Pirates demand ransom greater than Tuvalu's GDP

Somali pirates are holding 12 sailors from the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu and are demanding US$15m to release them. Talk about picking on the weak guy. Tuvalu has almost no economy to speak of, relying predominantly on foreign aid and some local fishing. The ransom demand is actually more than the country's est. US$12.2m GDP (based on latest est. in 2002).

That's right. Tuvalu. It's a tiny island nation (the fourth smallest in the world) whose claim to fame is that for some reason neither the French nor Americans chose it as a site to test nuclear weapons. It's also the fourth smallest country in the world.

Maybe the pirates can just exchange the hostages for the country of Tuvalu and move there - two problems solved in one fell swoop.