Pirates Caution Against Us Rescue

[gslabbert5119]

Link to Pirates caution against US rescue

This is getting out of control, if it already isn't. If the money source dried up then the pirates would not have any incentive to hijack. no negotiation is what needs to happen here, now if this were one of my family members I would be distraught to no end, but unfortunately a line needs to be drawn in the sand.

I would say fire a missile into one of the motherships, the biggest one you can find with the most pirates on it sink it and say, this is what happens when you attack a US flagged vessel, we do not negoitate, we will destroy you. No incentitve to highjack, no hijack, it is as simple as that. Before anyone says violence, creates more violence, and I certainly agree, but if this had been nipped in the bud (desroy and / or remove the incentive) this situation would not be as bad as it is today, and we may not have had to resort to violence.

Unfortunately not everyone has the same respect for life as we do and having grown up in Africa, I like to think that I understand the mentality, and, sadly the only thing these guys will undertand is live by the sword and die by the sword. Words mean nothing, actions do.

What ever happened to the "UN security Council" I guess someone took out their false teeth. Useless as far as I am concerned. (I am full of opinions today) and is this even something that is under the UN Security Council's domain.

I think the French are doing the right thing ...

[jimm]

A sincere "Thank you" for stating the obvious!

[MMNETSEA]

This time 10 Italians taken aboard Italian Tugboat -

Maritime officials demand authority to confront piracy :-

Click HERE

[Bellamar]

What I can't figure out. I know they have guns and could create a bit of damage, but so what. How can they board a vessel with a freeboard of 20 some odd feet moving at 20 knots in a sea?

I can't get our dinghy alongside while underway after taking a few pictures. Something is wrong, and yes, tell them once and for all that there is no negotiations with piracy at sea. I understand the complications, but the solution presented now is not an answer. There are over 20 ships, their crew and their cargo held unlawfully in Somalia now. It's time it stops.

But then, have the boardings stopped in Margarita, mainland Venezuela or off the coast of Columbia?

[oldhairy]

Certainly an attractive idea.

But who is going to do the shooting?

Merchant ships do not carry firearms and merchant seafarers are not marines. Because of the long-standing policy of offering no resistance relatively few seafarers have been maimed or killed by pirates. ( Life boats are more dangerous)

Add to this the reality of international manning practices. What crew is going to risk being shot at to protect the property of a foreign shipowner who is quite possibly underpaying him and in a situation where the ships company have no language in common.

A better solution must be found. Better pay the ransom than have me or my buddys killed in the crossfire or shot by a frightened pirate.

[gslabbert5119]

Originally Posted by oldhairy

Certainly an attractive idea.

But who is going to do the shooting?

A better solution must be found. Better pay the ransom than have me or my buddys killed in the crossfire or shot by a frightened pirate.

Let me start this with the following ... " In an attempt not to state the obvious" LOL ...

To me that is the problem, while people are willing to negotiate, it provides a revenue source and an incentive. Quite simply if the revenue source is cutoff then there is no incentive, unfortunately a fact of life. Will the pirates and their financial backers be happy, absolutely not and the pirates themselves are in all likelihood just middlemen.

What is the UN security council there for if not for this sort of thing, and who can do the shooting, "The French are" and by all accounts the US is starting to selectively, plus if we have warships in the area then why not use them, it seems that the presence of them them as an intimidation factor is of little value. As I have said before, the mentality and respect for life is different to western civilization. (not condemning or criticizing, just pointing it out). Those of you that have ever been in townships like Soweto or Walmer Township in Port Elizabeth (I mention those as I have personally been in them) will understand what I am attempting to say.

In closing, the French seem to be stepping up, here is a link to their latest publicized capture of Pirates

(I edited this as correctly pointed out by Lighthouse the mothership was a long way from Somalia)

[Lighthouse]

The French Defence Ministry said the warship Nivose captured the pirates about 550 miles (900km) east of the Kenyan port of Mombasa

It had detected a "mother ship", or command vessel, on Tuesday, and observed it overnight before launching an assault early on Wednesday, the ministry said.

This is a long way from Somalia.