Pirates Hijack Second US Vessel

BBC ^ | 11 April 2009 | Staff

[BarnacleCenturion]

Somali pirates have hijacked a US-owned tugboat in the Gulf of Aden with 16 crew on board, reports say.

Maritime industry sources say the tug, which sails under an Italian flag, was towing two barges at the time of the attack, at 1100 local time (0800 GMT).

The crew are said to be unharmed. The US and Italian governments have not confirmed the hijacking.

Meanwhile pirates holding a US captain hostage have warned that using force to rescue him could result in "disaster".

The pirates said they hoped to transfer Capt Richard Phillips from a lifeboat to a bigger vessel, as US and other naval ships made their way to the area.

He is being held by four pirates hundreds of kilometres off Somalia.

 

In other developments:

- Sailors on a Panama-flagged bulk carrier repulsed a pirate attack with water hoses. Nato officials on a nearby Portuguese warship said an unexploded rocket-propelled grenade landed in the commanding officer's cabin

- On Friday, one Frenchman and two pirates were killed in a rescue operation by French troops on another vessel captured off Somalia. Four others, including a child, were freed from the yacht

 

[GeorgiaDawg32]

reference post 48..you sure that’s a joint??

[Kenton]

So, just how, exactly does one go about applying for Letters of Marque and Reprisal?

[Windflier]

Iowa is now the official Homosexual Mecca.

That's not an answer. My point is, these polling organizations don't go to the effort to seek out conservatives for their opinions. Maybe big city Republicans, but not the core conservative base.

[ExSoldier]

Somalia needs to be turned into a 246,000 sq. mile parking lot.

98% of the country already is. But that just means the remainder will be that much easier to sweep from the planet. I've heard that SOCOM has an operational plan to set free all the hostages on shore and afloat and take out ALL the pirate factions (permanently) within a 72 hr period. Now if only the POTUS would reconsider his primary plan of apologizing to the pirates for angering them and offering to make them all US citizens with free healthcare and welfare for life..... and do the American thing: PULL THE FREAKIN' TRIGGER!!!!! But then he's not really an American.....

[BagCamAddict]

Huh?

[OldArmy52]

Well, it is hard to think China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, etc are going to continue to be fearful of the USA as they watch 4 pirates in a 21 foot lifeboat make the US Navy back down.

Obama with the US military is like an ostrich with a gun.

Now why does Obama remind me of the USA general who said that going to war without the French is like going deer hunting without an accordian?

[OldArmy52]

Yikes! That pic of yours just soured the milk in my cup.

[dennisw]

Larry Sinclair is their house guest

[cva66snipe]

Time to load up the bombers and destroy some national capitols and sea ports. The governments of Somalia and Yemen have for too long given aid and comfort to thugs attacking ships. The Somalia incident with the Black Hawk was bad. Two U.S. Presidents letting Yemen bomb a ship and go unpunished was even worse. I say this because a response to the COLE bombing was well within Bush's response time also. Add to that China forcing down a plane in international air space.

Piracy can not be tolerated by any nation. The U.S. Navy also needs to review it's ever increasing dependency on the Suez as well and build a fleet big enough to avoid needing passage through it. It can be done as we went well over 14 years without sending a carrier through there. Intrepid transited the canal in 1967 and no other carrier made the trip till the America went through it in 1981.

One other note. Shippers need to realize that there is strength in traveling in numbers. Meaning they need to arm themselves and transit the area in groups. The shipping companies need to realizre they too are responsible for their own ships defense and security then arm themselves accordingly. Hiring former Navy Gunners Mates and Marines would be a good start.

[o2bfree]

This never happened on The West Wing... if it had these idiots might know what to do next.

[tioga]

Bush would have taken them out, so would Reagan........obama is a weak carter flunkie.

[Don W]

Unfortunately, the sailors aboard the US ship that was watching the pirates DROPPED the ball.

There *should* have been a pair of sailors’ eyes on that lifeboat with NV goggles on both, and the Bofors gun loaded and traiined on the “lifeboat”. When the captain hit the water and started swimming towards the naval vessel, that lifeboat shoud have become Swiss cheese.

Yes, orders are orders, but there is a little thing called “situational awareness” that trumps most legal orders.

End of problem. Message sent.

[Repeat Offender]

And our Navy be *damned* if they see pirates controlling a ship, then fail to assist some good men from a western nation, because the ship has an italian flag.

Don't damn the Navy if 0 is the one writing the Rules of Engagement...... Sure they could shoot anyway, but that's still an offense punishable under the UCMJ.

sucks all the way around.... the bad guys have a gun pointed at your head and the Community Organizer in Chief has a knife at your back.

[MinorityRepublican]

Or better yet, what would had Bush done?

[FlyingEagle]

“Just let me eat my waffle.”

[Talisker]

With the US captain in that enclosed life raft and hijackers sitting next to him?? If the Seals attacked he would be dead in a second.

The problem is the containment of the lifeboat. Taking that away without getting the Captain killed is the main problem. So why not use the ocean as an ally? Slowly, by blasting holes that then fill the boat with water and force them out (even if it doesn't sink). Or fast, by slicing a whole end off of the boat by wrapping it with det cord or something similiar. Once they're in the drink, the SEALs own them.

[Talisker]

Yeah, he may be waving a white flag, but he’s walking on water!

This is funny, but too true for me to laugh.

[momincombatboots]

That is exactly right. Let them know clearly, we know where you live, you are not safe anywhere. We will hunt and enjoy it, find you and humiliate you. We will not kill you, though you would be better off, you will return home less than a man.

[dennisw]

0boma is a Kenyan but he acts like a Somalian ..... These pirates are his Muslim bruthas

[marktwain]

“Why don’t any of these ships carry weapons? RPGs. Grenades. Automatic weapon. Any one of these, fired even half-assed would repel a hijack attempt. It is not a mystery that Somali pirates are out there, yet these big ships with valuable cargo and crew keep sailing through unarmed.”

---

Because politicians and European weenies value the myth that being without weapons makes you safer more than they value 150 million a year to pirates and the hostages lives.