Re: Pirates warn US against hostage rescue attempt

[Guest guest]

What this says to the pirates is that the French aren't to be messed with. Yes, a hostage died. That tends to happen in hostage rescues, but you also either kill or capture the hostage takers. That is really the important thing. If they know that taking one of your people hostage means they are going to end up captured or dead, they will think hard about seizing your people.

The problem then is that they might just kill them outright. By doing this they would avoid the hostage problem but they would also make themselves pariahs. International opinion would then harden and allow attacks against the pirate boats more readily, such as if they are approaching a ship, lethal force could be automatically used. For that matter, it might, very small chance, result in the lifting of those ridiculous bans against merchant ships carrying weapons. On some ships that might be a problem because of the polyglot mixture of people in the crew, some who have an historic hatred of each other, but an American ship with an American crew with Merchant Marine Officers shouldn't have that problem. For that matter we could put a small detatchment of Marines with specialist training on repelling boarders on random ships. Bet there would be no shortage of volunteers for that duty.

An overlooked problem is that these pirates are now ranging thousands of miles off the coast. They are reaching as far as the Seychelles, a poor set of islands with no real military. The pirates will probably one day start landing there and looting once they figure out there would be no real resistance.

Anyway, a couple of Navy SEAL snipers in helicopters could solve this problem in seconds. If the Captain dies, he dies. If we let him be taken on that other ship, rescue will be extremely difficult and he will probably be killed, along with many of the rescue team. If we pay a ransom for him, that will only encourage attacks not only by pirates, but by terrorists as well.

In a message dated 4/11/2009 10:47:32 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somali pirates holding a US captain hostage warned on Saturday that using force to free him would end in "disaster," as they prepared to move him following a deadly French raid on a separate boat. Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less.

[Guest guest]

Or if some are still opposed to weapons on civilian vessels couldn't they be under lock and key (I do realize that the problem is that often when you find that you need a gun you need it in your hands yesterday), of limited number? I thought some cruise vessels were armed?

The problem then is that they might just kill them outright. By doing this they would avoid the hostage problem but they would also make themselves pariahs. International opinion would then harden and allow attacks against the pirate boats more readily, such as if they are approaching a ship, lethal force could be automatically used. For that matter, it might, very small chance, result in the lifting of those ridiculous bans against merchant ships carrying weapons. On some ships that might be a problem because of the polyglot mixture of people in the crew, some who have an historic hatred of each other, but an American ship with an American crew with Merchant Marine Officers shouldn't have that problem. For that matter we could put a small detatchment of Marines with specialist training on repelling boarders on random ships. Bet there would be no shortage of volunteers for that duty.

[Guest guest]

" Anyway, a couple of Navy SEAL snipers in helicopters could solve this problem

in seconds. If the Captain dies, he dies. If we let him be taken on that other

ship, rescue will be extremely difficult and he will probably be killed, along

with many of the rescue team. If we pay a ransom for him, that will only

encourage attacks not only by pirates, but by terrorists as well. "

Alternatively, a couple of divers could swim out of submarines and attach

tracking devices to the pirate boats and rafts. We could pay the ransoms, get

the hostages back, and then sink the pirate ships.

Divers can use little propeller backs to go great distances without getting the

bends. Operations of this sort shouldn't be a problem.

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