Paul and Rachel Chandler 'free and safe' after ransom was paid..

[weltweit]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/14/paul-rachel-chandler-released-somali-pirates

They were captive in Somalia for more than a year.

Apparently a ransom was paid, but Government says none of the funds came from them.

So, that is an argument for paying !!

 

[dessiato]

Good news. But I cannot understand why they sailed through pirate seas in the first place.

 

[weltweit]

Good news. But I cannot understand why they sailed through pirate seas in the first place.

Perhaps they were misguided, or perhaps just too casual about the risks. After all, is it not oil tankers and the like that the pirates are mainly going after.

I think I recall that they were taken hostage within sight of a British warship, do I recall that correctly?

 

[free spirit]

Good news. But I cannot understand why they sailed through pirate seas in the first place.

I don't think they did, IIRC they were hundreds of miles away, in an area considered to be relatively safe, but the pirates obviously hadn't been told about such things.

 

[likesfish]

they were well out of the area considered dangerous until they got taken.

 

[weltweit]

I wonder who raised the £600,000 to get them released.

There was a suggestion they may sell their story, I wonder if they will pay back their benefactor(s)?

And what I also wonder has become of their boat?

 

[Cobbles]

they were well out of the area considered dangerous until they got taken.

Isn't it the case that they ware warned by folk about the dangers of the waters they were proposing to sail through before they left the Seychelles on the last tranche of their retirement jaunt?

 

[London_Calling]

Most curious funding.

I see ITV seem to have some kind of exclusive deal. There has to be a book deal, excerpts in the Telegraph, etc. Find it very diff to believe the UK gov didn't channel cash into this through 3rd parties.

 

[sim667]

I read the title as 'rachel and chandler' and thought that the 2 freinds characters had been kidnapped.

 

[BlackArab]

And what I also wonder has become of their boat?

brought home by the Royal Navy

 

[detective-boy]

Find it very diff to believe the UK gov didn't channel cash into this through 3rd parties.

I think it is very unlikely that they did ... but if they did I think that this would be a situation in which absolute secrecy by the State, in the public interest, would be entirely appropriate.

 

[SaskiaJayne]

Its possible the ransom was paid by a national newspaper &/or book publisher in return for exclusive rights to their story. It quite possible the contract was delivered to the kidnappers for the Chandlers to sign.

 

[DotCommunist]

Clegg robbed the schoolkids to pay for it on the sly

 

[weltweit]

Its possible the ransom was paid by a national newspaper &/or book publisher in return for exclusive rights to their story. It quite possible the contract was delivered to the kidnappers for the Chandlers to sign.

Now that would be a licence to print money for the pirates. Now take anyone, keep them long enough and the papers / publishers will pay a ransom!

They could target anyone.

 

[DotCommunist]

I think you should be OK doing a P&O booze run though

 

[weltweit]

I think you should be OK doing a P&O booze run though

Never trust the French !!