Somali pirates keep Indian hostages after ransom

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110415/ap_on_re_af/piracy

MOGADISHU, Somalia – In a move that could change the pirate-hostage equation, Somali pirates on Friday took in a multimillion dollar ransom, then released the ship and some of the crew but kept all the Indian crew members as hostages.

A pirate told The Associated Press the Indian crew members' hostage ordeal is being prolonged in retaliation for the arrests of more than 100 Somali pirates by the Indian Navy.

"We decided to keep the Indian because India is holding our colleagues," the pirate, Hassan Farah, said. "We released the other crew members who sailed away from our coast. We will keep these Indians until the Indians release our colleagues."

Farah said the pirates in the stronghold of Haradhere have taken that collective decision. The Indian hostages are to be moved to land.

A multimillion dollar ransom was paid for the ship Asphalt Venture, whose ownership is located in Mumbai, India. Pirates are receiving an average of $5 million to release ships and crew, and a ransom in that ballpark was believed to have been paid on Friday.

It wasn't immediately clear how many of the 15 crew members aboard the Asphalt Venture were Indian. The ship was hijacked in late September.

Friday's pirate action marks a major departure from the standard pirate business model of release-for-ransom and could complicate international military efforts against the piracy trade.

Earlier this year pirates killed four American hostages while U.S. Navy warships were shadowing the hijacked yacht, the first time pirates had done that.

Overall, analysts say pirates are becoming increasingly aggressive, violent and hostile.

The Indian navy has seized around 120 pirates, mostly from Somalia, over the past few months. Last month the Indian navy captured 61 pirates when they attacked a naval ship. Indian warships have been escorting merchant ships as part of international anti-piracy surveillance in the Indian Ocean area since 2008.

Piracy has long plagued the shipping industry off East Africa, but violence has escalated in recent months. Pirates held some 30 ships and more than 600 hostages.

[^_^ 5,021]

The Indian government set a precedent at Kandahar. What do they think, Somali pirates don't have access to Google? Anyone familiar with what happened at Kandahar knows the Indians fold. They fold easy.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

The Indian government set a precedent at Kandahar. What do they think, Somali pirates don't have access to Google? Anyone familiar with what happened at Kandahar knows the Indians fold. They fold easy.

If the pirates were dealt with like they should be this ####### wouldn't be happening. Kill every pirate possible and eventually no pirates. It's not rocket science.

[^_^ 5,021]

If the pirates were dealt with like they should be this ####### wouldn't be happening. Kill every pirate possible and eventually no pirates. It's not rocket science.

That's not how the Indians operate. Kandahar was a great example of how absolutely cowardly their civilian leadership is.

[natty bumppo 297]

That's not how the Indians operate. Kandahar was a great example of how absolutely cowardly their civilian leadership is.

yup ... lots of indians. ... no chiefs expose themselves ....

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

That's not how the Indians operate. Kandahar was a great example of how absolutely cowardly their civilian leadership is.

It's not only the Indians. Everyone out there other than the Russians has been one big giant metro sexual politically correct liberal pansy. The Russians on the other hand don't screw around with those pirates...they killem as they see em.

[^_^ 5,021]

That's not how the Indians operate. Kandahar was a great example of how absolutely cowardly their civilian leadership is.

yup ... lots of indians. ... no chiefs expose themselves ....

?

It's not only the Indians. Everyone out there other than the Russians has been one big giant metro sexual politically correct liberal pansy. The Russians on the other hand don't screw around with those pirates...they killem as they see em.

The reasons the Indian government doesn't just kill pirates has nothing to do with being metrosexual or liberal. It has everything to do with being scared of getting dragged into something bigger.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

?

The reasons the Indian government doesn't just kill pirates has nothing to do with being metrosexual or liberal. It has everything to do with being scared of getting dragged into something bigger.

Being scared to man up and just do it are tied in with metro sexual in a round-a-bout way.

Edited April 16, 2011 by Why_Me

[^_^ 5,021]

Being scared to man up and just do it are tied in with metro sexual in a round-a-bout way.

When the U.S. is scared to man up, that may be true. When India is scared to man up, it's because they're very very limited in what they can chew so they tend to be careful on what they bite off. The jihadists (and now, the pirates) know this and use it against them.

Edited April 16, 2011 by \

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

When the U.S. is scared to man up, that may be true. When India is scared to man up, it's because they're very very limited in what they can chew so they tend to be careful on what they bite off. The jihadists (and now, the pirates) know this and use it against them.

Read up on the India - Pakistan War in the early '70's. India kicked #######.

[natty bumppo 297]

?

you are that young .....

[^_^ 5,021]

Read up on the India - Pakistan War in the early '70's. India kicked #######.

My dad had the bright idea of starting a business in India when I was 10. We moved there and I went to school there. I've been indoctrinated well in the history of that war.

Just remember.. Kanadahar was much more recent. 1971 is ancient history.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

We have cruise missiles for that.

[slim 1,530]

I'm wondering if we're going to "discover" oil in Somalia in the near future.

[mawilson 2,133]

I know why they kept them.