Posted on 10/31/2007 5:53:04 AM PDT by RDTF
NAIROBI, Kenya — U.S. sailors brought injured North Koreans aboard their destroyer for medical treatment after the Koreans were shot and wounded in a battle with pirates off the coast of Somalia, the Navy said Wednesday.
The destroyer USS James E. Williams assisted Korean sailors who retook control of their North Korean-flagged vessel Tuesday in a deadly battle with Somali pirates who had hijacked the boat late Monday.
Lt. John Gay, deputy spokesman for the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain, told The Associated Press that pirate attacks are not rare in U.S. Navy's area of operations and that "it's our duty to help all vessels in distress."
According to the military, the North Koreans asked for medical assistance and gave permission for U.S. Navy personnel to board the ship.
When the Navy boarded the ship with a small team of medics, security personnel and an interpreter, the Koreans already had regained control of the vessel and detained all pirates, the Navy said.
One pirate was dead and three were wounded, while three Korean sailors also were wounded, the Navy said. The Navy medics treated all six for gunshot wounds. The Korean sailors were taken aboard the American destroyer and treated there for two hours. They were returned to the Korean ship the same night.
The pirates remain detained on the Korean vessel, the U.S. Navy said.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Good excuse to search the ship and see what the Norks were hauling, too.....
Bet they wish they were on the destroyer. I'm sure the North Koreans are nice to their prisoners.
Somali pirates = religion of peace
The pirates are ready for their last stand, their weapons cocked and ready. Suddenly a huge and menacing shadow appears at the bulkhead and they quake in fear. "Who is that?" one of the Somali pirate stutters fearfully. The leader looked at him knowingly, doom in his eyes. "He's Gay," he replied.
and which religion of peace were these (ahem) pirates?
Take them to Gitmo! Make them have brunch and watch cable TV while sipping cocktails! That’ll teach ‘em.
What would pirates do with replacement parts for a Syrian reactor?
Now that the NK’s got their boat back, does that mean that we get the USS Pueblo back?
Aaaargh! that darn US Navy!
Until used for shark bait...
A U.S. warship at sea is considered an open classified container with a security classification of SECRET. I hate myself for thinking this way, but the North Koreans might try to take advantage of our hospitality to perform a little light espionage, if not for their own use, to retail to the Chinese, Iranians and Russians.
Next time we assist injured North Koreans, they might actually be espionage agents. I wouldn't put it past the North Koreans. (I remember reading in "A Bridge Too Far" that British(!) medical officers allowed to cross German lines to treat British prisoners used the opportunity to glean as much intelligence as they could about the German positions. The German commander was a fool, or positioning himself for post-war war crimes trials.)
Aarrrghh - I was going to say Arrgggh until you beat me to it by saying Aaarrrgggh. Aaaarrgggh.
And again the USN saves the day. Quickly this will be forgotten, few will report it.
Good work.
Nah, that reg was repealed by Congress before WWII, to Admiral Gallery’s disappointment.
The U.S. Navy. On the job. Ruining the day for another bunch of sea punks.
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