Posted on 04/10/2009 4:45:16 PM PDT by BarnacleCenturion
Pirates on Friday sailed a hijacked German freighter and its crew toward a lifeboat off Somalia where an American hostage is being held.
They are reportedly doing so an attempt to help their comrades in a standoff with the US Navy.
Four pirates are holding the American captain of a cargo ship, Richard Phillips, in a drifting lifeboat and demanding $US2 million for his release and a guarantee of their own safety.
They have been holding him since a foiled attempt on Wednesday to hijack the 17,000-tonne, Danish-owned Maersk Alabama in the Indian Ocean.
A destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, is close by.
Another group that hijacked a 20,000-tonne German container vessel, the Hansa Stavanger, a week ago is reportedly heading to the scene of the standoff.
Good idea.
I pray for leadership with the ability to father children.
And that’s another good quote from Patton. It is not good enough to do the “right thing.” The right thing must be done at the “right time.”
Merchant ships were heavily armed during WW-II.
There was an “Armed Guard” school in the Norfolk, Virgina area — with facliities at Little Creek and Virgina Beach — to train Merchant Marine gunnery crews in using 5 inch 38 weapons.
Time to sink that lifeboat.
How on earth does a small group of punks in a speed boat get aboard a ship that size without being noticed and then take over the crew? Doesn’t a ship like that have radar, someone in the tower looking out at the water?
LOL!!!
Yes this is a disgrace we have a US Citizen being held hostage and he is worried about an Easter Egg Hunt, working out to have a Pizza Chef from MO to the White House and refuses to answer any reporter question. WE HAVE AN AMERICAN HERE AND HE DOESN’T SEEM TO GIVE A DARN.
Even if the behind the scenes people are working hard he should make an attempt to act like he was in charge of this.
I guess this is what you call talking to them, respecting them, and we are all citizens of the world so we must not rush anything.
IS IT 2010 OR 2012 YET!!!
A naval general is usually referred to as an admiral.
Another ( from the movie at least , if true ) ..... Patton “ no one has ever won a war by dying for their country, you win a war by making the other poor bastard die for his country “
Equal odds he'd come home in a box. What's the rush?
Not needed any more (for a distraction). Everyone has already forgotten about Obama’s dismal failure at the G20.
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Certain instances might be forgotten, but it is all adding up in peoples minds and this foolish stooge is gaining a reputation as a bumbling fool. Even the libs see it. But they won’t admit it.
The ships crew is likely 20 or less on most cargo or tankers. Most of the ship is automated with crewmembers holding down several task to oversee. Likely one maybe two persons on the Bridge 24/7 underway the rest are likely below decks most of the time. Meaning they don't carry the crews they once did and that makes taking over a ship much easier. The answer to it s for ships to start having armed security. One on the Bridge, one on the bow and one on the stern, with sufficent fire power to hit their target several miles out if needed.
That type of lifeboat is virtually unsinkable, you could hole it and it would still float, whithout getting into an explanation I work on boats and I just this winter did a project of foam filling some enclosed compartments with waterproof foam in an Alaskan 28’ bowpicker fishing boat, if I remember right these lifeboats can be used in the roughest of seas, they are self righting.
Yes, and that has become one of my son’s favorite quotes. It is even on his Facebook page, so that proves it!
JT, I haven’t heard you weigh in on the pirate situation. Any thoughts?
Yes!!!!
God bless General George S. Patton, Jr.
Bring back the Q-ship!
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