American Captain Tries Daring Escape from Somali Pirates .....(quickly recaptured)

ABC News ^ | April 10, 2009 | MARTHA RADDATZ

[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.

[knarf]

"Hmmmmmm? I wonder, what would Palin do in this situation?"

As I recall, she favors shooting varmints from the air.

[IrishMike]

“We are not afraid of the Americans,” one of the pirates told Reuters by satellite phone
“We will defend ourselves if attacked.”
.
.
.
OK

[Girlene]

Rules of engagement are determined by the Commander in Chief.

I'd think the CIC would leave decisions like this to the military. They know what they are doing. If not, then that information can easily get leaked to the press to get rid of that little problem.

[BradyLS]

The hostage separates himself from his captors and nothing happens. Welcome to “The Day’s of Malaise II”

You said it all right there. It gets me that there wasn't a contingency to get the guy if he managed to get loose at all. The captain has done everything everything but kill his captors bare-handed and the most powerful nation on earth knows exactly where he is but won't make a move to free him.

[shoutingandpointing]

We have this:

"American Captain Tries Daring Escape from Somali Pirates .....(quickly recaptured)"

We do not have this:

"As Expected, American Forces Rescue Captain from Somali Pirates .....(pirates quickly dispatched)"

And the message to the American People is?

And the message to the world is?

[exnavy]

We are talking about liberal democrats in general, Barry in particular.

[Moose Burger]

Some kind of sick joke. “Oh no! They have a roof! We’re doomed!” Sorry if I don’t believe that as the main cause of the no-rescue.

[FrogMom]

Good pic of it at the link.

[Girlene]

A bit more from the AP, US captain tries to swim away from Somali pirates

............."Negotiations are taking place between the pirates and the captain of the USS Bainbridge, who is taking direction from the FBI, the defense officials said. The destroyer arrived on the scene Thursday and is within sight of the lifeboat.

The bandits are communicating with other pirate vessels by satellite phone, officials said. Pirate vessels apparently were also heading to the scene to provide them backup."

[CatoRenasci]

The lifeboat should have been monitored at all times with NVDs at night. The instant the captain hit the water and started swimming away, the lifeboat should have taken massive 25mm fire and SEAL divers should have been in the water to get the captain.

Anything else is Carter II - f*cking incomptence, timidity and appalling ROE from Bambi.

[CPOSharky]

Does the US Navy still have the capabiluity to “make smoke,” as in smoke screen?

If so, then use pig fat.

[romanesq]

You are 100% right. It’s a humiliation that our fine navy did not respond in kind.
The question is why and I want an answer.

But CNN is discussing how Obama is a “man of the people.” Next episode is Obama, man of the world.

Same garbage, different day.

[CAluvdubya]

I think it’s time for snipers. Seriously.

I'm with you! Why the heck are we farting around with these guys. We have trained killers that can take that stupid, out-of-gas boat and end this thing.

Meanwhile, Barry says nothing. What, do we have to wait 4 years until the American people elect a Republican to get our hostage back, a la Carter/Reagan?

Geez, this is only the beginning. Now other countries not only still don't like us but they don't fear us with Biggie 0 at the helm.

[angelcindy]

the seals should of already been there n him captured...

[PGR88]

I know exactly what he was thinking.

Jump in the water, at night. Darkness would hinder his captors from shooting him easily, while US Navy, who weretechnical capability to take out pirates on the boat easily, with him off it.

Guess that didn’t happen.

[yazoo]

Seems to me that placing a very small charge under the lifeboat that would simply sink it is the only way to go. Tell the pirates if they kill the captain we will kill all of them, otherwise they can just surrender. Given a sinking lifeboat they will raise their hands and surrender.

[CindyDawg]

Good try Captain. I'm afraid you are going to have to sink the boat yourself though. Too bad your men were sent on. I doubt they would have stood by and watch you get re-captured.

[Lockbox]

"Mark my words," the Democratic vice presidential nominee said at a Seattle fundraiser Sunday, "it will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

"I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate," Biden said, including the Middle East and Russia as possibilities, "and he's gonna need help. And the kind of help he's gonna need is, he's gonna need you - not financially to help him - we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right."

Jake Tapper, ABC News Blog, October 20, 2008 1:14 PM

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/10/mccain-to-hit-o.html

[GraceG]

I wonder how far he was able to swim from the boat before being re-captured, if he was able to get a few yards away I don’t know why they didn’t turn the boat into swiss cheese as the captain swam away from it.

Surely they could have given the guy some covering fire with sniper rifles as he swam away then when he got far enough use a missile or rocket or shell to make the boat and occupants into chum.

[ecomcon]

If they saw the captain go in the water, why didn’t they open up instantly and rake that boat?

Got to get an ok from TIC I guess.