Somali Pirates Send More Ships to Area of Standoff w/US (dozens of hostages-human shields en route)

Voice of America ^ | 10 April 2009 | VOA staff

[lewisglad]

Maritime officials in east Africa say Somali pirates are sending several hijacked ships carrying dozens of hostages to the site of a standoff with the U.S. Navy over American captive, captain Richard Phillips.

Capt. Richard Phillips of Underhill, Vt., is seen in this family photo released on 08 Apr 2009 The officials say the pirates, who are holding Phillips on a lifeboat, are apparently trying to use the other hostages as shields. The lifeboat is being trailed by a U.S. warship, the USS Bainbridge.

The pirates have threatened to kill Phillips if they are attacked. They are demanding a ransom for his release.

Phillips has been held since Wednesday when hijackers briefly seized control of the humanitarian cargo ship he captained.

The French government, which was dealing with its own standoff against Somali pirates, said Friday that one hostage and two pirates were killed as French forces freed a yacht carrying French nationals off Somalia. Meanwhile, a Norwegian ship and its international crew were released. Pirates were quoted as saying they had received a ransom payment from the ship's owners.

Concerning the U.S. standoff, President Barack Obama refused to answer questions about it Friday, but other White House officials have said they are working toward a peaceful solution. Both the FBI and U.S. Navy are conducting negotiations with the pirates.

Pentagon officials say another Navy ship, the Halyburton, which is equipped with helicopters, has also arrived in the area.

A pirate is quoted by Reuters news agency as saying they are seeking $2 million.

Earlier Friday, U.S. military officials said the captured American captain tried to escape the lifeboat he is now being held on by jumping into the sea. But they say he was recaptured by the pirates. One of them is reported to have fired a weapon during the foiled escape.

Somalia's transitional federal government has condemned the increased piracy and called for the unconditional release of the American captain.

[C210N]

France has performed excellently here - giving their hostage takers short shrift, killing two, even though one hostage was killed... rescued others. Its a great signal to 0’ that France will NOT help the 0’ in the UN, or elsewhere, when it comes to dealing with pirate a-holes.

[tacticalogic]

I remember being pissed at Clinton at the time, but that was for giving them the technology to do it.

[MilspecRob]

Pretty free with the use of nuclear weapons there warrior. A little extreme don't you think.

[ANGGAPO]

Just what is wrong with us? About one hundred and fifty years ago we had the same problem with the pirates of North Africa, and we soon put an end to them. Today, we can blow the pirates out of the water from half way around the world and we do nothing. Now this would be a change we could believe in. Perhaps it is time to lay down the law, American style, and arm every merchant ship that flies the flag of our country. A brace of 40 mm cannons can get respect from any misfits that roam the ocean. And for good measure, put a 5 inch stern chaser on the fantail just in case you need to run for it. I bet we have as many 40’s as we would ever need, left over from WW2 and stored away in government warehouses.
We all are aware that going to the UN concerning this situation is useless. So again let us show the world that there is a limit to what we will apologize for, and putting these sea raiders out of business is a good start. I object to our country groveling for forgiveness across Europe, just for being a sovereign nation and putting our country first.
Reprint from last night.

[Star Traveler]

You said — Please add Waco.

—

Gosh, I hadn’t thought of that one. I had to stop a minute and think a bit about that. And yes..., I think it does qualify. It was a Presidential Crisis and it was people getting killed because of some government action during that crisis (and I’m talking about the U.S. government and not state and police actions here...).

So, if anyone has any ideas or reasons why it *should not be there* — I’ll add it in.

[... give me until later on this evening... I’ve still got a little bit of a life... LOL... ]

[Star Traveler]

Oh yeah..., he certainly did that!

[Yorlik803]

Or like a Fighter jock in Korea said,” we flew into a bunch of MIGS, they had us surrounded. We had them exactly where we wanted them”

[givemELL]

From Andre Pachter today: http://chinaconfidential.blogspot.com/2009/04/obama-tested-by-3-hostage-crises.html#links

“As of this writing, U.S. President Barack Obama is facing three simultaneous hostage crises—and showing weakness on all fronts.

Two American reporters are being held in North Korea.

An Iranian-American journalist is being held in Iran.

And an American merchant marine captain is being held—by Muslim pirates—off the coast of Somalia.

All this is being played out in the wake of the President’s unprecedented bow to the King of Saudi Arabia—a deep, submissive bow from the waist, captured by video and still cameras but initially ignored by the mainstream media.

Not since the catastrophic Carter administration, which betrayed Iran’s Shah, allowed Americans to be taken and held hostage in Tehran—and allowed an Iranian-controlled, ideologically-motivated, American hit man, an African-American convert to Islam, to escape the U.S. after gunning down a former Iranian diplomat in the doorway of his Bethesda, MD suburban home—has the U.S. appeared so helpless and vulnerable in the face of foreign aggression.

Not since the 1930s has the world seen such appeasement, experienced such economic and financial turmoil. Back then, the U.S. was led by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Confined to a wheelchair, he beat the Axis and the Great Depression.

Is Barack Hussein Obama capable of defeating the Great Recession and the Axis of Nuclear Evil? Extremely doubtful. BHO is no FDR.”

[Luigi Vasellini]

Clinton legacy bump

[The KG9 Kid]

President Obama makes Bill Clinton look like General Matthew Ridgeway.

[reformedliberal]

“...a deep, submissive bow from the waist...”

---

complete with bended knee

[freekitty]

True

[LibLieSlayer]

Four Seals scuba over to the plastic boat... sink it quietly... when water starts wetting the bare feet of the islamic demons... and the muzzie africans freak out, throwing their guns down and hitting the water (can't swim and hold a heavy AK)... cut their friggin’ throats... problem solved.

LLS

[Star Traveler]

Okay, I added in Waco (and some other items — as I keep finding things... hmmmm...)

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Here’s a comparison of other Presidential Crises, with American hostage-taking and military/civilians killed (various actions against our civilians and/or actions that we took in response to such crises. It’s a good comparison for what is going on today, as to what has happened in the past with other Presidents...

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Presidential Crises - Hostages and/or Killings of Military and Civilians

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Johnson — Killed (34), USS Liberty, Israel
Johnson — Hostages (82/1 Killed), USS Pueblo, 11 months, North Korea
Ford — Hostages (21), SS Mayaguez, Khmer Rouge, Cambodia
Carter — Hostages (52), Tehran Embassy Hostages, 444 days, Iran
Carter — Killed (8), Operation Eagle Claw, C-130, Iran
Reagan — Killed (241), Marine barracks bombing, Islamic Terrorists, Lebanon/Iran
Reagan — Hostages (20), Civilian Hostages, Islamic Terrorists, Lebanon/Iran
Reagan — Killed (5), Civilian/Military Killings, Islamic Terrorists, Lebanon/Iran
Reagan — Killed (290/foreign), Iran Air Flight 655/USS Vincennes, US Military, Persian Gulf/Iran
Reagan — Killed (37), USS Stark Missile Attack (FFG-31), Iraq Air Force, Iraq
Clinton — Killed (90), Waco Siege/Branch Davidians, US Government, USA
Clinton — Killed (6), 1993 World Trade Center Bombing, Al Qaeda, Afghanistan
Clinton — Killed (168), Oklahoma City Bombing, Domestic/Foreign Terrorists*, USA/Iraq*
Clinton — Killed (19), Black Hawk Down, Islamic Warlords, Somalia
Clinton — Killed (17), USS Cole Bombing (DDG-67), Al Qaeda, port in Yemen
Clinton — Killed (142), TWA Flight 800, Foreign Terrorism [controversial*], Terrorists
Bush — Hostages (24), Hainan Island incident (EP-3 Aries), 11 days, China
Bush — Killed (2,998), 9/11 Attack, Al Qaeda, Afghanistan
Obama — Hostages (1), Shipping Piracy, Islamic terrorism, Somalia

—

Johnson — USS Liberty Incident - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident
Johnson — USS Pueblo Incident - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Pueblo_(AGER-2)
Ford — SS Mayaguez Incident - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayagüez_incident
Carter — Iranian Hostage Crisis - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hostage_crisis
Carter — Operation Eagle Claw (rescue) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Eagle_Claw
Reagan — Marine Barracks bombing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombing
Reagan — Hostages in Lebanon - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-Contra_affair
Reagan — Iran Air Flight 655 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655
Reagan — USS Stark Missile Attack (FFG-31) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Stark_(FFG-31)
Clinton — Waco Siege/Branch Davidians - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_Siege
Clinton — 1993 World Trade Center Bombing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_World_Trade_Center_bombing
Clinton — Oklahoma City Bombing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing
[ *controversial - http://www.jaynadavis.com/ ]
Clinton — Black Hawk Down - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mogadishu_(1993)
Clinton — USS Cole Bombing (DDG-67) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cole_bombing
Clinton — TWA Flight 800 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_800
[ *controversial - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_800_alternative_theories - http://twa800.com/ ]
Bush — Hainan Island incident - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainan_Island_incident
Bush — 9/11 Attack - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11

—

Please help add more so I can update this. If there is another event that happened within a particular President’s term (hostages taken, military killed in actions regarding the crisis, etc...), give me the info and any pertinent links. Still working on it and adding information...

[balls]

I’ve never seen that show since I heard it would feature a black president. I thought that was just too hollywood pc and actually did blacks a disservice since there was no chance there would ever be a black president. How wrong could one be? But, I think it will be a long time before there is another one. (Given my record, this may me he gets reelected in ‘12.)

[Real Cynic No More]

How about if we just send a sub and park it underneath the lifeboat. Have a seal team exit the sub and move over to the side, underwater, and wait just a little bit. Then time an emergency blow of ballast right below the lifeboat. Everyone gets tossed into the water, the seals rescue the captain, and let the others drown.

Taking them prisoner wouldn’t work, because they’d just clam up until their lawyers got there.

[rmlew]

Great pic, but wring ship. That is the nuclear cruiser CGN-25, which was scrapped in 1999. The current ship is a Flight II Arleigh Burke Class, DDG-96.

[Smokin' Joe]

There were two embassies bombed in Africa on Clinton”s Watch, as well. And don’t forget the Khobar Towers.

[Star Traveler]

Those are on there...

You just have to look closely... :-) (it’s there...)

[Smokin' Joe]

When planes crash into the World Trade Center President Bush pauses seven minutes while kids finish a reading presentation sending the press into a frenzy.

When President Bush calmly finished reading to the kids and then left the building, he did not panic the children thus giving them the assurance that though important events were happening, things were in control, gave the Secret Service time to check the area for someone waiting to take advantage of a hasty exit, and left in an unanticipated direction to reduce his availability as a target. All prudent and Presidential acts, imho. With DUH1? (comment removed to prevent banning).