U.S. Navy Arrives on Scene of Hijacked American Ship

Fox News ^ | 4/8/2009

[tsmith130]

The U.S. is closing in on pirates that hijacked a U.S.-flagged ship off the coast of Somalia. According to a spokesman for the owner of the Maersk Alabama, which had been hijacked by pirates before American crew members were able to regain control of the vessel Wednesday, a U.S. Navy warship arrived at the scene Wednesday night.

The ship's captain still is being held hostage on a smaller boat.

Family members said Capt. Richard Phillips surrendered himself to the pirates to secure the safety of the crew. "What I understand is that he offered himself as the hostage," said Gina Coggio, 29, half sister of Phillips' wife. "That is what he would do. It's just who he is and his response as a captain."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Wednesday for world action to "end the scourge of piracy" as U.S. warships raced to confront the pirates.

"We are deeply concerned and we are following it very closely," Clinton said. "Specifically, we are now focused on this particular act of piracy and the seizure of a ship that carries 21 American citizens.

[spectre]

Fox news just reported that Hillary Clinton said the "life boat is out of gas".

Interesting scenerio ahead.

sw

[acsrp38]

See posts 194 and 195.

Econuts are already on the case!!

[yatros from flatwater]

Arming the crew with AA-12 automatic shotguns would serve most boarder repelling needs. See the videos here.

[a fool in paradise]

blame America first. We “deserve” it.

We’ve known that the basis of the econuts and Communists and “peace” protesters (who are decidedly PRO-Palestinian war and were PRO-North Vietnamese military) have always been motivated in their positions as being AGAINST the West.

Now they defend terrorism. As they do in Israel and Iraq.

[rockinqsranch]

Unbelievable! That person votes!

Actually looking at who is in the WH I do believe it.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Fox news just reported that Hillary Clinton said the "life boat is out of gas".

If it would have been a hybrid or total electic motor, it probably would have made it back to the coast.[/sarcasm]

[cookcounty]

Hopefully there are some combat divers available.

[CindyDawg]

I would have thought they would have gone in last night. I hope the Navy isn’t under political orders to back off.

[KansasGirl]

“We are deeply concerned and we are following it very closely,” Clinton said.

Well, I’d hope so Hillary. It is time to get pissed!

See, what Obama’s show my weakness apology tour has reaped? Bowing at the feet of a Muslim! Calling Americans arrogant! Good Grief!

[Miss Didi]

Speaking of the bow, Megan Kelly really ripped into Dick Morris this morning who defended Barry on his bow to the king...called it “doing as the Romans do.” Dick kept changing the subject to Barry’s giving away our sovereignty in Europe and thought the bow issue was not worth discussing. Well we do, Dick.

[KansasGirl]

Doing as Romans do? He didn’t bow to the Queen of England. The Saudi King did not bow back to Obama. That is BS. Morris was dismissive of the issue last night on FOX as well.

[Miss Didi]

This morning Steve Doocy interviewed some Lib radio host with Michael Reagan on the Notre Dame issue. The Lib, who was over religion, couldn't debate so she shifted to--we need to be discussing the pirate situation and earthquake in Italy. Huh? Barry was out trying to change the weather yesterday!

[Miss Didi]

Megan couldn’t believe it either...she even brought up Bubba bowing over in Japan. Dick would not touch this issue. Wonder why?

[KansasGirl]

“Doing as Romans do?”

More accurately, doing as Muslims do.

[KansasGirl]

“Doing as Romans do?”

More accurately, doing as Muslims do.

[CindyDawg]

I would have asked, “speaking of Italy....have they received that 50k yet?”

[Girlene]

The pirates probalby destroyed their boat, I guess, because they didn't think they'd need it after boarding the cargo ship. More from AP, FBI assisting in efforts to rescue US ship captain

"The U.S. Navy summoned the FBI in crisis atmosphere Thursday for advice on how to rescue a cargo ship captain held hostage in the Indian Ocean by pirates who seized his vessel off the coast of Somalia."..............

.........."The FBI was summoned as the Pentagon substantially stepped up its monitoring of the hostage standoff, sending in P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft and other equipment and securing video footage of the scene.

Defense Department officials would not say Thursday morning just how close the USS Bainbridge was to a small lifeboat where Phillips was being held near the Maersk Alabama.

But one official, speaking on grounds of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said the pirates "could see it with their eyes." Another official said there were several other vessels in the vicinity, but it was unclear whether any were the so-called "mother ship" that pirates use to drop them at hijacking sites."...........

[CSM]

Does anyone know what cargo the ship was carrying?

[Girlene]

According to the Boston Herald, things are changing, Crewman’s father: Cargo ship heading to Kenya

"The father of a Massachusetts-native who was aboard a cargo ship overtaken by Somali pirates says the crew has left the tense stand-off in the waters off the coast of Africa and the ship is en route to safety in Kenya.

Capt. Joseph S. Murphy II, whose son Capt. Shane Murphy, was among the 20 crew members aboard the Maersk Alabama yesterday when pirates overtook the ship, told CNN this morning that his son should be home by next week.

Murphy said that the company that owns the ship, Maersk Line, Limited, told him that the crew is on its way to Mombasa, Kenya, accompanied by armed guards.

“I was told that they are heading to Kenya,” Murphy told CNN. “They have placed an 18-man armed guard force on the ship to ensure they get there safely. The company has gratuitously agreed to change out the entire crew.”

He said his son should be home by the middle of next week.

Somali pirates are holding the ship’s captain, Richard Phillips, 53 of Vermont, captive in a lifeboat. A U.S. Navy war ship and FBI hostage negotiators are at the scene.

[DrewsMum]

“Somali pirate activity is at least partly, a reaction to illegal dumping of toxic waste and illegal fishing on the Somali coast by industrialized nations.”

Oh and what was their excuse in 1792? This is not a new thing....

But, as typical with liberals, we should excuse bad behavior, poor guys, blah blah, blah...I am so sick of this crap. And unfortunately, I take it out on my students lots of times...LOL...If they “forget” their homework and try to blame it on someone else, Lord help them because they get a 3 mile long lecture from me about personal responsibility.