British couple freed by pirates

[grober]

British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler held for more than a year by Somali pirates have FINALLY been freed after a ransom was paid.

UK hostages freed by Somali pirates -  UK News - MSN News UK

 

[renault12ts]

Great news.

 

[EDZ649]

Indeed it is, have to say I didn't think they would get out alive.

 

[Colin_b]

Great news.

Is it? While they are safe (which is good), paying a ransom will probably endanger others as the principle of kidnap=ransom paid is established.

Giving in to bullies is not usually a good idea in anything but the shortest terms.

 

[cazyp]

British Citizens first abandoned by the Armed Forces and then by our Government.

Not many Heros to Help in this case.

 

[Howard]

Well the Navy was instructed not to intervene by the government , who are in charge lets face it , so i would argue that the armed forces didn't let them down.

The government has always had a policy of not negotiating with terrorists or paying ransoms , so no change there then. The Chandlers ( while i feel for them ) would undoubtedly been aware of this .

The government is funded by our taxes , i'm afraid i wouldn't be happy with my taxes being used to pay off kidnappers.

Do it once , and you leave the door open to everyone else.

The Chandlers knew the risks when they set off from the Seychelles. They aren't heroes , they are yachties. Sorry.

 

[cazyp]

In my forces days we didn't always obey direct command when people were in danger and we dealt with the consequences later. So I would argue the forces and the government both let them down with no direct action and no rescue attempt.
I totally agree with the government not paying ransom demands (although not with the 'waste of taxes' ethic..) however I can fully understand the family paying the demand.
But hey ho, it a strangely politicaly correct and morally incorrect world we live in these days.

 

[Howard]

Trouble is , no one wants to lose their job ...

If the warship commander had just got on with it after Whitehall had said no , he'd be court martialled and lose his command. He's gotta support his family too ...

If people didn't follow the chain of command , our army would be no better than some tin pot third world dictatorships. Thats why our forces are so good , discipline.

 

[wemorgan]

Has the mantra of not paying ransoms ever real existed? Is it not just another pawn in the negotiation chess game?

 

[Howard]

As far as i know no UK government has paid a ransom for anyone. ( Never been admitted to anyway , who knows what goes on behind closed doors )

 

[Colin_b]

Has the mantra of not paying ransoms ever real existed? Is it not just another pawn in the negotiation chess game?

Yes, in places that have a proper state of governance, where laws can be enforced.

This case is different, governments have decided that paying up is the easy option, which is why kidnapping continues to be a growth industry.

 

[Dryce]

As far as i know no UK government has paid a ransom for anyone. ( Never been admitted to anyway , who knows what goes on behind closed doors )

Heath government and the 1970 hi-jacks.

UK government released prisoners in return for hostages on a BOAC jet.

Whatever this gained short term it probably created more long term problems.

 

[Dryce]

British Citizens first abandoned by the Armed Forces and then by our Government.

Not many Heros to Help in this case.

Traditionally the Royal Navy has been very assertive ( was going to use 'aggressive'). Current rules of engagement seem to be undermining that tradition.

 

[finisterre]

good positive news.

I do miss the days of gunboat diplomacy when we would have steamed into each port on the Somali coast and scuppered every boat in sight.

But I know it is wrong.

 

[Dryce]

good positive news.

It's either 'good negative news' or 'bad positive news' - but not good and positive

The good or positive part is that they are freed.

The bad or negative part is that it sets a value sufficiently high to make every UK citizen a candidate for kidnap within that region and possibly in other parts of the world as well. You can't argue that someone has no ransom value if they have no money because the precedent has been set that somebody else will eventually pay up.

I do miss the days of gunboat diplomacy when we would have steamed into each port on the Somali coast and scuppered every boat in sight.

But I know it is wrong.

Personally I don't think it's wrong as long as its effective when other means fail.

 

[prprandall51]

They were advised by the authorities not to leave port just prior to their final journey due to high levels of pirate activity in the area through which they planned to sail. They ignored this advice and set sail straight into the arms of the kidnappers. Whilst I am glad they are free, I could only muster limited sympathy for their plight as it was self-inflicted.

 

[trapperjohn]

^ What he said.

I wonder if any "yoties" are still sailing that route or if they are making grand detours now.

If you are going to sail around the world for a few years I'm sure you would stay out of the Bay of Biscay in the stormy season. So why not make a detour on safety grounds, pirates wise.

 

[lancebond]

i agree with the above post, they were TOLD not to... i mean if someone tells you not to drive a new MB through a rough area of south africa... you don't.

it's not like the somali pirates are a new phenomenon, it's like the idiots that go to war zones to spread the christian word then end up having to be rescued by some form of military force (marines, SAS, SBS or god forbid the americans)

personally while i think the news is good for them, it's just put other lives at risk and proved once again that the somali pirates have a business that works.

corporations are all being warned of the risks, it was just on the radio that the taskforce is around 35 warships, covering an area the size of western europe and the speed of the ships is around 15mph... it's akin to policing france with three police cars.

while its nice they are free, i have never held any sympathy for the couple in question, they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

They were advised by the authorities not to leave port just prior to their final journey due to high levels of pirate activity in the area through which they planned to sail. They ignored this advice and set sail straight into the arms of the kidnappers. Whilst I am glad they are free, I could only muster limited sympathy for their plight as it was self-inflicted.

Absolutely right . Why do people deliberately take stupid risks , ignoring all advice and basic common sense , then , when the inevitable happens they expect others to risk their lives.?

 

[Spinal]

I come from the other side of the fence.

In December, I will be crossing the Sahara for charity. We've been contacted by the FCP advising us not to go due to the hightened AlQuaida in Mahgred risk, landmine risk, civil problems, etc...

Why am I still going? Because it's a dream I want to pursue - if it costs me my life, that's a risk I'm willing to take (for the second time as we had an incident last year). If you don't pursue your dreams, you might as well curl up in a corner and die.

If I do get kidnapped, do I expect the government to fly in and rescue me? No, nor would I want it. I have an arrangement with a private military evacuation company (global rescue) and should the worst happen, I expect them to do something about it (hence my paying upwards of $500 to them).

So spare a thought for those that have the courage to pursue their dreams, and have the guts (insanity) to take the risks. The world would be a much duller place without them!

I take my hat off to them, and am truly pleased that they have been released.

M.