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Captain reportedly freed, 3 pirates dead and one captured (updated)
American Thinker ^ | April 12, 2009 | Thomas Lifson

Posted on 04/12/2009 3:37:39 PM PDT by fiodora

Congratulations all around to the daring warriors who rescued Captain Richard Phillips and captured one of his captors alive.

I am delighted that President Obama's team did not endlessly equivocate. I credit them with bringing the incident to a close. If they needed time to position assets and plan, I am glad they waited.

Update: Reports are that Captain Phillips jumped overboard again. Fragmentary reports suggest sharpshooters may have opened fire allowing him the escape. It is still unclear if there was an actual rescue operation launched

Further update: The head of Maersk just had a news conference ion Norfolk, and stated that a rescue operation approced by President Obama was involved. This is a very encouraging sign, if true.

Further update: Admiral Gortney, speaking from Bahrein to reporters at the Pentagon, just stated that there were standing orders allowing the Captain of the Bainbridge to take action if he saw that Captain Phillips' life was in imminent danger. When one or more AK 47s were pointed at Capt. Phillips, the Bainbridge acted. The Admiral stated that the sharpshooters were on board the Bainbridge when they fired. The Bainbridge was 25-35 meters away from the lifeboat at the time. The Admiral just confirmed that Capt. Phillips was tied up at the time.

It seems clear that the Obama administration deserves some credit for allowing the Bainbridge captain to take action if Capt. Phillips' life was in danger. It would have been hard to justify a ban on such action.

It also seems clear that the personnel on the spot, especially the sharpshooters on the fantail of the Bainbridge and her captain too, deserve our deep gratitude. American Special Forces are simply superb human beings, superbly trained. American military doctrine generally allows the commander on the spot considerable discretion, and it is clear that in this case, the wisdom of that approach was confirmed.

I remain concerned that the captured terrorist will be treated as a criminal defendant, with all the rights of discovery and other secret-busting apparatus that make criminal action inappropriate for terror groups. We know that he will not be subjected to any interrogation techniques that make him seriously uncomfortable.

I also suppose he will be provided a Koran, halaal meals, and (naturally) access to both left wing lawyers and Islamic clergy, whose conversations with him will be held beyond the reach of the good guys.

Phil Aver in an email raises the question of whether or not the captured Somali had his Miranda Rights read to him in a language he understands. If not, he probably walks.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: halaalmeals; richardphillips; somalipirates
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To: fiodora
"I am delighted that President Obama Bush's team did not endlessly equivocate"

Nope... just can't see it

61 posted on 04/12/2009 4:31:58 PM PDT by Mr. K (physically unable to proofreed (<---oops))
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To: SandRat

Plank hell. The punk should be keelhauled and ground for chum.


62 posted on 04/12/2009 4:33:49 PM PDT by Bars4Bill (America Under Communist Rule: Day 81)
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To: jazminerose

“The one on the Bainbridge was the youngster, merely a child”

So what, they should have offed him!

One of my best friends was killed in Korea by a 10 year old girl with a knife in a paper bag asking for candy, his buddy killed her but not in time!


63 posted on 04/12/2009 4:39:52 PM PDT by dalereed
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To: Bobibutu

Bottomline ... FUBO did NOT give the order ... if anything he got in the way


64 posted on 04/12/2009 4:41:11 PM PDT by clamper1797 (FUBO ... protege of the unholy union of Karl Marx and affirmative action)
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To: editor-surveyor

“Bleep! - Why didn’t he allow them to act on the first day? - Over-all, this operation stank badly!”

Three dead pirates, one alive Captain, not one penny tribute. All’s well.


65 posted on 04/12/2009 4:49:49 PM PDT by Francis McClobber
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To: dalereed

Just prepping for the libtard spin coming up . . .

The kid will end up being the darling of the Manhattan useless idiiots by the time this is over.


66 posted on 04/12/2009 4:49:56 PM PDT by jazminerose
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To: 2111USMC

I figured the Recon team embarked in the Boxer would have a dustup with the SEAL team olatoon to see who got to do the shootin’.


67 posted on 04/12/2009 4:51:24 PM PDT by Francis McClobber
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To: Bobibutu

“The AP is reporting that President Obama gave the order to use military force to rescue the hostage, that is misleading.”

The woman employed by Maersk gave the official statement from the family today. I noticed that, although there was quite a list of those the family thanked, Hussein was not one of them. Now I understand why.


68 posted on 04/12/2009 4:51:26 PM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: FrdmLvr

The fourth pirate needs to be hung from the neck until he’s dead.

I would prefer to see him walk the plank with his hands tied, and Shark chum in the water below.


69 posted on 04/12/2009 4:56:15 PM PDT by chainsaw (If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free! -- P.J..)
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To: Hiddigeigei
"but from the deck of a ship?"

"they wanted to be towed to calmer waters" LOL

70 posted on 04/12/2009 5:04:20 PM PDT by ex-snook ( "Above all things, truth beareth away the victory.")
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To: Lera

is Obama going to say he “inherited” this military the same way he is constantly saying he “inherited” the bad ecconomy?


71 posted on 04/12/2009 6:00:12 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: clamper1797

it depends on wht they put on the teleprompter...


72 posted on 04/12/2009 6:02:24 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Bobibutu

based on that analysis,

the only Presidential order given by Obama was an executive CYA. (or CMA aka “cover MY *ss and that’s an oder”)


73 posted on 04/12/2009 6:07:56 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: MayflowerMadam

Had Bush been president he would have called the family with a promise to do all he could and he would have been thanked........betcha obama NEVER attempted to reassure the family as he had no intention of a rescue attempt either.


74 posted on 04/12/2009 6:10:31 PM PDT by tioga
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To: DainBramage

per CNN, they had a cnn former fbi negotiator who said they had invited one of the four over as a negotiation ploy. Give him safe passage back and forth to create good rapport. But I believe this was before the rescue so this former negotiator was talking from negotions are always best spin.


75 posted on 04/12/2009 6:11:38 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Lera

gave order twice OOOORRR had to be asked twice?

Obama does CYA not CnC.


76 posted on 04/12/2009 6:37:43 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: longtermmemmory

Above his pay grade ;)


77 posted on 04/12/2009 7:08:59 PM PDT by Lera
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To: windcliff
I'll wager these 3 dead Somali pirates don't like where they are spending eternity.

Good shooting Seals.

78 posted on 04/12/2009 7:34:42 PM PDT by I Drive Too Fast
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