Britannia Radio

Somali pirates seize Saudi oil supertanker north of Mombasa DEBKAfile Special Report November 17, 2008, 5:29 PM (GMT+02:00) Saudi supertanker launched only eight months ago is biggest vessel pirates have seized This was their biggest catch and the first time the Somali pirates infesting waters off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden operated out in the Indian Ocean. The Saudi Sirius Star 319,430 dwt supertanker, the size of three football fields, was captured with its 25 crew, southeast of Kenya’s main port of Mombasa. DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources report that the Somali pirates are expanding their area of operation and preying on shipping as far afield as the Bab el-Mandeb Straits.  More... Hamas to maintain missile blitz up to Ashdod – until Israel’s February poll DEBKAfile Exclusive Report November 17, 2008, 11:07 AM (GMT+02:00) Hamas flexes muscles in Gaza DEBKAfile’s military sources report that Israeli government leaders have misread the motives behind Hamas’two-week missile-rocket-mortar assault on Israel as jockeying for better terms when the six-month truce comes up for renewal next month. Their decision to mute Israel’s military response to the ongoing violence stems from their misplaced expectation that the attacks will stop once the truce is in the bag. Israeli intelligence circles challenge this perception.  More... Israeli Arab nursery-school teacher charged with abetting Gaza terrorists November 17, 2008, 5:43 PM (GMT+02:00) Sumi Nine Palestinian missiles fired from Gaza Monday DEBKAfile Special Report November 17, 2008, 8:56 PM (GMT+02:00) Day 12 of Palestinian missile offensive from Gaza The first salvo of seven Qassam missiles damaged buildings in the Eshkol farm trictgo.  More...