#2 In a war zone, shouldn't ships be flying their national flags?
Read up on the maritime industry. It's a rough and often shades-of-gray business.
As for 'ransom', the shipping companies view it as part of doing business. The shipping company incorporates each vessel as a separate business entity; the company is essentially a holder of the shares and charges each 'ship corporation' a fee for managing it. The less profitable/ethical shippers will set up the 'ship corporation' to have the bare minimum for insurance on the vessel, but will make sure there's a 'hostage' clause. |