Pirates seize yachting couple off Somalia

[sfreihofer]

Bad news, but for those who care, I share...

http://news.aol.com/article/british-cou ... r%2F707545

[Joe Myerson]

It's bad enough that they were seized by pirates.
But even more distressing is the fact that the pirates are moving farther into the Indian Ocean.
The Chandlers were apparently hijacked near the Seychelles, and were trying to reach Tanzania, not Somalia.

[Jim Davis]

When does a pirate become known as a terrorist?

When governments don't know what to do, or have the stomach to do what needs to be done.

[Joe Myerson]

John,

As I understand it, a terrorist inflicts damage -- often death -- for political reasons.

A pirate is after money, which he tries to obtain through kidnapping, ransoming and, sometimes, outright theft.

The distinction doesn't mean a heck of a lot to the poor victim -- except that pirates try to keep their hostages alive, while many terrorists don't seem to care.

Both, of course, deserve the same treatment from the armed forces and law-enforcement officers of the civilized world.

--Joe

[sfreihofer]

http://news.aol.com/article/somali-pira ... aul/738535