BS: American captain rescued from pirates

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 08:56 AM

It seems timely to refresh this thread:

"Pirates hijacked the 17,500-tonne Maersk Alabama early Wednesday about 640 kilometres east of the Somalian capital of Mogadishu, but the 20 U.S. crew members later retook control of the ship. The crew had also captured one of the four pirates that hijacked the ship, and held him for 12 hours.

A later attempt to swap the captive pirate for the ship's captain went awry — the pirate was freed while Captain Richard Phillips wasn't. An officer aboard the Alabama, Ken Quinn, told CNN that the pirates had reneged on an agreement to release Phillips in exchange for one of their own.

The pirates instead made off with Phillips on a small lifeboat."

Here's a link to the most recent report: Click here for report

Interesting!

Charley Noble

---

Our general policy is to have one thread active on any given subject at a time. I combined all the April messages into one thread, and closed the earlier threads and deleted the other April threads.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: bubblyrat
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 11:20 AM

I just cannot believe it !! The idea of pirates EVER keeping their word about ANYTHING is bordering on the insane !!Apparently,the "Maersk Alabama" was under attack for several hours by "pirate skiffs" ( The Times newspaper, today,Thursday 9th April) before being boarded------so where were the much-vaunted multi-national anti-piracy vessels and their helicopters ,including those (helos) from USS Bainbridge ?? How can anyone ,anywhere,have any confidence in US military & Naval tactics if they can't stop FOUR MEN in sandals and dressing-gowns from succesfully capturing a sodding great big container ship after attacking it for FIVE HOURS ! ?? How much notice does the Captain of the USS Bainbridge, or any other US ( or British,come to that )hi-tech,attack-helicopter-equipped, modern,heavily-armed,troop-carrying warship require before actually DOING SOMETHING ?? How on EARTH did we ever win WW 2 ???

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 11:38 AM

Well a few days ago the Canadian forces stopped a pirate attack. The pirate boat withdrew when the Canadian chopper approached. Of course we let them go because, shucks, it just wouldn't have been nice to blow the whole bunch strait to Hell.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 01:03 PM

Bubblyrat-

The attack took place far south of the Gulf of Aden where the anti-pirate patrol ships are focused, off the coasts of southern Somalia and Kenya.

The Somali pirates do demonstrate an ability to adapt, and so far they have not indulged in any gratuitous murderous actions.

I was watching the CNN broadcast of this story yesterday evening while dining at a Somali restaurant in Portland, Maine. It was interesting to watch the reaction of the kitchen crew and the Somali dinners; their attention was certainly riveted to the screen. One wonders if they're now considering intercepting one of the big tankers that makes its way into Portland Harbor on a regular basis.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Apr 09 - 08:14 PM

Evidently Captain Phillips attempted to escape from the pirates in the lifeboat, but was recaptured: click here for report

In addition two Somali pirate mother ships, one loaded with hostages, are heading toward the lifeboat as well.

The hostage situation is getting much more complex.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Apr 09 - 09:44 PM

The Somali piracy is said to have been started by fishermen who no longer could make a living from the fish.

They have been supplanted by professional pirates who are much more difficult to deal with. Attacks are taking place 300-500 miles off the coast, in a one million sq. mi. sea.
Once pirates have boarded, there is the fear that if their demands are not met, the crew is at risk and the ship might be scuttled.
A Maersk container ship (over 600 belong to that company) costs many millions to build, and its cargo is worth many millions.

The crews are technically trained professionals, but are not trained in defense, nor should they be. Their job is care of the ship and its cargo.
As Charlie notes, it is lucky that no hostages have lost their lives.

Not every ship can be escorted, and it is impossible to put a trained defense unit aboard each vessel.

Perhaps a convoy system would reduce the frequency of attacks. But I can forsee a pirate ship threatening to launch a 'fish' if demands are not met, and other escalations since so much money is involved. Charlie has mentioned the use of pirate mother ships, which can be fitted out to do a lot of damage.

No easy solutions. A difficult situation that is going to take a long time to correct and improve.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 10:23 AM

Evidently one Somali pirate mother ship has returned to port after failing to locate the lifeboat and the Bainbridge: click here for report

Communications between the lifeboat and the pirate home bases has become more complicated since the pirates aboard the lifeboat decided to deep-six their satellite phone and radio; the pirates may have feared that their communications gear served as listening devices for the U.S. intelligence. Somali pirates are not so dumb, evidently. However, now their only recourse to communicating with their home base is by shouting, or via CNN or Mudcat.

Interesting.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 11:23 AM

Sarcosi of France was so sick and tired of Jokes about the French such as, " France has raised their terror alert level from run to hide", that he sent his navy after pirates who boarded a French yacht with guns blazing. They killed two pirates and the owner of the yacht.

I applaud the measured approach of the US at this time.

I do wonder what McCain would have done. Afterall he is an old navy man ... McCain's NAVY

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 11:35 AM

Inventions for making ships pirate resistent should be arriving shortly.

Bear in mind:
The easiest access to a ship is from the stern.
the cost needs to be low
the device should not be overtly lethal.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 12:59 PM

Donuel-

How about making all commercial transport ship double-enders?

How about big kettles of boiling oil?

How about full pig bladders (very effective assuming that Somali pirates are practicing Moslems)?

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 01:49 PM

Charlie, its amazing that I thought of two of your suggestions.

some more ideas.

There is a chemical that is used in riot control that is super duper slippery. It might be of help.

Cannon ejected netting with a anchor that is dropped once the pirate boat is snared.

Call to muslim prayer music can be played at the correct hours.

Large hinged plates can be released from the side of the ship that would sandwhich pirates climbing up the sides.

localized electrical shocks can be discharged on the hull.

Throw counterfeit money over the side.

Put diamonds in smoe commercially valuable fish to increase the fisherman to fish instead of pirate.

Project holograms of muslim Clerics telling them to go away.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 02:00 PM

laughing gas bombs over the side

Those sticky balls as seen in The Incredibles by Pixar

Microwave projectors that would heat the pirates internally until they passed out.

The Homeland Security riot weapon that uses sub sound bass notes that induce instant nausea.

Blinding lasers.

Animatronic swimmers that they would try to take hostage

The best songs of Paris Hilton at loud volume.

oil cast overboard and set ablaze.

A bale of old Hustler and Playboy magazines tossed over the side.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 02:05 PM

ps
the magazines and counterfeit money are soaked in LSD.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 03:13 PM

I guess you can no longer hang 'em from the yardarm like in the days of sail.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 03:15 PM

Pepper spray would probably be ineffective given that Somalis are fond of spicy foods.

I'm not sure about LSD but Somalis are very fond of Chat, a mildly narcotic leaf that they chew.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: GUEST,heric
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 03:23 PM

I will never trespass in Donuel's yard.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 04:50 PM

Surely boiling oil should be used on the fuzzy wuzzies who are acting as pirates!

Subject: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:38 PM

Details not all reported yet.
CNN reporting that 3 of the pirates in the lifeboat killed, the captain hostage freed without injury.

---

Threads combined. -Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:42 PM

More from CNN report.
He jumped over board from the lifeboat again, and when the 3 pirates turned their weapons on the captain in the water, US forces killed the pirates. Another pirate is in custody who had left the lifeboat and gone to the ship to negotiate.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:43 PM

I've been thinking all it would take would be one SEAL and maybe some underwater infrared goggles, if such things exist.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:45 PM

The opportunity came because the captain took the risk again to jump into the ocean.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: gnu
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:51 PM

Thank goodness he's okay!

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:52 PM

Navy SEALS did carry out an operation and took out the pirates when the captain escaped.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:53 PM

Well its nice to know that Good Old American Get up and go still functions in the Merchant Marine !

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:55 PM

Next headline I expect to see is "movie in the making".

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:56 PM

A news conference will be held later today.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: gnu
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:58 PM

Indeed, T. I thought the same thing when it was reported that the crew overpowered the pirates. Takes some kinda balls to tackle men armed with auto 308 cals.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: gnu
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 01:59 PM

Alice.... I'll bet the wheeler-dealers are alreay on the phone.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 02:59 PM

I KNEW it would be up to the SEAL teams to take them out!!(Having quite a few of them, and formers, as both friends and acquaintances). We've been sitting around here speculating how it would be done. Dollars to doughnuts, its just as they ran it down! HOOYAHH!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 03:00 PM

From the news conference, Massachusetts Maritime academy, "we still have more than 200 men and women held hostage in Somalia." As an international community, we must stop the piracy. "Don't forget the other 200 mariners".

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 03:04 PM

They were expecting the pirates to eventually just become exhausted. After he jumped overboard the first time and they pulled him back into the pirate lifeboat, they had him tied to the boat according to one of the reports I read.
The fact that he was able to get overboard into the water again really expedited the resolution, as according to the news conference, the expectation was that it would take more time to just wear the pirates down until they gave up or were all asleep at the same time.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 03:22 PM

It has been reported on CNN this afternoon that the Captain jumped overboard again in the night and was rescued. Three of the Somali pirates who were guarding him were killed by Navy Seals. The 4th pirate was aboard the Bainbridge negotiating at the time and is now in the brig: click here for report

There should be more details soon.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 03:24 PM

Charlie, I started a new thread so people could actually see the news in the thread title.click

Alice

---

Hi, Alice-It would have been better to ask for a title change to the earlier thread, if it had already been refreshed to cover the new incident. Now we have two active threads on the same subject, and it's confusing to people. I combinde all the April messages and closed the earlier thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 03:25 PM

From the news I've read, the one pirate they have in custody actually had jumped overboard from the lifeboat, so maybe he was trying to just get out of the situation, not that he was really a "negotiator".

This is the first time the US has had a pirate in custody from the Somali pirate raids, according to CNN.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 03:27 PM

Link to updating news:

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 03:29 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/12/somalia.pirates/index.html

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 03:38 PM

Evidently the Navy is doing an update at 4 pm on the action details.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Ron Davies
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:06 PM

I agree with those who say the biggest mystery is how an unarmed crew managed to overcome the heavily armed pirates. Still haven't seen any details on that---has anybody? Maybe they will be in the current news conference.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:14 PM

News conference beginning now.
Pentagon briefing.

CNN now saying a bit of confusion on whether he jumped out when he was rescued, but that the hostage was in imminent danger, which brought on the shooting with the pirates.
The early report I heard was that when he escaped again, the pirates were shooting at the captain and the Navy shot the pirates.

This upcoming briefing hopefully will clear up questions about those details.

Alice

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: gnu
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:17 PM

No mystery... Yanks. Full of balls and bravado and "Good Old American Get up and go" like Terry said. Just like the kind of heroes that have put their lives at stake many times in the past.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:17 PM

Ron, I saw crew members yesterday talking from on board, shouting over the rail to a journalist, that some of them hid where they go when pirates would board. At one point, one of the pirates was stabbed in the hand. Tactics they practice allowed them to get enough control that the pirates exited the ship on the lifeboat, taking the captain.

The report now confirms that the captain did not jump over. The pirates were shot, and the captain rescued. That makes more sense to me. I had read that they had tied him to the lifeboat after his first attempt to escape.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:26 PM

To clarify, the Navy says that the captain tried to escape once and had jumped out of the lifeboat - the pirates shot at him then, and pulled him back into the lifeboat. That was at least a day ago.

They were pointing their weapons at the captain when the pirates were shot, but at that time the captain was on the lifeboat, not in the water.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:35 PM

Navy snipers who killed the pirates were on the Bainbridge, according to the current briefing going on.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:37 PM

more from the briefing:
It was 25-30 meters from the lifeboat to the Bainbridge, and the sea conditions were getting worse.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:48 PM

Seen no reports, but 'educated guesses' have it this way....
SEALS were in the water, having the boat surrounded, gaining access to the immediate area, via, SUV(SEAL underwater vehicle), initials have changed over the years, could be called, SEAL submersible vehicle, and using 're-breathers', a type of underwater breathing apparatus, that replaces scuba(Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) tanks, that produces no bubbles, for detection,..waited for their moment, via distraction, and/or fatigue, being as the perps were dogged day and night with helicopters, and very bright lights from them, at night. When the order came, it would be swift and lethal. The fact that there was one surviving perp, would be more than likely an order to take one or as many as they could for Intel. Gathering information, is far more a priority, than producing everyone terminated.
   See if that matches details when they come out!

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:50 PM

No, I just posted the details as I was listening to the Pentagon briefing, straight from the Navy's info.

The pirates were shot from the Bainbridge, not from SEALS in the water.

See what I posted above.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:50 PM

Well, the Navy news conference didn't really clear up the details from my point of view.

Just what triggered the shooting of the three pirates aboard the lifeboat is not clear, other than the opportunity to get a clear shot at two of them. The lifeboat was being towed by the Bainbridge at the time, about 30 meters away. Sharpshooters were stationed at the stern of the Bainbridge.

The rescued captain is in excellent health.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:51 PM

The lifeboat with the pirates and hostage in it was actually being towed by the Navy.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Alice
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:53 PM

From the statement in the briefing, the shooting was triggered by the "imminent danger" to the hostage by a weapon being aimed at the back of the hostage. With clear view of head and shoulders of two pirates when the weapon was pointed at the back of the captain, the decision was made to shoot.

Subject: RE: BS: American captain rescued from pirates
From: Ron Davies
Date: 12 Apr 09 - 04:56 PM

Unarmed men were able to "get enough control"--against heavily armed pirates.   That's the crux of it--and the mystery.

My guess, from reading about other recent piracy off Somalia, is that it is Capt. Phillips being willing to offer himself as a hostage which made the difference here. The pirates make their money from ransom--thought they'd get a good payday with him.