Posted on 04/12/2009 11:00:01 AM PDT by bimboeruption
MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) - An American ship captain was freed unharmed Sunday in a U.S. Navy operation that killed three of the four Somali pirates who had been holding him for days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa, a senior U.S. intelligence official said. One of the pirates was wounded and in custody after a swift firefight, the official said.
Capt. Richard Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vermont, was safely transported to a Navy warship nearby.
The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
A government official and others in Somali with knowledge of the situation had reported hours earlier that negotiations for Phillips' release had broken down.
The district commissioner of the central Mudug region said talks went on all day Saturday, with clan elders from his area talking by satellite telephone and through a translator with Americans, but collapsed late Saturday night.
"The negotiations between the elders and American officials have broken down. The reason is American officials wanted to arrest the pirates in Puntland and elders refused the arrest of the pirates," said the commissioner, Abdi Aziz Aw Yusuf. He said he organized initial contacts between the elders and the Americans.
Two other Somalis, one involved in the negotiations and another in contact with the pirates, also said the talks collapsed because of the U.S. insistence that the pirates be arrested and brought to justice.
Phillips' crew of 19 American sailors reached safe harbor in Kenya's northeast port of Mombasa on Saturday night under guard of U.S. Navy Seals, exhilarated by their freedom but mourning the absence of Phillips.
Crew members said their ordeal had begun with the Somali pirates hauling themselves up from a small boat bobbing on the surface of the Indian Ocean far below.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
LOL
I really wish they would have let them speak more. The other guy kept talking over him. And you are right, it wasn’t the US MSM talking to these guys...it was the world and they are watching.
I'm good with that, shipmate. Whatever it takes. Pirates get no quarter.
Intel reports say that it mostly comes from the coastal town of Eyl, Somalia. Time to go back in. This time with armor, unlike clintoon denied the Rangers in "Black Hawk Down". I've read where Intel actually knows the names and locations of some of the organizers, and yes, these hijackings are orchestrated through an organization.
BTW, I'm Amphibious Aviation Boatswains Mate 1975 - 1986.
Our SEALS are the baddest MOFO's on the planet. Our Navy aviators are the best on the planet. This is a GREAT DAY, shipmate.
Sully & Richard might make a good political ticket. We need real heros at the helm now.
What a sweet fantasy that is! I also think that if she had been President, it wouldn’t have taken so long. If McCain had been President, though, he would’ve been apologizing. We regret the loss of life. Our forces are trained to do better. We need to understand the breakdown/failure in procedure. ........
It was an unarmed merchant vessel. The captain did the right thing for his crew.
The ship is unharmed and free and now the captain is free.
Injured/captured pirate may be heading to USA to face trial....again Obama who will take sole credit...
Great news. I said a prayer for him in church this morning, and I’m sure many others did as well.
...let alone all the liberal heads exploding about now! ...and insurance company instructions were clearly violated, tho the good captain followed instructions to the "t": "surrender peacefully and let the insurance personnel 'handle the situation'". Somali elders are writing their insurance 'situation handlers' as we speak! Soros is not pleased!
There have been many reports sourcing “American officials”, and of course no mention of whom these “American officials” are.
There was mention the other day - don’t know if it was a joke or was true - that the FBI had been sent to the local area to conduct hostage negotiations (that Zer0 would deliberately create such a fractious command and control environment on the ground in Somalia is plausible and not at all surprising).
Still, I would like to know who these “American officials” are.
WTG NAVY!!!! WOO HOO!!!
Obama was doing NOTHING for a WEEK LONGER than anyone even KNEW!
Navy Seals!! This American salutes the Seals!!
WELL DONE!!!!
They don’t even have weapons for themselves?! If that’s true, a revision in procedure is certainly in order.
Thank God!!! God bless our Navy!!!!!
Want to set up a contest and guess how many pounds he will put on in the next 90 days?
We can hope there will be another miracle freeing of those hostages - but that will likely be far more difficult to accomplish.
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