what i don't understand is
i know there are frigates of the dutch, german, greek and american navy there.
how hard can it be to track where these guys are coming from, and bomb the crap out of that place.

I actually heard that a US special forces group deployed in the area was preparing to take out the pirates by hitting their base on land, but Obama hasn't given it the OK yet.

Mind you, it was from Hannity, so some of you may say it's not a legit source right up front. 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

US sea captain freed in swift firefight 

Apr 12 02:48 PM US/Eastern
By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY and LARA JAKES
Associated Press Writers Comments (0)      Share on Facebook         

  MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) - An American ship captain was freed unharmed Sunday and three of the pirates who held him for days in a lifeboat off the Somali coast were killed in a operation by U.S. Navy Seals that was approved by President Barack Obama, officials said.
Capt. Richard Phillips' crew, who said they had escaped after he offered himself as a hostage, erupted in cheers aboard their ship docked in Mombasa, Kenya. Some waved an American flag and fired a flare in celebration.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet said Phillips was resting comfortably on a U.S. warship after receiving a medical exam.

U.S. officials said Obama ordered the Defense Department to use military resources to rescue Phillips. Obama said the captain had courage that was "a model for all Americans." The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not yet authorized to disclose the president's decision-making process.

Obama said he was pleased that Phillips was rescued, adding that the United States needs help from other countries to deal with the threat of piracy and to hold pirates accountable.

The Navy said Phillips was freed at 7:19 p.m. local time. He was taken aboard the Norfolk, Virginia-based USS Bainbridge and then flown to the San Diego-based USS Boxer for the medical exam, 5th Fleet spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said.

Christensen said Phillips was now "resting comfortably." The USS Boxer was in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia, Christensen said.

The U.S. did not say if Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vermont, was receiving medical care because he had been injured or if he was being treated for exposure after his ordeal.

U.S. officials said a pirate who had been involved in negotiations to free Phillips but who was not on the lifeboat during the rescue was in military custody. FBI spokesman John Miller said that would change as the situation became "more of a criminal issue than a military issue."

Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said prosecutors were looking at "evidence and other issues" to determine whether to bring a case in the United States. The pirate could face a life sentence if convicted, officials said.

A spokeswoman for the Phillips family, Alison McColl, said Phillips and his wife, Andrea, spoke by phone shortly after he was freed.

"I think you can all imagine their joy and what a happy moment that was for them," McColl said outside of the Phillips home in Underhill. "They're all just so happy and relieved. Andrea wanted me to tell the nation that all of your prayers and good wishes have paid off because Capt. Phillips is safe."

When Phillips' crew heard the news aboard their ship in the port of Mombasa, they placed an American flag over the rail of the top of the Maersk Alabama and whistled and pumped their fists in the air. Crew fired a bright red flare into the sky from the ship.

"We made it!" said crewman ATM Reza, pumping his fist in the air.

"He managed to be in a 120-degree oven for days, it's amazing," said another of about a dozen crew members who came out to talk to reporters. He said the crew found out the captain was released because one of the sailors had been talking to his wife on the phone.

Capt. Joseph Murphy, the father of second-in-command Shane Murphy, thanked Phillips for his bravery.

"Our prayers have been answered on this Easter Sunday. I have made it clear throughout this terrible ordeal that my son and our family will forever be indebted to Capt. Phillips for his bravery," Murphy said. "If not for his incredible personal sacrifice, this kidnapping and act of terror could have turned out much worse."

In the written statement, Murphy said both his family and Phillips' "can now celebrate a joyous Easter together."

Terry Aiken, 66, who lives across the street from the Phillips house, fought back tears as he reacted to the news.

"I'm very, very happy," Aiken said. "I can't be happier for him and his family."

A government official and others in Somalia with knowledge of the situation had reported hours earlier that negotiations for Phillips' release had broken down.

Talks to free him began Thursday with the captain of the USS Bainbridge talking to the pirates under instruction from FBI hostage negotiators on board the U.S. destroyer. The pirates had threatened to kill Phillips if attacked.

Three U.S. warships were within easy reach of the lifeboat on Saturday. The U.S. Navy had assumed the pirates would try to get their hostage to shore, where they could have hidden him on Somalia's lawless soil and been in a stronger position to negotiate a ransom.

Maersk Line said before news of the rescue broke that "the U.S. Navy had sight contact" of Phillips

I heard all three pirates were sniped at once. Sniping on the ocean is just insane. Hitting a target with the sway of the two boats, that's crazy.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/12/somalia.pirates/?iref=mpstoryview#cnnSTCVideo

I heard 1 pirate was on the US navy ship arguing about release, and basically he said nobody was gonna stand trial or there was no deal.

The hostage was kneeling and 3 pirates were next to him holding a gun at his back. 

US military snipers--not said what branch, and probably will never be told, that's classified--were watching and the officer said the hostage was in danger so take out the 3.

the pirate negotiator was captured and I'm sure he'll be freed before trial since he wasn't advised of his constitutional rights before being arrested.  I mean, since the Alabama was an FBI crime scene a day before this guy's capture, this guy was a suspect.

Did the FBI tell him he was a suspect?  did they advise him he could refuse to talk to them?

"The sea conditions were worsening and the lifeboat was "floundering" before pirates acknowledged that by establishing a tow, it would be a smoother ride."

... and ...

"They established clear head shots on all three pirates: one was visible through the front window, and the other two were revealing their heads through the top hatch, presumably to get fresh air. It would be their last breath."

Holy crap, how on earth did they pull those shots off?!

> Otto the Autopilot wrote:

> I heard all three pirates were sniped at once. Sniping on the ocean is just insane. Hitting a target with the sway of the two boats, that's crazy.

The media and movies glamorise and exagerate things (yup stating obvious) but unless it was a completely flat day on the water that truely is amazing shooting.

When pirates capture a ship and try to ransom it you just send in a warship, take the ship back and leave.
Never pay ransom.

If nobody paid the first ransom the second hijacking would not have happened.

Now it will take 10 crews to die for it to stop.

If you want to beat pirates just use big wind machines to blow them away, that failing a Molotov cocktail would ruin a pirateship.

Shiver me timbers mateys

yay for Obama

well handled

Aren't they just dynamite!