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 ...
HMM.Well, if I was in the Captain’s place I think I would feel like I was being terrorized.
Can't argue with that. So would anyone else kidnapped at gunpoint.
Let me ask the obvious and tell me why this is not obvious.
The pirates hold a captive and therefore the US Navy hostage.
The pirates hold the hostage because they can physically control him.
So why not take that control away?
Why cannot a diver surreptiously sink that survival craft.
Pirates in the water is a more difficult scenario to control a captive.
Of course, the trick is to not have the captive harmed before they get in the water.
But once in the water, a diver can nab the hostage and provide air.
Once other pirates arrive, the game is over.
It memory serves, the movis was named “Shooter”
Lawyers were meeting with the UN for a decision?
Kill the pirates, behead them and dump them over their pirate stronghold. Terrorists shoud be the ones terrorized..
Obammy probably has a cousin on the puirate ship..
You have a keen mind..
My guess is that any noise coming from the hull would alert the pirates. The inside of an enclosed lifeboat is like an echo chamber.
Phillips knows the score. He volunteered as a hostage to protect his crew. I suspect he will be spitting mad if any "bargain" is made for his release, other than unconditional surrender.
But, I think you have it right: all this screwing around has given the pirates a chance to bring in more hostages and escalate the stakes. As soon as the Navy was on the scene, a similar ultimatum should have been issued: release the captain, or we blow you out of the water. You have 10 minutes.
I thougt the hull was soft like a life raft and a diver’s knife would be enough to let the air out.
Under Democrats, every two-bit pirate outfit kicks America around, it’s just more of the same. Jimmy Carter, Clinton, Obama, they want the world to “like them”. All thugs understand is force and strength. They should blow them out of the water, and or hang them, the captain lost his ship, and volunteered to be a hostage, so good luck
And why arent these "Somali Pirates" NOT claiming to be Mujahadeen (google Al Qaeda somalia) ? ? ? Because Bin Laden claimed to be Mujahadeen, thats the only reason IMO. It might distract someones attention from paying off the latest federal reserve bank heist caused by artificially created crisis of toxic debt and the "need" to pay off Hedge Fund gambling debts (suddenly called in last september 9th) to the tune of 400 billion $ .
" have you forgotten " ? this pirate standoff is another battle in an economic war against the great satan and the sheeple just voted in a trojan horse as POTUS
Bob the Nailer
At this minute I am authorizing the US marine expeditionary force with an intial attack force of 20,000 troops and an aircraft carrier group with the mission to eliminate your trade and supply chain within Somalia. Logistics are under way.
you can reverse this decision by releasing the captain. If not we will also have no choice but to kill you (and the captain if necessary)and any other pirates and hostages withing range, in order to cut more costly future losses. You have one hour to the point of no return. In return you will be given fuel and a chance to make a run for it
“I knew the minute I saw his wife.”
She wears the pants in the family for sure.
This guy is pathetic.
Tell you what, this captain has one set of stones. First giving himself as a hostage to save his crew, and then trying to escape from 4 guys with AK47s. It would not surprise me if he grabs one of the AKs and ventilates his captors. Boy would that be great.
yea , it is unbelievable to me that the Navy personnel
nearby did not totally open up on the lifeboat the second the capt. was in the water and swimming . Unbelievable !
How could they possibly allow him to be ‘re-captured’ , right under their noses ? ALL pirates should be sent to meet Davey Jones and all their bases should be subjected to unrelenting air strikes
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