Zero tolerance & a firm stance. Positive or attracts retaliation?

This whole piracy thing to be very frank has got me quite perplexed over the last few months. Each country seems to be having it's own stance and way of dealing with and trying to resolve the issue. While the US has taken the stance of zero tolearance, there have been instances of some paying the ransome through negotiations. Invariably pressure has been applied on the shipping companies to pay and release the hostages. What happens the next time a non US ship gets involved ? Then comes the situation which you put across. The other hostages to get into a very dangerous position. The priates can retaliate. This whole thing needs to be resolved at the root of the problem and that is at Somalia itself. The government obviously is helpless. Come to think of it i recently read about Somalian pirates being in demand for Somalian women to marry. It only goes to show the power they seem to have in that country. Further more some crew members of ships that were hijacked by these pirates were from our country as well. I can remeber the coverage and the confusion that was caused in trying to resolve this situation. Public pressure through the media here played an important role. But at the same time the emotions tend to dilute the no tolerance stand.

james,this is politics and ipolitics is mixed with greed and in this game which the politicians play innocent lives are lost.no bigwig is going to retaliate unless they are going to get something good out of it.(there is no such as humanity left in this world,we cannot do anything except maybe stand and stare)

My opinion is that These are the kind of discussions we need more of here at mylot, anyway.

Somalia is a very dangerous place. The government there seems to unable to effectively stop the pirates. The only real answer to the problem of pirates taking over ships in the area seems to be putting armed soldiers on every ship passing through close to Somalia. This would stop the pirates from taking over the ships. The pirates around the Somalian coast have killed people, caused a great deal of worry and anguish for a lot of sailers, and costs a lot of money. Every Somalian pirate captured should be hanged from a tree on the beaches in the area as a deterrent to stop piracy.

"Here's your money. Sorry you have such a hard life. Thanks for letting everybody go." All I can think is that those people put lives at risk as soon as they took people hostage. What did they expect? They are thieves and kidnappers. And now they are threatening to become murderers. I think you reach a point where a hard line has to be taken and that this is it.

The Somalia Pirates has been getting out of control but I am not in agreement with the action of the US Navy. These pirates will use what had happen to put the hostage in more harmful position. Sometimes brutal is not the answer. Well it has happen and they need now to go on land to try and negotiate because lives is in danger here.

I holp all of the hostage are safe.

Hello James ,I really empathise with you . You really glad to see the successful resovlement of the isssuc ,at the same time a strong concern have been triggered that it will shift the danger and killness to other hostages ! that is right ? There is no denying the piracy in this region is becoming a global problem now , my country China have also dispatched vessels to that area ,with the purpose of convincing the safty of Chinese merchant ! That is also a crisis which should be shouldered by all the countrys ,at that time the collaboration is everthing ,so I prefer to advocate each of country should take the confederacy's interest into account prior to action ! I also can feel your concern ,it is really an inevitable and tough situation ,because there are some hostages come from China ,thanks for you concern ,you really consider the situation in different conceivable angles .Let us pray for all the innosent people ,and I always cling to the hope that evil rewarded evil !