Piracy HAA HAA (in Long John Silver accent) Jim Lad

[qwertyuiop]

But seriously now, what is the HHO view on the US Navy freeing 1 of their citizens from Somali pirates by getting Navy SEAL snipers to shoot said pirates?

The other Somali pirates seemed to be complaining that this action was offside, unfair and generally unsporting in that foreigners are supposed to be hijacked at sea, held for ransom, ransom is paid, and everyone goes home for tea and sticky buns.

Will this lead to an escalation in piracy and aggression? Is that a bad thing?

 

[perfect11s]

Me thinks they peed off the wrong people this time..

up till now they picked on the EU softies with fluffy umman rights laws,

the yanks on the other hand dont hesitate to deploy, navy seals, missiles and other fun stuff to sort out the bad boys..

shoot first ask questions later...

 

[Skhosu]

Absoloutely the correct action, provided they had made every effort to secure the safety of the captain, I want to know what 'secret' method the crews are using to fight off the pirates though? Are they secretely carrying arms?

 

[EquestrianType]

I would imagine the look on the face of the pirate's 'negotiator' on board the US ship was a picture when informed his 'chums' were no more and he went from 'negotiator' demanding large amounts of money to prisoner being told his rights on arrest for kidnapping and piracy.Life sentence for both.How quickly life can change!

 

[Sooty]

The word 'pirate' conures up a somewhat different image from the reality. These pirates are nothing more than terrorists, particularly when they target smaller vessels with individuals or families aboard. I would be quite happy for the US to shoot the lot of them, frankly. Somalia seems to specialise in piracy at the moment, and it is a nightmare.

 

[chestnut cob]

[ QUOTE ]
But seriously now, what is the HHO view on the US Navy freeing 1 of their citizens from Somali pirates by getting Navy SEAL snipers to shoot said pirates?

The other Somali pirates seemed to be complaining that this action was offside, unfair and generally unsporting in that foreigners are supposed to be hijacked at sea, held for ransom, ransom is paid, and everyone goes home for tea and sticky buns.

Will this lead to an escalation in piracy and aggression? Is that a bad thing?

[/ QUOTE ]

As Sooty says, these pirates are just terrorists. They would have no hesitation in shooting their hostages if the ransom they demand isn't paid so why shouldn't the US send in their military to save their citizens? Especially as in this case, the ship was on an aid mission.

Are you joking when you say that the pirates have complained the US are being "unsporting" or is that your opinion? I presume the pirates think that capturing foreign vessels, holding their crews hostage then demanding huge ransoms in return for not murdering them is sporting then? I am assuming your comments are meant tongue in cheek as you can't possibly have such a simplistic view of piracy... "held for ransom, ransom is paid, everyone goes home". These are people's lives we are talking about and if the US hadn't either paid the ransom, or rescued the crew, they would have been killed. And please don't think that these pirates are Somalia's equivalent to Robin Hood. They don't rob from the rich to give to the poor. They use the money to live the sort of life style that even the Beckmans would have trouble competing with.

No, for the time being I don't think it will lead to an escalation in pircacy. I actually believe that for a while at least, it might make them think again. Long term, yes there will probably be an increase in aggression.

Is what a bad thing - is an increase in piracy and aggression a bad thing? Or course it is.

 

[Flibble]

My Dad tells me that during the 2nd World War if there was a sniper or big gun on a hill taking out men the British would send up a party of men to take disable it. The Americans would blow up the hill.

 

[flyingfeet]

Pirates now and historically have always been blood thirsty and taken what they wanted. Not quite sure why so many films have made them so romantic.

Anyway good on the Americans, at least they did something rather than just debate like the wussy Europeans.

You could argue that now pirates will just kill people and take what they want rather than leaving them alive for ransom. However with a lawless void like the sea, it will be the aggressive enforcement of law that will be the only thing to work.

 

[kerilli]

I reckon, ace shooting on the part of the sniper(s). Wow.
These pirates are terrorists, as said above. They're not Capt Jack Sparrow being sexy and having a laugh. They are greedy killers and deserved what they got. I hope this serves as a huge deterrent. If not, ship captains might have to start hiring mercenaries to protect their crews, cargo and passengers.

 

[Tinkerbee]

[ QUOTE ]
The word 'pirate' conures up a somewhat different image from the reality. These pirates are nothing more than terrorists, particularly when they target smaller vessels with individuals or families aboard. I would be quite happy for the US to shoot the lot of them, frankly. Somalia seems to specialise in piracy at the moment, and it is a nightmare.

[/ QUOTE ]

What she said.

Part of me loves the idea that there are still pirates, and wants to run off to see and buy a parrot...

But then the sensible part of me is sensible

and thinks blowing them all out of the water would be no bad thing.