US Navy Ships attack Somali Pirates

[efq]

A US ship captain has been rescued after being held for five days in a lifeboat by Somali pirates.




Captain Richard Phillips was held captive hundreds of miles off the Horn of Africa after pirates raided his aid ship, the Maersk Alabama.
"I can confirm that Captain Phillips has been safely recovered," said US State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler.
Sources said three of the pirates holding him were killed in the operation.
The fourth was injured in the firefight and is in US custody.
Mr Phillips was not hurt in the rescue, and is now on the USS Bainbridge, one of the two US Navy warships involved in the tense stand-off.
Last night, the Maersk Alabama docked in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa with tales of the 53-year-old captain's bravery.
The 19 crew said that as the pirates boarded the US cargo ship, he told them to lock themselves in a cabin and surrendered himself to safeguard his men.
"He saved our lives!" shouted second mate Ken Quinn as the 17,000-tonne ship docked. "He's a hero!"
The crew later overpowered some of the pirates but the Somalis fled with Captain Phillips to a lifeboat.
FBI negotiators were brought in to secure his release.
The pirates were demanding a $2m ransom, and had threatened to kill the captain if any attempt was made to rescue him.
Anti-piracy expert Nick Davis told Sky News: "They (the pirates) will learn from this. They're not going to stop piracy in any way, shape or form. They will up the anti, they will get better organised.
"Those killed would have been the foot soldiers. It's now going to fall back to the chain of command in the Somalian network of piracy, both ashore and in different countries, as to how they want to up the anti.
"This is not going to send any message at all, apart from 'now the Americans have been aggressive towards us, then we can be aggressive if we don't get what we want'.
"It's a very, very big business and there are hundreds, if not now thousands of people involved in this, in several different countries."

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Wor...Horn_Of_Africa

[Corporal]

No where does it say that the US attacked the somali Pirates.

[Hitman]

They did what I suggested.

Should just get some snipers, head shot the guys who have the American Captain and voila, problem solved. It'd free the Captain and show the pirates that they'll be killed, not given millions of pounds if they capture boats.

Hopefully this will show some of the pirates that it's not a good idea to capture people for ransoms.

EDIT: Corporal, here's the yahoo link: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090412/...s-41f21e0.html

Captain Richard Phillips was said to be unhurt following a rescue operation on Sunday, while three of his four Somali captors died and a fourth man is in custody, US media reported

[Corporal]

Ok, say you shoot at me put i kill you. You attacked me i defended. That could of happend here.

[Hitman]

Ok, say you shoot at me put i kill you. You attacked me i defended. That could of happend here.

Sure, the pirates may have attacked first, we'll have to see... but I suspect that the US Navy attacked first, because it says that it was a rescue operation. It doesn't say that the pirates attacked first, and if it's an operation then they'll have planned it and gone for it.

[Corporal]

Sure, the pirates may have attacked first, we'll have to see... but I suspect that the US Navy attacked first, because it said they rescued the hostage.

Oh yer i belive that too. They said it was helped as one of the pirates was neogating on the warship with the FBI i think. which is when he made a second escape attempt. It just hasnt been comfirmed who attacked who.

[Ardemax]

they took me booty


arrrrrr!

[Bun]

you don't mess with america. good on them.

[xxMATTGxx]

At last, some action has been taken. Well done Navy Seals, finally the Captain has rescured from the pirates.