Pirate researched cruising sailors blog to establish ransom ‘Quest owners Jean and Scott Adams, killed by pirates who researched their blog to establish a ransom demand’ . The fact that a pirate in a leadership role used the Internet to research the four Americans on board the yacht Quest, who were later killed by the boarding team of 14 pirates, sends an alarming message to cruising sailors who divulge a lot of information about themselves in cruising blogs.

The FBI says that the fourteen pirates were aided by the fifteenth pirate to research how much might be asked in ransom for the four. Tragically, the four were killed by some of the pirates on board in February this year.

Mohammad Saaili Shibin, also known as ‘Khalif Ahmed Shibin,’ was indicted by a United States federal grand jury in Norfolk, Va., back on March 8, but the indictment remained under seal until he was captured and made an appearance in federal court Wednesday.

The unsealed indictment alleges that the 50-year-old Shibin researched the identity of the hostages on the Internet to learn more about them and determine the amount of money to demand. He also allegedly tried to ascertain the identity of family members of the hostages who could be contacted about the ransom.

‘My advice is pretty consistent: Don’t come if you don’t have to,’ said Capt Michael Lodge of the US Maritime Liaison Office in Bahrain, which advises ships travelling in the region.

‘If you decide to come anyway you need to carefully consider the risks associated with the trip. Plan accordingly, be aware of the dangers.’

Mr Jakobsson, a former special forces soldier from Sweden, was more blunt.

‘Go bicycle camping in Afghanistan,’ he said. ‘I’m sure it’s the same experience.’

Scott and Jean Adam, Phyllis Macay, Bob Riggle

The yacht Quest was hijacked on Friday off the coast of Oman and U.S. forces had been closely monitoring the vessel.

Unlike most pirate incidents, these pirates boarded the Quest directly from their mother ship, rather than using faster skiffs. The mother ship remains free.

Vice Admiral Mark Fox, Commander of Centcom’s Naval Forces, explained the timeline of events during a press briefing with Pentagon reporters. According to Fox, there was “absolutely no warning” before the hostage situation turned deadly.

On Monday two pirates boarded the USS Sterett (one of four U.S. Naval ships monitoring the situation) to conduct negotiations for the release of the American hostages. They stayed on board overnight and it’s unclear if any ransom was offered before the killing took place.

At 8:00 am local time Tuesday morning a rocket propelled grenade was fired at the Sterett from pirates on board the Quest. The shot missed, but immediately after gunfire erupted inside the cabin of the Quest.

“Several pirates appeared on deck and moved up to the bow with their hands in the air in surrender,” Fox said. That’s when SOF approached on small boats and boarded the yacht.

When U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) soldiers — from a classified Navy SEALS unit — reached the yacht, they found two pirates had already been killed by small arms fire. As they went below deck there was an exchange of fire that killed one pirate. The other pirate was killed by an SOF member who used a knife in close combat, Vice Adm. Fox said.

The SOF found some of the Americans still alive, but all four soon died of their wounds. Vice Adm. Fox called it the deadliest pirate incident to date.

“We did everything we could,” said a senior military official. “But I don’t think our guys would see this as a good outcome.”

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the killings “deplorable.” She said in a statement that the killings underscored the need for international cooperation on fighting the scourge of piracy in waters off the Horn of Africa.

She urged international partners to provide material, financial and logistical support to an African peacekeeping mission in Somalia, the country the pirates use as the launching point of their attacks.

The organizers of an international yacht race called the Blue Water Rally said the Quest had been taking part in the race but left it Feb. 15 to chart an independent course from India to Oman.

The Quest is owned by Scott and Jean Adam, a couple from California. The two other Americans on board were Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, of Seattle, Washington.

Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle

Reference:
1. Original article at http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/22/americans-aboard-yacht-captured-pirates-reportedly-killed/