Posted on 04/12/2009 11:00:01 AM PDT by bimboeruption
MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) - An American ship captain was freed unharmed Sunday in a U.S. Navy operation that killed three of the four Somali pirates who had been holding him for days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa, a senior U.S. intelligence official said. One of the pirates was wounded and in custody after a swift firefight, the official said.
Capt. Richard Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vermont, was safely transported to a Navy warship nearby.
The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
A government official and others in Somali with knowledge of the situation had reported hours earlier that negotiations for Phillips' release had broken down.
The district commissioner of the central Mudug region said talks went on all day Saturday, with clan elders from his area talking by satellite telephone and through a translator with Americans, but collapsed late Saturday night.
"The negotiations between the elders and American officials have broken down. The reason is American officials wanted to arrest the pirates in Puntland and elders refused the arrest of the pirates," said the commissioner, Abdi Aziz Aw Yusuf. He said he organized initial contacts between the elders and the Americans.
Two other Somalis, one involved in the negotiations and another in contact with the pirates, also said the talks collapsed because of the U.S. insistence that the pirates be arrested and brought to justice.
Phillips' crew of 19 American sailors reached safe harbor in Kenya's northeast port of Mombasa on Saturday night under guard of U.S. Navy Seals, exhilarated by their freedom but mourning the absence of Phillips.
Crew members said their ordeal had begun with the Somali pirates hauling themselves up from a small boat bobbing on the surface of the Indian Ocean far below.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
On a side note, Ma Deuce Cruise Lines is organizing a 7-day, 8-nite turkey shoot cruise in an undisclosed location off the coast of Africa, now that it has been disclosed the somali pirates are taking an extended holiday.
Well, now they pirates are in Hell. I bet they wished they could renegotiate that deal now.
I have to admit that I was wondering if, after the negotiations failed, a few good Seals just said, eff it, let's do what needs to be done before the savages kill the Captain. They may have been given the go ahead, but if not, would even The One dare to complain publicly.
>>>> A lot fewer Somali men will think piracy is an attractive occupation after today. <<<<<
They might think piracy ***of American vessels*** is a bad idea, but they still control a lot of other commercial ships and hostages at the moment.
They are all situated right here, this is the pirate den:
Level it.
did any one else see the FNC show the familyy members/friends run in joy into that house just now?
“Joe the Sailor...” I love it!
I bet you any money that bambi comes out now and says something! creep
Perhaps this was your thinking...I agree.
As I said in previous posts, a lt.jg. and a couple of sailors or marines a hundred years ago, would have dealt
with this situation on their own, that was American initiative then, now they are expected to wait for the President to make a decision, from half a globe away.
Time to start being Americans AGAIN~!
We bow to no flag,
we respect our own.
We bow to no man.
We do what needs being done.
We wait for no one, we lead.
If you won’t follow, get out of our way.
We help those in need.
We are friends to those who desire peace.
We free those who desire freedom.
Americans have a god given right to self defense,
on the land and on the sea
in the air and in space.
Don’t like it? We don’t care.
Try and stop us? If you dare.
America, it’s not a nation, it’s not a country,
it’s a state of mind.
AND OBAMA DID NOTHING apparently because the Maersk officer waas vivbly PISSED at Obama: "Tell the [p]resident to get [the pirates!]
any thanks from the CHICOMS who now will have safer shipping lanes for their freight?
“EASTER SEALS!!!”
Now that’s a good one!:)
Thanks for the laugh!
Crew member of the M. A. are happy are flying a large American flag and have shot two large flares into the area...and are in great celebration!
He Is Risen Indeed!
Bless His Holy Name!
If Obama says he’s proud of the Navy I’ll faint.
*********************
Dont kid yourself, he’s in mourning for the dead muslims.
>>>> All the Obama administration did was show weakness. <<<<
Agreed.
The stories of our (failed) negotiations with the hideous and primitive “tribal leaders” of these savages says everything that needs to be known.
No that we have our man, and now that we know of their complicity and sympathies, the “tribal leaders” also should be shot for conspiring with their pirate brethren.
We also need to storm the town of Eyl, kill each and every pirate, and free the remaining hostages.
Obviously all the pirate boats (meaning each and every boat in Eyl) need to be burned to ashes.
The Somalian “government” has already publicly stated that it has no control whatsoever over Eyl or the pirates.
NO more calls, please.
We have a winner!
...dude, wait. Where are the Cheerleaders?
...and Happy Easter.
Cheers!
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