Somali pirates kipnap Americans

[Skyclad1uhm1]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12513120

The S/V Quest, owned by a retired couple, was hijacked 240 nautical miles (275 miles) off Oman on Friday afternoon, Ecoterra told BBC News.

It was captured all the way off the coast of Oman, and is most likely meant as retalliation for the Somali pirate sentenced to jail by the US recently.

Do you think the US will be willing to attack a Somali town if the Quest has been brought there? These pirates need to be put on trial if possible, that's a pretty strong signal to the rest of them it seems. But their victims need to be rescued first of course.

 

[Anarchist420]

You bet your sweet ass that Obama will become even more militant over this.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

You bet your sweet ass that Obama will become even more militant over this.

Well, if they indeed did it as revenge rather than to get ransom it means that you cannot reason with them, and then force will indeed be required.

 

[Rebel44]

1. rescue hostages
2. drop MOAB on those somali morons

 

[Tom]

Shouldn't be sailing there with an inadequate crew.

 

[soundforbjt]

Shouldn't be sailing there with an inadequate crew.

While I don't condone what the pirates did, these people are just too stupid for being anywhere near there.

 

[rpsgc]

1. rescue hostages
2. drop MOAB on those somali morons

I could make a joke about how Somalia doesn't have oil...

 

[Sinsear]

Maybe Dave will go over and negotiate their release.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

1. rescue hostages
2. drop MOAB on those somali morons

This. Although I tend to like the term "Daisy Cutter" better.

 

[Rebel44]

This. Although I tend to like the term "Daisy Cutter" better.

Yeah, I originaly even wrote Daisy Cutter but I realized, that USAF dont have any (they are EOL) so I changed it to MOAB.

 

[Doppel]

While I don't condone what the pirates did, these people are just too stupid for being anywhere near there.

Oman is really quite far from somalia.

 

[werepossum]

No way would I sail anywhere near Africa today without being heavily armed. The free world needs to address this by heavy use of Q ships. Only when piracy stops being a likely source of millions and more likely a source of sudden death will it decline and end.

 

[Fear No Evil]

I can't believe people are mentioning killing these pirates without a fair trial. Remember our Constitution applies to them as well!

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

I can't believe people are mentioning killing these pirates without a fair trial. Remember our Constitution applies to them as well!

No it doesn't. They're enemy combatants as far as the law is concerned.

 

[kranky]

Piracy on the high seas has been an executable crime for centuries up until a few decades ago. They should figure out how to lure the pirates in, and then capture and execute them without letting them communicate to anyone else. You might get a lot of pirates before they figure out nobody is coming back and nobody knows why. If you publicize it the pirates will just sit on the sidelines until the enforcement slacks off.

Piracy is so lucrative it's unbelievable. Most incidents aren't even reported because shipping companies would rather pay ransom quietly than report the incident and face higher insurance premiums on every voyage. The British have even told their navy to release any captured pirates! No punishment, no nothing. They are afraid if they are detained, that they could claim asylum in Britain, so they just let them go.

The pirates aren't poor Somali natives just trying to find a way to feed their families. It's a giant well-armed criminal enterprise taking in billions a year via ransoms, stolen cargo and stolen vessels.

 

[Jaskalas]

Strike the pirates even at the risk of the captive's lives. The message must be clear, American hostages are of no value to take - and that doing so will result in swift retribution by our military.

 

[Fear No Evil]

No it doesn't. They're enemy combatants as far as the law is concerned.

So their enemy combatants when Obama is President and killing people but not when Bush tries to lock up terrorists in Gitmo? I guess Bush should just have ordered the wholesale execution of all those people before they were 'apprehended' and all would have been fine.

(Might want to also tap that sarcasm meter a bit as well.. )

 

[Skitzer]

I like the way the Russians handle them ... pretty impressive.

 

[Kadarin]

I like the way the Russians handle them ... pretty impressive.

"We let them go.."

 

[shiner]

Maybe Dave will go over and negotiate their release.

My offer to buy his one way ticket there still stands....

 

[alkemyst]

They should allow heavy firepower on the high seas IMHO.

Most of these yachters would have no problem retaining a few mercenaries on the crew if it was legal. I have known of a few that do just that.

 

[Nebor]

So their enemy combatants when Obama is President and killing people but not when Bush tries to lock up terrorists in Gitmo? I guess Bush should just have ordered the wholesale execution of all those people before they were 'apprehended' and all would have been fine.

(Might want to also tap that sarcasm meter a bit as well.. )

Everyone Bush took to Guantanamo BAy(with 3 exceptions) could have been killed as an enemy combatant on the battlefield. Instead they were brought to Guantanamo Bay because they were more valuable alive for the information they contained. Also they were very dirty from being on the battlefield for so long, so they needed some attention from a man with a wet towel.

 

[Nebor]

They should allow heavy firepower on the high seas IMHO.

Most of these yachters would have no problem retaining a few mercenaries on the crew if it was legal. I have known of a few that do just that.

You can have whatever weaponry you want in international waters. The problem is you can't sail into hardly any ports with any kind of weapons, since you're a foreigner in a foreign land.

 

[JEDIYoda]

You bet your sweet ass that Obama will become even more militant over this.

How do you know how sweet his ass is???

 

[Herr Kutz]

I can't believe people are mentioning killing these pirates without a fair trial. Remember our Constitution applies to them as well!

This is sarcasm, right?