Three cheers for the Navy SEALs who rescued Virginia’s own Jessica Buchanan last week.
And, tough though it may be, here’s hoping that more such successes will persuade pirates that the risks of kidnapping Americans outweigh the rewards.
In a rescue effort culminating in a shootout, the SEALS liberated the 32-year-old Buchanan, whose father lives in Bedford, and another hostage from Denmark. Nine captors were killed, but the two hostages and the SEALs were uninjured.
The dramatic rescue was described as necessary because Ms. Buchanan’s health was deteriorating.
Afterward, pirates shifted the location of another American hostage three times in 24 hours, promising to kill him if any further rescue attempts were made.
Ms. Buchanan and 60-year-old Poul Hagen Thisted were working for a Danish group that was demining war-torn Somalia. Their efforts were peaceful; indeed, they were attempting to extend peace, to protect Somalis from continued danger by working to clear the area of mines.
This humanitarian effort was appreciated by the majority of Somalis, according to the Danish Refugee Council, parent of the demining group. There were celebrations in the streets of Mogadishu and other towns after the rescue, the organization said.
On the other end of the human scale are the pirates, for whom kidnapping is an industry. Ransoms are their reward.
“It’s difficult to hold U.S. hostages, because it’s a game of chance,” said a pirate connected to the gang who abducted the third American, “— die or get huge money.”
So far, the pirates haven’t been dissuaded. They keep going after the money.
It’s understandable that ransoms might be paid. Families, or the corporations or organizations the victims work for, easily could rationalize giving in to the pirates, and giving them money. The value of a human life is immeasurable; so is the anguish of loved ones.
But of course ransoms paid tip the balance toward reward, rather than risk. When that happens, then the risk is increased for innocent people such as Jessica Buchanan — the odds are heightened that more kidnappings will occur.
It might not be possible to eliminate kidnapping as an industry for desperate, unscrupulous men in places such as Somalia. But brave and successful rescues send the right message.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement