Saudi-owned crude oil supertanker 'Sirius Star' is seen in this photograph taken in Rotterdam on October 17, 2008. (Adri Schouten/Reuters)From Times Online:
The Saudi Royal Family condemned Somali pirates as terrorists today after losing $100 million worth of oil in an audacious heist that saw bandits seize a supertanker in the Arabian Sea.
The Sirius Star, which was carrying two million barrels of oil, a quarter of the Kingdom's daily output, was captured with its multi-national crew, including two Britons, 450 miles off the coast of Kenya on Sunday.
The hijack was the biggest ever act of piracy in the perilous shipping lanes off the east coast of Africa. Vela International, the ship’s owners, said today that the crew were safe and that their response team was awaiting further contact with the gang.
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My Comment: This hijacking is a troubling sign. It occurred in the oil shipping lanes .... lanes that are used by all major oil shipping companies. If a few more oil tankers are hijacked .... this will change the dynamics completely, putting incredible pressure on NATO and oil consuming nations to respond. And respond they will.