No deal with pirates

South Korea’s military operation to rescue all 21 crew members of a hijacked freighter in the Arabian Sea, Friday, should be a clear message that Seoul will no longer compromise with pirates, terrorists and hijackers.

It is a great consolation that all of the hostages and special warfare commandos were safe although the captain sustained an injury that does not threaten his life.

The rare and bold raid on Somali pirates in waters between Oman and Africa killed eight assailants and captured five Somali hostage takers.

The “Gulf of Aden Dawn” operation came a week after the Somali pirates seized the South Korean freighter and held eight South Koreans, two Indonesians and 11 citizens from Myanmar for ransom.

South Korean Navy forces stormed the hijacked vessel under covering fire from a destroyer and Lynx helicopter in the operation.

President Lee Myung-bak declared that the country will no longer tolerate any behavior that threatens the lives and safety of South Koreans in the future.

Our commandos should get due praise for the impeccable rescue operation. Their triumph should be recorded as one of the most dramatic operations in the global war against piracy.

It is noteworthy that their secret operation was successful despite the difficult situation and limited information. They successfully isolated the pirates from the hostages through meticulous planning. The operation is all the more shining as the mission was a success far away from home.

Military commandos boarded the Samho Jewelry under the cover of darkness, with teams moving systematically through the vessel, compartment by compartment.

This should be a morale-booster to the Korean military which has been in deep soul-searching following North Korean provocations.

Their achievement is comparable to the Entebbe Operation ― a hostage rescue mission Israeli soldiers carried out at Entebbe Airport in Uganda in 1976.

They minimized damage and successfully carried out the top-secret operation.

The mission was also a source of consolation for President Lee. He had faced criticism following North Korea’s torpedoing of a South Korean Navy ship and the shelling of a maritime border island. A triumphant Lee declared the rescue a complete success.

Seoul had no choice but to adopt the military action after paying ransoms for seven vessels hijacked by Somali pirates in the past.

Lee expressed special thanks to unspecified countries for their support in the raid. International cooperation is essential to combat hijackers and terrorists.

Incidents of piracy have prompted several countries to step up patrols in the area to secure shipments of oil and other products.

The international anti-piracy operation is necessary to free the 600 hostages on at least 25 ships still held by pirates from Somalia.