Mysterious Cargo Aboard Iranian Ship Seized by Somalian Pirates Raises WMD Concerns

Barry Artiste Op/Ed

An Iranian ship seized by Somali Pirates this August, in the Gulf of Aden has raised suspicions by the United States when the Somali pirates upon ransacking the ships cargo soon started to drop dead like flies.

Many believe the Iranian Merchant ship the MV Deyanat’s suspect deadly cargo was loaded onto the ship from China chemical manufacturers and was heading to Rotterdam.

Judging by the symptoms and recent untimely deaths of the Somali Pirates, it is believed the cargo was carrying radioactive elements.

The US and Iran are in a bidding war to get possession of the Iranian ship. The US has upped the monetary ante with the Somali government intermediaries in an attempt to find out exactly what the cargo contains, and Iran seems desperate to get the ship back.

Two things come to mind, was the deadly cargo to be dropped off in Iran or headed to Rotterdam? And two, perhaps Karma went into play for these Somali Pirates who in recent years prey on any ship which travels in the area, in which Somali Pirates hold for ransom.

I guess the next time Somali Pirates raid a ships Cargo, they should think twice if it comes from Iran. Payback is a Bitch, so it is hard to feel sorry for Somali Pirates and the corrupt governments of Somalia who allow them free reign of the high seas.

If it is proven that the deadly Cargo did in fact come from China, it’s nice to know China plays both sides of the fence, with many saying China supports terrorism, such as African countries, while at the same time manufactures made for Terrorism Style Video Games for your local North American Walmart for eager consumers, not to mention what many believe is a subtle form of food terrorism by poisoning us with foods or ingredients laced with a variety of toxins.

Of course all is forgiven when they are caught with a So Sorry for poisoning consumers the world over to our governments. Yet, our Governments continue to let China time and time again to maintain the status quo, that has been ongoing for almost two years, by allowing them to continue to supply our food, including Candies which now have been tested to reveal toxins, which by the way may be the tip of a very high iceberg.

North American Food Manufacturers and Pharmaceutical companies who despite what is still ongoing still buy these ingredients from them, and consumers looking for that smiley face one low price (read Cheap), play Foodie Russian Roulette with their health by continuing to buy from these same China ingredient sourced North American Food Manufacturers.

Karma must be Chinese, cause China seems to be the only winner in all this, and must be making some pretty nice coin for all concerned.

Now finally, if one were to put on their Mel Gibson Conspiracy Theory Tin Foil Hat, one may wonder if this Iranian Cargo, deadly as it is reported to be were to make its way to Rotterdam seaports, what would it be used for? Who would use it, especially if is deadly as it is claimed.

One could safely surmise if this Cargo was indeed destined for Europe and fell into the wrong hands, say, oh, I dunno , perhaps fall into the hands of Islamic Zealots in Europe, I would guess it would do a tremendous amount of damage to a large Civilian population in Europe, of North America, much like it has done to these Somalian Pirates. I am only guessing, as I am not a terrorism expert, Hell I am not even a passable Conspiracy Theorist like Mel Gibson, but then again, stranger things have happened.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,430681,00.html

Mysterious Cargo Aboard Iranian Ship Seized by Pirates Raises WMD Concerns

As Somali pirates brazenly maintain their standoff with American warships off the coast of Africa, the cargo aboard one Iranian ship they commandeered is raising concerns that it may contain materials that can be used for chemical or biological weapons.

Some local officials suspect that instead of finding riches, the pirates encountered deadly chemical agents aboard the Iranian vessel.

On Aug. 21, the pirates, armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades, stole onto the decks of the merchant vessel Iran Deyanat.

They ransacked the ship and searched the containers. But in the days following the hijacking, a number of them fell ill and died, suffering skin burns and hair loss, according to reports.

The pirates were sickened because of their contact with the seized cargo, according to Hassan Osman, the Somali minister of Minerals and Oil, who met with the pirates to facilitate negotiations.

“That ship is unusual,” Osman told the Long War Journal, an online news source that covers the War on Terror. “It is not carrying a normal shipment.”

The pirates reportedly were in talks to sell the ship back to Iran, but the deal fell through when the pirates were poisoned by the cargo, according to Andrew Mwangura, director of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers’ Assistance Program. “Yes, some of them have died,” he told the Long War Journal.

“Our sources say [the ship] contains chemicals, dangerous chemicals.” Iran has called the allegations a “sheer lie,” and said that the ship “had no dangerous consignment on board,” according to Iranian news source Press TV.

Iran says the merchant vessel was shipping iron ore from a port in China to Amsterdam.

Below is more news to this story.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/09/mystery_surrounds_hi.php

Mystery surrounds hijacked Iranian ship

By Nick Grace September 22, 2008 12:20 PM

Written by Nick Grace & Abdiweli Ali, Ph.D.

A tense standoff is underway in northeastern Somalia between pirates, Somali authorities, and Iran over a suspicious merchant vessel and its mysterious cargo.

Hijacked late last month in the Gulf of Aden, the MV Iran Deyanat remains moored offshore in Somali waters and inaccessible for inspection. Its declared cargo consists of minerals and industrial products, however, Somali and regional officials directly involved in the negotiations over the ship and who spoke to The Long War Journal are convinced that it was heading to Eritrea to deliver small arms and chemical weapons to Somalia’s Islamist insurgents.

It was business as usual when speedboats surrounded the MV Iran Deyanat on August 21.

The 44468 dead weight tonnage bulk carrier was pushing towards the Suez and had just entered the Gulf of Aden – dangerous waters where instability, greed and no-questions-asked ransom payments have led to a recent surge in piracy.

Steaming past the Horn of Africa, 82 nautical miles southeast of al-Makalla in Yemen, the ship was a prize for the taking. It would bring hundreds of thousands of dollars – possibly millions – to the Somalia-based crime syndicate.

The captain was defenseless against the 40 pirates armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades blocking his passage.

He had little choice other than to turn his ship over to them. What the pirates were not banking on, however, was that this was no ordinary ship.

The MV Iran Deyanat is owned and operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) – a state-owned company run by the Iranian military that was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on September 10, shortly after the ship’s hijacking.