On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:49:00 GMT, Steve wrote:




What will probably end up happening to solve the problem is that
either the shipping companies will tell all their captains to give
that area a much wider berth or they'll start hiring security forces
to protect the ships and not make them such easy targets. A 24 hour
watch with a few mounted and armored .50 cal machine guns will ruin
the day of those pirates in their speedboats.

When you're hauling $100,000,000 in cargo, the cost of a few extra
crew and some machine guns is irrelevant and is probably cheaper than
going around the area.

Think they're going to need more than .50's.
These Somali idiots are pretty well armed, and nutso.
They could have blasted that oil tanker with RPG rounds at the least.
And like I said, they're nuts.
It's going to take some serious killing of Somali pirates before it
stops. Probably land bombing/missile strikes.
There will be collateral damage.

--Vic