Munin
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- Dec 5, 2008
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US Captain Held by Pirates Is Rescued - Politics and Government * US * News * Story - CNBC.comMr. Phillips was being held in a covered part at the back of the lifeboat, the official said, and one pirate typically stayed with him under cover. The lifeboat had gotten as close as 20 miles to shore, drifting after running out of fuel, off Gara’ad, Somalia.
On Saturday night, the Navy fired warning shots at the lifeboat, followed by a brief exchange of fire, the official said. Hours afterward, one pirate who was either injured or scared jumped off the boat and surrendered to Navy personnel, the Kenyan official said.
Around 7 p.m. Somali time, just after dark, U.S. Navy personnel opened fire, killing all three pirates, the official said.
This reminds me of another incident earlier that week (the decision to attack seems to be based upon similar reasons): Hostage, 2 pirates killed in French rescue operation - CNN.com , that yacht was also getting very close to Somalia (which ment that the pirates would have much more bargaining power, since they are then in full controll of the hostages and the French would no longer have a good chance at rescueing the hostages.)
Hostage captain rescued; Navy snipers kill 3 pirates - CNN.comMANAMA, Bahrain (CNN) -- U.S. Navy snipers fatally shot three pirates holding an American cargo-ship captain hostage after seeing that one of the pirates "had an AK-47 leveled at the captain's back," a military official said Sunday.
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U.S. forces moved to rescue Phillips after seeing him in imminent danger on the lifeboat, Gortney said. A fourth pirate was negotiating Phillips' fate aboard the nearby USS Bainbridge.
"While working through the negotiations process tonight, the on-scene commander from the Bainbridge made the decision that the captain's life was in immediate danger, and the three pirates were killed," Gortney said. "The pirate who surrendered earlier today is being treated humanely; his counterparts who continued to fight paid with their lives."
The three pirates, who were armed with AK-47 rifles, were killed by shooters who were aboard the Bainbridge, Gortney said.
The on-scene commander gave the shooters approval to open fire after seeing that "one of the pirates had an AK-47 leveled at the captain's back," Gortney said.
Seas in the area were getting rough at the time of the rescue, Gortney said, and the Bainbridge was towing the lifeboat presumably to calmer waters with a towline about 82 feet long.
A senior defense official told CNN that each pirate was shot in the head.
After the shooting, special operations personnel shimmied along the tow rope to ensure the pirates were dead and freed Phillips, the official said.
The official added that the pirates had become increasingly agitated over the past day, and negotiations were not going well.
The fourth pirate was aboard the Bainbridge most of the day and told military negotiators that he wasn't going back to the other pirates, according to a defense official with knowledge of the situation.
As for Obama getting credit for this:
If the situation would have gone wrong and the captain would have been killed, who do you think would have taken the most of the blame? For me, it is clear that Obama gets credit for taking responsibility for this very difficult decission (he might have ordered the killing of an american citizen if it would have gone wrong).
So Obama gets credit for taking responsibility as a commander in chief (for a very difficult decision: "one of the pirates had an AK-47 leveled at the captain's back," + "Seas in the area were getting rough at the time of the rescue" ), the military gets credit for doing its job: a job they did incredibly good.
Today is a day to be proud of the US, proud of the military and proud of the president.
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