Solution to Somali pirate hostage situ?

[Mich the Tester]

How about sailing along the Somali coast with a cargo ship as bait and about 100 SBS commandos hidden in the hold waiting to beat the crap out of anyone who tries anything?

Beat the tulip out of them, then lay them on a raft and let them float back to shore as a warning to others.

[DaveB]

Post a detachment of Marines on board commercial vessels and authorise the use of force.

I can imagine there would be a good number of Marines officers just itching to give the command "Standby to Repel Boarders!" in a suitably nautical manner

[EternalOptimist]

attach live pigs to the sides of all vessels in the area, in place of them big tractor tyres they use.
That should keep the rascals away

[Mich the Tester]

attach live pigs to the sides of all vessels in the area, in place of them big tractor tyres they use.
That should keep the rascals away

It would pong a bit though. (wouldn't work; the pirates would bugger them on the way up)

[snaw]

You're on form today! I've had a chuckle at a few of your contributions. Even one involving me and a duck!

One of your sockpuppets DP?

[DimPrawn]

One of your sockpuppets DP?

I'll have a look through sockies.xls and let you know.

[minestrone]

The boat crews do not want armed guards as they are, more often than not, treated fairly well by the pirates. It is also not the best idea to have gun battles on super tankers.

It's like listening to a child after reading a comando mag with a bowl of spaghetti on your lap.