# Four Americans Murderd By Somali Pirates-Time to Get Serious?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-americans-murderd-by-somali-pirates-time-to-get-serious/572256>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 22, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-americans-murderd-by-somali-pirates-time-to-get-serious/572256 "2011-02-22T18:17:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-americans-murderd-by-somali-pirates-time-to-get-serious/572256/121 "2011-02-25T21:53:35Z")

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> [@Burton](#):
>
> I think maybe the most effective solution is for shipping to arm itself. This creates problems too though. As you can’t enter most ports under arms presently.

Also, doing that would be expensive; they’d have to be convinced that the costs of arming _all_ of their ships (and hiring mercenaries to use the guns) is smaller than paying the occasional ransom for _one_ ship. And again; there’s the danger that a ship full of armed mercenaries will simply decide to indulge in piracy itself. Or that the mercenaries will simply pirate the ship you put them on.

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