Pirates, Warships Race to Hostage Scene

Wztv ^ | April 10, 2009 | Staff

[BarnacleCenturion]

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Pirates and U.S. warships are racing to the spot in the Indian Ocean where an American sea captain is being held hostage by a handful of pirates.

A Nairobi-based diplomat says the pirates holding Capt. Richard Phillips have summoned assistance. He says skiffs and motherships are heading toward the area from the coast.

[Kimberly GG]

Can someone catch me up on this?

I mean really, how many of our ships does it take to rescue ONE captain being held by 3/4 terrorists? That captain risked his life to escape!! It’s taking so long that now the whole freeking world is getting involved? Has Obama said ANY THING yet?

[A Navy Vet]

"Why in the world can’t we bring is one sniper for every pirate on the boat and coordinate a 1...2...3...shoot kind of thing."

Because:
1. Lifeboat is enclosed, similar to a cruise ship lifeboat, so all (3) thugs would have to be outside at the same time if you don't want a dead hostage;
2. Lifeboat is bobbing around in the sea;
3. The snipers would be on rolling ships at sea and thousands of yards out.

I'm no expert, but that sounds like a no go for snipers. Maybe someone can correct me.

[eaglestar]

And whatever happened to “Mutli-Task Man”, that wonderful new super-hero who became our president? Didn’t Obama make just terrible “fun” of McInsane during the campaign for HIS seeming inability to concentrate on more than one thing at a time?

---

He’s still the multi-task man. Didn’t you hear Hillary say that she was deeply troubled and was watching the situation very carefully? Well, they’re doing what they said they would do, they’re watching.

The way you multi-task Obama style is you touch upon a topic, beat your drums and slap your chest and them you move on to something else. That way, you cover all the bases. Kinda like what the Drive By Media does. Hit & Run and leave the mess for others to clean up.

Besides, Obama’s heart & sympathies are with the pirates not with Capitalist American sailors.

[Girlene]

Just heard the French Navy freed hostages taken by pirates over the weekend.

Yes, here's a report from AP, French free sailboat from pirates, 1 hostage dies

"The French Navy stormed a French sailboat being held by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia, killing one hostage and two pirates in the operation, a presidential statement said Friday.

The navy also freed four remaining hostages, including one child, who were seized Saturday when pirates boarded their ship, the Tanit. Three other pirates were taken prisoner.

It was not immediately clear where the rescue operation occurred. It did not appear to be in any proximity to the current standoff involving an American captain being held hostage.

It was the third time the French have freed hostages from the hands of pirates but the first time that a hostage had been killed. The French presidential statement said the boat was being steered toward the Somali coast."........

.........."France's policy is to refuse to accept acts of piracy and avoid having French citizens taken ashore as hostages, the statement said.

The operation began Thursday when a Navy vessel contacted the pirates and "immobilized" the Tanit, it said.

"Negotiations were started to persuade the pirates to give up their criminal undertaking," said the statement.

"Today, threats were more precise, with the pirates refusing proposals and the Tanit moving toward the coast. An operation to free the hostages was decided.""...........

[Gabrial]

“Has Obama said ANY THING yet?”

No. An American kidnapped by Somalis seems to be above his pay grade.

[A Navy Vet]

"Let me get this straight. Captain Richard Phillips jumps out of the boat and begins swimming away leaving only terrorist pirates in the boat, yet the USS Bainbridge did not have the clearance to blow the pirate-filled boat out of the water?"

If the reports are true, this happened around midnight and it seems he only got yards away if he was immediately recaptured. That would not be a good time to be strafing the lifeboat with M-60 fire or blowing anything out of the water if you want to keep from killing the hostage. Also, I would think the pirates have the Navy maintaining a certain distance or dead hostage. I can understand why the Navy didn't open fire.

[Girlene]

From Fox News, Officials Say Pirate Fired Weapon in Captain's Failed Escape

"Defense officials say that one of the pirates holding an American captive fired an automatic weapon when the hostage tried to swim to safety.

Defense officials say it's not clear whether the pirate fired at the fleeing hostage, or into the air. The officials spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the sensitive, unfolding operation.

American cargo ship captain Richard Phillips of Underhill, Vt., jumped overboard overnight. He was apparently hoping to reach a U.S. warship standing guard several hundred yards away. The destroyer USS Bainbridge has rescue helicopters aboard, as well as lifeboats. The Bainbridge is keeping its distance, in part to stay out of the pirates' range of fire."

[DrewsMum]

Keep reading your history books... he did come back to redeem himself later with the U.S. Navy.

If that gives you any hope. ;-).

[A Navy Vet]

That's how I thought it most likely went down. Although, I am surprised to learn that the Bainbridge is ONLY "several hundred" yards away.

Still too far to be strafing the lifeboat with M-50 fire in the dead of night. And no shells are going to fired. I can see why the Navy didn't react.

[CatoRenasci]

I understand there would be difficulties, but the instant he was in the water, snipers should have been suppressing any fire from the open hatch of the lifeboat while SEALS got the good captain out of harms way. They wouldn't have to hit the pirates to suppress their fire effectively. As soon as the captain and the SEALS were a safe distance, then they should have shredded the lifeboat and made sure the perps went down with it.

[Girlene]

Second US Navy ship arrives on scene

"A second US Navy ship arrived Friday on the scene of a tense hostage stand-off near the coast of Somalia, where the captain of a US-operated ship was still being held by a group of four pirates, US defence officials confirmed.

The USS Halyburton, a frigate, joined the USS Bainbridge, a destroyer that had arrived Thursday morning and taken up negotiations with the pirates, according to Commander Peter Schneider, a spokesman for the US Defence Department. "...................

...................."Phillips reportedly attempted to escape from his captors early Friday morning, leaping from the lifeboat in a daring attempt to swim to the Bainbridge. He was recaptured and apparently unharmed.

Schneider said the Navy had not been in contact with the captain since the incident. ".................

[A Navy Vet]

Sounds plausible, especially if the Bainbridge is really that close. I figured the pirates would insist on thousands of yards out, rather than the report “several hundred”. But then, who knows if there are SEALS in the water? If they are, how close to the lifeboat? And would they have time to grab the hostage before he headed back to the lifeboat after the pirates opened fire? There’s a lot of variables here.

[Girlene]

It depends how far away he was, but it may have been too dangerous at that instance in time. I’m concerned that providing them with food/water and playing this waiting game is giving them more time for their comrades to arrive. Supposedly they have more ships on the way with hostages on them as well. Human shields? This will only get messier once they arrive. Don’t know if they have any Navy Seals on board. I’m pretty sure they sent a team of Navy Seals with the previously captured cargo ship for additional security.

[A Navy Vet]

You can bet there is a SEAL team. Destroyers don't normally carry a unit, but they've been heli-coptered in by now.

I'm also concerned about this escalation news.

[paulycy]

zero addresses the pirates and the war on terror:

[NYRepublican72]

Yes we are WATCHING 3 guys in a lifeboat like a bunch of Europeans.

Even the French new to storm the ship that held their nationals. You'd think the Navy SEALS would be chomping at the bit to deal with a situation like this.

Grow some balls 0bama.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

If I were related to the CPT I would want to let the situation work itself out without risking the life of the hostage or the Spec Ops guys. We clearly have the advantage so there is no reason to do anything risky.

[chessplayer]

And still the Bamster has nothing to say about this. Imagine what the media would be doing to Bush if he said nothing in a situation like this.

[A Navy Vet]

"You'd think the Navy SEALS would be chomping at the bit to deal with a situation like this."

Of all the speculation about this incident, your comment is the one truism. SEALS live for this kind of thing. I'd love to know what their unit commander is thinking and his ready plan.

[NYRepublican72]

Personally, I’d rather have my loved one back home safely, as quickly as possible.

I’d expect the military to blow the boat to smithereens once my loved one escaped. That didn’t happen.

I’d expect the President to actually say something about my loved one. Any comments Zero?

I’d expect the Secretary of State to act like a professional and not laugh my loved one’s situation. I don’t even think that the creators of South Park would have ever come up with that on their own.

And I’d hope that the Commander In Chief would blow up the Pirates’ stronghold along EVERY boat with pirate scum with an RPG or AK-47 off the face of the Earth, so that no other person who has loved ones will be held hostage ever again.

But that’s just me.

We have the technology and a lesson needs to be taught to these scum so that they never do it again. Period.