Sky News: Chandlers

[tamborine]

What can be done for this distressed aged couple; they were captured by somali pirates. The pirates want £million ransom.....no human rights there.

[jake-the-peg]

I hate to say it but it's the one thing I agree with Margaret Thatcher about.

If you give in to extortion it just encourages the problem.

I'm sure that behind the scenes the FO is talking to third parties to try to convince those holding them that it's in their best interests to let them go unharmed but paying up would make every Briton a prime target

[tamborine]

only if they go global sailing alone Jake - only the niaive take such risks.

[Panic Button]

Nothing can be done for them, but an international force should be visciously slaughtering any pirates in range.

[jake-the-peg]

Understandable Panic Button - but not bright

I'm afraid pirates may not be quite as easilly identifiable as you may think (I'll skip the Jolly Roger jokes )

There will always be people who ignore warnings and go to dangerous places and while it's right we should do what we can to get them released there need to be limits for the safety of others.

Still seems to me that it's quite within the abilities of existing forces there to organize convoys escorted my armed vessels - If all shipping there was escorted in such a way the cases would drop quickly and the risk/reward ratio would shift quickly and it'd peter out.

Actually I'm amazed naval insurers aren't insisting on it - or maybe they are - I haven't heard of a hijack on the news for a while

[ll_billym]

While I feel sympathy for the Chandlers as it is horrible what is happening to them, they took the decision to go sailing in waters that the British Government advised them not to.

Now, if you are going to do that then you should make sure you have access to enough money to pay off a ransom. If you haven't got the money then don't expect everybody else to get the money for you. Hopefully lessons will be learned from this one but I suspect not.

[rov1200]

Its a question who loses face first, the hijackers or the British government, We cannot give in as it will lead to more hijackings and ransom demands. While the large multinationals are willing to pay maybe the emphasis for the pirates will be to concentrate on that area. The small mackerel can be ignored.

That said this hijacking seems to be extremely organised with a top down structure. Someone must be supplying them with arms and navigation equipment. Therefore the only way to break this cycle is to remove the top command from operating.

I suppose if any hostage is eventually killed it will give the green light for the SAS to enter the country and sort things out.

[Rev Sermon]

I suspect if they had been Israelis there might have been direct intervention.

[anotheoldgit]

It seems that these pirates just do as they like. One group of Somali pirates who were said to operate off the country's coast regularly attack shipping. They had seized 29 ships in 2008 and earned £6million in ransom money.

Why do we never hear of any of them being blown out of the water?

They should never be allowed to make certain shipping areas, no go zones.

[deggers316]

after seeing that distressing video (and as far as i read they were sailing in international waters)
if i were a multimillionaire with nothing to spend it on i would go third party and arrange to pay £1 million but make a press release to let others know its a one off payment and anyone sailing anywhere near that coast line whether it be in international waters or not,in future take their fate in their own hands

[Rev Sermon]

If I had a spare £million I'd sooner put it up as a bounty on the heads of the pirates.

[anotheoldgit]

/// anyone sailing anywhere near that coast line whether it be in international waters or not,in future take their fate in their own hands ///

Yes, every bit of shipping should keep well clear of their damn coastline, even shipping bringing in food, drugs, materials etc, should soon get this country crying out for international aid.

[youngmafbog]

And of course pirates listen to reason, and people like these 'adventurers' would take notice.

It is impossible to police this stretch of water, international or not - the pirates dont give a monkeys about international law.

As for blowing them out the water I'm sure there are plenty of hand wringing bleeding hearts on this site who would soon whinge about the pirates human rights !

[deggers316]

old git by that i meant individuals not commercial .commercial shipping has paid up millions to then in the past they can afford to and the captive seamen have been well treat unlike these two people

[anotheoldgit]

It's a pity this poor couple can't get the international help, that is heaped down on missing Madeline McCann's parents.

[deggers316]

and if shipping were to stop going to somalia it would hurt the Somalis who are good people.the pirates are a small rebel group.every country has is rebels

[deggers316]

i, agree oldgit
i fear the worst for that couple,the most terrible part of it is that they ate separated from each other

[deggers316]

are not ate. tut tut

[rov1200]

Maybe one solution is to spray them with dye when they try to clamber onto the ship. They will then be marked men.