PIRATES HIJACK US FLAG SHIP!

[AKA]

WTF, it took Obama 5 months to decide on a fucking pet.

His minions made this decision and sold him on the idea that if it went well he could claim the glory, BUT if the shit hit the fan Jimmy Carter in the desert style, Obama could have deflected and thrown the Defense or Navy Secratary under the bus.

holy cow.

[bean]

The pirates are threatening to "do something" to anyone who looks french or american (yeah that really narrows it down) on ships they hijack in the future.

Sounds like it's time for pirate-slaughter.

[iceman]

More than happy to eat crow on this one. Well done Mr. Obama.

Perhaps you should apologize to the whole Office of the President of The United States thing while you're at it, douchebag.

You people played that card a million times while that fuckhead GWB ran this country into the toilet. Do what you asked that we do.

[sftc]

....His minions made this decision and sold him on the idea that if it went well he could claim the glory, BUT if the shit hit the fan Jimmy Carter in the desert style, George W. Bush could have deflected and thrown the Defense or Navy Secratary under the bus.

CORRECTED IT FOR YOU!!!

I hate the "corrected it for you" stuff, but WTF?

From the President on down- Thank you to all of the people that worked together and did their jobs very well today, you all made us proud.

[doughboyshredder]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...041202645.html

By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 13, 2009; Page A09

The operation to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips involved dozens of Navy SEALs, who parachuted from an aircraft into the scene near dark Saturday, landing in the ocean. The SEALs were part of a group of Special Operations forces involved in the effort, according to military officials.
This Story

• Navy Kills 3 Pirates, Rescues Ship Captain
• How SEALs Carried Out Their Mission
• An Early Military Victory for Obama

The SEALs set up operations on the USS Bainbridge, which had been communicating with the four pirates via radio and had used smaller boats to make deliveries of food and water to their lifeboat. Yet the pirates were growing increasingly agitated, the officials said. At one point Saturday, the pirates opened fire on one of the smaller U.S. Navy craft that approached.
As the seas grew rougher, the Bainbridge offered to tow the lifeboat to calmer waters, and the pirates agreed, linking up the lifeboat to the destroyer with a towing cable that left 75 to 80 feet between the two vessels. Phillips at the time was tied up in the lifeboat, having been bound -- and occasionally beaten -- by the pirates ever since he had attempted to escape by jumping into the water on Friday, the officials said.
Meanwhile, one of the pirates, estimated to be between 16 and 20 years old, asked to come aboard the Bainbridge to make a phone call. He had been stabbed in the hand during an altercation with the crew of the Maersk Alabama and needed medical care. "He effectively gave himself up," a senior military official said. The Navy then allowed that pirate to speak with the others in hopes that he could persuade them to give up.
The three other pirates, however, showed signs of growing irritation, as the Bainbridge, 18 miles from shore, towed the lifeboat further out to sea, the senior military official said. "They had no promise of money, clearly no passage. The one ticket they had was the captain," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record.
"In the last discussion, they said, 'If we don't get what we want, we will kill the captain,' " the official said.
Soon afterward, two pirates moved to one of the hatches of the lifeboat and stuck their heads out. The third pirate advanced toward the captain and pointed his AK-47 straight at Phillips's back, the rifle touching it or inches away, the official said.
U.S. military observers thought that Phillips was about to be shot. SEAL snipers, who were positioned on a deck at the stern of the Bainbridge, an area known as the fantail, had the three pirates in their sights. The on-scene commander gave the snipers authority to fire.
"As soon as the snipers had a clear shot at the guy who had the rifle, they shot him and the other two in the hatches," the senior military official said.
A member of the Special Operations team slid down the tow line into the water and climbed aboard the lifeboat. Phillips was then put in a small craft and taken to the Bainbridge.

[13]

Kudos to the Navy for doing a bang-up job. Glad Capt. Phillips is safe and sound.

So funny to watch all the Obama haters/doubters eat crow.

[Tippster]

Lesson learned: Do not fuck with USN SEALs.

[2nd mate]

I was on the sister ship to this one before I started sailing on military type ships, I spent some quality time in the BAM and in the Gulf of Aden back then.

Navy Thwarts Pirate Attack on U.S. Cargo ShipNew York based vessel was damaged, but crew was unhurt
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier today the United States flag merchant vessel M/V LIBERTY SUN and its crew, operated by American shipping company Liberty Maritime Corporation of Lake Success, New York , was attacked by Somali pirates. The pirates fired rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons at the vessel which sustained damage. Liberty Maritime immediately requested the assistance of the United States Navy which dispatched forces to assist and protect the crew and the vessel. The Company issued the following statement:

We are grateful and pleased that no one was injured and the crew and the ship are safe. We have communicated with the families of the crew to inform them of these developments. We commend the entire crew for its professionalism and poise under fire.

The LIBERTY SUN was on a voyage enroute to Mombasa, Kenya from Houston, Texas carrying American food aid cargo for African nations suffering from famine. Earlier last week, the vessel had discharged thousands of tons of American food aid cargo in Port Sudan and it was continuing its voyage with additional food aid when it came under attack from the Somali pirates.

Liberty Maritime's first priority has been, and will continue to be, ensuring that the crews aboard our ships are safe. We want to especially thank the United States Navy for its prompt response to our request for assistance. We also wish to thank the U.S. Government for its cooperation in responding to this attack.

p.s. This sounds more like an attack to me. They shot up the bridge a shitload and the Navy responded after they were called and the crew Locked themselves in the EOS. The pirates had ample time to get aboard a slow moving 15kt ship. With no more than 15ft of freeboard when loaded, the whole thing is a bit fishy to me. It just doesn't add up.

[mock vomit]

...p.s. This sounds more like an attack to me. They shot up the bridge a shitload and the Navy responded after they were called and the crew Locked themselves in the EOS. The pirates had ample time to get aboard a slow moving 15kt ship. With no more than 15ft of freeboard when loaded, the whole thing is a bit fishy to me. It just doesn't add up.

I think you are saying this doesn't sound like a highjacking attempt?

If so... I say "of course not". Look how the last one worked out for the pirates. This is the good and the bad of the consequences of the 3 dead pirates... and I'd suspect this adds big new weight to the argument that we attack the home bases of the pirates.

[doughboyshredder]

I think there is a good possibility that U.S. ships are armed. If they aren't they should be. Damn international bullshit law. If we have to we should start posting soldiers on U.S. owned and flagged vessels. Yeah, you want protection start paying your taxes, flag your vessels in the U.S. and we will protect you. Seems a few soldiers on each vessel sailing through would be cheaper than these intervention forces. Really, the shipping companies should be footing the bill.