Combatants NATO and allies, represented by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa is the official name used by the US government for a component of its response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The United States Navy Dock Landing Ship (Navy hull classification LSD) was designed to support amphibious operations. ... Combatants NATO and allies, represented by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa is the official name used by the US government for a component of its response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on... Combatants Islamic Courts Union Pro-Islamist Militias Foreign fighters[1] Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Ethiopia United States Commanders Sharif Sheik Ahmed Yusuf Hassan TFG: Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale Col. ... Combatants Islamic Courts Union  Somalia Puntland  USA Strength 12 insurgents Puntland Militia 1 US Destroyer Casualties 12 N/A The Bargal raid occurred in June 2007 around the village of Bargal in the northern province of Bari, in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. ...

Background

The rise of the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia had stopped the spread of piracy in the region with its following of strict islamic law punishing pirates harshly. When the Ethiopian and Somali Government forces overan the ICU, a lack of strict enforcement allowed the pirates to rebound and once again prey upon shipping in the region by early 2007. Motto: none Anthem: none Capital formerly Mogadishu and Kismayu Largest city n/a Official languages Somali and Arabic Government Sharia Krytocracy  - Executive Chairman Sharif Sheikh Ahmed  - Shura Chairman Hassan Dahir Aweys Civil War Faction Has not declared autonomy or independence   - Established June 6th 2006 in Mogadishu  Area  - Total not finalized...

Events

The USS Carter Hall responded to a distress call after the capture of the Danish ship Danica White by pirates. Three pirate skiffs had boarded and seized the vessel. The Carter Hall ordered the pirates to cease and desist but was ignored. She then began to fire warning shot with small arms across the bow of the Danica White to no avail. The pirates merely continued on their course and ignored the US Naval vessel. The Carter Hall then opened fire upon the pirate skiffs using its 25 mm cannon as well as smaller caliber guns. After setting the three skiffs alight and destroying them the pirates fled into Somali territorial waters, preventing the American vessel from giving further chase. After much negotiation the pirates released the ship and crew to a French warship. The pirates had demanded 1.5 million dollars ransom in exchange for the release, but it is unclear what amount was actually paid. The crew returned home safely to Denmark on the twenty-eighth after 83 days of captivity. USS Carter Hall (LSD-50) is a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. ...

Refernces

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/29/europe/EU-GEN-Denmark-Somalia-Hijacked-Ship.php http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6959329.stm