Somali pirates hijack ship; 20 Americans aboard
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Except that they are wrong.
Navy Seals Rescue U.S. Captain, Kill Pirates | NBC Washington
Three Flawless Shots Kill Trio of Pirates | NBC New York
Phillips' escape attempt was just a few hours after the Bainbridge arrived... the ship was still too far away to try anything... even if the SEALs had been aboard at that time!
They weren't there until Saturday... a full day later!!
'3 Rounds, 3 Dead Bodies'
Gortney, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said the White House had given "very clear guidance and authority" to take action if Phillips' life was in danger.
It was early Wednesday when the pirates boarded Maersk Alabama.
On Wednesday, the Navy sent a destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, chugging toward the Maersk Alabama. By Thursday, its crew, coached by FBI hostage negotiators, was talking to the pirates.
It was about midnight on the ocean, Thursday turning to Friday, when Phillips made a break for it.
He jumped out of the lifeboat and began to swim for his life. One of the captors fired an automatic weapon — perhaps at Phillips, perhaps only as a warning, either way enough to show that the pirates meant business. Phillips swam back to the lifeboat.
The USS Bainbridge was still several hundred yards away from the lifeboat — not nearly close enough to save him on his escape attempt.
It was early Friday night in Washington, Saturday morning over the Indian Ocean, when President Barack Obama authorized the Defense Department to use military force to rescue the sea captain, according to administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
And as the standoff entered its fourth day, the president broadened the order so that it encompassed more military personnel and other equipment that had arrived in the Indian Ocean.
Then, at about noon Eastern time on Sunday, early evening on the water, they saw something else: One of the pirates was aiming at Phillips' back. The commander of the Bainbridge gave the order for Navy snipers to fire.
On Wednesday, the Navy sent a destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, chugging toward the Maersk Alabama. By Thursday, its crew, coached by FBI hostage negotiators, was talking to the pirates.
It was about midnight on the ocean, Thursday turning to Friday, when Phillips made a break for it.
He jumped out of the lifeboat and began to swim for his life. One of the captors fired an automatic weapon — perhaps at Phillips, perhaps only as a warning, either way enough to show that the pirates meant business. Phillips swam back to the lifeboat.
The USS Bainbridge was still several hundred yards away from the lifeboat — not nearly close enough to save him on his escape attempt.
It was early Friday night in Washington, Saturday morning over the Indian Ocean, when President Barack Obama authorized the Defense Department to use military force to rescue the sea captain, according to administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
And as the standoff entered its fourth day, the president broadened the order so that it encompassed more military personnel and other equipment that had arrived in the Indian Ocean.
Then, at about noon Eastern time on Sunday, early evening on the water, they saw something else: One of the pirates was aiming at Phillips' back. The commander of the Bainbridge gave the order for Navy snipers to fire.
Phillips' escape attempt was just a few hours after the Bainbridge arrived... the ship was still too far away to try anything... even if the SEALs had been aboard at that time!
They weren't there until Saturday... a full day later!!
In Washington that Friday evening, Obama received two national security briefings on the situation. Based on those reports, the White House said, the president gave "the Department of Defense policy guidance and certain authorities to allow U.S. forces to engage in potential emergency actions."
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Monday that the Defense Department twice requested the authority to use deadly force because two groups of Special Operations Forces were involved in the operation. Each required its own sanction. He said that "the approval was given virtually immediately in both cases."
Mr Obama first gave permission around 8 p.m. (0000 GMT) Friday, and upgraded it at 9:20 a.m. (1320 GMT) Saturday.
A senior administration official said that the president did not deny any operational request made to him and that he knew the broad outlines of the operation that the Navy had planned. The official said that "our people tried a variety of ways to resolve the situation peacefully, and the guidance all along was that the overriding interest was the captain's life."
....
On Saturday evening dozens of Navy SEALs parachuted from C-17 transport aircraft into the sea, making their way with inflatable Zodiacs to the Bainbridge.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Monday that the Defense Department twice requested the authority to use deadly force because two groups of Special Operations Forces were involved in the operation. Each required its own sanction. He said that "the approval was given virtually immediately in both cases."
Mr Obama first gave permission around 8 p.m. (0000 GMT) Friday, and upgraded it at 9:20 a.m. (1320 GMT) Saturday.
A senior administration official said that the president did not deny any operational request made to him and that he knew the broad outlines of the operation that the Navy had planned. The official said that "our people tried a variety of ways to resolve the situation peacefully, and the guidance all along was that the overriding interest was the captain's life."
....
On Saturday evening dozens of Navy SEALs parachuted from C-17 transport aircraft into the sea, making their way with inflatable Zodiacs to the Bainbridge.
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As you say, an exceptional result.
As far as arming merchant ships goes, well technically illegal except under certain war / threat conditions ( if I was daft enough to be there in my little sailing yacht, I'd have every weapon available and sod the law ) !
I think you might find most Merchant Skippers feel the same way, and may well have some extra rather heavily armed crew, for the British part with the initilials R.M...
As far as arming merchant ships goes, well technically illegal except under certain war / threat conditions ( if I was daft enough to be there in my little sailing yacht, I'd have every weapon available and sod the law ) !
I think you might find most Merchant Skippers feel the same way, and may well have some extra rather heavily armed crew, for the British part with the initilials R.M...
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Pardon for jumping in, but... something is not quite right about this whole affair.
From what I read here (and I haste to say, I haven't checked the veracity of any of these reports), the Captain and the crew of that U.S. ship appear to have acted in a completely non-standard way.
Anyone else who is familiar with operations in the Gulf of Aden care to confirm or refute the above impression? Others please abstain, thank you.
From what I read here (and I haste to say, I haven't checked the veracity of any of these reports), the Captain and the crew of that U.S. ship appear to have acted in a completely non-standard way.
Anyone else who is familiar with operations in the Gulf of Aden care to confirm or refute the above impression? Others please abstain, thank you.
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He means they didn't do any of the following:
1. indiscriminately machine-gun any fishing boat they found, shipping any survivors off to Gitmo for unspeakable torture
2. detain all merchant ships in the area and search them for hours for evidence of aiding Al-Queda, waterboarding the crews in the process
3. use the 5" gun on the lifeboat the moment they arrived
4. use the seals to raid a nursery in Somalia and carry the infants off for Satanic sacrifice.
Or alternately:
1. take bribes for letting them go with the captain
2. coddle and sympathize with the "poor, oppressed victims of Western manipulation"
3. sing a round of "It's a Pirate's Life for Me" while towing them to another ship they can take over
That it was a clean, professional, absolutely legal and error-free job is not possible to some minds.
But then, since I haven't been there, and thus can't give him some "informed source says" dirt to use in a media slander-fest, he doesn't want to hear from me.
1. indiscriminately machine-gun any fishing boat they found, shipping any survivors off to Gitmo for unspeakable torture
2. detain all merchant ships in the area and search them for hours for evidence of aiding Al-Queda, waterboarding the crews in the process
3. use the 5" gun on the lifeboat the moment they arrived
4. use the seals to raid a nursery in Somalia and carry the infants off for Satanic sacrifice.
Or alternately:
1. take bribes for letting them go with the captain
2. coddle and sympathize with the "poor, oppressed victims of Western manipulation"
3. sing a round of "It's a Pirate's Life for Me" while towing them to another ship they can take over
That it was a clean, professional, absolutely legal and error-free job is not possible to some minds.
But then, since I haven't been there, and thus can't give him some "informed source says" dirt to use in a media slander-fest, he doesn't want to hear from me.
I would hate to be a US merchant sailor operating in the area now. I don't think the Pirates will bother to try to negotiate with the US Govt in the future, Just kill the crew, loot the ship and quickly leave. They have done it before...
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There is usually little of significant value to be "looted"... the value comes from ransoming the ship (with cargo) and crew.
If they kill the crew they cut their ransom by at least half, and insure that more pirates will be "sanctioned" by the government of the murdered crew.
If they escalate this, they will be in major trouble.
If they kill the crew they cut their ransom by at least half, and insure that more pirates will be "sanctioned" by the government of the murdered crew.
If they escalate this, they will be in major trouble.
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Slightly off Thread but we (RN) can make a contribution, provided it’s via an auxiliary tanker;
Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Military Operations | RFA Wave Knight disrupts pirate attacks
So they won't be back then!
Anyway, well done WINNIPEG, too;
Let's have a wave for WAVE KNIGHT boys;
Interesting flag the "suspects" are wearing.
Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Military Operations | RFA Wave Knight disrupts pirate attacks
Royal Navy personnel on board Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Wave Knight thwarted two pirate attacks on merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden this weekend resulting in the release of 13 hostages.
British military support ship RFA Wave Knight was working in support of the Combined Maritime Forces that have been operating in the area for many years. At approximately 0800hrs on Saturday 18 April 2009, the ship received a distress call from Merchant Vessel Handy Tankers Magic, which was under attack by pirates.
The attack broke off before Wave Knight arrived, but the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship followed the skiff to a fishing dhow, later confirmed to be a pirate 'mother ship'.
Via radio, Wave Knight ordered the dhow to stop and used a Royal Navy armed force protection team as well as the ship's own weapons team to provide cover. The pirate vessel complied.
Dutch warship HNLMS De Zeven Provincien, deployed as part of the NATO's Standing Naval Maritime Group 1, arrived on the scene and determined there were pirates and hostages aboard the vessel.
The intervention resulted in the release of 13 fishermen who had been held hostage by pirates since 12 April. The seven suspected pirates aboard the dhow were not captured in the act of piracy so they were released, but they were disarmed and their weapons destroyed.
British military support ship RFA Wave Knight was working in support of the Combined Maritime Forces that have been operating in the area for many years. At approximately 0800hrs on Saturday 18 April 2009, the ship received a distress call from Merchant Vessel Handy Tankers Magic, which was under attack by pirates.
The attack broke off before Wave Knight arrived, but the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship followed the skiff to a fishing dhow, later confirmed to be a pirate 'mother ship'.
Via radio, Wave Knight ordered the dhow to stop and used a Royal Navy armed force protection team as well as the ship's own weapons team to provide cover. The pirate vessel complied.
Dutch warship HNLMS De Zeven Provincien, deployed as part of the NATO's Standing Naval Maritime Group 1, arrived on the scene and determined there were pirates and hostages aboard the vessel.
The intervention resulted in the release of 13 fishermen who had been held hostage by pirates since 12 April. The seven suspected pirates aboard the dhow were not captured in the act of piracy so they were released, but they were disarmed and their weapons destroyed.
Anyway, well done WINNIPEG, too;
With the assistance of helicopters from the NATO task group ships HMCS Winnipeg and USS Halyburton, Wave Knight followed the pirate skiff for six hours, until relieved on-scene by Winnipeg, who conducted a boarding of the skiff. Wave Knight provided fuel and landing facilities for the NATO warships' helicopters and was able to manoeuvre into a position to stop the suspected pirates, allowing Winnipeg's boarding team to disarm and then subsequently release the suspected pirates.
Interesting flag the "suspects" are wearing.
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GreenKnight,
I suspect that herkman may be closer to the mark. The standard is that all U.S. military personnel have the duty to act if friendlies are in immanent danger. That is a very different standard than ordering a rescue that in the judgment of the on scene commander has/had the best chance of success.
In the Philippines with the U.S. missionary hostages being held by the Abu Sayef we (the U.S. military) needed to coordinate with various parts of the Philippino government plus our own chain. Thus the restriction on immanent danger. On the high seas in this incident there was no passable excuse to restrict immanent danger.
It is possible that there was a restriction on acting upon the immanent danger that was later lifted and thus the statement on broadened authority.
We will not have even a Pollyanna official history with transcripts for years.
S/F, FOG
I suspect that herkman may be closer to the mark. The standard is that all U.S. military personnel have the duty to act if friendlies are in immanent danger. That is a very different standard than ordering a rescue that in the judgment of the on scene commander has/had the best chance of success.
In the Philippines with the U.S. missionary hostages being held by the Abu Sayef we (the U.S. military) needed to coordinate with various parts of the Philippino government plus our own chain. Thus the restriction on immanent danger. On the high seas in this incident there was no passable excuse to restrict immanent danger.
It is possible that there was a restriction on acting upon the immanent danger that was later lifted and thus the statement on broadened authority.
We will not have even a Pollyanna official history with transcripts for years.
S/F, FOG
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Oooops...... wonder where that went..... 
Navy investigating missing money after pirate rescue
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Navy is investigating how thousands of dollars went missing in the rescue of the captain of the Maersk Alabama in April, a Pentagon source told CNN.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service opened an investigation into how $30,000 disappeared after special forces snipers shot and killed three pirates, ending the multi-day siege and freeing the captain, who had been held hostage. Investigators are talking to anyone who may have had contact with the money or knowledge about what happened to it, the source said, including military personnel on the warship, Navy SEALs who rescued Capt. Richard Phillips, and the crew of the Maersk Alabama.
The NCIS and the Maersk Line Ltd., which owns the Maersk Alabama, have not responded to CNN's request for comment.
In a criminal complaint filed against the one surviving alleged pirate, Abduwali Muse, the government contends the alleged pirate demanded money from the ship's captain and led him by gun point to the ship's safe. "The captain opened the safe and took out approximately $30,000 in cash. Muse and two other pirates then took the cash," the criminal complaint contends. It goes on to allege that Muse distributed some of the money to the other pirates who retreated to a lifeboat where they were holding the captain as a captive.
All three of the other pirates were killed by U.S. Special Forces snipers during the rescue but the complaint does not list any money recovered from the boat after the rescue. It only lists rifles, a hand gun, artillery, cell phones and handheld radios.
Navy investigating missing money after pirate rescue
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Navy is investigating how thousands of dollars went missing in the rescue of the captain of the Maersk Alabama in April, a Pentagon source told CNN.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service opened an investigation into how $30,000 disappeared after special forces snipers shot and killed three pirates, ending the multi-day siege and freeing the captain, who had been held hostage. Investigators are talking to anyone who may have had contact with the money or knowledge about what happened to it, the source said, including military personnel on the warship, Navy SEALs who rescued Capt. Richard Phillips, and the crew of the Maersk Alabama.
The NCIS and the Maersk Line Ltd., which owns the Maersk Alabama, have not responded to CNN's request for comment.
In a criminal complaint filed against the one surviving alleged pirate, Abduwali Muse, the government contends the alleged pirate demanded money from the ship's captain and led him by gun point to the ship's safe. "The captain opened the safe and took out approximately $30,000 in cash. Muse and two other pirates then took the cash," the criminal complaint contends. It goes on to allege that Muse distributed some of the money to the other pirates who retreated to a lifeboat where they were holding the captain as a captive.
All three of the other pirates were killed by U.S. Special Forces snipers during the rescue but the complaint does not list any money recovered from the boat after the rescue. It only lists rifles, a hand gun, artillery, cell phones and handheld radios.
