Because it is illegal at almost all marinas and ports worldwide to have guns on board. If the boat is discovered with weapons on board they will be confiscated and the Captain will be jailed. This is why even the big commercial ships do not have weapons on board.

I don't understand why we "captured" some of them and whats more if our war ships come across one of there motherships, and I'm sure they know one when they find one, EVAPORATE IT. Dead pirates don't talk!

It is a historic right,All arms have to be reported to the authorities right away and Kept locked on board while in Port.

I heard a Coast Guard representative on the radio today. What he couldn't understand, nor could I, is why these animals—and that's what they are—decided destroy the leverage they had by killing those innocent sailors. A warship with Navy Seals was right behind them and boarded the sail boat the moment they heard shots.

I am, generally speaking, not an advocate of capital punishment. However, in this case ... simply handcuff the surviving pirates and place them below deck. Then, let the warship sink the sail boat.

I don't know why I find this incident so horrible. Innocent people get murdered all the time. But this one, I just can't seem to get out of my head.

Condolences to the families and friends of those slain.

-----Im guessing that the motherships always have hostages aboard and advertise that loudly so as to stay afloat......Bill S

This is not good, best to the families of those lost.

But as others have said, what were they thinking going there.
They are wealthy international travelers, they would have to know the risk.
Beyond that there are hundreds of international military ships in the area burning up millions in our $$,
why do we tolerate pirates.
Get to the heart of the problem and blast them.
Go to the port they operate from and get em.

I am politically neutral but this crap gets me going.

The U.S. Navy has been in the business of protecting shipping lanes, and fighting piracy for over 200 years. That is thier job! and that floating city called a "Aircraft Carrier" is America's first responder to international crisis when we have a President the has common sense enough to lead with forward projection.

When I heard this story this morning, I initially thought that these people were nuts for boating in this area. After reading the story that they were hundreds of miles off shore, I no longer think that they were in the wrong, and I think that we as a nation should do something about protecting our civilians, our civilians property, our cargo, and cargo with U.S. interests. These people weren't in "water off the coast of Somalia," they were in damn OPEN WATER hundreds of miles from shore. To think these people are in the wrong is to think that no one has any business in boating anywhere off of the East coast of Africa, for fear of a few lunatics with AK47's, which is ridiculous!

Where can you sign up for employment to protect ships sailing in Somalia? I'd love to do it. For $100k I'd shoot anyone and everyone that tried to rob, steal, kill or otherwise maim anyone on board of the vessel I was protecting, and I'd feel damn good about it. If the U.S. wants to do something about it, they should offer the service for free through their military. Allow a military sniper with rifle and close combat weapon to board the yacht or ship and protect the damn thing. Drop him off at the next port, and fly him back to the navy vessel.

The governing authority should perform a sting operation. That's how law enforcement catches drug dealers. Not only are the deaths tragic, but the pirate incidents strike at what freedom of the water means to us all.

Good plan but I think resources would be better utitlized on home turf.......I think if you venture that far off US soil don't expect the US to get you out of a jam.