Well-Trained Crew

Crew members of Dai Hong Dan, a North Korean freighter, are drawing a lot of attention for their act in an incident where they escaped a hijacking off the coast of Somalia after a deadly fight with pirates, according to dailynk.com.

The ship sent a distress signal, and the USS James E. Williams which was 95 kilometers distant from the North Korean ship promptly responded to the signal.

The US warship ordered the pirates to give up their weapons through wireless communication. The unexpected intervention perplexed the pirates. The North Korean crews seized the opportunity. They drew out weapons and defeated the bandits.

A defector said "Most of North Korean seafarers of international trade or cargo ships have at least ten years of military service. They also receive martial arts training to prepare themselves for a time of emergency. Therefore, it is not that difficult for the crewmen to defeat the pirates."

Islamartial arts?

Somalia - Policemen from the Islamic court movement - which controls the Somali capital and much of the south of the country - recently arrested a martial arts teacher as he was giving a karate lesson to six women.

The teacher, Aweys Abati Orafeyo, is charged with violating Islamic ('Shariah') law, which forbids a man from being alone in a room with women who do not belong to his family.

"The same applies to a male teacher who may not remain on his own with his female pupils," said the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC)'s local leader in the central Hamarweyne district of Mogadishu, Sheikh Kadar Keyse Abdirahman, who issued Orafeyo's arrest warrant.

Source