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EU force says anti-piracy raids endanger hostages

29 Comments

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Damn South Korean and Malaysian navies. Killing the golden goose. How the heck are the world navies going to get budget allocations when there are no more excuses to "protect" merchant ships?

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It seems like the decision should be made on a case-by-case basis depending on the situation of the hostages. If the EU is going to make a blanket statement saying raids should never be done they should also include a form so pirates can keep their banking records on file with the EU so payments can be made more efficiently.

Maybe the best option is to have a panic room on all ships so the crew can safely stay inside which would leave the pirates on their own in the event of a hostage situation.

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Actually I should say "in the event of a takeover" since the panic room would make the hostage situation less likely.

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Yeah but nobody really takes the EU too seriously these days.

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Our priority is the safety of the hostages.

Well there's your problem. The best defense is a good offense and it's quite difficult to take hostages if the EU navies start making use of their long neglected deck guns, honestly, missiles get all the love these days.

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Panic Room ? These ships are very long 2 soccer fields long or so long it takes 20 - 30 minutes to get the the structure that looks like a building ( the bridge or island ) in the back of the ship. The crew members are all over the ship. Engine room and etc.

EU is full of crap, paying millions in cash is not the best way.

The most advantage i see in somalia is great training for the Shock Troops and Special Forces Teams of each country.

America and Europe can`t protect everybody.

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It's a tough call. You can't have rigid approach one way or another. As SuperLib said case-by-case basis. Anyway,the fact that there has been occasional rescue operations(with pirate arrests and deaths) will likely affect the pirate's strategy going forward for better or worse.

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The pirates are using the hostages as human shields and if we get too close to the pirates they threaten to kill the hostages… I am sure they will carry out the threats if we got too close,” O’Kennedy said.

Weak excuse, be strong make the somali pirate scum fear the prospect of a swift powerful force coming to kill them if they even think of taking a ship.

No wonder piracy is rampant in that area with a weak arse EU statement like this.

The EU is a total JOKE in every area!!!

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South Koreans know how to handle pirates. Europeans don't because of their extreme left liberals views. They are too afraid of any confrontation what so ever.

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Prosecute the pirates to the full extent of the rope!

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No wonder piracy is rampant in that area with a weak arse EU statement like this. The EU is a total JOKE in every area!!!

Yes I agree 100%. This is exactly what the pirates want to hear. Good going EU. One day the world will have to come to your aid again to save you from forces you are too weak to defend yourselves against. This Somali pirate thing is just a small window into the future of Europe.

Why don't these companies just hire well armed Blackwater employees to take care of the pirates as they board. Save the poor poor EU navies of having to cower from the big bad Somali pirates. For once I can say SK and Malaysians have topped the oh so superior (in their own minds) caucasian countries filled with bleeding hearts.

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Panic Room ? These ships are very long 2 soccer fields long or so long it takes 20 - 30 minutes to get the the structure that looks like a building

Then have several places on the ship where the crew can go to. In the end it's cheaper than hiring full-time protection.

I don't really think fear plays any part in the minds of the pirates. They were practically born with an AK-47 in their hands and life is meaningless to them where they come from. But they are smart businessmen when it comes to taking ships. If you come out and say that you're going to play whatever game they want you're just making your ships more attractive.

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Just hand some Uzi's and automatic rifles to the crew = all safe and comfy. Of course not.

And I agree with SuperLib.

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Some of you have too much of a cowboy mentality. Storming a ship with guns blazing isn't always the best option because you ALWAYS have to think of safety of the crew first. If you were a hostage with a gun to your head you would appreciate that.

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How about going to where the pirates base themselves, and start there by destroying thier ships while inport.

A commando raid to place mines at the bottoms of their ships, or even mining the harbors where the pirates operate from will slow them down.

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Thank God that we still have countries like South Korea, who are not afraid to use force when needed! If I were a hostage, I would certainly have more faith in being rescued by South Korea than the EU.

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Or maybe this headline should read: EU force says anti-piracy raids endanger pirates

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South Korea has the best rioters and now anti-pirates. While other Libs bow down and take it these people get mad and fight back. They are role models for weaker people around the World.

Chinese Farmers are #2 -even when being shot at by the Comms they kept coming (and won!) 100% commitment and effort. You are my heroes also.

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Or maybe this headline should read: EU force says anti-piracy raids endanger pirates

Or maybe: EU force looks to increase hostage taking in 2011.

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The EU is a friggin joke. It is embarrassment being European these days.

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Have the Europeans all lost their cojones? Don't they realize that this position is exactly what the pirates want to able to continue their activities? No freaking wonder they couldn't do anyhthing about Bosnia by themselves.

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I still don't see why there isn't a blockade of the Somali coast - if the pirates are based in Somalia, then they have at some point to get from the Somali shore to their "hunting grounds" (and back).

Somalia is currently a "failed state", so it is not as if they are going to be able to make a strong objection to being blockaded.

Finally, for all of this talk of "terrorists" elsewhere, why not deem Somali pirates "terrorists", too...?

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If you were a hostage with a gun to your head you would appreciate that.

Yes, though I'd probably be dead by that point, I've never been particularly cooperative in mugging attempts, and I must stress attempts, and I doubt I'd be more inclined to help in a hostage situation. If someone managed to take me hostage I'd want them dead for the indignity no matter the cost.

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Yes, by all means, put this out in the MEDIA, so you can FURTHER ENCOURAGE the practice. Yup, just lay down, and for that matter, BEND OVER as soon as they board the ship, so you can "Help Yourself"....good luck. Personally, I don't know why ALL these ships don't have ship mounted heavy weapons on the deck, they all operate in INTERNATIONAL waters, so I believe they are LEGALLY allowed to haven weapons.

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wow EU wake up. If you pay-off pirates in gold they have major incentive to continue. If you only pay them in lead they won't be so eager to jump every ship that comes through.

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@Alphaape "How about going to where the pirates base themselves, and start there by destroying thier ships while inport.

A commando raid to place mines at the bottoms of their ships, or even mining the harbors where the pirates operate from will slow them down."

how do you propose to distinguish pirate vessels from civilian ones? just look for the giant black skull and crossbones flag?

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The EU is wimping out again. SK and Malaysia did what was necessary and did a good job of it. The French and US have done the same. Why the rest are lying down is beyond me.

As far as strikes against the pirates are concerned, I'm not sure how to deal with them. Perhaps more aggressive policing of boats leaving the Somali coast would slow the pirates down?

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I am in favor of energic methods against terrorists. But look at what happened in Niger with French hostages being killed by their (land) pirates when Nigerian forces and french forces tried to save them. You can always say that our forces are not effective, which I do not believe. Having hostages killed is something impossible to bear for politicians in a democracy.

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Russia's pretty good with pirates too. One fairly recent story I always remember was that a Russian ship capture a pirate vessel's crew, stripped them of their weapons and sent that back out.

Only later, they reported that the ship had 'sunk' for some reason. Go Russia!

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