UP Ibalon Bicol: Hostage negotiators in Mindanao can learn from the daring rescue of ship captain from Somali pirates

Hostage negotiators in Mindanao can learn from the daring rescue of ship captain from Somali pirates

4/14/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

There are lessons to be learned from the rescue of Richard Phillips, the brave captain of the container ship Maersk Alabama, who was taken hostage by pirates in lifeboat drifting in the Indian Ocean during a five-day standoff of ransom extortion.

With the approval of Pres. Barack Obama, three Somali pirates watching Phillips were killed and one was captured last Sunday, April 12, 2009, during the rescue by the US navy sharpshooters. The pirates who tied the ship captain demanded $2 million for the release of the 53 year old Vermont native, one among 200 or more hostages still being held captives by pirates from a dozen ships in the coast of Somalia. Among the hostages had been Filipino seafarers.

As the angry pirates vow to avenge the slay of their companions, Pres. Obama calls for a concerted effort to stop piracy, seeking cooperation among nations. The continuing pirate activity in the Somali Coast revives the call to arm ship crews in commercial vessels.

“Somali officials said piracy started about 10 to 15 years ago as a response to illegal fishing. The country's tuna-rich waters were plundered by commercial fishing fleets soon after its government collapsed in 1991. Somali fishermen turned into armed vigilantes, confronting fishing boats and demanding they pay a tax. In 2008, more than 120 pirate attacks occurred in the Gulf of Aden, far more than in any other year in recent memory. Experts said the Somali pirates netted more than $100 million, an astronomical sum for a war-racked country whose economy is in tatters.”----Piracy at Sea, New York Times (04/13/09 )

The successful rescue of Phillips by intrepid US Navy Seals proves that a carefully planned and executed rescue is a viable option when the life of the hostage is in imminent danger and all negotiations to gain freedom fail.

Unsolved ICRC Hostage Crisis in the Philippines

Rescue operation becomes pressing in kidnapping situations in the Philippines as well. To date, two International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers are still being held in the hinterlands of Jolo Sulu. In Lamitan, Basilan, suspected members of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) beheaded one of two hostages they took during a raid in a Christian village and killed another civilian who crossed their path.

Abducted and held at gunpoint since January 2009, 62 year-old Italian Eugenio Vagni and 38 year-old Swiss Andreas Notter remain as captives of the notorious Abu Sayyaf who are reportedly demanding a $5 million for their release. The ICRC and the Philippine government still keep their no-ransom policy in dealing with these Muslim bandits.

Since their abduction in January 2009 by the notorious Al-Qaeda affiliated group, only Mary Jane Lacaba, another ICRC was released. The US embassy in Manila expressed willingness to help solve the hostage crisis, but military and government leaders feel they can solve the protracted standoff on their own. As the captivity of the humanitarian workers drag on, the risk of them being harmed or killed grows. Without paying a ransom, pretty soon authorities need to decide what to do in order to free the victims.(Photo Credit: Reuters/ Phillips family) =0=

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Labels: Abu Sayyaf, Al Qaeda, Andreas Notter, Eugenio Vagni, ICRC, Jolo, Maersk Alabama, Mindanao, pirates, ransom, Richard Phillips, Somali Pirates, Somalia, Totie Mesia, US Navy Seals

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Hostage negotiators in Mindanao can learn from the daring rescue of ship captain from Somali pirates

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