Official: Captain was in 'imminent danger' (Defense depart had to ask 0bama twice)

MSNBC ^ | 04.12.09

[Perdogg]

U.S. Navy snipers opened fire and killed three pirates holding an American captain at gunpoint, delivering the skipper unharmed and ending a five-day high-seas hostage drama on Easter Sunday.

The pirates were pointing AK-47s at Capt. Richard Phillips and he was in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.

[SampleMan]

I did ask myself. Myself does not know, but, I'll soon get the answer, I'm sure.

Just a logical question. If he cleared them to use deadly force to retrieve the captain, then he cleared them. No second time is required.

Something coming out of the WH doesn't smell kosher.

Lord Zero isn't exactly an honorable man who deserves the benefit of the doubt.

The Navy's pointed statement concerning the tripwire of "imminent danger" speaks volumes as to exactly what restrictions they were working under.

[clamper1797]

I doubt that the command even came from FUBO ... it probably came from staff ...

[vbmoneyspender]

Then the proper question is, “Why did DoD ask him twice?”

Yes your're right. No questions should be directed Obama's way because if there was a management problem it must have existed with those military incompetents at the DOD

[gandalftb]

BTW, the reports as given are unlikely. Look at the life boat. There is an upper hatch and side hatches, but no forward facing hatch to fire through. The two pirates that were together in an upper hatch getting fresh air were available targets from the Bainbridge.

Not so for the third. More likely an operator came up out of the water and shot the third pirate through the back hatch simutaneously with the shots fired on the topside pirates.

[calex59]

I’ll speculate that approval to go was given and the opportunity dissolved. Then they went back for a second “go” when conditions became favorable.

I'll speculate that you are a Bozo apologist and that you in fact voted for him. The Bozo lovers are easy to spot.

[gandalftb]

Two differant tactical environments. Once the lifeboat was taken undertow and agreements with the pirates made as to their disposition, there is now a new ROE required and it is entirely reasonable to consult the CIC.

The lifeboat and the legal fate of it's occupants changed when we started towing the lifeboat, as it was then under the care and control of our Navy.

[don-o]

Dammmit!! You got me!

[Williams]

I’m not aware of any factual basis to criticize Obama with regard to this operation. Many here speculated that Obama had vetoed any action. That was not true. Whenever Obama takes an appropriate military action, I say thank God. The alternative is not what we want.

[don-o]

Excellent surmise. Thank you.

[Williams]

Certainly we will learn more facts. It seems to me that considering negotiations were underway, and I am now reading the navy was towing the lifeboat, that the decision to kill the pirates was pretty gutsy and the US captain deserves credit as a real hardball player who did not lose focus as to who the bad guys were.

[gandalftb]

Now that it's over I can't help but chuckle at the gross stupidity of the pirates. They fell for the old need-a-tow? trick. They obviously trusted our Navy to play fair after accepting food, telephones, soft drinks, clothes, blankets from us.

Say fellas, how 'bout we drop you off in Somalia with an AMERICAN hostage that you can kill anytime you want when ya get home.

There has never been ransom paid for an American, but hey....How 'bout some change-we-can-believe-in? You bad boys can trust old Uncle O not to kill any good muslims just trying to earn a buck.

Bugs Bunny said it best: "What a maroon..."

[wkg]

I view this episode as Obama’s Katrina. The military is forced to muster its forces at the last minute to save citizens from imminent danger. Such imminent danger created by a government unprepared to perform its basic function... protection of it citizens.

This event should never have occurred. Thank God for our wonderful military.

[WellyP]

“badda boom, badda bing”...fish food!

[Cold Heart]

Geico insurance may have a boat tow policy. 15 minutes could have saved them the hassle

[Misterioso]

Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate, told The Associated Press from one of Somalia's piracy hubs, Eyl, that, "our friends should have done more to kill the captain before they were killed. This will be a good lesson for us." "From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages)," he said.

If you've killed your hostage, you've killed yourselves. With a hostage you might live, but without--how does dead in the water sound?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Ernest! The main line:

• Captain jumps to freedom -- Capt. Phillips, who has been described by his crew as a hero for leaving with four pirates in a lifeboat to save his ship, the Maersk Alabama, escaped by jumping overboard. Before pirates could respond, U.S. forces killed three pirates still on the lifeboat and arrested a fourth pirate.
• Pirate Lifeboat Drifts Toward Somalia - "We are not afraid of the Americans" [How about now?]

Additional:

• Source: Pirates repel sailors attempting to reach captain
• Negotiations Break Down in Standoff With Pirates
• Canadian warship thwarts pirates again
• Official: US sea captain freed in swift firefight
• Official: US sea captain faced imminent danger

Another event:

• Pirates seize U.S.-owned, Italy-flagged tugboat
• Pirates Hijack Second US Vessel
• Pirates Hijack Second US Vessel
• Sources: U.S. tugboat hijacked by pirates
• Pirates seize 10 Italians in US - owned tugboat

Co-religionist in the White House, etc:

• Obama Team Mulls Aims Of Somali Extremists: Seeing Potential Terror Threat
• Obama Team Mulls Aims Of Somali Extremists
• There is nothing called the 'moderate Taliban'
• US won't give in to pirate blackmail: senator (Tom Coburn)
• Somalia: Islamist rebel leaders hail pirate attacks

[SunkenCiv]

A Placid Man on Land, Caught in a Drama at Sea
New York Times | April 10, 2009 | SERGE F. KOVALESKI & ABBY GOODNOUGH
Posted on 04/11/2009 1:24:23 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2226874/posts

[Marine_Uncle]

It could appear a real solution would be for all in NATO with navies, and associated friendly western nations, through in the Chinese and Russians to assemble well regulated naval forces all along this huge coast line. Get GPS on every frigen potential village that might be used by pirates and with Air Forces and Naval planes, surface ships, subs with cruise missels start to take out everthing. Make it clear to the UN and the world that some twenty nations plus have had enough of this crap and have found the only solution. Then make it clear much involved bombing will occur within Somolia unless these clowns start to play by the rules. Super dis proportionate force should be applied.
Make them start to fear the US and all it's allies. I would love to see the UN with it's panties all squishy pissing and moaning that we cannot do this, only to see the group continue to rachet up the levels of violence against this morons each time the UN pissed and moaned.
The message would go out to the world of Islam that they are going to get their teeth kicked in at every corner.

[Munz]

>>Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate, told The Associated Press from one of Somalia’s piracy hubs, Eyl, that, “our friends should have done more to kill the captain before they were killed. This will be a good lesson for us.”

“From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages),” he said. <<

Way to go Obama ... how is that talking thing working out for us now???

[Munz]

“”I posted this in another thread, but Obambi wants all the credit. He gave the authority for the use of force as recently as an hour after the captain was rescued.””

Which of course is why they had to ask him twice ...
and of course he wasn’t bowing to the Saudi King as a servant .. he was picking up a piece of paper on the floor that dropped from his pocket about Presidential dignity and protocol.

I wouldn’t believe a thing that Obama or his staff say anymore about anything!