Somali Pirates raise the stakes

[rov1200]

http://news.bbc.co.uk...ld/africa/8385845.stm

The hijacking of this Greek Oil supertanker destined for the US is the latest escalation by these pirates.
What pressure will the US put on the Greek Owners not to pay the ransom?

Is there no answer to this piracy?

[VHG]

No excuse for piracy on the seas.

Blast them out the water (not while they are on the tanker of course)

[redman41]

Piracy was a problem when I was at sea especially around the Phillipines and the South China Sea but it has reached a new level in the last couple of Years.
The Horn of Africa was a safe area for shipping at one time but now it is a lawless area especially as these Pirates are covering a vast area of the Indian Ocean in search of easy targets.
The way things are going Military intervention might have to take place by the Superpowers but that may endanger all the Hostages currently held by these Captors.
Who is benefitting from the Ransom Money ? Is it Al Quaida ?
The situation cannot be allowed to go on and on like this !

[rov1200]

I suppose one answer is to take a leaf out of the Israeli method. That is for every Israeli flight they have at least one armed guard on the plane making it secure. This has proved 100% effective. Maybe the only answer is to have armed guards on every commercial ship?

[Sandy-Wroe]

What about escorted convoys through the pirate-infested waters?

[redman41]

The amount of shipping exiting the Red Sea around the Horn of Africa would unfortunately make it completely impracticable to have armed escorts as the ships would be heading to too many diverse destinations.
A land invasion around the HQ of these Pirates may have to take place but that in effect would be regarded as an act of War against Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea etc. Not sure what the outcome of that kind of intervention would be politically !

[Toureman]

THe USA are already doing something about it and you can join in the fun, click the link...............

http://maggiesfarm.an...e-Hunting-Cruise.html