Well I thought I was finished with the "Pirate of Somalia" story, then while checking the news this a.m. I found this headline, Ship Blasted Pirates With Sonic Weapon
The crew of a luxury cruise ship used a sonic weapon that blasts earsplitting noise in a directed beam while being attacked by a gang of pirates off Africa this weekend, the cruise line said Monday. Let us remember these pirates are sailing the seas in inflatable boats. The Spirit was about 100 miles off Somalia when pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns as they tried to get onboard. That must have been some exchange of fire -
I love that the media still refers to these Muslim terrorists as pirates. They just can't say that word terrorist or the two words Muslim terrorist; why? Because they don't want to use any word that would legitimize the President's war on terror.
posted by Michele @ 6:33 AM
6 Comments:
The reason may be that they aren't terrorists - or at least Seabourn doesn't think so:
David Dingle, a spokesman for the Miami-based company Seabourn Cruises, said passengers were "somewhat surprised and shocked" when they woke to find the ship under attack at 0530 (0230 GMT) on Saturday.
"The passengers were mustered in a public room, told what was going on and reassured that we were fighting off the attack," he said.
"They were shocked but no passengers were injured whatsoever.
"We are extremely pleased that all the measures worked."
He added that the company had no reason to believe it was a terrorist attack and all the evidence pointed to pirates.
[emphasis added]
For all we know, these pirates could be Hindus or Animalists or Evangelical Christians - even Republicans.
I dispute your claim that it's more advantageous for Seabourn that they be pirates - I for one would be a lot more scared of pirates intent on raping my wife and selling me into slavery than a terrorist hit-and-run. Let's also mention that the Shipping News doesn't call them terrorists, nor the Murdoch papers in England, nor the IMO, nor the IMB, nor anybody who has anything to do with the shipping business - not even Lloyds, who would rather they'd be terrorists to avoid insurance payouts. They're pirates. They capture ships for the money involved - see the coverage that goes back years on any search engine.
We've had pirates for centuries, eons - it was an old time WASP tradition from the privateer days, the Republicans practiced it during our Civil War, and not to mention it's in Homer.
You're using the fact that it happend off the coast of a partially Muslim area - as I said before, you have no way of knowing if they're even Muslims - perhaps they're Maddists, or Clintonistas, or Fatbearists - in other words, until you can find someone, who has substantial knowledge of the pirate problem and will support your point, leave off the terrorism cliche.
The Cole was attacked by terrorists, not pirates. Same for the Achille Lauro.
Oh, and did I forget, if the Pirates ever win the World Series again, is at a victory for the terrorists?
Oh, slightly OT - regarding Hastert and Frist wanting to investigate the CIA Black Prison leak - turns out a little embarrassing
CNN confirming that it may have been Republican Senator and perhaps Republican staffers as well [behind leak]. Cheney was on Hill last Tuesday [briefing only Republican Senators] -- "everything in the story was said by Cheney" in the meeting. Blitzer calling it a "bombshell" story -- that the GOP may be investigating themselves. Lott saying that it could be an ethics investigation, "we can't keep our mouths shut" according to Lott. Reporting that Lott walked into a roomful of reporters and made the statements and left reporters "stunned."
Now that's terrorism!
A little more on CIA leaak:
Trent Lott stunned reporters by declaring that this subject was actualy discussed at a Senate Republican luncheon, Republican senators only, last tuesday the day before the story ran in the Washington Post. Lott noted that Vice President Cheney was also in the room for that discussion and Lott said point blank "a lot of it came out of that room last tuesday, pointing to the room where the lunch was held in the capitol." He added of senators "we can't keep our mouths shut." He added about the vice president, "He was up here last wek and talked up here in that room right there in a roomful of nothing but senators and every word that was said in there went right to the newspaper." He said he believes when all is said and done it may wind up as an ethics investigation of a Republican senator, maybe a Republican staffer as well. Senator Frist's office not commenting on this development. The Washington Post not commenting either.
Money quote from Lott; "We can not remain silent. We have met the enemy, and it is us."
Gee, those terrorists hits just keep coming....
Yep, sure do look like terrorists... LOL
Maddie/AlterWacko - go some place else where they appreciate your talents for obfuscating and avoiding any (usually all) facts - Scott Mcclellan could sure use you
I'm done wasting my time - you have the blood of 2,000 of your compatriots on your hands, and I'm feeling dirty just being near you.
fatbear is leaving - I'm sure he'll be back under another nic next month...I'm noting a pattern here
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