Captain Phillips is only 1 of 250 hostages being held by Somali pirates

[cali]

They're also holding 16 ships. Make that 17 with the tugboat they captured this morning.

<snip>

Phillips is one of about 250 hostages being held by Somali pirates preying on the busy sea lanes of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The biggest nationality among the hostages is Filipino and the pirates are keeping about 16 captured vessels at or near lairs like Eyl, Hobyo and Haradheere on Somalia's eastern coast -- five of them taken in the last week alone.

Yet the fact Phillips is the first U.S. citizen seized has galvanised intense world attention.

"Once again, it has taken American involvement to get world powers really interested," said a diplomat who tracks Somalia from Nairobi. "I hope they don't forget the Filipinos and all the others, once this guy is released."

<snip>

http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSN10335102._CH_.2400

I suspect the free license the pirates have enjoyed, is coming to an end. They got just a wee bit too greedy.

[Skink]

1. The bottom dropped out of the commodity market. Now it's hostages instead of cargo.

[Statistical]

2. If they are smart they will simply not target ships flying US colors.

And pirate for another 200 years.

[cali]

3. that ship haS sailed. that barn door is useless, etc, etc.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. The pirates better get used to meeting big-time resistance

Their games are not going to be tolerated much longer.