Couple kidnapped by pirates - no help from the UK government?

[Ed De Gramo]

Lets be honest...

Pirates they are not...am I not right in thinking that some of them are only about 10 or 11?

Send in a specialist team...neutralise the flunts and rescue the hostages

[Woody1985]

How are the pirates distributing this new found wealth?

Are they concerned about fish stocks and buying in food from other parties to distribute to people they feel are affected by the pollution etc?

I suspect it is the case that they do this for personal gain. If not, and they are feeding tens/hundreds of thousands of people with the money then fair play to them.

[HibsMax]

Haven't read the whole thread but while I don't expect the government, any government actually, to pay a ransom I would like to think they are doing something to help out. Who knows what is going on behind the scenes though? It wouldn't be prudent of the govt to say if they were doing something in secret.

[Woody1985]

Betty, any further information on the questions I raised?

Understandably, the areas where you get information are always from the slant of the victim. The above is almost excusing the pirates behaviour. The information tends to be as equally as biased as the press that paints the 'big bad pirate' message.

There is no middle ground and it would seem that some of the sources fail to acknowledge that some of these people are just money hungry *******s.

As I understand, the pirates tend to treat their victims fairly well but that's probably more out of self preservation i.e. if they start killing hostages then no one is ever going to pay up.

If these people are sticking up for their country and their people then I can understand.

[Jack]

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Betty, any further information on the questions I raised?

Understandably, the areas where you get information are always from the slant of the victim. The above is almost excusing the pirates behaviour. The information tends to be as equally as biased as the press that paints the 'big bad pirate' message.

There is no middle ground and it would seem that some of the sources fail to acknowledge that some of these people are just money hungry *******s.

As I understand, the pirates tend to treat their victims fairly well but that's probably more out of self preservation i.e. if they start killing hostages then no one is ever going to pay up.

If these people are sticking up for their country and their people then I can understand.

As I understand it, it all started with notions of fairness and highlighting their plight.

As has been suggested once the big money came in the motives have probably swung considerably to the money grabbing bas***** to the detriment of the original cause.

[Woody1985]

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As I understand it, it all started with notions of fairness and highlighting their plight.

As has been suggested once the big money came in the motives have probably swung considerably to the money grabbing bas***** to the detriment of the original cause.

Admirable to start with but shows what money and power can do (as it does in the west).

So are the people of the country actually a lot worse off now? Their seas still being polluted (is this still going on?) and are people unable to deliver aid due to the threat of kidnap?

[Lucius Apuleius]

Mr Marinello touched on it and said the same thing in a different way. Whilst I cannot disagree with Betty about what is happening, piracy off the coast of Somalia is not a new occurrence in the last 18 years. It has gone on for decades. It has worsened for sure but it has always been there. I don't think the dumping would be justification for boarding yachts etc anyway but probably being used as an excuse. Most of Nigeria has now declared piracy and kidnapping punishable by death. The thing about Nigeria though is that if the locals stop you from kidnapping someone then the death penalty is pretty superfluous anyhoo!!!!

Obviously I have seen my fair share of deck watches to avert pirate attacks over the years but they have funny moments as well. Especially if you are anchored somewhere waiting to dock and you find it is a bum boat full of local ladies tring to climb up your anchor chain as opposed to bad boys

[Betty Boop]

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Betty, any further information on the questions I raised?

Understandably, the areas where you get information are always from the slant of the victim. The above is almost excusing the pirates behaviour. The information tends to be as equally as biased as the press that paints the 'big bad pirate' message.

There is no middle ground and it would seem that some of the sources fail to acknowledge that some of these people are just money hungry *******s.

As I understand, the pirates tend to treat their victims fairly well but that's probably more out of self preservation i.e. if they start killing hostages then no one is ever going to pay up.

If these people are sticking up for their country and their people then I can understand.

Why don't you do your own reading then? As Somalia is a lawless failed State,(remember Blackhawk Down? ) I would imagine that it is very difficult to get information about the redistribution of wealth. Any how here is the BBC's take on the money trail, is that unbiased enough for you?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8061535.stm