After all, when you very likely have orders not to engage or cause ‘loss of life’ opportunities like this will be missed and the enemy becomes even more emboldened. This story by the Times of London just about says it all.
US Navy misses chance to rescue American captain held hostage by pirates
The US Navy missed a chance to rescue the American captain held by Somali pirates aboard a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean when he made a daring escape bid and jumped into the sea.
Captain Richard Phillips escaped through a back door in the covered lifeboat at around midnight local time and began swimming away in the dark, US officials said. At least one pirate jumped in after him and brought him back aboard the boat, which is drifting without fuel, before a nearby US destroyer, USS Bainbridge, could intervene.
This evening the pirates finally announced that they were demanding $2 million for the release of Captain Phillips.
The unsuccessful escape attempt and the captain’s uncertain fate threatens to embarrass the Obama Administration, which has seen the mighty US Navy thwarted by a rag-tag band of four pirates armed with AK47s.
And by whom are we being outdone? The French.
That pressure will only increase with the rescue of four hostages by French commandos yesterday, the third such action ordered by President Sarkozy. Another hostage was killed in the action, however, also illustrating the risks of a special forces operation.
Good for them for taking decisive action. But my goodness, this has become pathetic.
Fabulous. The liar in chief doesn’t even have the kahunas to protect ONE man from a bunch of slumdogs. We as a nation are screwed.
How bizarre this all is!
It’s almost a sitcom….
Great show today!
There is a difference, however. Carter was a bumbling fool, but when he was President, he was a patriot (as opposed to later when he turned against the United States.) Obama despises the United States now, and wants to take our country down, politically, economically, and militarily. His every move is meant to communicate this to his fellow Muslims throughtout the world. Randy
WTF! The FRENCH! THE FRICKIN’ FRENCH have more cashews that WE do!
The world is officially coming to an end.
I am sooooooo ticked off right now!
I’m telling you now, if that Captain dies, or languishes as a hostage – THE BLAME IS ON OBAMA AND HE SHOULD BE 100% ASHAMED OF HIMSELF.
HE IS AN UTTER FAILURE!
Is this an “impeachable” offense – failure to protect an American citizen? If not, it should be.
Maybe he needs to watch “Air Force One”.
Hey, OBAMA, GET THOSE CASHEWS BACK FROM YOUR WIFE, YOU cheap, lying, no good, rotten, floor-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, d–kless, hopeless, heartless, fat-butt, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed, sack of monkey sh** he is! Hallelujah! Holly Sh**!
Where’s the Tylenol?
Oh man I almost blew my top when I read about the captain’s escape attempt! Shouldn’t the Navy have already deployed a team of Navy Seals to position themselves under/around the lifeboat,in case someone(the captain,maybe?) made a break for it?! And if the Navy had no Seals available,how about opening up on the pirates with the destroyers’ weapons as soon as they saw the captain jump in the water?? What the crap are those ships doing there,if not to rescue an American citizen? I sure hope this doesn’t turn into a repeat of Somalia 1993! I am ex military and I’m about to lose it! Which I rarely do! And on Fox News a while ago,Chris Wallace had the nerve to say this was not a crisis,that it was JUST a hostage situation! No Mr. Wallace,this is an attack by Somali muslims on an American. You bet your life it’s a crisis!!
Unbelievable. The second the crew of the Bainbridge knew Phillips was in the water, they should’ve blasted the lifeboat into a million pieces. Taking out pirates is one of the reasons that navies were INVENTED in the first place.
1) The French attacked while the family was on the boat. They took the risk and yes a hostage died. But the point is they took the risk!
2) The Americans had a free shot when the Captain got away and did not take it!! Why not take them out? Why not have a team in standby? Snipers anyone? He was swimming towards freedom and the risk would have been lower…Oh well, sounds like something Carter did would have done with the Iran Hostages….
hussein is a worthless coward who despises the United States of America and everything that it stands for.
this POS called hussein marinated in decades of ‘i hate America’ rhetoric and he reveals himself more clearly by the minute.
We can’t have the Navy attacking pirates. An anti-pirate policy is just going to create more pirates. Isn’t that the logic the left uses about terrorists? Oh, right, we aren’t allowed to use the word “terrorist” any more.
Yes, pathetic. Would someone issue our government some balls? BIG ONES! Quickly…we’re gonna eat this one if the captain doesn’t make it through…
Why the hell the Maritime Associations don’t require armed crews in this age of terrorism is unfathomable. Mutiny threat be damned. This is a time of war on the high seas. Crikey! WTF?!
Just before the election, Joe Biden said to mark his words – that within 6 months this president would be tested with an international crisis. This could be it.
I agreed with Tammy’s comment on air, covering for Laura Ingraham, that 4 Navy sharp-shooters and 4 bullets could end this. Unfortunately, they are in a covered lifeboat. Darn!
I wasn’t kidding. Pump two or three .50 caliber Barretts through the hull, sink the life boat, put them all into shark-infested waters, pull up with a skiff and save the Captain. This ain’t rocket science. We already know the Captain can swim.
Unfortunately it looks does like Carter II. CNN said today the pirates were a “distraction” for Obama. When will this guy figure out protecting American lives is one of those “duties” he took an oath to perform. Increasingly appears this guy is in over his head.
U.S. Navy and Captain Held by 4 Terrorists – Unacceptable. This brave Capt. Richard Phillips deserves more than this from his country. He gave himself up to protect his crew and is left to try swimming to the USS Bainbridge, which is several hundred yards away, has rescue helicopters and lifeboats but is “keeping its distance, in part to stay out of the pirates’ range of fire”. PLEASE say it ain’t so and quit calling these terrorists “Pirates” Johnny Depp is a pirate! There are four idiots holding our fellow American in a dingy – where are the Navy Seals and the sharpshooters. No sharpshooter to save the Captain???? SOMEONE PLEASE CALL SARAH PALIN!
This is a CLASSIC example of how negotiating with terrorists or appeasement backfire! Being nice to terrorists only emboldens them and increases their number. No consequences is a show of weakness. A sharp shooter should be on each pirate – on the count of 3, all triggers pulled simultaneously. Pirates/terrorists would learn real fast that it’s not worth messing with the U.S. Now it is very much worth it. They have nothing to lose. With some people, people like this, if you’re nice they will walk all over you. Obama doesnt want to anger his Somali muslim brothers or, god forbid, use military force to solve a military situation like this, that would make him a cowboy – one of the worst labels in the liberal world.
With the economic crisis Obama was quick to thrust his stimulus pkg down our throats – w/o even reading the bill. Afterall, economic disaster loomed. However, we have a maritime disaster on our hands with the symbolic taking of an American hostage and the guy drags his feet. This could have ended days ago if he had acted promptly and aggressively – but no, military action goes against his moral fabric. It’s better that the pirates regroup, call in reinforcements, and make military action a no – go. Or better yet, the hostage starves or dehydrates to death. This way Obama’s moral fabric is left intact, he didn’t take proactive military action. This is one of those tests Biden mentioned. The middle east is watching and like what they see. Obama is a coward.
Obama would rather let this poor American die than appear to be a Cowboy (this is offensive to pirate/terrorist sensibilities the world over).
Thus does America return to 9-10 with all of its Carterian, Clintonian anti-military fecklessness. Were that not bad enough, President Obama adds anti-Americanism and, as Shakespeare put it, “base spaniel fawning” toward muslims everywhere. Consider:
(1) The FBI is a civilian law enforcement agency. Its negotiators are trained to deal with common criminals, motivated by greed and saving their own skins, under the color of American law on American soil.
(2) Putting the FBI in charge–and have no doubt, they’re in charge–subverts the authority of American warship captains, who are reduced to waiting for a cop to tell them when, how and where they may maneuver their ships and employ their sailors.
(3) Once the FBI is involved, there is little or no chance that military force will be employed as the President has chosen to make this a criminal rather than a military matter.
(4) Our SEALs could, if allowed, quickly turn these miscreants into chum and rescue a brave captain who knew when he offered himself as hostage that he was as good as dead. All the more reason to rescue him. Does our administration understand and appreciate courage and honor? Unlikely. No doubt, SEALs everywhere are waiting for a go. It almost certainly will not come.
(5) Around the world, regimes who wish us ill are watching carefully, perhaps in amazement, at four raggedy Somali pirates making a mockery of America. This display of weakness will not be lost on them. They are making plans because they now believe that our president is a weakling and America is impotent.
Even if the FBI could make a “successful” negotiation, what would be the outcome? We might get the captain back, and they would get away, free and laughing at America, with untold millions in their threadbare, salt-soaked pockets. Even if, by some miracle, the pirates were captured, wouldn’t they be given full constitutional protections? Taxpayer funded defense attorneys (they’re probably already onboard a nearby warship) and every comfort and convenience? Of course, we couldn’t take them to Gitmo, so where to take them, where to take them?
I guess I’m just being too hard on President Obama. After all, he established such good will and respect for America among the muslim jihadists of the world on his recent PR excursion–oops!, I mean his goodwill trip–that it would be foolish to follow centuries of precedent and international law and reduce all pirates and their vessels within weapons range of any US ship to pink mist and burning kindling.
Wait, we’re being too insensitive here… they aren’t “terrorists”, they’re “unfortunately disadvantaged wayward Somali peace-loving Islamic sailors”.
Obama would rather let this poor American die than appear to be a Cowboy (this is offensive to pirate/terrorist sensibilities the world over).
And if Americans object the Won will lecture to us on how it is actually all Bush’s fault.
“I guess I’m just being too hard on President Obama.” Hardly tough enough, Mike. But I do appreciate how you can expect the reaction. His remark about the US never being, nor ever will be, at war with Islam. That remark is the first time I know of when a president made a religioius statement on a state visit – anywhere.
(Even JFK’s comments about his Catholicism were made within the parameters of a religious dialogue.)
But, now we have this clown, not only making such a comment where he did, but at the same time the UN is pressuring to a “Words-Off” ruling.
Add to the possibility that the “Shaboobs” of Somalila determine themselves to be a Holy Land of Islam and we’ll spend the next fifty years trying to find the fisrst strand on a plate of politically correct pasta.
From Caesar to the other day, piracy has been dealt with by the navies of the offended land.
So, interpreting the recent standards of ‘law enfarcement’, some FBI agent must grab a pirate, advise him of his rights, secure the chain of evidence and then bail him so he can visit his relatives in Edina, Minnesota.
However, the emotions are high in this case; especially after the manifest bravery of the crew.
If Obama says nothing for a few days, I’ll applaud his eloquence.