PIRATES ARE IN FOR A SHIP STORM; US DESTROYER CLOSES IN ON HOSTAGE BOAT (pirates out of fuel)

NY POST ^ | 4/10/09 | REBECCA ROSENBERG in Underhill, Vt., LORENA MONGELLI in Seekonk, Mass, DAN MANGAN in NY

[Liz]

A US Navy destroyer stranded a hapless group of Somali pirates on the high seas. "We are surrounded by warships and don't have time to talk," one terrified pirate told Reuters via satellite phone.....the four blubbering buccaneers refused to release Capt. Richard Phillips, as the 510-foot destroyer USS Bainbridge, spy planes and drones kept tabs on the pirates' stranded, covered lifeboat, which had run out of fuel, with 10 days of emergency rations aboard. Capt. Richard Phillips offered himself as a hostage after his crew locked themselves in a room containing the ship's controls when the pirates boarded the vessel 250 miles off the Somali coast. US Central Command boss Gen. David Petraeus said the military will increase its presence near the Horn of Africa..... Capt Phillips, 53, had a radio and had additional batteries and provisions, Maersk said. The Maersk Alabama was ordered to sail for Mombasa, Kenya, with its cargo of food relief.....An 18-man, armed security detail from the Bainbridge was aboard the Alabama. "No one is coming to the pirates' rescue, that's for sure," said retired US Navy Cmdr. Kirk Lippold. "It's a waiting game and time is on the Navy's side. The pirates are in a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean. The only card they have to play is the captain."

[2nd amendment mama]

"We are surrounded by warships and don't have time to talk," one terrified pirate told a Reuters reporter who reached him via a satellite phone.

Just curious.....how the hell did Reuters get the pirates satellite phone number to call and try to interview them? Does Reuters go around the world passing out satellite phones to all terrorists?

[AppyPappy]

So did Ron Paul

[Cringing Negativism Network]

“Neo-conservatives”?

You talk like a liberal.

[trisham]

Wait everybody! Have we considered the feelings of the pirates? What drove them to this? Was it Bush? Was it the US? What did the Americans do wrong to cause this kidnapping? Those cargo ships passing back and forth must have done something to instigate this “crisis”! We must compensate the pirates for the hardship we have caused them./s

*****************

Heh. If only the above was an unlikely response by some, particularly by one who currently occupies the White House.

[Sequoyah101]

and by now it stinks reall, really bad.

[Boiling Pots]

Yes, Neo-conservatives, ie, big government/big spending Republicans who support using the military as a instrument for social change throughout the world.

[2nd amendment mama]

That was my 1st thought and I just commented about the same thing - guess I should have read the whole thread before posting....duh.

[Sequoyah101]

I’d add, “We have TARP money, how much will it take to get you to keep him?”

[roses of sharon]

See it at http://www.truveo.com/PRESIDENT-BUSH-HOLDING-HANDS-WITH-SAUDI-CROWN/id/1524375429

You will see that the Prince had just gotten out of his car and that President Bush lent him a hand up the tricky steps, for the Prince was 81 years old. You will also see Bush look at the steps himself, showing obvious care. And, right behind the Prince, one of his aides does stumble back upon hitting those steps.

GWB was meeting with this Saudi while killing the headchoppers worldwide.

Hussein was genuflecting....ie, honoring, worshiping, the keeper of Islam, while letting terrorists go free, and slandering the US to the world.

Only a moonbat would compare them.

[trisham]

Well done.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

As opposed to your own position, which is what, if you don’t mind?

Other than prostrated before your lord and master 0bozo?

[Sequoyah101]

My thoughts.

[2nd amendment mama]

Hey jerk - Bush didn’t bow. He was receiving some sort of medal around his neck. You know, just like an athlete bends over when they get an Olympic medal placed around their neck. In the case of zero, I didn’t notice that he was so honored.

[tflabo]

A little tear gas therapy may do the trick..where there’s smoke there’s mayhem.

[1066AD]

Reinforcements on the way in a captured ship with human shields.

If Uncle Sam doesn't get this sorted out pretty quick it's going to get messy.

[Boiling Pots]

Of course, if one isn’t 100% behind Bush and his agenda, then one must bow down to Obama. It’s the only logical conclusion.

I can pretty much guarantee you I worked harder than 99% of Republicans working to defeat Obama.

[Revolting cat!]

I suggest the Barry Manilow therapy 24/7 at volume setting of 11 !

[2nd amendment mama]

Neo-conservatives were largely silent.

Troll alert!!!

[PapaBear3625]

As far as using snipers, the target is moving too much to take a clean shot. The lighter boat is moving on the swells very rapidly to the point of gyration. Any attempt would guarantee the death of the Captain.

The USS Bainbridge is listed as also having "2× 25 mm, 4× 12.7 mm guns". I'm hoping the 25mm is the stabilized version of the Mark 38 Machine Gun System. They also make stabilized versions of the 12.7 (.50 cal) machine guns for naval use, and I would guess that one of those would be quite useful for sniping from a naval platform.

[kaehurowing]

We need to bring back the law of the sea and simply hang all pirates that are captured. That is, the ones that surrender. The others are already dead.