Pirates released after assault operation apparently perished

[Kshasty]

The Somali pirates who were captured in an assault operation after hijacking a Russian tanker near the Gulf of Aden and then released by Russian military officials have not reached the coast and have apparently perished, a top-ranking source in Russia's Defense Ministry told journalists on Tuesday.

Russia's Moscow University tanker was hijacked last week near the Gulf of Aden. Ten pirates were captured and one was killed in the assault operation.

The captured pirates were initially to be sent to Moscow for prosecution, but Russian military officials then made the decision to release them, citing the absence of a legal base to carry out prosecution procedures against pirates.

The pirate's boat reportedly disappeared from radars an hour after they had been released by the Russian military.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100511/158967591.html

[Democat]

1. Big surprise!

I suspect that the pirates in that area will think twice about going after a Russian flagged ship in the future.

[miyazaki]

2. at the least they gave them an hours head start.

:shrug:

[Hannah Bell]

3. why do you think the russians did it?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. Why did the Russians do what?

1. Why did they release the pirates?
2. Why did they give them an hour to row?
3. Why did they kill the pirates?

1. It saves the cost and publicity of a trial.
2. It gives the Russians a shred of deniability.
3. It sends a message to pirates - don't mess with Russian ships.

just my three guesses.

:hi:

[Hannah Bell]

5. or, maybe they released them & someone else killed them.

not like it isn't a well-traveled waterway.

[dems_rightnow]

6. Sometimes the Russians get it right.

Not worth the risk to attack Russian ships!

[zbdent]

8. gee ... we just shot them, right?

[tomm2thumbs]

7. they probably put a small hole in the boat and pushed them on their way /nt