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Should Governments Pay Ransom Demands To Somali Pirates?

EagerBeaver

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http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-world/20091120/Piracy/

I don't think any ransom demands should be paid as it merely encourages further piracy. Although this British couple is in an unfortunate situation, how is it anyone else's problem if they were kidnapped by Pirates from their private yacht in Pirate-infested waters? This situation has gotten totally out of hand. Every government should do what the USA did, which is position snipers to shoot and kill the pirates and arrest them. I have no idea what the rest of the world is thinking paying millions of dollars to criminals and rewarding criminal behavior.
 

Techman

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Dec 23, 2004
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No, they should not pay any ransom. Instead the money should be invested to protect the shipping lanes, use mercenaries if necessary, and blow the pirates out of the water.
 

Merlot

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Nov 13, 2008
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Hello all,

I don't see how anyone can say yes to this question. It's painfully obvious paying increases the problem. Although there has seemed to be some international prohibitions against arming merchant ships at certain levels that does not seem to preclude minimal defensive necessity. Put professional armed teams on the ships and stop acting like big fat ducks begging to be hit.

By the same token countries should not be responsible or hostage to the stupidity of private parties who court danger by crossing hostile borders or sailing in pirate infested waters.

Be real,

Merlot
 
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YouVantOption

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In a house, on a street, duh.
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I hate to impose any logic or factual information into this round of chest beating, but Tansania, to where this unfortunate couple were sailing, is a far way from Somalia, and particularly from the Persian Gulf where the pirate activity centres.

Furthermore, as to 'blowing them out of the water'. International law dictates that until a crime is committed, that is, until the pirates threaten or board a ship, military forces cannot do anything. This past week, pirates took a ship some 2,000 nautical miles offshore. That is an impossibly huge area to cover.

It seems to me that the only thing that ship owners can do is to form convoy with armed accompaniment.

Government (i.e. military) involvement is obvious, if they wish to protect the goods, some of which are vital to maintaining the energy supply. Payments of $1,000,000 to reattain cargo worth many times more than that seems logical, and the cargo owners have been paying.

A government paying to repatriate their citizens, in this instance? Interesting question, I'd say these folks did nothing to put themselves in harm's way, and the ransom should be paid.
 
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GTA refugee

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The UN should send heavy patrols into the troubled area. The military of all governments do training and exerscise anyways. Why not patrol and train at the same time? If payement is demanded by the pirates they should be paid like this....................................


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP6GpAnmAPU
 

hungry101

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Oct 29, 2007
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They should do what any responsible owner should do - buy (hijack) insurance, And when I say hijack insurance, I do not mean hiring mercs.

Here is an article on the subject
http://www.seacurus.com/pdf/kidnapping_and_ransom_article.pdf

Good article. Since this was written in 2006, I would believe that ships traveling off the Somalia coast would have this insurance. I found it interesting that once the ship is hijacked and the Somalis can steer the seized ship within 12 miles of the Somalia coast, no vessel will pursue. Is this still true in 2009? Why respect their boarder? This is an outlaw nation or maybe better put, this is a geography where there is no government and mob rule reigns supreme. So why would the international community respect their border? Also, why not arm ships? And why not have a program where they have a few vessels sail off the coast with the purpose of trying to decoy in the pirates? When this happens, destroy everything and put the footage on the news for the world to see.
 

EagerBeaver

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Also, why not arm ships?

This is already happening as the Maersk Alabama, which was hijacked by pirates and then freed by Navy Seal snipers who killed 3 and arrested one of the pirates, was attacked a second time and repelled the attack by self armaments:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125854541908353475.html

This is the wave of the future. It is simply negligent not to arm one's crew so that they can repel any attacks by hijackers.
 

Time to Punt

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I have no idea what the rest of the world is thinking paying millions of dollars to criminals and rewarding criminal behavior.


Out of interest which countries have paid ransoms ?
 

Sam.Dechino

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Nov 17, 2009
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Rewarding criminal behavior isn't the worst. The pirates spend the money like its spare change. There are articles out there that detail how a these pirates spend the ransom on SUV and overpaying for good and what not.

It creates many problems being a. the locals are sheltering them because they love them b. they will just spend everything in a month and then will need more c. they will have waste the money on the most ridiculous stuff.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1219/p25s41-woaf.html
 
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