APMSS.

This is coolbert:

You can guess that this little news blurb caught my attention right away.

From the Chicago Tribune yesterday:

"NATION & WORLD"

"GULF OF ADEN"

"Somali pirates seized control of a chemical tanker Friday and a NATO helicopter gunship picked up three security guards who jumped into the sea. It was the 97th ship hijacking this year off Somalia's coast."

Those three security guards - - are employees of the English concern AntiPiracy Maritime Security Solutions (APMSS), run by Nick Davis. Provide "security", of a non-lethal nature, for ships transiting the Gulf of Aden?

Men, who are allowed only to use a L-RAD as a means of warding off piratical attack. The sonic-gun that causes HURT! Normally designed to be used for crowd control.

In this case L-RAD did not work?

Here is further on the pirate attack and the action of the security guards, thanks to the TimesOnline.

"British and Irish anti-piracy experts rescued - after pirates attack"

"They [the security force] fired water cannon at the pirates and zigzagged the vessel. They also used a long-range accoustic device [L-RAD] that fires laser-like beams of excruciatingly painful sound at attackers."

But - - after coming after sustained AK and RPG fire, the ship had no option but to surrender!!??

These three security men, knowing that identification might very well be a death sentence, jumped overboard to save their skins!!??

And probably did the right thing too.

Nick Davis, owner of AntiPiracy Maritime Security Solutions, hires only ex-Royal Marine Commando and special forces type persons for these security missions. Men who would not hesitate to jump off a tanker into mid-ocean if it meant their lives!

Having that NATO helicopter gunship in the vicinity made the decision to plunge into the water that much easier too??!!

The anti-piracy solution was not much of a solution in this case, was it?

coolbert.