Pirates demand $25 million in ransom
Thursday, 20 Nov 2008 14:44
David Milliband has urged the international community not to negotiate
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The pirates who hijacked the Saudi oil-tanker Sirius Star this week have set a ransom price of $25 million (£17 million).
Threatening "disastrous" consequences, the pirates demand the payment within 10 days, AFP has reported.
Mohamed Said, one of the pirates on the ship, told AFP they are pressuring Vela International, the owner of the oil super-tanker, to pay the sum.
Despite the pirates' demands, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband urged the international community to stand firm against the pirates, as negotiating would only encourage similar crimes.
Mr Miliband expressed his concern for the hostages, maintaining they would put the safety of the hostages, which include two British crew members, at the forefront of their strategy.
He told reporters, "There is a strong view of the British government, and actually the international community, that payments for hostage-taking are only an encouragement to further hostage-taking and we will be approaching this issue in a very delicate way, in a way that puts the security and safety of the hostages to the fore."
According to Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, however, Vela International is currently holding discussion with the pirates, though the tanker?s owner has said little about these talks.
Prince Saud noted Saudi Arabia's general aversion to negotiating with pirates and terrorist, though he said the nature of the response is up to the oil-tanker's owner.
More military forces have been deployed in response to this particular situation. The contributors include Russia, NATO, and EU countries, among others.
The United States also has military vessels off the coast of
Somalia, though the Pentagon's press secretary says the military approach cannot solve the problem, suggesting the international community target the economic and governance problems in the area as well.
The International Maritime Bureau has made a grim description about the surge in pirate activities in this area, noting that three more vessels have been captures since the Sirius hijacking.