It's A Crazy Ole' World!

Piracy?

Source: CBS2Chicago

Navy Fights Pirates Off Somali Coast

(AP) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Two U.S. Navy ships exchanged gunfire with suspected pirates Saturday off the coast of Somalia, and one suspect was killed and five others were wounded, the navy said.

The early morning gunbattle ensued after sailors spotted 30-foot fishing boat towing smaller skiffs and prepared for a routine boarding, said Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown, spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Passengers on the fishing boat then began shooting, and U.S. naval gunners returned fire with mounted machine guns.

Three suspects were seriously wounded and being treated on one of the Navy ships, Brown said.

Their nationalities were unknown.

No U.S. sailors were injured, the Navy said.

The Navy said the incident involving the USS Cape St. George and USS Gonzalez occurred at about 5:40 a.m. local time, approximately 25 nautical miles off the Somali coast in international waters.

The Cape St. George, a guided-missile cruiser, and Gonzalez, a guided-missile destroyer, were conducting maritime security operations in the area. They are based in Norfolk, Va.

On March 15, the U.N. Security Council encouraged naval forces operating off Somalia to
take action against suspected piracy. Pirate attacks against aid ships have hindered U.N. efforts to provide relief to the victims of a severe drought in the area.

Piracy, damn! It's like DisneyWorld on crack!