Posted on 04/11/2009 9:11:19 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
NAIROBI, Kenya — U.S. warships are trying to stop Somali pirates from sending reinforcements to a lifeboat where an American captain is being held hostage as the high-seas standoff off Africa's eastern coast entered a fourth day Saturday.
Underscoring the high stakes involved, France's navy on Friday freed a sailboat seized off Somalia last week by other pirates, but one of the hostages was killed.
A Nairobi-based diplomat, who spoke on condition on anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to reporters, said the pirates have summoned assistance but at least two American ships and U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft are deterring pirate ships and skiffs from contact with the lifeboat.
The pirates have threatened to kill their American hostage, Capt. Richard Phillips, if the U.S. attacks them, according to a Somali who has been in contact with the pirates.
The Somali said the pirates had called in four commandeered ships with hostages from a variety of nations including the Philippines, Russia and Germany.
The vice president of the Philippines, the nation with the largest number of sailors held captive by Somali pirates, appealed Saturday for the safety of hostages to be ensured in the standoff.
How Past Hijackings Have Been Resolved
"We hope that before launching any tactical action against the pirates, the welfare of every hostage is guaranteed and ensured," said Vice President Noli de Castro. "Moreover, any military action is best done in consultation with the United Nations to gain the support and cooperation of other countries."
U.S. rules of engagement prevent the Americans using their vastly superior fighting power to engage the pirates if there is any danger to civilians.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Blocking? ... and not blowing them into flotsam and jetsam?
Carter diplomacy does NOT work.
If the pirates get to shore with the American hostage - he fails.
If a ransom is paid to secure the hostage - he fails.
If the hostage is killed - he fails.
If pirates fire on our Navy vessels and escape death - he fails.
If any pirates achieve prisoner status - he fails.
If he refuses to authorize killing every pirate is sight - He fails.
The ONLY way the Dalai Bama comes out of this with a passing grade - is after the hostages are all safely recovered and every freaking pirate on the sea is dead and their home ports are reduced to a single layer of smoldering rubble.
This is the outcome and the solution to the problem the world is waiting for....
Anything less is failure.
There is a huge chance Obama WILL fail this test - as Biden predicted, and our Republic will be hastened on it's journey to banana republic status.
I don't have a military background and am sitting here in my comfy fabric chair; but; this doesn't seem that difficult of a problem to solve.
I’m sure he did think there were Seals waiting under the boat when he jumped off the first time. What a shame they weren’t there.
Reference post #22.
Then sink all their boats, bomb their homes, kill their relatives, destroy their home ports, kill the people they traded with, kill those they lent money to. End of pirate problem.
If President Bush was sill in office this matter would have ended the first day..We see now we have no chance with King Obama in office along with his court jesters..People of America vote these Turds out of office.
Why stop there? /sarc
“U.S. warships are trying to stop Somali pirates from sending reinforcements to a lifeboat...”
What’s the difficulty? Just aim your big guns at them, and let loose.
Obama Team Mulls Aims Of Somali Extremists: Seeing Potential Terror Threat
**********************EXCERPT INTRO************************
Senior Obama administration officials are debating how to address a potential terrorist threat to U.S. interests from a Somali extremist group, with some in the military advocating strikes against its training camps. But many officials maintain that uncertainty about the intentions of the al-Shabab organization dictates a more patient, nonmilitary approach.
Al-Shabab, whose fighters have battled Ethiopian occupiers and the tenuous Somali government, poses a dilemma for the administration, according to several senior national security officials who outlined the debate only on the condition of anonymity.
************************************
They are waffling BIG TIME!!!
Carter at least had some plausible excuse. More hostages, more of a diplomatic struggle, and a more vital region. I ain't excusing Carter-he was a disgrace. But this ass clown????????-Words fail me. I mean we are talking about a bunch of skinnies with AK 47s in a lifeboat with only one hostage. WTH?
Don't SEALS train for this?
Why sink their boats? Take the boats. They likely belonged to someone and were stolen. So take them and let the rightful owners know so they can claim them if they want.
No, I hadn’t seen that. Thank for the heads up!
See link at post #31.
All of the pirates' "reinforcements" are ships with hostages from other countries on them -- which explains the hand-wringing of the Philipine VP.
You didn't think the cowards would venture out without human shields, did you?
John Huang nails the obamination.
U.S. rules of engagement prevent the Americans using their vastly superior fighting power to engage the pirates if there is any danger to civilians.
More politically correct stupidity. So their civilians are more important than ours.
Boats coming to the pirates’ rescue would be my dream senario. Get them together in one place, then blow them up.
It’s no different than our strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan. Let them congregate together, get feeling comfortable, then blow them up.
I think somewhere around 48% voted for McCain-Palin in 2008. We knew our country would have no chance of surviving obama and his evil comrades.
As to voting these evil doers out..........they were just voted in.
Elections have consequences.
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