

  "Attack a Japanese flagged merchant: Japanese company will pay the ransom, and put the blame of the ship/company for being in that part of the world. No need for reprisals from Japan militarily, since they aren't allowed to go that far out of the playground to pursue you."

  I personally think it's a matter of time before a multi-national security force will be put together for the Southeast Asian Straits and it will invariably include the Japanese Coast Guard. Somalia would probably require protection from the Western "coaltion" forces.

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  OssanULTRA at 12:02 PM JST - 24th August

  "Why so many attacks especially after steep drop in commodities market? 'Hedge Funds' involvement may not be ruled out."

  Because the pirates aren't stealing the commodities. It's physically impossible to "steal" 300,000 tons of Iron Ore or Coal or Oil. You woud have to hijack the entire vessel and you'd be found in a matter of days.

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  badge123 at 12:38 PM JST - 24th August

  "The reason? It's well known that J vessels are prohibited from carrying arms."

  And so are many other civilian ships in international waters, plus various international shipping regulations and laws. Pirates can break laws as much as they want, crews of legit ships have to follow them.

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  TheNewZen at 12:57 PM JST - 24th August

  Ossanultra.

  Dream　on. They got the resources, there is no need to off-load when they own/pilot the ship and you think they don't have the support to use harbours.

  Most of the pirates in history worked for a goverment, study it up.

  Don't follow hollyweird versions of history which are 95% wrong anyway. The famous "Thumb down" gesture used by roman emperors is a hollyweird invention too, real gesture is the middle finger. It was relayed by an attendant.

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  OgieDoggie at 02:24 PM JST - 24th August

  Pirates attack Japanese cargo ship - the Panama-flagged ship, with no Japanese among its crew of 20

  How can this be a Japanese cargo ship if it flies the Panama Flag and not one crew memeber is Japanese????

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  zzonkerr at 02:49 PM JST - 24th August

  Japanese-operated, meaning a J cargo company runs it, but crews it with different nationalities.

  Regardless, I don't see why cargo ships don't arm themselves to the teeth. In a game like there, there are no points for second place; not arming yourself on the high seas borders on negligence, given piracy activity out there nowadays. These pirate boats are small and not well fortified. Just carry a missile launcher or two and that should scare any would-be pirate or private mercenary.

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  chibaman at 02:57 PM JST - 24th August

  Even small arms would suffice. The pirates and their cockatoos are totally exposed out there, as opposed to those aboard the cargo ship who can shield themselves behind containers of cheap cigarettes.

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  roomtemperature at 03:10 PM JST - 24th August

  Obviously ogiedoggie doesn't know anything about cargo ships or shipping companies.

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  roomtemperature at 06:18 PM JST - 24th August

  Ohh...and ogiedoggie...

  Try to find the definition of "ship-owner". It might enlighten you.

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  USNinJapan2 at 06:46 PM JST - 24th August

  Weasel

  Time to invest in a CIWS next they decide to sail in waters near the Southeast Asian archipelago, Bangladesh, and off the port of Mogadishu.

  CIWS, an anti-aircraft/missile system, would do absolutely no good against pirates in speedboats. You can't program the fire control system to target surface contacts moving that slow.

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  Alphaape at 08:49 PM JST - 24th August

  Ossan,

  I personally think it's a matter of time before a multi-national security force will be put together for the Southeast Asian Straits and it will invariably include the Japanese Coast Guard.

  This has been inplace for awhile, especially after the 9/11 attacks. The head of the coalition switched between India and the US with both countries warships patrolling the waters of the Molucca Straits along with Singapore and Malaysia. Japan Coast Guard is bound to territorial waters only. We do send US Coast Guard units to help from time to time, but once again, Article 9 of the Japan constitution forbids their "Self Defense Forces" from operating with a coalition like this. Like I said in an earlier post, they have a hard enough time just sending an oil tanker to the Indian Ocean to refuel USN ships transiting, how will they get the Japan public to buy off on sending JMSDF ships, and have them heaven forbid actually have to take a shot at a pirate vessel.

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  serindipity at 09:07 PM JST - 24th August

  Aw, c'mon! The fact the ship was Japanese is a coincidence and has nothing to do with targeting Japanese vessels because they are unarmed. 90% percent of all cargo vessels are unarmed. There are so many budding fiction writers in these threads it's amusing.

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  nahummer at 12:51 AM JST - 25th August

  I completely agree with serindipity, these are pirates off the Somali coast, they've been attacking tons of ships that aren't from Japan.

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  nidu at 01:29 PM JST - 25th August

  The Panama-flagged ship, with no Japanese among its crew of 20

  Next Time they attack a cargo ship, just let them know that there is no japanese aboard and they will let you go :)

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  frontandcentre at 04:03 PM JST - 25th August

  It's very unlikely that the pirates were aware of which country's ship it was that they were attacking - shipowners around the world use the Panama flag. The Japanese own and control a lot of ships, that's why they are getting this happening on a regular basis, just a matter of numbers really.

  As for arming ships, that's a recipe for trouble, I'm sure. The solution lies in helping establish a real government - secular, Muslim or otherwise - in Somalia which can take effective control of the country and prevent pirates from operating out of Somalian ports. Unfortunately, an international anti-piracy operation seems to be unlikely because no-one is prepared to pay for it.

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