French Yacht - 4 Crew Seized by Somali Pirates

[MarkJ]

Of course bomings and killings wont work.

Only one person has even realised there might be something more to it.

80 million dollars in one year... in a place that now has Sharia Law.

Its all organised by the Muslim extremists who hate you and me.

The kids who you would line up and shoot are just the kids at the pointy end. $80 million is not kiddy money... the world haters have moved in.


Mark

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by BlueSovereign

While I do not disagree with your position Dockhead, I remain convinced as it pertains to the issue embracing this thread, that there is no need to "throw the baby out with the bath water", and initiate a land-ground initiative.

I was not advocating a ground initiative. I think a ground initiative could be useful, if and when we identify concrete organizations in concrete places, but maybe not.

What I was advocating was a forceful response to piracy AT SEA. That is:

1. Arm crews and merchant ships and train them to fight back if attacked. The pirates don't have any weapon capable of standing up to a mounted 50 caliber machine gun; they are simply exploiting the fact that we are unwilling to put up even the slightest resistance to them, with anything more than water cannon.

2. Implement a one-mile exclusion zone around merchant vessels in transit in the Gulf of Aden and other pirate-infested areas. A merchant vessel entering the dangerous area will announce its destination and that fact that it is in transit, and will claim the exclusion zone; maybe this information is broadcast by AIS. It then has the right to fire upon any vessel which approaches it in violation of the exclusion zone without permission, after warnings. One trained merchant seaman operating a mounted Browning 50 caliber machine gun, which has an effective range of 1800 meters, would be perfectly capable of enforcing such an exclusion zone.

3. Use force against pirates when necessary, and use this force decisively. If a U.S., French, British, Russian or other naval vessel catches a pirate boat or pirate mother ship red-handed making an armed attack on a merchant vessel (or a yacht), engage it, pursue it, shoot at it, capture it, or sink it if necessary. If necessary, pursue it into Somali territorial waters or even onto land, based on the doctrine of hot pursuit.

4. Arrest, prosecute and imprison (for long terms) pirates who are caught; don't just let them go because you don't want to incur the expense of prosecution or imprisonment.

5. Do not pay ransom; make it a crime for shipowners to pay ransom.

[Southern Star]

BS, it is not surprising that you were able to identify yourself as a principle target of Gord May's comment that: "The substitution of diisparaging, abusive or defamatory name calling is but a substitute for reasoned, rational argument." Rather than being duly contrite for breaking the rules of this site (rules which ensure that debate is not stifled by abusive commentary), you continue in a similar vein, disparaging the contributions to a cruising site by anyone without 'current' cruising experience. How is that relevant to the topic at hand? Even if you had personally been subject to a recent attack by Somali pirates, it would not mean that your positions on the topic generally would be unassailable by those without similar experience.

Furthermore, anyone (like yourself) who ignores the commentary of veteran sailors/cruisers because they are not currently on the water is ignoring the wisdom of years of experience, much of which is still relevant today. Indeed, pearls of wisdom can still be gleened from the writings of Slocum, Dumas, Motessier et al., despite the fact that all are long dead. Unlike you, most of us accept the fundamental truth behind the old saying that 'those who ignore the past are doomed to relive it.'

Finally, your comment that you "will not dignify the comments of what (sic.) I may perceive as perhaps mental midgets", simply reinforces Gord's point. You in fact dignify the original comments by responding to them; you show your own lack of dignity by once again engaging in name calling.

BS, based upon your experience (as represented), I suspect that you have some valuable contributions that can be made to this site on many topics. Just understand that it is not only the moderators who take issue with name calling and abusive language.

Cheers!

Brad

[Hud3]

I think it's pretty obvious to (almost) everyone that this thread has stayed alive well past the point where it had any relation to cruising in personal yachts. As I mentioned previously in this thread, CF is a place for friendly and civil discussions about cruising and boating in general. This thread simply doesn't meet that standard.

Thread closed.