[flyingwelshman]

A very brave man!

I like how the story says that Captain Philips was 'freed'. It looks more like he escaped.

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:48:46 GMT
American captain Richard Philips held by Somalia pirates since Wednesday following a failed hijacking attempt has been freed.

The captain was freed Sunday after a rescue operation, during which three pirates were killed, media reports said.

Commandoes have taken the fourth bandit into custody, the BBC reported.

The captain of the container ship, Maersk Alabama, was not hurt in the operation and has boarded a US destroyer sent to track Philips -- the USS Bainbridge.

ZHD/MMN

 

[XTR]

Three dead pirates, captain is free. Good ending.

 

[captbillc]

back in the early days of our republic it was " Millions for defense but not one cent for tribute " when we fought the barbary pirates in the med. i hope we continue with that.

 

[Kakkerlak]

US Navy SEALS: 1
Somali Bandits: -3

Caps off for the French skipper who died in the retaking of his yacht this week, and huzzahs for the bravery of Capt. Philips and the commandos of the Bainbridge.

Go like it's 1805, guys.

 

[LittleMissMagic]

The pirates in Somalia say they will retaliate...BRING IT ON!

 

[imagine2frolic]

The pirates in Somalia say they will retaliate...BRING IT ON!

Unforunately they will take it out on the hostages they already hold. If they do they will be crossing a line they will die regretting. It could very well be the cause of the destruction of their way of life. I for one am all for flattening the pirate towns. Innocent ones be damned....LIVE BY THE SWORD, DIE BY THE SWORD......i2f

 

[sailingdog]

Of course, if the pirates start killing their hostages, the world might decide that they need to be dealt with, in a fairly permanent fashion.... escalating is probably a bad idea, but these pirates aren't too bright to begin with.

 

[LiamM]

Well done Capt Phillips and the US Navy - a victory for brave men and iron resolution.

But, for an interesting take on the causes, try this - w ww.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-you-are-being-lied-to-about-pirates-1225817.html

 

[LiamM]

Hey, Imagine - get a grip. 'Innocent ones be damned'??!! Wake up tommorow, ashamed.

 

[mccary]

I find it fitting that the USS Bainbridge was sent to rescue the first US Ship to fall victim to Pirates in about 200 years. It was Captain William Bainbridge who was sent to fight the Barberry Pirates and later commanded the USS Constitution. It is fitting that his name was reinvoked in the fighting of 21st century pirates!

 

[tdw]

Both incidents were quite obviously very well handled. Loss of one life is sad and regretable but only a fool would expect loss of hostage lives was completely avoidable but one dead is not a bad result.

Number of pirates dead is irrelevent.

At some stage the pirate bases themselves will have to be taken out but wiping out whole villages is surely not the idea.

OTOH some knowledge of what Somalia and her peoples have gone through in recent years does go some way to understand why the Somalians do not give a flying fig about the west.

For instance, did you know that the coastal waters of Somalia have been regualrly used to dump toxic and nuclear waste ? It's thought to have originally come from Europe via Italy but no one is too sure.

For instance, did you know that Somalia's fishing grounds are being pillaged by mainly European fishing fleets with no compensation being paid to Somalia ?

and did you know that the pirates began their campaign by attempting to extort payment not from innocent boats and ships but illegally operated trawlers and waste carriers ?

Now that doesn't in any way condone the piracy , the pirates or their supporters but it does go some way towards understanding why they do what they do.

Somalia is a shambles. It is a non nation. Corruption is rife. Poverty the norm amongst her people. After the toxic waste dumping began Somalia's then Prime Minister actually did a private deal with Italy's largest waste disposal operation so that they could continue the dumping.

Something does need to be done but it is not carpet bombing the miserable hovels of innocent civilians.

 

[poopdeckpappy]

For instance, did you know that the coastal waters of Somalia have been regualrly used to dump toxic and nuclear waste ? It's thought to have originally come from Europe via Italy but no one is too sure.

For instance, did you know that Somalia's fishing grounds are being pillaged by mainly European fishing fleets with no compensation being paid to Somalia ?

and did you know that the pirates began their campaign by attempting to extort payment not from innocent boats and ships but illegally operated trawlers and waste carriers ?

.

To me this is like blaming cocaine and pot for a drug dealers actions, the fact of the matter is they ( the somali pirates ) like the drug dealer are do it to line their pockets, buy bigger and better weapons, to snag bigger and better booty

Had the MO been for compensation ( estimated to be around a 100 million )and that compensation had been used to improve quality of life for a village, maybe they would have mustard some sympathy and support for hijacking waste carriers and illegal fishing boat that were destroying their livelihood but, I think we can agree that compensation wasn't the MO, pirvate yachts and cruise charters don't normally transport toxic waste or drag drift nets.

I also question how simple fisherman were able to come up with AK47's in the quest to extort payment for illegal fishing and dumping and eventually felt the need for APG's to extort payment; I think what we have is a African version of the So American drug cartel and instead of drugs to finance their Villas the Somalis use piracy.

I also find it really odd that someone would dump toxic waste and then turn around and fish the same toxic water clean

 

[seabreeze_97]

And also Kudos to the crew of the the Alabama for their valor in re-taking their ship. Hard to figure who's more proud, the Captain or his crew.