Ransom to Pirates

[Kwame]

I do not know if you have heard of the sad news that Somalian pirates have seized a ship bound for Kenya. What is notable about this vessel is that it is filled with obsolete T-72 tanks and ammunition. Now the pirates have demanded a ransom of $20 million to return the ship. Are you in favor of paying ransom?

[Abasi]

I think they should pay them off. God knows what is on that ship. What if the ship contained anti-aircraft missiles the pirates will auction off to the highest bidder? I have no worries about the tanks because I think they can not be offloaded and sold off easily. I am more worried of portable weapons that are in the ship which can be easily transported.

[Barack]

Kenya should not give in and encourage piracy in the Somalian coast. Paying ransom to these pirates will only embolden them to raid cargo vessels again and take these ships hostage. Giving them money will only allow them to procure faster speedboats, more sophisticated weapons and more manpower to wreak havoc in the area again.

[Gatimu]

Not paying ransom sounds good to hear but the realities on the ground makes that not a viable option. The ships are filled with obsolete but still capable T-72 tanks and may contain anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. If these weapons fall in the wrong hands, they may be used to overthrow African governments or for terrorism, costing even more lives.

[Darweshi]

The world has tolerated and lived with these pirates for far too long. They need to stamped out once and for all. Every year, they seem to grow bolder and bolder. What is next? I have read reports that they have attacking oil freighter. This can lead to an environmental catastrophe if oil will spill out of those huge supertankers.

[walterdeus]

Give me a gun, i will go and shoot all these criminals baptised as pirates. Dont give them even a dime!! dont encourage them. They need to arrested and killed like a rat.

[Elizabeth]

You are walterdeus we need to hunt down these pirates. Just like what France did the last time they tried taking a Franch ship. Only we should not arrest them and put on trial like the French did.

By the way, what's up with the news that the shipment of arms are for Sudan? Is Kenya a party to smuggling of arms for the Sudanese government? Why is Kenya helping the Arab government instead of fellow Africans?

[Neema]

What the French did was great. They paid the ransom and hunted down the pirates and arrest them. Maybe the pirates will have second thoughts next time they hijack a French ship off the coast of Somalia.

I am also puzzled by the destination of the tanks. The Kenyan government has denied those reports that the arms shipment are headed for Sudan.

[rose]

The Kenyan government should sacrifice they salary and pay the ransom since I don't see where they can get all that money while the country is still recovering from the political instability that they went through some months ago.

[walterdeus]

Hi guys, This piracy issue is not accident! it's a lesson for Kibaki and his crooks to know that God is watching all their devilish activities. After stealing elections, they are now colluding with Sudaneese government to import weapons to sudan against the UN agreament. When the issue Began, the government denied that the weapons were not theirs. After realizing the sensitivity of this issue if it involves sudan, they are now claiming that it is theirs. How can the government buy all these weapons without cabinet approval. Kibaki nd his cronies must realize that kenyans and the world are not as ignorant as they may think.