Posted on 04/10/2009 5:06:42 AM PDT by IrishMike
American Captain Tries Daring Escape from Somali Pirates
Both Sides Send Reinforcements to Pirate Standoff
The American captain being held hostage by Somali pirates dove into the water during the night in an attempt to escape, but was quickly recaptured, Defense Department officials said today.
The daring overnight escape attempt by Capt. Richard Phillips was the Vermont sailor's latest bit of heroics in the four day old drama on the high seas 300 miles from the nearest coastline.
Phillips had earlier volunteered to be a hostage after his unarmed men took back their freighter, the Maersk Alabama, from the pirates. The captain stepped forward to be a hostage to avoid a bloody battle with the gun toting pirates.
Phillips, 53, didn't get far in his effort to single handedly end the standoff. He was quickly recaptured by the four pirates in the 28-foot open lifeboat. The pirates, out of gas but armed with AK-47 rifles, insist on taking Phillips back to Somalia to hold him for ransom.
Tensions escalated around the little boat today with both sides sending reinforcements to the scene.
The U.S. destroyer Bainbridge has been keeping an eye on the four pirates in recent days and is being joined by another warship, the Halyburton, which carries two helicopters.
The pirates also claim to be sending reinforcements, hijacked ships with their captured crews as human shields.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
great consiracy theory, I like that
On what? In the final re-do the Bible wasn't present.
It isn't just Capt. Phillips being held hostage. He represents America to the world right now and every Jihadist knows it. This puts us in great jeopardy as it will only embolden and encourage those who want to destroy America.
It is inconceivable that when Phillips was able to separate himself from the terrorists and got in the water that a SEAL team wasn't at the ready to aid him. This entire incident should be over by now but instead it is escalating to a major international incident.
Prayers up for the Captain and his family. God forbid, if something happens to him, it will be Obama’s fault for running a Mickey Mouse operation.
count me as being in 1000% agreement with you. roger, copy
Or will the MSM cover again for the great 0’s failings, blunders and mishaps?
Unfortunately for the Captain, that's what he must have been thinking. As in, "once I get clear of these guys those sailors manning that machine gun will cut these guys in half and then all I'll have to do is tread water for a couple of minutes until the chopper gets out to come pick me up.
What he didn't know was that the Navy had gotten orders to not harm the pirates under any circumstances because Obama and Hillary's state department is going to reason with them. /s
Our military and expensive weapons are pretty useless when you have an Afro-islamic usurper dealing with other African Muslims. They will get TARP money plus 10 million green cards and lifetime welfare.
We need an ex-military JAG officer top attorney filing a suit with SCOTUS for thousands of active duty under John & Jane Doe to protect them. SCOTUS can tell our military they have no standing and SCOTUS will be failing to uphold The Constitution.
Why didn’t we blow the pirates away as soon as the Captain went into the water?
Swearing on the Christian Bible means nothing to a Muslim.
“The hostage separates himself from his captors and nothing happens. Welcome to “The Day’s of Malaise II”
That’s a real risk in international and even domestic situations if you don’t know what the enforcement people have been instructed to do. Back in the 90s, my family got caught up in a hostage situation where two women were used as hostage to accompany the assailant outside in the dark to pick up a box which held explosives. One woman saw cops all around, watching the situation. She seized the man’s gun and tried to wrest it from him. When she couldn’t, she tried running away. The cops did nothing and she got a bullet in the back. I don’t know whether it could have been prevented but I do know that hostages should think twice before assuming someone, anyone with a clear shot to the criminal will take it. Brave act, no doubt, but you can’t rely on someone helping you out in that situation.
I did not write ‘they were all dead’.
Please re-read my message.
I wrote that their hostage is what is keeping them alive.
From another thread, apparently Obama has given the order for the Navy NOT to shoot, and is NOT allowing the SEALs into the water.
Got the link?
Great citation. Marines get crazy about their Corpsmen. That’s why.
I would melt holes into the bottom of the boat.
Why not place enough snipers to synchronize four kills?
Unless the captain is wired into the terrorists pulse it should be a matter of aim.
I don’t think the physical position of the new pirate ships is the problem...the pirates are going ‘all in’. They have dozens of hostages from other vessels (and other nations) on these ships; and, they are trying to introduce their plight into the situation.
They may even try to ‘pick up’ the pirates in the lifeboat. What is the destroyer going to do...these ships have hostages on them also. Personally, I think the Navy should disable any ships that get close (like our Coast Guard does with drug smugglers)...who knows what will happen.
They do not care about living or dying as long as it is for the cause. We cannot think in terms of what we consider logical or sane when dealing with these vermin. Sadly Phillips' fate is in serious peril and we have a high-school (DC public) debate team on the job.
It does not matter what happens now. The US's hand has been played and the entire world has seen the cards we are willing to play. I am ill.
Was that a trick question?
Hey barry, or is it Barak, or Barack, or Osama, or HUSSEIN, but We know for sure it’s ZERO all the way around! Are ZERO’S Prayers to MECCA being heard, or its MECCA on the side of The Maritiome Organizers Revolutionary Force on this one. The Somali Pirates are a misnomer as RUSH points out, they are now known as MACORN! the Maritime Acorn Subsidiary! No wonder, ZERO is afraid to say “BOO” to them they are one with him and his closest friends.
It would cause them to throw their AKs overboard, give up Our Captain and Beg for Mercy, three things ZERO OBAMA doesn’t want from ZERO’S Muslim Maritime Organizer Friends!!
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