Posted on 04/11/2009 4:44:03 PM PDT by BarnacleCenturion
Pirates Have Gas on Lifeboat, Fire Shots at U.S. Navy Sailors
The captain of a U.S.-flagged ship held hostage by armed pirates on a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean appears to be alive after a daring escape attempt -- but the pirates now seem to have fuel and to be moving closer to shore, sources told ABC News. The latest evidence that Capt. Richard Phillips, 53, is alive came as the pirates holding him in a 28-foot covered lifeboat fired shots at U.S. Navy sailors who approached their vessel at an undisclosed time after the escape bid.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
they are 350 miles from shore
It's a lifeboat for the high seas. SOLAS regulation mandate that the vessel must be have positive buoyancy. In other words, you could fill the whole thing with water and cut the bottom out, and it would still float.
Negotiations over the American captain taken hostage by Somali pirates broke down on Saturday, according to Somali officials, after American officials insisted that the pirates be arrested and a group of elders representing the pirates refused.
Somali officials said the American captain, Richard Phillips, and the four heavily armed pirates holding him hostage remained in a covered lifeboat floating in the Indian Ocean about 30 miles off Gara’ad, a notorious pirate den in northeastern Somalia.
The negotiations broke down hours after the pirates fired on a small United States Navy vessel that had tried to approach the lifeboat not long after sunrise Saturday in the Indian
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/world/africa/12somalia.html?_r=1
They started out 400 miles from shore...
Great advise,thank you.
I understand a small Navy vessel approached the lifeboat
but was immediately repelled with overheard gun fire.
Uhm, the ABC article says they are 20 miles from shore now.
“Sources added that, contrary to earlier news reports, the pirates had fuel on the lifeboat and had used it to move within 20 miles off the African coast.”
Honestly, Carter had it much tougher—Obama has the hostage within grabbing distance. Carter’s hostages were inside a hostile country.
Overheard? Which means it could have been merely a recording of gunfire!
If that's true, and I'm not doubting you, then that model of lifeboat can only travel about 165 statute miles - clearly not enough to get it to shore.
How'd that turn out? It took a Republican President that to get that resolved.
Obama doesn't operate the way you described or it would be over already.
There have been plenty of opportunities that were squelched. Now they are being allowed to take the captain to shore and hide him anywhere in the country.
What the hell is Obama doing? If they get to land, the game is over.
“How far offshore did this fiasco start out?”
The pirates seem to be now within 20 miles off the African coast.
How ungrateful of them. Following orders from Hussein 0bama, the Navy was bringing a stock of halal food and water for the pirates, along with a GPS unit programmed to show the location of all American vessels in the area.
If the Messiah’s term actually makes it all the way until the next election, the Captain probably has a lot more than 444 days in captivity.
I believe Mr. Noble was actually referring to us taking our country back, not how this particular situation is being handled.
True, but it is VERY important pizza.
By sending the FBI and announcing that these pirates will be charged with crimes if they are captured, Obama has effectively put himself in the middle of this.
Daily tagline update.
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