Petition for Chandler release

No one will be more pleased than myself on the Chandlers release - but I do not think this should be achieved by the paying of a ransom which will increase the incidence of piracy for other sailors following in the Chandlers wake. So no, I won't be signing the petition but this doesn't mean I don't feel deep concern for the Chandlers and I hope they gain their freedom soon.

Cheers, Brian.

I agree wholeheartedly old chap, jolly well put. If you pay just for one then a whole new drama will take place as the PIRATES will naturally think, this is easier than the big ships.

Peter
 
No one will be more pleased than myself on the Chandlers release - but I do not think this should be achieved by the paying of a ransom which will increase the incidence of piracy for other sailors following in the Chandlers wake. So no, I won't be signing the petition but this doesn't mean I don't feel deep concern for the Chandlers and I hope they gain their freedom soon.

Cheers, Brian.

Entirely agree with what you say.

Funny the petition has been removed. Perhaps something is happening that we don't yet know about.
 
No one will be more pleased than myself on the Chandlers release - but I do not think this should be achieved by the paying of a ransom which will increase the incidence of piracy for other sailors following in the Chandlers wake. So no, I won't be signing the petition but this doesn't mean I don't feel deep concern for the Chandlers and I hope they gain their freedom soon.

Cheers, Brian.

Totally agree. My first preference would be a rescue by special forces with as many pirates "eliminated" as possible.
 
No one will be more pleased than myself on the Chandlers release - but I do not think this should be achieved by the paying of a ransom which will increase the incidence of piracy for other sailors following in the Chandlers wake. So no, I won't be signing the petition but this doesn't mean I don't feel deep concern for the Chandlers and I hope they gain their freedom soon.

Cheers, Brian.

Seeing as it's flobbergob, I don't agree. For example, i bet their relatives would be at least a teensy bit more pleased if the Chandler couple were released.
 
IMHO... The Navy should pay, I know it comes from the same pot! What I mean is, from the Navys budget, might make them more pro-active, if god forbid, theres another occurance.

I understand the reasons for not paying up, just dont like the thought of their suffering
 
I have a different view from some.

This is peoples LIVES that we are posting about from our desks.

Sure the Chandler's didn't follow the 'safe' policy, sure they may have had advice this way or that and made a choice; but they are not guilty of anything more than wanting to sail international waters in peace.

Should a ransom be paid for their release - if that's what it takes to get them out alive - absolutely YES!

Should something more permanent be done about the pirates - absolutely, YES the government of this country and the rest of the free world needs to get off their prevaricating butts and sort out the criminals that are perpetrating this effrontery to our freedom to travel the seas.

Just a thought - ever really thought what it might be like the second before a smelly man you don't know pulls the trigger of the AK47 he has had grinding into your head moments before and you see your family before your eyes for the last time.
 
I have a different view from some.

This is peoples LIVES that we are posting about from our desks.

Sure the Chandler's didn't follow the 'safe' policy, sure they may have had advice this way or that and made a choice; but they are not guilty of anything more than wanting to sail international waters in peace.

Should a ransom be paid for their release - if that's what it takes to get them out alive - absolutely YES!

Should something more permanent be done about the pirates - absolutely, YES the government of this country and the rest of the free world needs to get off their prevaricating butts and sort out the criminals that are perpetrating this effrontery to our freedom to travel the seas.

Just a thought - ever really thought what it might be like the second before a smelly man you don't know pulls the trigger of the AK47 he has had grinding into your head moments before and you see your family before your eyes for the last time.

There is much in what you say
 
The one small bit of credit earned by what passes for "government" in our country is their firm reiteration of the "no ransom" policy. My heart goes out to the Chandlers but a government must (should) see the bigger picture. Rescue two people with a ransom and then find that many more people suffer at the hands of pirates thereafter.

I am highly suspicious of the disappearance of the petition, even if I am reluctantly not in favour of it.

I would favour a petition calling on the government to instruct the navy to take active steps to wipe out the pirates. Our country wrought untold havoc on the nation of Iraq because they had got themselves stuck by a bad (possibly even evil) leader. Alongside that, there is negligible moral argument to block the killing and sinking of pirates.
 
...but they are not guilty of anything more than wanting to sail international waters in peace.

Should a ransom be paid for their release - if that's what it takes to get them out alive - absolutely YES!

Should something more permanent be done about the pirates - absolutely, YES the government of this country and the rest of the free world needs to get off their prevaricating butts and sort out the criminals that are perpetrating this effrontery to our freedom to travel the seas.

Just a thought - ever really thought what it might be like the second before a smelly man you don't know pulls the trigger of the AK47 he has had grinding into your head moments before and you see your family before your eyes for the last time.

I don't mean to be rude but words fail me...
 
Would probably have more chance of getting the Chandlers back if they entered X Factor. or had been sh#gging John Terry.........
 
No one will be more pleased than myself on the Chandlers release - but I do not think this should be achieved by the paying of a ransom which will increase the incidence of piracy for other sailors following in the Chandlers wake. So no, I won't be signing the petition but this doesn't mean I don't feel deep concern for the Chandlers and I hope they gain their freedom soon.

Cheers, Brian.

whut he sed ^^

[Most quoted post ever?!]
 
I am also against paying ransoms and agree with the government on that issue but whilst it is fine for them to take this stand it is frankly stupid to take the stand whilst the play pussy foot with the pirates - even feeding them and returning them safely to base.

The piracy will continue as long as it pays - fact.

Our government has a duty to protect its citizens - fact.

Our government as with many others if totally failing to do this in allowing the pirates to ply their trade with impunity - fact.

Hence a policy of no ransom in isolation does not make sense
 
Has anyone ever given any thought to the fact that the Pirate leaders are not thick illiterate people.

In fact many will have been educated in the west. So I suspect they monitor the internet and newsgroups such as this. These posts will do nothing to get the Chandlers released and in fact will only encourage the Pirates into thinking a ransom payment is possible.
 
Has anyone ever given any thought to the fact that the Pirate leaders are not thick illiterate people.

In fact many will have been educated in the west. So I suspect they monitor the internet and newsgroups such as this. These posts will do nothing to get the Chandlers released and in fact will only encourage the Pirates into thinking a ransom payment is possible.

Yes the thought has been debated on the other posts in the YBW forums you can look it up. However, the pirates if as you state are clever, are probably clever enough to understand that this is not a policy making forum of the Government.

Then again maybe they are too thick to organise their own lives and establish a functional country.
 
Has anyone ever given any thought to the fact that the Pirate leaders are not thick illiterate people.

In fact many will have been educated in the west. So I suspect they monitor the internet and newsgroups such as this. These posts will do nothing to get the Chandlers released and in fact will only encourage the Pirates into thinking a ransom payment is possible.

The same subject, with much of the sameness of views and solutions, is being discussed on a myriad of fora all over the world and in a variety of languages. Even Pistonheads has a threads on the Chandlers.
 
Yes the thought has been debated on the other posts in the YBW forums you can look it up. However, the pirates if as you state are clever, are probably clever enough to understand that this is not a policy making forum of the Government.

Then again maybe they are too thick to organise their own lives and establish a functional country.


I certainly don't think the pirates are thick, but as long as they see people demanding that the government or some one pays the ransom they will believe there is a chance they will be paid and it is worth continuing to hold the Chandlers and equally worth capturing other yachtsmen/women.

Equally they have no desire for effective government as an effective government would close their enterprise down, and tax them. The only way we will stop this piracy is to restore the rule of law to the coastal area of Somalia. How do we achieve that? Well that is the big question, the Yanks got hurt bad the last time they intervened on the ground there, and after Iraq, and Afganistan the rest of the world has little interest in such adventures either.
 
I think the reason the petition can't be found is at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/paytheransom/#detail

Assuming that is in fact the one being referred to in this thread as I assume, it's virtually the same as one that closed a month ago and only attracted 6 signatories, one of whom has now proposed this repeat petition.

The previous one also wasn't unique. There appear to have been several none of which has attracted much support. Removing another repeat doesn't strike me as outrageous, much as I hate to go along even grudgingly with anything done by No 10.
 
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