I have had enough and need to do something. Why is no one getting them out?

[FabIsGoingToBeFabIn2010]

IIRC the ransom is a million quid. Now if I had the millions that various celebrities have I would have paid the ransom and got them out. Bollocks to not giving in.

pag yes randsoms do get paid but generally they get paid by the companies whose ships are seized. There is no way to prevent that happening privately.

But obviously a couple sailing around won't have that kind of financial backing behind them, so if they're seized then there's no-one to come to their financial rescue, and tbh, it's really not our government's responsibility to pay for the actions of people who really should have known better than to sail into waters where piracy was known to be rife.

Plus if the government pay this randsom the pirates will see this as a green light to take more people hostage.

Plus you have to consider what paying the randsom actually means. Yes it means the release of this couple but it also means the funding of illegal activities.

Governments simply can't do that. And tbh as a taxpayer I wouldn't be happy with my taxes going to fund pirates. Would you?

I think the ransom was £4 million.
There seem to still be negotiations going on and there was talk the other day about the kidnappers seeing what the family could come up with - I wonder if they'd accept a few thousand pounds.
Wasn't there a bungled rescue attempt a couple of weeks ago too.
They've not been forgotten about. But the government (and celebrities) are right to not just pay up.

Of all the places in the world to sail your yacht!

i think the pirates would prefer government money as opposed to celebrities clubbing together.....it them sets the precedence. celebrities will only pay up if they need to be in the public eye

At the risk of cheapening their suffering dealing with these pirates is like dealing with a blackmailing child.

If you give in they will learn the lesson, they will do it again and they will probably become worse.

if the government are going to interveen it should be to send the SAS in and to blow the bastards away.

i think if their families want to pay the ransom, they should feel free. no idea why we should be chipping in, though.

see also 'wankers in shorts who expect to be rescued when they get into trouble on mountains despite having gone up in adverse weather conditions'.

see also ken bigley.

Once governments start paying ransoms we are well and truly fucked.

If private individuals want to do so then that is their lookout.

thanks Wannabe

TBH i don't really care about this case.
I was asking in the context of the postings saying that paying randsom was out of the question, when I have been aware of randsoms being paid before.
It perhaps was, as you suggest, ransom paid for safe reurn of property rather than people.

agree with aitch about all the people mentioned.

if their family come up with the 4 million do you think they will ask the couple to pay it back when they get home?

The principle at stake is to reinforce that it's not worth kidnapping anyone British... whether that be this unfortunate couple, John McCarthy, Alan Johnston or those four bodyguards shot in Iraq. We don't let out prisoners, hand over cash, evacuate armies or do anything else that would make it profitable to do it again in the future.

Having said that, if that were my family being held in Somalia I would be hammering on the treasury door to have them freed, of course I would. This is one of those unfortunate situations where heads have to rule hearts.

Now that I can agree with. Telling pirates and terrorists that they can win is a bad idea. Showing them that the price of touching our people is the SAS coming in the night or maybe a missile hitting their ship would work better.

And yeah I agree that if it were my family I'd change my mind too, but you can't look at it that way.

why should 'celebrities' give money to criminals on behalf of a couple who were foolish to sail in known pirate territory...?

I agree with this:

"Paying the ransom just means that every other yacht with Westerners on it turns into a floating cashpoint for those with more AK47s than morals."

I said the same to dh last night.

I am surprised that some rich tycoon hasn't paid and very surprised that the family haven't started a fund or if they have it hasn't be publicised very well has it? Very sad.

IIRC they did give the pirate waters a wide berth but got caught near the Amirante Islands. V sad, v sorry for them, Mrs. Chandler looks terrible on the pics released yesterday.

The real scandal IMO is that a Royal Navy vessel was in range when they were caught and didn't intervene because they did not want to risk the Chandlers' lives - wtf?

you can't pay, if you do(royal) you, you will just make matters worse as the pirates will just keep doing it.

Fab - it's just daft to pay a ransom in theses circumstances because it will breed more loss, pain and blood. This couple were indulging in a risky activity. I'm very sorry they are in such danger but they weren't kidnapped from Tunbridge Wells - they chose to put themselves in that place and if a ransom is paid then more people WILL be in the same miserable situation.

I have heard that there were Marines nearby, but couldn't get the green light for a rescue attempt, and were told to wait for the SBS, but by the time the SBS got there the couple had been moved to land. Obviously Britain can't just invade a sovereign country - so it looks like they're stuck there.

If they were my family, I would raise 2 funds. One for the ransom and one to put a price on the pirates' heads. Should make them think twice about kidnapping anymore UK citizens.

I can understand the reasons why paying a ransom is not a good idea what I can't understand is why the family have not started up a fund for donations. When it is your family sense goes out of the window and you just want them home.

I don't imagine it would be that easy to start a fund tbh, because to do soo you are essentially asking people to give money to pirates, and most people just wouldn't be up for that no matter how sorry they feel for the couple.

it is being talked about
imo would be a terrible idea to pay.

'The real scandal IMO is that a Royal Navy vessel was in range when they were caught and didn't intervene because they did not want to risk the Chandlers' lives - wtf?'

The rules of engagement that are in place on this EU operation to interdict the Somali pirates don't allow intervention. Don't blame the RN.

Think about where this ransom money goes. It does not go to the pirates, as they would have enough now given Somali standards of living to keep them for a lifetime. This is international organised crime and the money needs to be followed to it's ultimate destination - probably in Europe/Russia.

I am sorry for the Chandlers, but they ignored advice not to sail where they did, and they got caught. I fail to see why the UK should line the pockets of criminals by buying the Chandlers out. I'm also interested to know how Somali pirates can get interviews for the Chandlers with ITN, and have PR pictures of them released. They won't IMO kill them, as that would mean that no-one would ever pay the ransom again. If the Govt hang tough, then I think that the Chandlers will eventually be released as it won't be worth keeping them, and killing them would bring such a shit storm down, they'd wish they'd never been born.

they are both in poor health now. not being looked after at all. sad,but doubt they will get out at this late stage

I wonder if the have money/assets as they are on a 5 yr trip of a lifetime and arent even retirement age yet so they must have money/property/investments somewhere.

ILT - the latest pics show a Dr examining them, so some care is being taken.