[BITList] Fwd: Lloyd's List: Send to Colleague

[Michael Feltham]

Begin forwarded message:

From: enquiries at lloydslist.com
Date: 26 November 2008 10:13:49 GMT
To: mj.feltham at madasafish.com
Subject: Lloyd's List: Send to Colleague


The below article was sent to you from Mike Feltham (mj.feltham at madasafish.com 
) with the following message: I thought you might be interested in the  
article below.

 From an Editorial in Lloyds List

Mike
----------------------------------------------------------
Hostage to fortune

PIRACY is akin to terrorism on water. Governments should not negotiate  
with terrorists and they should not negotiate with pirates either.

That is why the Sirius Star hijacking presents a diplomatic dilemma  
for the government of Saudi Arabia. The tanker and its $100m cargo of  
crude is ultimately owned by the Saudi Arabian government. State oil  
company Saudi Aramco is the beneficial owner of the very large crude  
carrier, operated by its shipping arm, Vela International Marine.

Saudi Arabia has pledged to defeat the global scourge of terrorism.  
Specifically, Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal has opposed  
negotiating with the pirates who hijacked the Sirius Star.

Ransom payments have emboldened Somalia’s pirates. Efforts to find a  
diplomatic solution to piracy in the Gulf of Aden have further  
encouraged them. Ask any master what he thinks of using diplomacy to  
deal with piracy and most will advocate a solution at odds with those  
now under consideration.

Some say that history has the answer. The defeat of the Barbary  
pirates of North Africa lay not in the payment of bribes and ransom,  
but in the will of Thomas Jefferson and the might of American naval  
forces. This year Somalian pirates have hijacked 39 ships, and  
currently hold 15. So will Saudi Arabia’s government buckle to piracy  
and pay the ransom? Or will it find a solution that has so far eluded  
other owners?

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