http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8192350.stm
QuoteRussian crew ship 'disappears'
A cargo ship with a Russian crew has disappeared off the coast of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean, the Russian maritime journal Sovfracht reports.
It says contact with the Maltese-flagged Arctic Sea vessel, with a crew of 13, was lost on 28 July.
Russia's navy and security services are trying to locate the ship.
The same vessel was boarded by armed men in the Baltic Sea on 24 July. The attackers later left without taking any money or valuables, Sovfracht says.
It adds that the vessel - which was reportedly carrying timber - was due to arrive at an Algerian port on 4 August.
Arctic Sea was built in 1991 and is operated by a firm based in Russia's northern city of Arkhangelsk, Sovfracht says.
Ok wierd...:tinfoil:
But wait there is more, about a month ago:...
Quote
Europe News
Jul 31, 2009, 14:01 GMT
Stockholm - Swedish police Friday treating very seriously reports of a mysterious presumed pirate attack on a Maltese- registered freighter in the Baltic Sea.
Swedish deputy crime police chief Tommy Hydfors confirmed to the German Press Agency dpa the report that eight heavily-armed masked men on Friday last week boarded Finnish-owned freighter Arctic Sea from a rubber dinghy.
According to the ship's 15-member Russian crew, the armed men claimed to be drug enforcement agents and thoroughly searched the ship, reacting violently to anyone who got in their way, including using a rifle butt to knock out teeth from one crew member.
The ship was held for 12 hours before the hijackers men left again without taking anything.
Investigators speculated that the 'pirates' may have actually been a drugs gang that was acting on a tip to search for contraband.
Investigator Ingemar Isaksson was quoted by the Swedish daily Expressen as saying there were a number of open questions, including why the crew waited several days before reporting the incident to the ship's owners Solchart Management.
Investigators however said they was no indication of a possible a rise in piracy in Swedish waters, which had not seen a single incident of piracy in modern times.
The Arctic Sea, which was carrying a shipment of wood from Finland to Algeria, continued its journey following the reported incident.
And to ensure that conspiracists has some thing to work with, between 1996 and 1998 she was an Israelis ship, the ZIM VENEZUELA... :Joos
Tom Clancy eat your heart out....
Meh. Russian disapear all the time.
And the ship's been found off of Cape Verde. :huh:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32417645/ns/world_news-europe/
QuoteFrance confirms Russian ship at Cape Verde
Sailors radioed attack in July then lost contact; maritime experts puzzled
AP
updated less than 1 minute ago
MOSCOW - A Russian-manned cargo ship that vanished in the Atlantic last month has been found near Cape Verde, the French Defense Ministry said Friday.
Ministry spokesman Capt. Jerome Baroe said Cape Verde coast guards confirmed the Arctic Sea was discovered Friday afternoon about 520 miles off the former Portuguese colony off the West African coast.
The Arctic Sea has been missing since it passed through the English Channel on July 28.
The Maltese-flagged freighter sent radio messages as it sailed south along the coasts of France and Portugal, but then all contact was lost.
France was involved in search efforts together with several other countries.
'We do not have a specific position'
NATO spokesman Cmdr. Chris Davies at NATO's maritime headquarters in England said NATO was monitoring the situation but was not directly involved in the search.
"We do not have a specific position," he said. NATO began watching developments after the ship reported coming under attack in the Baltic Sea because it was an unusual situation, he said.
The crew had reported that the ship was boarded June 24 in Swedish waters by up to a dozen masked men, who tied them up, questioned them about drug trafficking, beat them and carried out an extensive search before leaving 12 hours later in a high-speed inflatable boat.
The alleged attack, unusual in itself, raised further concerns because it was not reported until the freighter had passed through Britain's busy shipping lanes and was heading out into the wide Atlantic.
A second attack?
The European Commission suggested the ship may have come under attack a second time. "Radio calls were apparently received from the ship, which had supposedly been under attack twice, the first time off the Swedish coast and then off the Portuguese coast," said commission spokesman Martin Selmayr. He said he could add no further comment so as not to hinder the ongoing law enforcement activities.
The Portuguese Foreign Ministry said, however, that the ship was never in Portuguese territorial waters.
The ship's Russian operator, Solchart Arkhangelsk, said it had no information about a possible second attack.
French maritime authorities said they received radio messages on July 29 as the ship sailed past the north coast of France. The Arctic Sea's report to British maritime authorities as it passed through the Dover Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, was the last known voice contact with the crew.
The ship had been due to make port Aug. 4 in Algeria with a $1.8 million haul of timber.
The Malta Maritime Authority said the Arctic Sea "has not approached the Straits of Gibraltar, which indicates that the ship headed out in the Atlantic Ocean."
Speculation on what might have happened to the ship has ranged from suspicions that it was carrying secret cargo — possibly narcotics — to theories about a commercial dispute. Security experts have been wary of attributing its disappearance to bandits, noting that piracy is almost unheard of in European waters.
"It would seem that these acts, such as they have been reported, have nothing in common with 'traditional' acts of piracy or armed robbery at sea," Selmayr said.
Three main types of piracy
David Osler, a maritime journalist at Lloyd's List in London, said there are three main types of piracy. There is the sort seen in Somalia, where a gang takes the ship and the captain, and demands a ransom in return for release.
In the Far East, criminals would steal the entire ship, repaint it and trade it — creating what are called "phantom ships," Osler said in an interview.
And in less developed areas, piracy has sometimes been more like armed robbery, he said, noting that ships often carry cash around for necessities while traveling. "It's like holding up the local liquor store," he said. "It's just for cash."
Osler said the 18-year-old Arctic Sea was not particularly valuable. "The ship isn't really worth stealing," he said, noting most such ships have a life of 20-25 years.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press
btw the captain is named Marko Ramius.
The Russians don't take a dump, son, without a plan.
I really don't understand why you people call it Cape Verde, and not Cabo Verde, at least you should call it Cape Green, if you want to translate the name of the country.
Quote from: I Killed Kenny on August 14, 2009, 05:46:36 PM
I really don't understand why you people call it Cape Verde, and not Cabo Verde, at least you should call it Cape Green, if you want to translate the name of the country.
In Icelandic the country is called "Grænhöfðaeyar" Green Head Islands. In other news, they are also a significant recipient of Icelandic aide.
Quote from: I Killed Kenny on August 14, 2009, 05:46:36 PM
I really don't understand why you people call it Cape Verde, and not Cabo Verde, at least you should call it Cape Green, if you want to translate the name of the country.
Hey, that's a good point.
Wow, those Russians must have some serious wood on that ship.
Quote from: I Killed Kenny on August 14, 2009, 05:46:36 PM
I really don't understand why you people call it Cape Verde, and not Cabo Verde, at least you should call it Cape Green, if you want to translate the name of the country.
You lecturing native speakers on English = offensive.
Quote from: I Killed Kenny on August 14, 2009, 05:46:36 PM
I really don't understand why you people call it Cape Verde, and not Cabo Verde, at least you should call it Cape Green, if you want to translate the name of the country.
Verde is a fairly common word in US English. Capo certainly isn't.
IKK, we tend to assimilate words, particularly when they sound more interesting than what they would mean translated. "Cape Verde" sounds a hell of a lot more interesting than "Cape Green."
Quote from: Fate on August 15, 2009, 04:12:04 AM
Quote from: I Killed Kenny on August 14, 2009, 05:46:36 PM
I really don't understand why you people call it Cape Verde, and not Cabo Verde, at least you should call it Cape Green, if you want to translate the name of the country.
Verde is a fairly common word in US English. Capo certainly isn't.
Capo certainly isn't in Portuguese neither. :D
Cape Green is boring. Cabo sounds stupid or Mexican, so we change that.
Quote from: Fate on August 15, 2009, 04:12:04 AM
Quote from: I Killed Kenny on August 14, 2009, 05:46:36 PM
I really don't understand why you people call it Cape Verde, and not Cabo Verde, at least you should call it Cape Green, if you want to translate the name of the country.
Verde is a fairly common word in US English. Capo certainly isn't.
It's fairly common. Refers to a mob boss.
Quote from: Fate on August 15, 2009, 04:12:04 AM
Verde is a fairly common word in US English. Capo certainly isn't.
Oh, yes it is. Ask any guitar player. :D
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fb%2Fb7%2FCapo_on_white1.png&hash=ffbad7f053ab4600dfd8157b99e58d65bd78dc77)
Quote from: PDH on August 15, 2009, 08:55:32 AM
Cabo sounds stupid or Mexican, so we change that.
Imagine the tourism benefits it would receive.
Damn, this is a long flight to Mexico!
Quote from: garbon on August 15, 2009, 09:54:22 AM
Quote from: PDH on August 15, 2009, 08:55:32 AM
Cabo sounds stupid or Mexican, so we change that.
Imagine the tourism benefits it would receive. Damn, this is a long flight to Mexico!
Exactly, and I would bet they would pretend to not understand English there, even if spoken slowly and loudly.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on August 15, 2009, 09:03:49 AM
Quote from: Fate on August 15, 2009, 04:12:04 AM
Verde is a fairly common word in US English. Capo certainly isn't.
Oh, yes it is. Ask any guitar player. :D
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fb%2Fb7%2FCapo_on_white1.png&hash=ffbad7f053ab4600dfd8157b99e58d65bd78dc77)
That thing looks more like a thumbscrew than a capo, seriously.
And the Russians have found their ship
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8205590.stm
Quote
Russia 'finds missing cargo ship'
Arctic Sea
The Arctic Sea went missing in mysterious circumstances last month
Russia says it has found a missing cargo vessel near the Cape Verde islands and retrieved its Russian crew.
Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that the 15-member crew had been taken on board a Russian navy vessel. They were in good condition, he said.
The Finnish-owned Arctic Sea went off radar after passing through the English Channel with its cargo of timber.
Speculation over the cause of its disappearance had ranged from pirates to a mafia dispute to a commercial row.
The Arctic Sea was found early on Monday 300 miles (480 km) off Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean, Tass news agency quoted Mr Serdyukov as telling Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Click here for a map charting reported sightings of the Arctic Sea
"The crew have been transferred to another ship. They are being interrogated now in order to find out what happened," Mr Serdyukov said.
The sailors were "alive, healthy and are not under armed guard", the agency quoted him as saying.
Carrying timber reportedly worth $1.8m (£1.1m), the 4,000-tonne Maltese-flagged vessel sailed from Finland and had been scheduled to dock in the Algerian port of Bejaia on 4 August.
The crew reported having been boarded by up to 10 armed men as the ship sailed through the Baltic Sea on 24 July, but the intruders were reported to have left the vessel on an inflatable boat after 12 hours.
The last known contact with the crew was when the Arctic Sea reported to British maritime authorities in Dover as it passed through the English Channel.
It was then sighted in the Bay of Biscay on 30 July.
On Saturday, police in Finland said a ransom demand had been made, but emphasised that they could not confirm its authenticity.
Breaking news: the Jews were behind it!!! :Joos :pirate
QuoteWas Russia's 'Arctic Sea' Carrying Missiles to Iran?
By SIMON SHUSTER / MOSCOW Simon Shuster / Moscow Mon Aug 31, 5:00 pm ET
In July, the Russian-manned cargo ship the Arctic Sea disappeared on its way to take timber from Finland to Algeria, sparking reports of the first incident of piracy in European waters since the days of the buccaneers. Experts and observers weighed in with their theories: the ship had been snatched in a commercial dispute; it was being used to run drugs; it was carrying something more precious - or dangerous - than timber.
Since then, the Russian navy has found the ship, and the alleged hijackers who boarded it on July 24 have been charged with kidnapping and piracy. The ship's captain, his crew and whatever cargo the ship was carrying have also been detained. An initial search of the hull turned up nothing suspicious, and now Russia's official explanation of what happened will probably become the final one - this was a hijacking thwarted by its navy without a shot being fired. But there are baffling details left unexplained, leading some experts to claim that the truth is much more sinister: the Arctic Sea, they say, was intercepted by Israel as it carried a secret cargo of weapons to the Middle East. (See pictures of dramatic pirate-hostage rescues.)
The highest-ranking official to put forward this version of events is the European Union's rapporteur on piracy and a former commander of the Estonian armed forces, Admiral Tarmo Kouts. In an interview with TIME, he says only a shipment of missiles could account for Russia's bizarre behavior throughout the monthlong saga. "There is the idea that there were missiles aboard, and one can't explain this situation in any other way," he says. "As a sailor with years of experience, I can tell you that the official versions are not realistic."
Kouts says an Israeli interception of the cargo is the most likely explanation. But this theory, which some Russian analysts put forward in the days after the Arctic Sea was rescued and which Kouts agreed with in his interview with TIME, has been vehemently denied by Russia's envoy to NATO, Dmitri Rogozin, who says Kouts should stop "running his mouth." (Read "Girding for the Pirates' Revenge.")
The official explanation coming out of Moscow is simple enough: the Arctic Sea, manned by a Russian crew, set sail from Finland under a Maltese flag on July 22. It was destined for Algeria and carried less than $2 million worth of timber. Then a group of eight Russian and former Soviet hijackers boarded the ship on July 24. The ship's tracking device was disabled in the last days of July, as it passed through the English Channel into the Atlantic, and the ship disappeared. On Aug. 12, the Russian navy sent out a search party. A week later, Russia declared that the ship and its crew had been rescued. (Read "Has Piracy Spread to Europe's Waters?")
But as details of the hijacking emerged, the tale got murkier, and Moscow's explanation does little to clear things up. Why, with so many other ships carrying much more valuable cargo, would the hijackers target the Arctic Sea and its small load of timber? Why didn't the ship send out a distress signal? Why did Israeli President Shimon Peres pay a surprise visit to Russia a day after the ship was rescued? Why did Russia wait so long to send its navy to find the ship? And what did the brother of one of the alleged hijackers, Dmitri Bartenev, mean when he told Estonian TV on Aug. 24 that his brother and the other suspected pirates had been "set up ... They went to find work and ended up in a political conflict. Now they are hostage to some kind of political game"? Bartenev's lawyer tells TIME that his client was "in the wrong place at the wrong time."
There are also questions surrounding the Arctic Sea's rescue. On orders from the Kremlin, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov sent a completely disproportionate force, including destroyers and submarines, to look for the vessel. It took five days for them to find it, the Defense Ministry said, even though the Foreign Ministry later announced that it was fully aware of the Arctic Sea's coordinates the entire time. To fly the alleged pirates and the crew back to Moscow - a group of only 19 men - Russia dispatched two enormous military-cargo planes. And then on their arrival, the ship's crew was detained along with the alleged hijackers for days of questioning, with no access to their families or the media.
"Even from the basic facts, without assumptions, it is clear that this was not just piracy," says Mikhail Voitenko, editor of the Russian maritime journal Sovfrakht, which has been tracking unusual incidents on the high seas for decades. "I've never seen anything like this. These are some of the most heavily policed waters in the world. You cannot just hide a ship there for weeks without government involvement."
According to Voitenko and other experts, a secret cargo could have been hidden on the ship during the two weeks it spent in Kaliningrad for repairs, just before it picked up its Finnish haul of timber. Not contiguous with the rest of Russia, Kaliningrad is the country's westernmost enclave on the coast of the Baltic Sea, and is known as a hub for Russian smugglers. "Personally, I don't care about any missiles," Voitenko tells TIME. "I care about what they're doing with those sailors."
There are many governments, however, that would be more concerned about a possible missile shipment, especially if it were destined for the Middle East. Chief among them is Israel. In recent years, the Israeli government has consistently raised alarms about Russia's plans to sell MiG-31 fighter planes to Syria and its construction of a nuclear-power station in southwestern Iran. Negotiations with Moscow have been tough on these issues and relations often icy, as the Israeli President pointed out during his visit to Russia on Aug. 18, just as the mysteries behind the Arctic Sea's disappearance began to unfold. (Read "Medvedev and Obama: Sunshine in Moscow.")
"The most likely explanation is that the Israelis intercepted this cargo, which had been meant for Syria or Iran," says Yulya Latynina, a prominent political commentator and radio host on Echo of Moscow, a station owned by state-controlled gas giant Gazprom. "They will now use the incident as a bargaining chip with Russia over weapons sales in the region, while allowing Russia to save face by taking its empty ship back home." When contacted by TIME, both the Israeli Prime Minister's office and Mossad, Israel's secret service, declined to comment. (See pictures of 60 years of Israel.)
But in an Aug. 18 statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that Peres had discussed "the sale of Russian weapons and military hardware to countries hostile to Israel" with his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev, on that day during four hours of closed-door talks in the Russian city of Sochi. According to the statement, Peres "stressed that Israel has concrete proof of Russian weapons being transferred to terrorist organizations by Iran and Syria, especially to Hamas and Hizballah." A spokeswoman for the Israeli President declined to elaborate on any connection with the Arctic Sea. In a parallel statement, the Kremlin did not mention weapons sales, saying after the meeting that "we more clearly and precisely understand each other's positions."
Russia's chief investigator, Alexander Bastrykin, told official state newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta that a band of new-age pirates, possibly in connivance with the crew, is all that lies behind the Arctic Sea mystery. But he did concede that there are questions that need answering. "We don't rule out the possibility that [the ship] was carrying more than just timber," he said, without elaborating further.
Speaking to TIME, NATO envoy Rogozin backed up the investigator's statement: "The cargo has to be checked to see if there was something illegal, something being smuggled." But he declined to comment on the theory of Israeli interception. "This is no longer a question for diplomats or for the military," he said. "It is now a question for the investigators, and they are carrying on with their work. We are also very curious to hear their findings." (See pictures of the face of modern piracy.)
When asked by TIME about the possibility that the Arctic Sea was carrying a secret cargo, Vladimir Voronov, deputy head of Oy Solchart Management - the Helsinki-based, Russian-run company that operates the ship - replied, "I don't know anything about a secret cargo. We're just a simple shipping firm, and from what we understand, our ship was hijacked."
According to investigator Bastrykin, a full search of the vessel will be carried out when the ship arrives at a Russian port in the next few weeks. But observers don't expect any revelations. "The versions we are getting from the Russian government do not fit into any logical parameters, and I don't think that will change," commentator Latynina says. "When people lie, they tend to lie consistently."
But in an Aug. 18 statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that Peres had discussed "the sale of Russian weapons and military hardware to countries hostile to Israel" with his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev, on that day during four hours of closed-door talks in the Russian city of Sochi. According to the statement, Peres "stressed that Israel has concrete proof of Russian weapons being transferred to terrorist organizations by Iran and Syria, especially to Hamas and Hizballah." A spokeswoman for the Israeli President declined to elaborate on any connection with the Arctic Sea. In a parallel statement, the Kremlin did not mention weapons sales, saying after the meeting that "we more clearly and precisely understand each other's positions."
Hmm.... this seems to say a lot, or all, as far as this story goes for possible Israeli involvement.