should we pay?

[Gorgeous_bird]

A simple question, I've just watched the desperate plea of the British couple taken hostage off the coast of the seychelles by Somalian rebels. Should the British governement pay the ransom money?

[KKOB]

No.

But it'll probably be against their Human Rights for the government NOT to pay.

[heather07]

The government has a policy of not paying for hostages.  How often this rule has been bent in the past is anybodies guess.  
If these pirates are paid they will continue to take hostages.
Part of me thinks if this couple own a yacht they could pay their own ransom.
Another part wonders if a trap could be set to catch the little sh**s to stop them doing it again.

[kevin3]

A British gunboat watched the two brits being taken captive.They radio'd HQ for orders and were told not to intervene for 'safety' reasons.If we're not going to stop the pirates,why are our government,and others spending hundreds of millions of pounds patroling the area?Heather.I dont think they are wealthy,I believe they sold most of what they owned to fulfil their dream.Bit of a nightmare now.!!

[dycedon]

send in the SAS

[KKOB]

Why should the SAS have to risk their lives to rescue these people who were sailing in an area that was notorious for pirates ?

[Jacqui Harvey]

Apparently these people where warned about this area and still went into it.  They are not rich, they saved for a long time to make this trip around the world, but I think they were very foolish not to heed the advise they were given.

[loz]

quote:Originally posted by Gorgeous_bird

A simple question, I've just watched the desperate plea of the British couple taken hostage off the coast of the seychelles by Somalian rebels. Should the British governement pay the ransom money?

NO

[kevin3]

According to the BBC they were over 2000 miles away from Somalia,sailing from the Seychelles to Tanzania.The pirates are travelling further afield looking for targets.These boats are 'sponsored' by 'investors' to the tune of £6000.The 'investors' then take a cut from the ransoms paid.EU boats have caught pirates,disarmed them,then released them.???No doubt they had a good telling off.

[Scunner]

I know this is a little boat, but how do these pirates get on the big ones like container ships? Surely it must be difficult to scale the side of one of these things - especially if there was someone given the job to shoot at them?