- The Vice President of the Philippines, the nation with the largest number of sailors held captive by Somali pirates, appealed for the safety of hostages to be ensured in the standoff.
"We hope that before launching any tactical action against the pirates, the welfare of every hostage is guaranteed and ensured," said Vice President Noli de Castro. "Moreover, any military action is best done in consultation with the United Nations to gain the support and cooperation of other countries."
I hope that the leadership of the PI is not this ignorant, and that something was lost in translation. Like any tactical action could ever guarantee and ensure the safety of every hostage! If you could make such a guarantee it would not be a hostage situation.
The UN? Where the heck was the UN for the last decade that Somalia lacked a formal government? One might argue that the power brokers within the UN have prevented unilateral action to tame this savage region. And now the Vice President of the Philippines thinks the UN should coordinate military activities to save a hostage?
Ummm… Look out mister Vice President the Muslims are coming over the Tahanang Pilipino Palace walls… Should I call the UN? I can’t guarantee that the Muslims aren’t going to harm your welfare… Should I take no tactical action Mister Vice President? Idiocy!
Source: AP article US ship arrives in Kenya minus kidnapped captain, Associated Press writers who contributed to this report include Mohamed Olad Hassan and Mohamed Sheikh Nor in Mogadishu, Somalia; Ariel David in Rome; Constant Brand in Brussels; Matt Apuzzo and Robert Burns in Washington; Oliver Teves in Manila, Philippines; and Pierre-Yves Roger in Paris
