The captain of the ship that was pirated off the coast of Somalia has been rescued and is safe.
Three pirates killed…One in custody.
Details are fuzzy, but apparently there was a “swift firefight.”
Developing…
So, folks, more details are emerging.
Apparently the Navy Seals fired shots after they felt the Captain’s life was in imminent danger.
Read–Fox
Read–CNN
See more after the jump…
This is the type of covered lifeboat where Captail Richard Phillips was held captive. I wonder how they managed to kill three pirates and rescue Mr. Phillips. This post will be updated as details emerge.
Is it possible the Navy Seals did some operation?
April 12th, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Now THAT’s a good use of military funds – way to go SEALs!
April 12th, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Why are they called pirates and not what they are- terrorists!?
April 12th, 2009 at 10:40 AM
I don’t understand why those ships can’t be equipped with some sort of artillery, cannons, or other devices to shoot the pirates. A pirate can’t take over a ship, or kidnap anyone on the ship, if they are blown out of the water before they reach the ship. Good grief, we’re the most powerful nation in the world, and we can’t defend ourselves against a bunch of terrorist pirates?
April 12th, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Way to go Navy Seal!!! My son was a navy seal and I’m proud of him.
April 12th, 2009 at 10:47 AM
The Empire Stirike Back! What do you call three dead suckmoli mooslims with their heads blwon off by seal 50 cal.? A start.
April 12th, 2009 at 10:48 AM
so sorry to hear they missed one—-but three out of four is good !!
April 12th, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Alan- because we are civilians no different than you, completely untrained in the use heavy guns or other military artillery. Some of the ships we are required to be certified in the use small arms but fighting RPGs with 9mms and m14s would only only cause the pirates to kill us.
This is not a simple outgun them situation, it’s more complex than acting like a cowboy on the high seas.
April 12th, 2009 at 11:01 AM
The Military is saying that yes, Navy SEALS took 3 of the 4 pirates out immediately and that the only reason the fourth pirate was not taken out was because he was already on board the USS Bainbridge talking to the Navy, otherwise he certainly would’ve been snipered also. SEAL’S rock! Don’t mess with them!
April 12th, 2009 at 11:06 AM
That is great news! What is wrong with that country?
April 12th, 2009 at 11:18 AM
It seems there were 3 pirates in the boat with the captain while the 4th pirate was on the USN ship ‘negotiating’. The captain (brave man) jumped from the boat a second time and during the scramble between the 3 pirates to get him back, all 3 were shot possibly by USN SEALs and the captain rescued from the water. The 4th pirate was arrested immediately by the sailors on the USN Bainbridge.
Good shooting by the SEALs but just to clarify this was not a storming operation. The time has come to take the fight to the pirates and blow their land bases to hell….its not really such a big task.
April 12th, 2009 at 11:40 AM
The only thing thats certain is that the freedom fighters were ultimately outgunned in a cowardly fashion to protect Zion oil interests.
Did I get that right?
April 12th, 2009 at 11:46 AM
I think the Obama administration handled this perfectly! They didn’t make threats or commments to escalate the situation! They just let the professionals(Navy Seals) do their job!
April 12th, 2009 at 11:47 AM
My wife and I are very proud Americans today! Kudos to the Seals!, FBI and Obama administration!!!!!
April 12th, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Terrorists: people who try to impose their set of laws and regulations using violence or threat thereof in a geographical region that already has established legal monopoly on the use of violence and threat thereof . . . and fail at their attempt. If they successfully impose their laws and regulations, they are called a new government.
Pirates: people who try to collect taxes haphazardly in places where there is no existing jurisdiction for tax collecting. If they establish a regular mechanism for collecting fees and taxes on all passers-by, they’d be called toll-collectors and the fee would be called transit fee or tax. Obviusly, any fee/tax/loot collection would involve at least the threat of violence (including detention: kidnapping, jail time, etc.)
Since the Somalis are not trying to impose systematic laws and regulations on the waters near the horn of Africa, collection fees haphazardly instead of a systematic fee for protection, they are pirates. Advice to Somalis: try to become a government, then you can proudly stand among peer governments that use force (and the threat thereof) to fleece commerce that pass in front your noses.
April 12th, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Tim—go soak your head in a bucket of academia.