Posted on 04/08/2009 6:28:05 PM PDT by tsmith130
The U.S. is closing in on pirates that hijacked a U.S.-flagged ship off the coast of Somalia. According to a spokesman for the owner of the Maersk Alabama, which had been hijacked by pirates before American crew members were able to regain control of the vessel Wednesday, a U.S. Navy warship arrived at the scene Wednesday night.
The ship's captain still is being held hostage on a smaller boat.
Family members said Capt. Richard Phillips surrendered himself to the pirates to secure the safety of the crew. "What I understand is that he offered himself as the hostage," said Gina Coggio, 29, half sister of Phillips' wife. "That is what he would do. It's just who he is and his response as a captain."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Wednesday for world action to "end the scourge of piracy" as U.S. warships raced to confront the pirates.
"We are deeply concerned and we are following it very closely," Clinton said. "Specifically, we are now focused on this particular act of piracy and the seizure of a ship that carries 21 American citizens.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Sweet . . .
Here is a video of the USS Bainbridge (and some of its namesakes) . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwkwWorR3T4
Another report indicated she was 350 miles away mid-afternoon yesterday. So, she’s had time to get there. Apparently the crew took a pirate hostage and the captain volunteered to be the pirate’s hostage. They then worked out a swap, but the pirates welched on the deal. The crew’s now trying to bribe then with food. (”The steaks? No way. Ten cases of Spam for the captain, that’s our final offer. “Okay, okay, and a carton of Oreos.”)
With dawn arriving, when the clowns in the lifeboat see that r-e-a-l-l-y big grey ship nearby, I suspect a deal won’t be far off.
Musing:
Her Seahawks could have been there in two hours, but wouldn’t have had much loiter time.
Herein lies the essence of the problem. Unarmed by idiotic policy, they are sitting ducks.
"We have ways to push back, but we do not carry arms..."
They are bringing clubs to gunfights. What idiot is responsible for such an absurd policy?
I’m sure the muslim in the White House is going to fix this problem. /sarcasm
Of course Obama would turn that around.
I was happy to see that three pirates got tossed overboard already.
Too bad there was no news on their condition, like that they were shark bait.
At first have the crew offer little resistance and allow the pirates to climb onboard. As soon as the pirates are on deck, the SEALs fill 'em full of lead. Let one of the pirates live and allow him to go back to tell his buddies that the freighters are now dangerous.
Keep doing this on a consistent basis so the pirates won't know which ship is safe to take over. Gradually the attacks will stop.
Either it's this plan or the companies that own the freighters can hire mercenaries to protect their ships.
The ship's owners forbid it and even if they did not, in most ports the crew would be slapped in the local jail and the ship impounded if they were ever found. Including some US ports of course. All US ports for the box of grenades and the UZIs, assuming they were full auto.
That would be useful, but I would prefer a 25 mm Bushmaster cannon. That way they could really reach out and sink the pirates' boats, maybe even their mother ships.
And the funny thing is, every other pirate who did not participate in this one is now pissed at them, screaming “Now you’ve done it! Now they’re going to send in the SEALs and we’re all toast! You damn rookies - don’t you know you can pirate anything BUT the Americans??”
Oh wait... We have Zero in charge. Nevermind.
Yes, but in a pinch they can be based or at least refueled and rearmed, from some destroyers and even frigates, as well as some replenishment ships. Anything with a helicopter flight deck.
Yes. You get more of what you subsidize via lack of consequences.
In my opinion, these ships should be fitted with massive flame throwers. They'll get the necessary attitude adjustment.
Here's one from the Vietnam era. I'm sure they've been improved since then:
“We have Zero in charge.”
And he’s probably irked the destroyer doesn’t have enough deck space for his planned surrender talks.
Interestingly the ship currently named after one of Decauter's contemporaries, The USS Bainbridge, is one of the ships either on the way, or now on scene. She is the fifth US Navy ship to bear than name.
Just take a pressure washer like what you can buy at Sears,have an igniter like for charcoal briquets and a barrel of diesel, redneck flame thrower.
Much more impressive when you use the adjustable spray head.
It's possible that the pirate's boat just broke loose while they were boarding or on board the M. Alabama. Those speedboats are not very big, and they would bounce around quite a bit if tied off to the stern of something as big as the M. Alabama.
I’m sure there is a “Mission Accomplished” banner lying around somewhere, just waiting for those surrender talks. Zero is into recycling, right?
Open lifeboat or one of the all-enclosed type I wonder?
“MUSLIMS!”
Correctomundo!
the more things change...the more they stay the same...
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