Somalia Pirates

[jimmys]

It now turns out that our wonderful Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary watched Mr and Mrs Chandler being kidnapped by the Somalia pirates from their yacht the Lynn Rival.

It is a thought that we are paying for this inept service to stand and watch pirates !!! A professional service???

regards
jimmy

[Mike Newell]

The 100-strong crew of the RFA Wave Knight were under orders not to open fire as Paul and Rachel Chandler, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were taken from their yacht for fear that the couple could be executed by the pirates.
With the nearest warship, HMS Cumberland, two hours away, the lightly armed Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, which was carrying a helicopter crew and 75 merchant seamen, was forced to play a high stakes waiting game, the Royal Navy said.
Not quite an RN fighting ship I think, and a difficult call for those concerned.

[Hugh]

"It is a thought that we are paying for this inept service to stand and watch pirates !!! A professional service???"

What would you have the RFA do, I ask you? They are defensively armed crewed by the Merchant Navy with a small RN detachment. They didn't have trained snipers on board. The RN warship was over two hours away from the incident.

Certainly you could call them inept if they had intervened and succeeded in killing all aboard including the hostages.
Regards
Hugh

[jimmys]

For whatever reason the RFA Wave Night stood by and watched piracy on the high seas. She had a helicopter and 25 Royal Navy personnel . Who manned the helicopter??The whole incident was well within range of the warship Cumberland, two hours away. She had a helicopter as well.
I assume Royal Navy personnel fight and vessels in piracy waters had fighting capability.

If they had told the truth right from the start I would have had more confidence,to have it leaked by a crew member is ridiculous.

regards
jimmy

[robpage]

I would have assumed thatthe helicopter was armed and could outrun the somali speedboat , but I would have thought that a RFA could have challenged the pirates and halted them , or even driven them away from the shore for two hours until a warship arrived .

[jimmys]

As more info comes to the fore about this incident we find a full marine black squad of twenty were aboard
the Wave Knight. They included a slotting team(snipers) fully equipped. They were stood too twice and were not used. Later an SBS team were available and not used.
It is surely not too much to ask that seaman of this calibre take care of a few pirates. A bad show all round.

regards
jimmy

[robpage]

The local newspaper here ( Portsmouith ) reported two weeks ago of government plans top hand the RFA to the provate sector , so that will effectivly wipe it out from even a hope of defending the Merchant Fleet . Is there anything left that this lot haven't given away or gambled off , I am begining to think we should return to a monarchy !

[Red Lead Ted]

Pirates in that area all live in the life of luxury, Ross kemp recently done a tv documentary exposed the area these pirates reside. Well known amongst the world they are all minted and live as a band of merry men.Fine send in at whatever cost the S.A.S. If it sadely costs in a few lives of other nationals then so be it .They have to be closed down once and for all.However harsh it seems we have to put a stop to this ,Young kids parading weapons and threatening ordinary people and seaman. Put a stop to it now go in and blow them all away. END OF terry.

[Kevin Hargin]

fully agree terry its the only answer brgds kev.

[alf corbyn]

ROB PAGE. i am puzzled! as you live in portsmouth you must know we already live in a monarchy.
or perhaps you are not sure where you live. cheers. alf