Posted on 04/12/2009 10:25:08 AM PDT by Ladycalif
U.S. ship captain held by pirates off Somalia, has been freed, senior U.S. official says. Three of four pirates killed.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Is that Michelle on the floor???
Thanks. At least he hasn’t tried to steal the spotlight- yet. If he doesn’t, then credit to him. If he does, then it’ll be pretty much what I expected.
Well done, Navy.
The hard left will buy it and the media will never stop spinning it.
It will be up to Rush, Sean, Glen Beck and others here and elsewhere to get the real truth out.
This was a US Navy Seal victory, IMHO!!
The regurgitation photo will be taken with zero giving awards to the seal team instead of Petraeus or someone who has earned the right to salute American heroes.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/996663.html
Report: Pirates were out of ammo, sought to trade captain
********************
Not to my knowledge.
Obama said he shared in the country’s admiration of the captain and military, and we need to all work together international community to prevent this from happening again.
Translated: Do some Talking no Use of Force next time...
I think we need to point out that this is basically a Bush military and that Zero had better think twice before hacking it to pieces.
Probably not good.
That's been a given for quite some time.
Most people here know that already.
Good luck waiting for any "change" there.
The raid took place as the 8.5 metre (28ft) lifeboat, without fuel, drifted to within 20 miles of the hostile Somali coast, where it would have been much more difficult for US forces to keep track of the American hostage.
Captain Phillips’s release brought an abrupt end to the five-day stand-off that threatened to embarrass President Barack Obama, who has yet to comment on the incident and was facing mounting criticism in the US.
Captain Phillips, 53, a former Boston taxi driver, was taken hostage after the crew of his container ship, the Maersk Alabama, resisted a pirate attack on Wednesday as it carried food aid to Mombasa, Kenya.
He had reportedly been tied up aboard the lifeboat since making his first escape bid by jumping into the sea on Thursday night, before being recaptured by a pirate who leapt in after him.
The pirates fired warning shots at a US Navy launch on Saturday as it approached the lifeboat, forcing the US vessel to withdraw. Negotiations between the pirates and American officials broke down on Saturday over demands that the pirates be given an amnesty in return for handing over Captain Phillips.
Somali clan elders had launched a fresh attempt to end the hostage crisis yesterday despite military helicopters buzzing pirate lairs ashore. Mohamoud Jama, a Somali elder in Garacad, said the elders wanted free passage for the pirates, while the Americans insisted on handing the kidnappers to authorities in Puntland, the northern Somali region where many pirates are based.
Residents of Haradheere on the Somali coast said one helicopter landed briefly. Ahmed Haji Abdi said: “We thought there would be air raids this morning. Haradheere is full of pirates.”
Fresh details of how the crew of Captain Phillips’s ship repulsed the pirate attack emerged as the vessel arrived safely at its original destination of Mombasa, Kenya, with an 18-man guard of US Navy Seals aboard.
The crew told how they scrambled into a safe room once they realised the ship was being boarded. The ship’s chief engineer, A. T. M Reza, said he volunteered to show one of the pirates around the engine room. There he used an icepick to overpower the pirate, who turned out to be the gang leader.
Other crew members bound the captive’s hands and feet with rope before using him as a bargaining chip to negotiate the release of the ship. But the pirates had scuttled their own boat and demanded another vessel and fuel.
Captain Phillips offered himself as a hostage to end the standoff, on the understanding that the prisoners would be exchanged as the pirates left. However, they went back on their word, insisting that the Maersk Alabama follow them into Somali waters.
“The captain is a hero,” one crew member shouted from the deck of the 17,000-tonne ship as it docked. “He saved our lives by giving himself up.”
The FBI has declared the ship a crime scene. Investigators were seen photographing areas of the deck yesterday in preparation for a possible US trial of the captured pirate.
Joseph Murphy, father of the Maersk Alabama’s chief mate, Shane Murphy, issued a statement sending his “warm regards” to the Phillips family.
“Our prayers have been answered on this Easter Sunday. I have made it clear throughout this terrible ordeal that my son and my family will be indebted to Mr Phillips for his bravery.
“If not for his sacrifice this kidnapping and act of terror could have ended up much worse.”
timesonline.co.uk
LOL. I had a similar reaction when I read that.
I think that most of America following this story will not buy the “Barry is the hero” story. Just my hunch.
Is there a “pirate hotline”?
.I disagree, Bush would have already been on TV
You get a lot of hate and discontent here for your obvious sarcastic posts. Seems like some freepers just love to act like DUmmies and jump on anything that make them look like they’re so pure. Makes me LOL. Thank you for your outlook.
Isn’t this simply unbelieveable? God BLESS the Navy Seals!
I can’t stop SMILING:)
Isn’t Rahm Emanuel kind of a hawk?
********************
Not to my knowledge.
**********************************
I think he a form of dead fish wrapped in newspaper given his political opponents...
Can’t blame folks for being cynical after his “stellar” response to North Korea.
I hope Kerry’s investigation into preventing piracy actually goes somewhere useful.
You make up a phony strawman and the proceed to dismantle it. I expect any such operation to be well planned with all of the necessary resources on scene. I don't know how you define right away, but IMO five days were too long. Somehow we were able to get the FBI negotiatiors on scene "right away."
There was no compelling interest to act faster, and the fact that we saved the captian demonstrates we have the ability to do the difficult.
You are making the assumption that Captain Philips second escape attempt was planned and that we would not continue to negotiate. Estimates are that the lifeboat was about 20 miles from shore. Time was not exactly on our side. Other pirates were trying to assist they and they held hostages, whose safety they could link to the fate of Capt Philips'" hostage takers. We allowed this incident to grow in importance and significance. And it may be far from over in terms of the other hostages.
The Israelis could have just bombed the crap out of Entebbe airport to kill the terrorists. But they pulled off a much bigger defeat to terrorists by saving almost all the hostages.
Comparing the challenges posed by the rescue in Entebbe to what we faced with the Somali pirates is pure nonsense. No comparison.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.