US ship captain is freed when snipers kill pirates

[WhiteAfricanAmerican]

Looks like JB called this one

Kudo's to the SEALs Snipers....



MOMBASA, Kenya – U.S. Navy snipers opened fire and killed three pirates holding an American captain at gunpoint in a lifeboat, delivering the skipper unharmed and ending a five-day high-seas hostage drama on Easter Sunday.


The pirates were pointing AK-47s at Capt. Richard Phillips and he was in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090412/ap_on_re_af/piracy



And in form rarely seen, Phillips had this to say about his rescue:


"I'm just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the Seals, those who have brought me home," Phillips said by phone to Maersk Line Limited President and CEO John Reinhart, the company head told reporters. A photo released by the Navy showed Phillips unharmed and shaking hands with the commanding officer of the USS Bainbridge.

The next question is what the pirates are gonna do to the other hostages, and whether Obama will be called a murderer, like Bush was, for causing any backlash to the other hostages

[neverforget911]

I love it, looks like I have to eat some words now, but that's okay.

Would have the messiah called this?

If so, I hate to say it, but he called it right.

[conservativecanadian]

now to get the ones held in somalia

[WhiteAfricanAmerican]

Would have the messiah called this?

If so, I hate to say it, but he called it right.

Seems he had to be asked twice for permission to use deadly force, can't imagine what the delay was.

[neverforget911]

Seems he had to be asked twice for permission to use deadly force, can't imagine what the delay was.

Well, he made the right call.

[WhiteAfricanAmerican]

I don't think he had much of a choice if you ask me, it's not like Obama was chomping at the bit to give permission....

[san clemente]

Just glad it's over.

[neverforget911]

I don't think he had much of a choice if you ask me, it's not like Obama was chomping at the bit to give permission....

You are correct.

[jbeukema]

Just glad it's over.

It's not over. This is a much bigger problem, and we've only now started to act

[RightisRightLeftisWrong]

Navy SEAL's kick ass.

[Bumblebee]

The pirates were pointing AK-47s at Capt. Richard Phillips and he was in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.

We've seen pictures in the news and online of the pirates pointing AK-47s from the start. The Capt. was in imminent danger once he got into the raft.

No approval should be required to defend our people from terrorists, and why are they bringing the other pirate to the states for trial. The Navy should do it the old way. Hang them at sea when captured.


Well, he made the right call.

It was the very least he could possibly have done. Obama was forced to act against his own instinct. I really believe that.

Reportedly, the Capt. was handcuffed when he jumped into the water for the second time, he had to swim with his legs only. A brave and a hero of a man.

Kudos to our Navy Seals. :thumbup1:

[scarymary]

They are going to try to paint this as being all about Obama giving them the orders to do so. He won't do anything about the other hostages. And I agree with BEE. Why should any American citizen need approval from anyone to defend themselves from terrorists on the seas? It seems this would fall in with any defense of our freedoms against terrorist no matter where they are from.

[Dr. Madd]

A fact that this gov't fails to understand, and that Obama fails to understand is we are Americans. When Americans are in danger, we as Americans need ask no one for permission to defend ourselves.

[san clemente]

Guys, it's a military action being taken in front of a world audience. Why wouldn't they (military) need the president's (no matter who it is) permission? This was an incredible situation handled well by everyone involved. I do not see a reason to politicize it. And by the way... they DID defend themselves.

[WhiteAfricanAmerican]

I dunno SC, if i'm POTUS and the pentagon asks me for permission to rescue a US Citizen, my response is :
' Do whatever you deem necessary to bring that man home alive ' I sure as hell wouldn't wait to be asks twice

[san clemente]

But we don't know if he said the first time to do whatever it takes. I saw that he twice gave approval to do so. I agree that it most likely goes against his grain to use force, but regardless of that, he did. I just don't see a reason to turn this about Obama.

[WhiteAfricanAmerican]

Obama had to be asked twice by the pentagon to use force against the pirates.....

Let me revise my position slightly.

If I'm POTUS, the instant thi situation is brought to my attention i'm on the phone with whoever the CINC-Ops is and I tell him he's got the green light

And the reason I'm narcing on Obama is because this little factoid shows us a bit of what he's made of
I can't imagine what he'd do if he was faced with a worse crisis.

[shotdrops286]

Obama had to be asked twice by the pentagon to use force against the pirates.....

Let me revise my position slightly.

If I'm POTUS, the instant thi situation is brought to my attention i'm on the phone with whoever the CINC-Ops is and I tell him he's got the green light

And the reason I'm narcing on Obama is because this little factoid shows us a bit of what he's made of
I can't imagine what he'd do if he was faced with a worse crisis.

which is what he did. The pentagon asked twice, and twice obama gave his approval to use whatever force they needed to use

[scarymary]

Why would he have to issue the order twice for something that should be a standing order?

[shotdrops286]

because he was asked twice. Im not entirely sure what the ROE would be considering the circumstance. I would think the military could only return fire in this situation and any order to use force would have to come from the president.

so pentagon sees a chance and asks for approval obama says go for it... nothing happens, again the pentagon sees a chance and asks and obama says go for it and they do.

Not putting obama on a pedestal, he said you guys do what you do best and the military did what it did, no reason to criticize the man for telling the military to do their job. Man is home safe nothing more nothing less.

[Dr. Madd]

*Madd sputters* Hmph! Rule of Engagement?! HA! The rule of Engagement is simple: An American is in danger, you do what is necessary to rescue him: The President need not be informed. Just do it! Anything else is dangerous to innocent people.

[WhiteAfricanAmerican]

because he was asked twice. Im not entirely sure what the ROE would be considering the circumstance. I would think the military could only return fire in this situation and any order to use force would have to come from the president.

so pentagon sees a chance and asks for approval obama says go for it... nothing happens, again the pentagon sees a chance and asks and obama says go for it and they do.

Not putting obama on a pedestal, he said you guys do what you do best and the military did what it did, no reason to criticize the man for telling the military to do their job. Man is home safe nothing more nothing less.

I don't believe obama was that proactive...be that as it may..I'll concede the point.

I misread the context of him being asked twice.

The man did his job...Ill give him that....which is more than any left winger ever sid for GWB

[Topiary Lady]

The Captain was rescued, and that's what mattered. The test for B. Hussein will be in what comes next - what is done to protect from this happening again.

[jbeukema]

They were criminals, not an army. Do the police need the POTUS' approval to shoot a hostage-taker? No.

[shotdrops286]

well they do need approval from their commander

in this case the overall commander of the US military is obama