[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the ping...so Obama is in the clear on this one to me....course there are some bigger decisions to be made...like what should be done to slow down this pirate activity...and dumping money on them is not an answer.

[Straight Vermonter]

This is such a huge story around here. My sister and her family go to church with the Phillips’ and everyone is just so relieved that he will be coming home.

Thanks for all the pings on this story.

[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

[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.