Posted on 04/10/2009 6:21:26 AM PDT by broken_arrow1
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US ship captain being held hostage by pirates off Somalia jumped off the lifeboat where he was being held early Friday but failed to escape his captors, US networks reported. Captain Richard Phillips jumped into the water during the night and tried to swim towards the nearby US destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, but pirates jumped in and recaptured him, three US television networks reported. US military officials told CNN that Phillips was in good condition and that the pirates did not hurt him. The Bainbridge, accompanied by a P-3 Orion surveillance plane, was preventing the pirates from moving their hostage to a larger ship. Meanwhile Vice Admiral William Gortney, the commander of the US 5th Fleet based in Bahrain, told CNN that negotiations between officers on the Bainbridge backed by FBI experts and the pirates were continuing. "We have the USS Bainbridge on station currently negotiating with the pirates to get our American citizen back," Gortney told CNN. Gortney said a key concern was that the pirates were in touch with clan members on the mainland and could try to draw reinforcements to the standoff. "They are communicating. With communication possibly comes coordination, cooperation with each other," Gortney said. Somali pirates have attacked numerous ships in the area in recent months, but this was the first attempted hijacking of a US-crewed vessel -- an act Gortney said represented a new stage in the piracy crisis. "We always thought that one of the potential game changers out there was the US flag -- with US citizens onboard.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
btt
Pathetic. The hostage separates himself from his captors but gets no help.
Meanwhile, “We have the USS Bainbridge on station currently negotiating with the pirates.” What BS!
It’s really bothering me. And not in a good way on Good Friday.
With Obambi calling the shots? The US and all US citizens everywhere in the world are in more danger because everyone knows he's weak.
I think Bow-rack O-bow-ma WANTS this to end without any violence from our side to demonstrate to the whole world that the US is now a respectful and docile member of the world community.
Obama had not released their ammo to them.
As I see this there are two options. They call the White House and the Messiah teleports himself to the scene, walks on water, strikes the bad guys blind and rescues the captain.
Or we exchange prisoners. Obama for a real hero. We get our guy back and Barry gets to go home.
Easy for me to say but it seems that if surrounded and confronted in close quarters, the pirates can either harm the captain and die, or release him. I don’t think they are suicide martyrs.
Should the navy sink these other hostage ships the pirates are sending out? The survivors can be rescued at sea. I think at this point you forget about the insurance value of ships which are being used by an enemy power.
But then it would be pointless to lose the hostages. Can’t we sink that lifeboat and pick the survivors out of the water?
“no one was paying the least bit of attention.”
I doubt that was the case. They probably have orders to do NOTHING without consulting the White House. So,,, no “spur of the moment” actions can be taken. Me? If I were Captain, I would have done what people are suggesting. Seals in the water, Flash bang into the boat as soon as our guy hit the water. Then take out the pirates. Call the White House and say, “We have our man. The pirates are dead.” At least, that’s what I’d like to think I would do. And screw the consequences! Who knows? It’s kinda hard to actually put ourselves into that situation.
Pretty gutsy mentioning Jimmy Carter and Chuck Norris in the same sentence. You could get banned. :)
Oh sure, the capt. may not be IN the boat, but he's in the water nearby. CWIS and Ma Deuces aren't exactly known for their pinpoint accuracy.
Wouldn’t be surprised. The Kumbaya pres__ent can’t mar his record by blasting a few pirates!
Comon guys! You can’t cwiz the boat with the Captain in the water next to it!!!!!!! That would mean no more captain. The Navy Destroyer is not right next to it. To get the Captain out of their without him getting killed is the trick.
Bobo is voting “present” again.
One of the prime needs of a sharp shooter is a stationary platform from which to fire, especially at the distance we’re talking about here. I doubt the deck of a destroyer, even in relatively calm seas, is stable enough to afford a decent shot.
I get very antsy when I see how long this is taking. But then I realize that as bad as it is for all of us it must be really tough on the pirates, not to mention the captain.
I am sure that the delay works to the good of the captain, tough as it is on those of us watching from afar, praying for his safe return!
True Bogus. I should clarify that I’m not blaming the Navy on this. They take orders from our POS POTUS, who as we know would rather sit down for arugula and cigarettes with his Muslim brothers than take the needed steps to rescue the captain and send the pirates to the bottom of the ocean.
The CWIS yeah, it’s an area weapon, but Marine snipers in Lebanon back in 83 used the Ma Deuce as a makeshift long range sniper weapon.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2226103/posts
THE Royal Navy, once the scourge of brigands on the high seas, has been told by the Foreign Office not to detain pirates because doing so may breach their human rights.
Warships patrolling pirate-infested waters, such as those off Somalia, have been warned that there is also a risk that captured pirates could claim asylum in Britain.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
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