Posted by smash on October 28, 2009, 22:28:21 Link: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6894178.ece
I remember a recent period at Medialens where there were was absolutely loads of people there explaining away maritime gangster activity, 'walter' was one of the biggest offenders, but J abbess, AKA Mde Doom was in on the act also. There seemed to be an understanding amongst them that in someway piracy was justified. Johann Hari's piece which cunjured up deck lashings and other homo-erotica proved popular and an ancient story (from 1992) was endlessly recycled like it was repeating itself everyday in current time. I wonder what the fanatics at ML would say to the family of the Chandlers?
A Somali pirate who claims to be overseeing the kidnap of a middle-aged British couple today threatened to “burn their bones” unless his demands were met.
Paul and Rachel Chandler, from Tunbridge Wells, are thought to have been seized by pirates as they sailed from the Seychelles to Tanzania on the east African coast.
European Union Naval forces were today monitoring a yacht, apparently towing two pirate skiffs, as it is sailed towards the lawless Somali port of Haradheere. EU ships and helicopters have been unable to confirm whether it is the Chandlers' beloved boat called the Lynn Rival.
Mr and Mrs Chandler, aged 59 and 55, were expected to arrive in Haradheere tonight and Mr Hussein claimed their lives were in danger if any rescue operation was mounted.
In faltering English, he told Sky News: "We are telling Britain that any bullet of our friends on the yacht will be big cries for the families of the two old people we held.
"We warn them any attack on us, this is a good advice for them, otherwise they will burn their two people's bones."
Relatives of the couple today pleaded with the captors to end the family’s nightmare.
Mrs Chandler’s brother Stephen Collett, of Ixworth, Suffolk, said the family were not panicking. “We’re just keeping our fingers crossed,” he said. “It may still be that they’re sailing across the Indian Ocean. We’re not grossly over-worried at the moment.”
Mr Chandler’s sister Jill Marshment, 69, of Bredon, near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, today told any potential captors that they had “got the wrong people”..
“If I was to give a message to the pirates, I’d say you’ve got the wrong people,” she said. “They are not a wealthy couple. They just wanted to take early retirement, to take a boat and to see more of the world.
“It’s a bad dream. I’m afraid it still is a bad dream. I am shocked, yes. They are responsible people and I wouldn’t have thought they would have set out with the knowledge that they (pirates) were in the area.”
On their blog, the couple wrote last Wednesday that they were planning to leave the Seychelles and sail their yacht more than 500 miles to Tanzania.
They warned they “may be out of touch for some time” as they would not have satellite phone coverage.
Commander John Harbour, spokesman for the European Naval Force Somalia, said a yacht was being monitored. “We still have the yacht in sight but still can’t confirm that it is the Lynn Rival,” he said.
Omar Sharmarke, the Somali prime minister, said he had held talks with David Miliband today and assured the Foreign Secretary that his government was attempting to intervene on behalf of Britain.
“We will do our best to see a physical end to this saga,” he said. “As soon as we locate them, we will seek to exert our influence over local communities and see a peaceful solution to this.
“We don’t have any sympathy for these pirates. Piracy is a criminal activity and we want to see it end.”
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