Spare a thought for the Chandlers

[Boreades]

If you do a search you will find that this subject has already been done to death in a dozen separate threads with people saying the most outrageous things, so it is a bit late to come on here hinting subtly that you have inside knowledge and the rest of us are a bunch of problem-causing speculators.

That point has already been made several times, but it is unlikely to shut people up on here and in any case I don't think anything said here is likely to make one iota of difference. The pirates have access to the whole of the media via the internet and almost certainly have the intelligence to accurately rate the significance of personal opinions expressed on this forum.

- W

Re "this subject has already been done to death"
Apart from hoping that was just an unfortunate choice of phrase, I agree.

Re "The pirates have access to the whole of the media via the internet and almost certainly have the intelligence to accurately rate the significance of personal opinions expressed on this forum."

IMHO, on a scale of 0-100, our significance is close to zero. Unless one of us is actually holding the money, and toying with yottie-opinion just to tease the pirates. Does anyone reading this thread (and previous) seriously think for one moment that the pirates are looking here to find out if the cash is ready?

 

[Major Catastrophe]

The truth we dare not mention.....

...until now.

I post this with some trepidation, but the best moment to rescue the Chandlers was lost in those opening moments of the event........................I wouldn't presume to know what they are thinking, but I do wonder if that lost opportunity preys on the their minds during their separate, enforced and inhumane captivity.

 

[xxyyzz]

The fact is there is nothing we(government or otherwise) can do, there is no option of military intervention, look at the trouble the US delta force got themselves into, and they had a battalion of regulars for backup.

The government could pay the money, but wont, and shouldn't.

The pirates have cocked up, probably know it, and what's really needed is some kind of face saving way for them to release the Chandlers.

 

[V1701]

What I think some people forget is that this is not some kind of political party or organisation with any kind of credibility. These are criminal gangs that take people hostage for money, and just because they have not killed any hostages that we are aware of does not mean they will not, and it certainly should not be used as an excuse to sit back and wait.

As for not giving them what they want in case this encourages further acts of piracy.....what nonsense, ransomes have already been paid for commercial ships so its a bit like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

Have no time for people who stick their fingers in their ears and hope the problem will go away, which is what I think our government are doing.

Commercial ships are a different matter, it would be of benefit to the whole sailing community if the pirates knew there was no point taking small yachts cos they don't pay, unfortunately though some countries have already paid for the release of sailors of small yachts. However if the pirates get it into their heads that there's no point taking British sailors, then that is of benefit to all British sailors...

 

[webcraft]

IMHO, on a scale of 0-100, our significance is close to zero. Unless one of us is actually holding the money, and toying with yottie-opinion just to tease the pirates. Does anyone reading this thread (and previous) seriously think for one moment that the pirates are looking here to find out if the cash is ready?

That was the point I was making

- W

 

[prv]

it would be of benefit to the whole sailing community if the pirates knew there was no point taking small yachts cos they don't pay, unfortunately though some countries have already paid for the release of sailors of small yachts. However if the pirates get it into their heads that there's no point taking British sailors, then that is of benefit to all British sailors...

I happened to visit Moscow a number of times in the recent past, associated with the British Embassy. On our first arrival, we had a briefing from the Embassy Security Officer. Part of this concerned low-level corruption among Russian policemen ("Militia") - apparently they had been in the habit of hassling people over imagined offences and then soliciting bribes to make the problem go away. His position on this was clear - "for God's sake don't give them any money. It's taken years, but we've just about got them trained that there's no point hassling Brits because we don't pay up."

Pete