This situation has gotten ridiculous. 4 pirates in the life boat + 4 sharpshooters + one pull of the trigger each = situation resolved.

We need to do the same thing to these pirates that terrorists attempt to the civilized world. Make it so frightening to go about their daily activity, that they wouldn't think twice about taking over a US flagged ship.

Piracy becomes less lucrative if these pirates are hunted down and destroyed. It's not like they can hid the boats they've hijacked, you can see the satellite pictures on google.

I think that would most likely result in a dead capt.

-spence

No one at all wants that, especially considering how close to home this may hit for some people. On the other hand, these pirates have already demonstrated that they cannot be trusted in a negotiation sense. An exchange for the captain was suppose to take place before the military got involved.

The pirates are desperate. There is no way for me to imagine the tension of the situation, nor can I imagine the weight of responsibility felt by those negotiating the situation. However, the pirates are sitting ducks and an immediate threat.
An example should be made of them like this Bank Robber that threatened to kill his hostage.
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/6007331/detail.html

Hopefully someone more educated can help me with something...
This area has been seen for years as a highly dangerous area. Why aren't there armed guards on these ships? Is there an international restriction or something to that effect?

I still can't believe Obama is quite on this. Reminds me of the attack of the USS COLE and Clinton. (Who did NOTHING and IMO is what lead to further attacks in the US and eventually 911)

I can tell you the Navy is being told to do nothing....believe me they want to kill the pirates, but the new commander in chief is calling the shots and being told to stand down and observe.

This is his first military test and his lack of experience is shining thru. I give him a low grade so far. Even if this gets resolved today. Sitting in a life raft for days on end is not a solution. You need to take stern action to stop any other pirates on US ships.

Western flagged ships are paying ransoms...this is the problem...it's wrong..Just Kill the pirates and never pay ransom again. Try not to kill a US citizen but If someone dies on the process that is the cost we have to bear.

Hillary wants to capture them, treat them as criminals and give them lawyers...screw that, flush these SOB's once and for all goddammit.

(BTW, I believe the capt jumped overboard and began swimming towards the ship so he would be out of the way and the the Navy could shoot them...but they can't pull the trigger until the big man says fire and they probably could not get the go ahead in time . Should be standing orders, if you have a clear shot to kill them all, take it.)

Problem is it's a covered life boat.
However if the captain was able to try and escape by getting into the water,
you can bet the Seals could have gotten to that boat at night
and done their thing.

Gotta believe the Comander in Cheif hasn't given the OK.
Must be trying to prove you can negotiate with anybody.

Still hasn't said a word, come on this is rediculous.

Are you going to go to Vermont and tell the wife and family of the Capt. that this is what had to be done and it's the cost to bear Jim?

I think it is a tricky situation; the Capt is not a soldier, but did volunteer to save his crew, so what liberty does the navy have with his life? The report was he tried to swim, but couldn't get far enough away and the pirates fired on him in the water so he swam back. Maybe thats the argument the navy should have been closer, I don't know.

My solution, tonight, send in a seal, drill a small hole in the bottom. Start sinking the lifeboat and see what happens. it's a long 300mile swim for the pirates...

Bryan, we should blow that boat out of the water.

After all, it's not like they're going anywhere as they have no gas.

The longer we wait to take action the longer the Captain will still be alive. The US Navy has to be just itching to blow the Captain up, he did surrender after all, and his weakness has probably emboldened the terrorists. I read on newsmax.com that they're in communication with Bin Laden, and they have one of Saddam's fingers in a little box that they worship.

Obama should have known this was going to happen and should have had a destroyer escort for that ship before the pirate attack. At least he could have used his super powers and taken back the ship personally, but no, all he's done is send in the US Navy and FBI. Like what are they going to be able to do about the situation that Obama can't?

This entire situation wouldn't even be happening had we not elected Obama in the first place. That sent a signal to the entire world that taking from others is ok.

Obama is probally going to give the pirates first class tickets to new homes in Ohio where they can find real work. After all, it's not their fault they are pirates. It was the social situation that forced them into piracy. Had Clinton not left those Somalis would probably have WIFI and 401K's.

-spence

spence,

What'd you make that post for? Now the Right-Wingers don't have anything new to say.

Thanks, I didn't know that.

Johnny, think about all the gas.

Had Obama not made the USA look like such a whimp, by challenging the EU to not just blame America (yea, right), we wouldn't need the US Navy and could save hundreds of Billions of dollars in defense spending every year.

We would be energy independent and the war against terrorism, the defining moment of our time, would be won. Islam wouldn't last long.

This would free up tremendous Federal resources to eliminate the real threats to my freedom. Gay love and an abundance of coal.

-spence

This is why I stay out of the Scuppers section....

:rotflmao:

give the pirates the ransom, get the hostage off the boat and then destroy the boat, money and pirates on a primetime world wide broadcast. Could probably make the money back selling advertisements for the show.

I think if this had a high chance of success they would have done it already. The handoff might be pretty tricky, it rarely works in the movies.

Sounds like more Navy ships are heading to the area and will block the boat from the wind pushing it ashore if necessary.

I can't believe Obama on this one. We're not running out of time and the Captain is still alive.

-spence

Johhny Depp should have been consulted.

I love that character. Nothing says Disney better than a boozing zombie with an eye for women.

-spence

A few thugs in a life boat hold the smartest and brightest President speachless. After sending in the entire US navy maybe there is a lesson in preemptive measures. It's amature hour. Look out when he gets tested by a real power.

Pray for this guy please. If this captain dies, then we are set up for a National embaressment

I couldn't agree more. Bush would have just killed the Captain and the pirates, snickered at the explosion, and moved on to bigger issues.

The only way we can read Obama's position on this is simply fear, he's totally frozen. Thank goodness a real Republican (Gates) is there to order the Navy into action.

I mean, this is a very simple situation. Pirates = bad. Obama is proabably caught up in all that nuance about why the pirates are bad, what kind of therapy would help them etc...

-spence

Nice, now you're just projecting your own disdain for Obama onto the situation. When anti-war Liberals did this about Iraq they were accused by the Right of secretly hoping our troops would fail.

Sounds like you're doing exactly the same thing.

-spence

I forgot about his super powers... thats why I voted for him :lama:

uh..you missed the "Pray for this guy" part.

In Obama's defence. he's had alot on his plate....

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/wa...e_house_debut/

I'm sure you want the Captain to live, but do you want Obama to fail? You seem quite eager to define failure.

-spence

I think if he does die, then yes, we failed him.
IMO, I think the failure was letting it happen to begin with. Sorry to rain on your Obama parade.

How in the hell can over a million square miles of ocean be effectively protected?

It's like trying to say the Police are failure because a house in town was broken into and they didn't prevent it from happening.

Oh...so now it's our fault.

You ok this morning?

-spence

Wow, so now you're going after his kids and their puppy? And on Easter Sunday to boot...

-spence

Good news!
 

It looks like the Captain has been freed and is on a US Navy ship. Not much news but it's sounding like the special forces had their opportunity to lay some smack down and pulled it off cleanly. That's got to feel good.

Obama should give the Capt. a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his actions to save his crew.

What a story.

-spence

they got him and he is ok. killed 3 out of 4 pirates

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa...tes/index.html

didn't see your last post there Spence