Report: Pirates want $7m for British couple

[unhappycamper]

Report: Pirates want $7m for British couple
By Mohamed Olad Hassan - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Oct 30, 2009 18:25:37 EDT

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The BBC said Friday that Somali pirates called the broadcaster to demand $7 million for the release of a British couple whose yacht was hijacked off the coast of Africa.

The British broadcaster cited an unidentified caller as saying the size of the ransom was justified because NATO forces in the area had arrested Somali fishermen and destroyed their equipment.

“If they do not harm us, we will not harm them,” the BBC quoted the caller as saying. “We only need a little amount of $7 million.”

Paul and Rachel Chandler were headed to Tanzania in their boat, the Lynn Rival, when a distress signal was sent Oct. 23. The British navy found their empty yacht Thursday, and both have been in sporadic contact with the British media since.

Rachel Chandler told her brother, Stephen Collett, in a telephone call broadcast by ITV News on Friday that the couple were “bearing up.”


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_british_pirate_hostages_103009/

[CanonRay]

1. They'd have to keep me

of course, I don't own a yacht