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Capt. Richard Phillips, right, stands with U.S. Navy Cmdr. Frank Castellano after the rescue
The Maersk line spoke on behalf of the captain's family, “This is truly a very happy Easter for the Phillips family. They are all just so happy and relieved.” And President Obama said was happy that Phillips was rescued and called his courage was a "model for all Americans".
Earlier: With their captain still a hostage of four Somali pirates on a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean, the crew of container ship Maersk Alabama told reporters, "Captain Phillips is a hero," after the ship docked in Kenya. The crew had managed to retake the ship from the pirates who attacked them in the Horn of Africa, but Captain Richard Phillips (pictured) offered himself as a hostage to prevent violence (the pirates had AK-47s). Somali elders were attempting to help negotiate with U.S. authorities, but the NY Times reports that the discussions have broken down, because "American officials insisted that the pirates be arrested" while the elders have refused. The pirates, who are demanding $2 million as well, also fired upon a Navy vessel that tried to approach the lifeboat yesterday; the Naval ship did not fire back.
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Why the fuck are we negotiating with these guys? Especialyl while we have SEALs close by that are trained for this kinda thing. Unfucking believable. I'm embarrassed.
Ease up. No matter the training, these situations don't always go the way they should. Don't forget the Blackhawk incident in Somalia. Those were Rangers, the best the Army has, but they died just the same. Or the Blackwater guys ambushed in Iraq. Jumping into the middle of a firefight without serious planning gets people killed, often the wrong ones. And if it were your son, brother or father held hostage, you'd probably be saying the Navy had better not make any stupid, rash moves.
You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Except maybe sitting behind your computer eating nutella while sharpshooters spent their day leaning over a railing on heaving seas with a bead drawn on some starving Somali kid. It was basic tactics. Because just opening fire right away like John Wayne would've gotten everyone on that lifeboat killed. And sending the team to board puts the team's life at risk. So this was probably the best possible scenario beyond outright surrender.
Reports are now saying that he's been freed and three of the pirates are dead. Could barely have asked for a better outcome. Paying the ransom and having the US Navy back down would have set a very bad precedent.
"Container Ship Ashore"
The crew's ashore, but it's pretty unlikely that the ship is. I'd bet it's docked... though it could be anchored.
Also just read that he is free. Not many details yet, but a statement from a "senior U.S. intelligence official" apparently said that there was "a swift firefight" and Captain Philips is now above the USS Bainbridge.
The most detailed report I've found is here:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6082713.ece
My guess would be that they used something to dazzle the pirates, which is why they waited until after dark. The pirates should have left the lights off inside so they could see outside through the windows, which means their eyes would have adapted to the darkness. A flash grenade in each window would be completely blinding for a few seconds, so they couldn't target the captain while the SEALs attacked.
Maybe a variation on what somebody suggested could work. Keeping armed security on ships would make getting into port very complex, but if they took the security forces off the ships before they crossed into territorial waters, that might be a way around it. Just tow their own speedboats behind the ships. When the ship approaches a port, they just get on their own boat and move to their next assigned ship. I'm pretty sure they can get as close as 24 miles (maybe 12) to the shore before a government can object to their presence, same as actual military warships with big guns. That preserves innocent passage inside territorial waters. The cargo ships can bring fuel and supplies from shore for the security forces.
What makes that impractical is simply this: the pirates don't attack the ships when they're close to port. They operate in an are that encompasses over a million square miles of ocean. There's no way to have a "next assigned ship" because there's no tracking of what ships are going to be in the area.
Even within the more limited area of the Gulf of Aden, 20,000 ships pass through per year. That averages about 50 ships per day, which may seem manageable, but it isn't anywhere near that regular. There may be more than 100 ships entering on a given day, and a few hundred may actually be there at a given time because it takes more than a day to traverse the gulf.
The consensus now seems to be that most of the ships being taken have not taken the defensive measures that they should. Primarily that means simply keeping a good watch for small boats, and being prepared to take evasive action. It takes a long time to get a large freight or container vessel to maximum speed, but once it's there it's hard to catch. Defensive measures like barbed wire or similar obstructions to boarding would also be helpful, as they'd delay boarding and allow the crews to use the defensive measures they do have -- primarily water canons and fire hoses.
Shipping companies have been against the idea of arming crews or putting armed security on board ships because the pirates haven't often been resorting to violence beyond intimidation. Keeping and using weapons would likely result in an escalation of violence in the encounters. Crew members aren't dying as a result of this piracy now, but if there are regular firefights that will change.
Hell yeah. Great job SEALs. Proud day for our Navy.
Those special ops guys should seriously be paid more than what a 27 year old wall streeter makes. Unfortunately, they make nothing even in the same league...but they're there and risk their lives when they're needed for our country.
Think about it.
i hear you, but consider this, the seals aren't doing it for money.
We should have gone to war with Somalia instead of Iraq.
True we should have put the Somalia fire out long ago. But then, how would they have gotten the oil to lubricate Cheney's Halliburton-engineered mechanical heart?
The big difference is that the Somalian government isn't the source of the piracy problem, except to the extent that it's so powerless, corrupt, and in disarray that it can't control even the major cities in the countries, let alone clamp down on "pirate havens" in outlying villages or provide coastal security. But that's even less of a justification to remove a sovereign government through force that what we made up to apply to Iraq.
I cannot wait until I hear accounts of the rescue. Sounds like some serious specop badassery.
Normally I'm averse to violence and the military lifestyle but in these circumstances.........Git R Done! Let's Roll! BO-YEAH!!!
Navy seals are awesome.
Great job by our Navy SEALs!
Love it. Would love to hear some specifics of how the op went down. And no one can say that the pirates weren't offered every chance to surrender, be arrested, and walk away with their lives. They chose...poorly.
According to the news, SEAL snipers on the destroyer had rifles trained on the lifeboat all the time. When all three of the fools showed themselves at the hatch at the same time, the snipers took the shots.
And this was all authorized by Obama days ago. So much for all the armchair hawks around here who called Obama gutless. Good things come to those who wait.
Awesome job.
Good timing on this Easter Sunday!
It'll be like Zizzou in The Life Aquatic.
Thank you, to the U.S. Navy! Congratulations on the sucessful mission. Prayers are answered for the Phillips family.
Minutes of angle were in the seconds, and the men involved were of the best of the best, "what more can you ask for"?
awesome freakin job.
Snipers on a boat mf'ers.
Nobody fuck with the Navy!!!
Great job USN, as always.
Sadly, I'll pull a SWAG out of my ass and say the Navy operation cost more than all ransom paid up to this point.
This is another circumstance of a private industry 'socializing' cost of its risk to government.
Next look for downgrades in armored car costs by using open pickup trucks and ex-pizza delivery boys....or banks skimping on bullet resistant glass and other barriers for its tellers.
Invading Somalia would be an awful idea. Nation building is a costly exercise in futility. Limited military strikes on known pirate bases would be effective, sufficient, and certainly much easier than attempting to civilize Iraq or Pakganistan.
An amazing result! Hopefully, pirates will be less willing to engage in these activities based on this example.
How was any of this great? 3 people are dead. It is also being reported that the pirates may have been handing the captain over with no ransom or violence. Now it is also being reported that the Somali pirates will target Americans in the area ( http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/04/200941373925842364.html ). That's just what we need is more people to hate us. I do understand that it is a relief for the family. That the captain is back safe for them is great, but this doesn't do anything to address why the pirates are doing what they are doing. And NO! War with Somalia or pirates is not the answer.
It is also being reported that the pirates may have been handing the captain over with no ransom or violence.
Because the words of a quote, PIRATE CHIEF, can be relied upon, yes? And being opportunists, I think the pirates will take advantage of anyone that they deem to be fresh meat. Retaliation? Please - there's no nationalistic mantra for these guys to follow, or any other guiding cause that would allow themselves to get shot up to the consistency of chum.
yarg.
target practice...
if we sent jack bauer in the first place, this would have been over a long time ago...
Well done, SEALs. As was said earlier, awesome freakin job. Snipers on a boat, mf'ers.
Seriously happy for the captain and his family.
Just because the SEALs are there, doesn't really mean anything. Yeah they are highly trained, just the the Army Special Forces or the Marine Force Recon, or the Air Force Air Controllers, but that doesn't make them invincible. You can't just jump into a firefight and expect to win. Do I think we should negotiate? NO! I'm an Infantryman with the 101st airborne Division. I've seen combat so many times I've lost count. I may not be a General but why is the US negotiating with these Somali terrorists? What makes them any different than Al Queda or the Taliban? Nothing. But look at the present wars, they are all but forgotten. Troop morale is low, the media doesn't cover EITHER war like it should, and what coverage does get posted, is usually inaccurate. I firmly believe we should go back to Somali, but in due time. Let's finish these two wars first. But I FIRMLY believe action has to be taken against the Somali terrorists. After all, we are engaged in a Global War on Terror, are we not?
balumbum, how are you going to listen to Al Jazeera? That's like the international terrorist Underground Railroad. their news reports have key phrases that are code words to launch planned out attacks against soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Al Jazeera does nothing but aids terrorists, and shows American soldiers getting killed, and tortured, and decapitated...take a deep breath and think about who is writing the articles from Al Jazeera, you are reading. TERRORISTS, or Arabs that either aid or know the whereabouts of terrorists that they are unwilling to disclose and hand over to the Americans...THAT'S THE TRUTH ABOUT AL JAZEERA!