Do they have to be nearby to make threats? Bring out a half dozen European hostages, shoot one of them and then threaten to shoot more if the boat with the ship captain's kidnappers isn't allowed to go to shore. That leaves Obama, who is loved by Euros, to either capitulate or to say that the life of one American is worth more than a stack of Europeans. I don't see Bowing Barack doing that.
Maybe Barack won't do that, but that doesn't make it right. If they shoot one of the hostages, then there are no more negotiations. You respond with force. Otherwise you will encourage even more hostage taking because they are insurance against any action being taken against them. I guess AQ could capture an American or a European and demand that some or all of the prisoners in Gitmo be released or they will kill them.
We are heading down the same path that Carter did in Tehran only this time we are dealing with a non-state actor. It should actually be easier to use force against the pirates and especially a group of four in the middle of the ocean in a lifeboat without fuel and surrounded by USN warships.
The mistake we are making is treating it like a routine domestic criminal hostage situation when actually, it is an international incident involving piracy on the high seas, which are covered under international law. We have every right to blow these bastards out their boats without a trial or reading them their Miranda rights. I hope the Captain is released unharmed, but we are dealing with a much larger issue and his safety is not paramount.
“Bring out a half dozen European hostages, shoot one of them and then threaten to shoot more if the boat with the ship captain’s kidnappers isn’t allowed to go to shore.”
A counterpoint is to let the pirates know if they kill a single hostage we sink the ship. If it comes to that you can be damned sure the other pirate ships will try to flee or surrender.