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

 

[ozarkgirl]

To all you armchair quarterbacks, what would you do? To all those who think we should just bomb Somalia, you do realize the captain will die? They (the FBI and the US Navy) are trying to keep the captain alive. It is good Obambi keeps his mouth shut, for once he’s doing something right. He can only make things worse by mouthing off. There is no effective government in Somalia to deal with.

[SkyPilot]

[AmericanInTokyo]

Of course, it is rough being an American under this turd.

Imagine being an American OVERSEAS these days.

If you are not adequately weaponed up these days as an expat somehow, you are as sure as dead meat under this Obama.

He's not going to bend over backwards or put in a Saturday to get us Yanks overseas out of a jam. Word is spreading pretty fast.

[topfile]

Obama will say these aren't Pirates at all but simply disgruntled Fishermen protesting arrogant American overfishing of their traditional waters. In an effort to solve these grievances he will issue a formal apology to the Pirates Fishermen,their families, street beggars, and small Somali farm animals, followed with 2 million dollars in US aid for each Hostage held. Then he will go on a lengthy apologist tour of Africa.

Something like that.

[bimboeruption]

He would have sent warplanes over to destroy their bases of operation. It would have been loud and clear, his message.

Right. Those somali turd pirates would be floating belly-up in the sea.

Reagan would have solved this problem in 5 minutes which is what happens when you have a MAN who loves his country, or a woman who thinks like a MAN who loves his country, in charge.

[ozarkgirl]

According to the news, there have been no hijacked/pirated American ships in 200 years.

[dennisw]

Very bad for the hostages but better that Kenyan Komrade 0 be put to the test now rather than later

I think 0 is down in Camp David right now sucking on a joint

[GOPGuide]

Your Majesty!

[DGHoodini]

Pirates to Obama:

“You’re Punked!”

“You *are* a Punk!”

“Kiss our Somali pirate asses, you punkety punk punk!”

“Nobody is going to come and save your ass, you punkety punk punk!”

“The world is lauhing at you, you chickenshit punkety punk punk wussy!”

“Look at what a bunch of pansies Americans have become, electing a chickenshit punkety punk coward, like this as their President! Ha-Ha-Ha!

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Funny, isn’t it that not one US ship was hijacked during Bush’s watch?

BTTT

[Red6]

We can all “Hope for change.”

[Deo volente]

"What would Reagan have done?
He would have looked the pirates dead in the eye and said, "Harm one hair on an American's head and you'll be dead."


Absolutely! We saw how quickly those American hostages were returned to us in 1981. They were already on a plane headed back to the U.S. as President Reagan was giving his Inaugural address. The mullahs in Tehran weren't stupid.

[alancarp]

To all you armchair quarterbacks, what would you do?

This is a slam-dunk easy answer: the situation is tailor-made for a SEAL team operation. The Navy has been in the area for multiple days now, and could easily have taken care of this by now. This is not about Somalia, it is about encouraging safety on the high seas.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I watched for or five or so amateur videos on You Tube shot of Eyl, Somalia today; some guy with a handicam just walking around. They even have a little restaurant in the downtown section, where the hostages, when taken ashore, are all assembled for meals and kept in one place. The restaurant owner is making a killing. Al Jazeera or some other outlet said the place is becoming a boom town in the midst of squalor around it. People starting to drive Mercedes, women wearing top of the line clothes and jewelry. This is all PIRATE MONEY which is boosting the local economy of Eyl, it is said. You cant make this stuff up.

[dennisw]

0boma is almost a Somalian himself. Check out a map Kenya borders Somalia

[1035rep]

They knew he’d kick their ass.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

This is a slam-dunk easy answer: the situation is tailor-made for a SEAL team operation.

You're right...

[rightwinggoth]

laws

insurance

publicity problems

and do you really want a us-owned ship crewed by saudis and yemenis sailing into an american port, armed with RPGs and AK-47s? look at how much of an uproar the dubai ports created, and that was basically nothing.

[ozarkgirl]

That’s what I can’t understand, why the Seals have not been able to save this guy. The Captain escaped for a moment, he jumped into the water, I just know he thought there would be Seals to save him if he could get off the lifeboat but they weren’t there for him. Good thing he didn’t die right there.

[bimboeruption]

To all you armchair quarterbacks, what would you do? To all those who think we should just bomb Somalia, you do realize the captain will die?

Not if we get him back first...after that, I'd send the pirates to a watery grave.