French Hostage Killed By Somali Pirates In Rescue Operation

Guardian:

French forces have freed a yacht captured by pirates off Somalia last weekend in an operation that left one hostage and two of the pirates dead, according to a statement from the office of the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Read the whole story: Guardian

Comments

[FairTalk]

Isn't the photo attached to the story shown above actually from the Chinese ship that successfully resisted a pirate takeover sometime last December?

Lat's not pirate photos.

[JessWonderin]

If Predators are so cool at locating Afghan terrorist leaders, how hard would it be to locate and target the ONLY rich guys in Pirate Land??? a few motherships and couple "Pirate Dens" and maybe they'll take up another trade . . . .

[petera63]

Don't kill the pirates, just sink the boat and let them swim freely to the nearest shore...

[RudiZ]

You havn't heard of an Israeli ship being captured have you? That's because the Israelis surround their ships with razor wire. You put it on before leaving port and take it off when you arrive at destination. It doesn't cost much for coils of barbed wire, but sure deters unwelcome boarders with grapling hooks ..

[Patricia84]

This title is all wrong. No one knows where the shot came from. It might have been from the French. The investigation is still going on. On another hand, this sudden interest in the Somali Pirates during a global economic crisis surely is quite interesting.

[ArcEnCiel]

I raised the same doubt in my earlier post... The hostage might have been a victim of a friendly fire!

[naturallight]

Nothing like a good pirate story to take you mind off the theft, tyranny, loss of liberties, torture, occupations, and war crimes. Media (1) People (0)

[swan1]

How does hijacking HUMANITARIAN AID to Kenya make you a victim ? Kill these criminals, they will get the message.

[tyger]

These people have been too successful! When you allow outlaws of any type to benefit from crime they just get bolder. The countries have got to find a way to ensure ship's safe passage through this area. A blocade of the lands and waters used by the pirates would do it. Until the piracy stops no ships allowed to trade with country.

[TXfemmom]

The pirates should be tried in a country which has the death penalty. I don't think it is much of a deterrant, but perhaps a few of them would reconsider their actions if they were given the death penalty, whether it is actually carried out or not.

Eventually, strikes are going to have to be made at the locations where these pirates launch and live. Satellites have to have the ability to monitor their behavior and identify the vessels involved and then make them regret their actions.

[WasteNJ]

These Pirates are the victims of Europe, dumping toxic and nuclear waste off the Somali coast. Now they cannot fish, many have become sickened by the pollution, so they go after the ships in their waters partly as retaliation for being victimized, partly because they need money to eat, and of course you'll always have some opportunists.

Everybody cries about the Somali Pirates, but nobody cared enough to try to help Somalia punish those who destroyed it's ocean waters.

[NJmikeV]

You make some valid points. However, as a person that has family members in the maritime trade, I has a different point of view. The sailors aren't policy makers. They are just working stiffs like everyone else. These "pirates" are not freedom fighters. They are merely criminals. The term "pirate" conjures some romantic image. Again, they are criminals. They should be dealt with as criminals, just as if a family member of yours was kidnapped here on the streets.
My prayers go out to Capt. Phillips and his family.

[willwallace]

The US is not blame here, no thats a first.

[jordan3189]

Yet, 50 to 80 million dollars still isn't enough to ease their pain. LOL, You should go over and protest with them. Also, post some LEGITIMATE web sites that explain your issues.

[kmdippenger]

I'm the first to look at the facts and the reality behind a situation..but this is ridiculous. These people are the victims of a corrupt government and a lack of infrastructure in their country for sure, but they are ultimately responsible for their criminality.

[mergina]

The people who should be prosecuted in these acts of piracy and murder should be the arms dealers and manufacturers who supplied them with the means to hold innocent human life hostage.

[liminal67]

Terrible...

http://pitchbendpost.blogspot.com/

[ArcEnCiel]

There is little to none evidence the French was killed by the Somali pirates; it might as well have been a friendly fire!

[njborne]

True. But the pirates won't go home with any ill-gotten bounty.

[BeeOplentee]

Why should the Somalians gain all these riches from piracy by themselves? What's wrong with American ambition and bravery and the spirit of compitition? Why aren't we seeing American pirates on the high seas? It seems to be a way to quick wealth, and far safer than drug dealing!

[ArcEnCiel]

Because Somalia is a failed state and no one is in charge but war lords. No properly run nation would let in hijacked ships and America surely wouldn't and the whole thing will end with the pirates being locked up. The quick way to richness is through innovation and not stealing!

[WasteNJ]

It's easy to get rich quick by stealing, it's actually hard to get rich through innovation. It's even harder to innovate when there's no jobs, food, or education.

[All in All]

___________________________Semi-Brainstorm__________________________

I was sitting back watching some "Adult Material" and also listening to the news when a explosion of thoughts within My Brain reshaped the way that I see things happening when it comes to this World event; let Me go more into detail now.

The Somali Pirate & Hostage situation that has been happening for awhile now involves & effects every Nation that uses the Somali Sea Passage and this one event with the Somali's & American Hostage doesn't & shouldn't change the overall problem into only a American issue to be dealt with by Americans only at this moment.

This situation should be conducted in a way that shows the Somali Pirates & all others that when the situations call for it many Nations can cooperate & operate as a whole in order to accomplish any given task that is at hand, and that these group of Nations will not be pushed around by any other group of People or Nation of People that are determined to disrupt the operations being held within the Seas or anywhere else.

I'm not saying that the Nations that have been terrorized by the Somali Pirates should all converge onto the scene and start shooting at everything that is in the area, however I am saying that this issue concerns all Modern Nations and either in words or with the movement of their own Ships into the Somali waters a message should be sent to the Pirates; then We negotiate with the

[willwallace]

Geez you made it sound like you had some great idea. Go back to your adult material.

[sueinmn]

I firmly believe it is time to end piracy. By any methods availble.

[ExRepublican]

Yeah. Let's claim this a War On Pirates year, or 13. Let's wipe all pirates (laugh) off gods green earth.

Kinda like the War on Drugs. The War on Sharks (honestly). The War on Terror. The War on Cancer. The War on France. The War on Bees. blah blah.

What ALWAYS happens? The exact opposite of the intended. Massive disaster (and huge loss of $'s) when there was no need to panic in the first place.