World

Somali Pirates Free British Couple After Year of Captivity

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A British couple kidnapped from their yacht by Somali pirates more than a year ago are now free.

Paul and Rachel Chandler were taken hostage off East Africa on Oct. 23, 2009. They had been pirate hostages ever since.

Efforts to free the couple by the Somali diaspora, the weak Mogadishu-based government and Britain had failed — until now.

The British couple boarded a plane in the Somali town of Adado and flew to Mogadishu Sunday morning. From there they are to fly out of Somalia and into Kenya. Small ceremonies celebrating the release were held in Adado and Mogadishu.

Photos showed the Chandlers smiling and looking relaxed. Rachel Chandler told an Associated Press reporter by phone that: “We are happy to be alive.”

Comments (29)

  • TakeBackAmerica
    Posted on November 18, 2010 at 2:16pm

    SNOWLEOPARD:

    Do you have a job? Ever sleep? Eat? Have sex? How on earth do you have time to read and post to every story on the blaze? Just sayin…..

    Report Post »  
  • red penny
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 11:54pm

    Glad to see these two morons survived but what in the hell were they thinking in the first place? Would anyone with even a sliver of common sense have been where they were to begin with?

    Report Post »  
  • justice
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 4:57pm

    I am glad they are free, but why where they there in the first place, it’s like people still going to mexico, when they know what the hell that is going on there. Oh, well thank god for their safe return.

    Report Post »  
  • SummerB
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 3:44pm

    I don‘t know why the gov’ts. of the world just don’t get together to form a collective or rotating patrol & blow these pirates right out of the water. It’s simple enough to do. hmmm….

    Report Post »  
  • Conserving Ink
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 2:49pm

    Why is the world held hostage by pimply youth with automatic weapons? In every hot spot out there we seem to be fighting teens. They have no training and can’t even shoot straight. We need to flip off the safety on our troops and let them go about their business of breaking things and killing people. There would be so much more peace in this world.
    ___________________________________________________
    http://conserving-ink.blogspot.com/

    Report Post » Conserving Ink  
  • misteryuck
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 1:08pm

    Ahh…. The peace loving tolerant islam following peoples of Somalia. A nation we all should try to imulate.

    Yes, your sarcasm alarm should be at defcon 5.

    Report Post » misteryuck  
  • MommaGrizzly
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:42pm

    It’s sad that people like that exist but they should have been smarter and not traveled over there. I am very glad they are safe!

    Report Post » MommaGrizzly  
  • Oil_Robb
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:17pm

    I am glad they are safe……BUT…what in the hell were they thinking in the first place? Anyone who goes anywhere to that side of the world has to be NUTS. If you go to mexico you are equally stupid

    Report Post »  
  • knuckle dragger
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:04pm

    Two questions….
    A: What did they (the pirates) recieve to garner a release.
    And
    2: Where were our snipers when they WERE… finally released? Seem’s to me a good time to strike a group of lawless criminals……Don’t It?

    Report Post » knuckle dragger  
  • Rita
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:03pm

    I will never understand why people choose to go into dangerous territories and run the risk of being kidnapped or death. Do they really think it won’t happen to them?

    Report Post » Rita  
    • untameable-kate
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:21pm

      People still go to mexico even though Americans are getting killed there.

      Report Post » Untameable-kate  
  • Diamondback
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 11:59am

    A coalition of countries should send in the necessary forces to blow every somali pirate vessel out of the water upon sight. No mercy, no quarter, just take them all out upon sight. Make it too dangerous for them to even consider putting a craft in the water. Any survivors in the water should be left to the sharks or to drown. Any that might then make it to shore should have such a harrowing tale to tell that it should deter others from any desire to participate in the future.

    Report Post »  
    • Cemoto78
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:42pm

      Man are you going to piss of the bleeding heart types, but I totally agree with you. Time to take the gloves off on this and many other world matters. We can no longer play the worlds policemen and shouldn’t, as the rest of the world only looks at us as aggressors and bullies. Time to let them deal with their own problems and for us to deal with ours, like the open borders which are really bringing this country down.

      Report Post » Cemoto78  
    • mrclean
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 1:20pm

      pirates ye be warned

      Report Post » mrclean  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 1:48pm

      In addition the Somali government needs to taken out with them. They probably work for the government and take the pirate loot back for the split. A Somali mafia of sorts.

      Report Post »  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 2:25pm

      @Cemoto78

      Forget the ever loving bleeding hearts period. People like the pirates seem to understand only one thing, and that is fear. Convince them that any response to a single attack on their part will be paid back with such force it will leave any survivors back in the pre-stone age era for generations.

      Assuming there would be any survivors.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Exrepublisheep
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 4:24pm

      I happen to be a bleeding heart liberal, we SHOULD be a socially aware society. I also happen to believe pirates should be permanently removed from the gene pool. I like the comment where its said the surviving pirates should get back to shore with horror stories about their failed attempt at piracy.

      Report Post » Exrepublisheep  
  • what4
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 11:37am

    Happy they are free, now they should write the ‘somali hostage diet’ book…sorry but without humor there is no hope!

    Report Post »  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 11:43am

      I believe the military already has such a book, it is published under the name of MRE or “Meals Rejected by Everyone.”

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • what4
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:19pm

      OK you got me there!!! LOL

      Report Post »  
    • Neuhouser
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 2:29pm

      actually MREs arent half bad, but I could easily see hou you could get disgusted by them eating the same ones day in and day out.

      Report Post » Neuhouser  
  • Annette
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 11:32am

    thank God! These people never should have been in those waters in the first place.

    Report Post »  
    • john seven eighteen
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 11:37am

      @Annette

      yes, but actually it is the pirates who should not be in those waters. If something isn’t done to get some kind of functioning government in Somalia these types of attacks will only continue. Waters should be open to all people without fear of being hijacked by lawless barbarians.

      john seven eighteen  
    • Annette
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:13pm

      I completely agree with you, but until we have utopian waters off somalia…i think people who aren’t packin some heavy heat should probably go somewhere else.

      Report Post »  
    • Annette
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:21pm

      one more thing, something needs to be done about the somali govt as long as it is not us. LEt the people of somalia deal with it. I am tired of our young men and women dying for nothing. Put our troops on the mexico border. I am not in danger from someone in Afghanistan, but we are in serious danger from the hoardes of Muslim extremists penetrating the mexican border…it’s not all poor migrants just wanting work.

      Report Post »  
    • john seven eighteen
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:32pm

      @Annette

      “…something needs to be done about the somali govt as long as it is not us.” ABSOLUTELY!! It’s high time the rest of the world does their fair share in trying to police the world. I know people don’t like to hear that the U.S. is the world’s police force but facts are facts. Not that I want us to be, but you don’t see anyone else stepping up to the plate. We definitely do not need to send our young men and women into that hell hole (again).

      Report Post » john seven eighteen  
    • C. Schwehr
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 4:10pm

      JOHN 7:18….Keeping pirates out of international waters is the job of the various Navies…they are not doing their jobs, obviously…Ours has only done the job properly once…by taking out the pirates who had kidnapped the captain of that U.S. flagged container ship a while back….and I understand that the president was very upset by the actions of our SEALs…Our president is not interested in resolving the problem because this problem only helps with his effort to apply further pressure to the American people…There will be no solution for at least 2-3 years…until a competent President is elected..

      Report Post »  
    • john seven eighteen
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 4:29pm

      @c.

      I totally agree! And you just know everyone is just sitting on their butts waiting for the US to handle i, like always

      Report Post » john seven eighteen  

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