How SEALs Carried Out Their Mission

The Washington Post ^ | Monday, April 13, 2009 | Ann Scott Tyson

[Delacon]

The operation to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips involved dozens of Navy SEALs, who parachuted from an aircraft into the scene near dark Saturday, landing in the ocean. The SEALs were part of a group of Special Operations forces involved in the effort, according to military officials.

The SEALs set up operations on the USS Bainbridge, which had been communicating with the four pirates via radio and had used smaller boats to make deliveries of food and water to their lifeboat. Yet the pirates were growing increasingly agitated, the officials said. At one point Saturday, the pirates opened fire on one of the smaller U.S. Navy craft that approached.

As the seas grew rougher, the Bainbridge offered to tow the lifeboat to calmer waters, and the pirates agreed, linking up the lifeboat to the destroyer with a towing cable that left 75 to 80 feet between the two vessels. Phillips at the time was tied up in the lifeboat, having been bound -- and occasionally beaten -- by the pirates ever since he had attempted to escape by jumping into the water on Friday, the officials said.

Meanwhile, one of the pirates, estimated to be between 16 and 20 years old, asked to come aboard the Bainbridge to make a phone call. He had been stabbed in the hand during an altercation with the crew of the Maersk Alabama and needed medical care. "He effectively gave himself up," a senior military official said. The Navy then allowed that pirate to speak with the others in hopes that he could persuade them to give up.

The three other pirates, however, showed signs of growing irritation, as the Bainbridge, 18 miles from shore, towed the lifeboat further out to sea, the senior military official said. "They had no promise of

[Sal]

Nah. Just bone chips.

[Vendome]

Sorry, gotta agree with you. I just can’t see how you hit three guys, at the same time, at night in a boat that has low visiblity perspective(portholes for windshield) and the thing is bobbing.

With the waves, the wash from the propellers and each human responding differently to motion, there is no way to time the shot.

That is what you do when shooting at targets. You time where there are and where they will be when your shot strikes.

There are too many unpredictables for this outcome as the press is reporting.

I mean I am an excellent shot and have shot at moving objects, but Lee Harvey Oswald could not do what three men did.

If they did, fine and kudos. I just don’t see it.

I read on another post something about a gyro shooting platform? Okay, like they are probably very expensive and take up vital real estate on a ship.

All in all this whole scenario is possible, I suppose but to my minds eye just not probable.

The shooters should be on an Olympic team if they can do that.

[Tijeras_Slim]

one of the pirates, estimated to be between 16 and 20 years old

What's the matter with these folks? Doesn't anyone from Africa have a birth certificate?

[cyberaxe]

.....this is purely speculation and bits from the story but.....

..... 2 guys with heads sticking out hatches = 2nd and 3rd shots, to be keyed on by success of primary.....

.....guy with gun at Capitan = primary.....

.....primary asks if 2nd and 3rd are ready to "send it" ?.....

.....primary then advises to "send it" on my shot.....

.....have been told this is a VERY standard practice which is practiced quite often with up to 5 secondary targets.....

[MEG33]

Thank you Navy Seals!

[Panzerfaust]

I agree that you deserve protection from external forces while traveling abroad. However, if you enter into risky areas, you have to accept additional responsibility for things going wrong.

When I visited the DMZ in Korea last year, I was required to sign a waiver stating that I understood the risk I was taking and that I might be lost to hostile action despite the best efforts of the UN forces to protect me. My free choice to enter into a potentially dangerous area meant I took the risk and assumed the costs if things went wrong.

Had Maersk posted, say, two armed security guards on board their freighter, they could have easily repelled the boarding attempt and prevented this whole mess in the first place. They did not do so because they want to take a risk (navigate the Indian Ocean) without assuming the increased costs that go along with the increased risks.

As a result, we taxpayers have to dispatch a billion-dollar plus warship to bail out Maersk. So , as a fellow taxpayer, are you saying the use of an Arleigh Burke-class DDG to combat 4 idiots in a lifeboat is money-well-spent? I'll make a wild guess and say it would be cheaper to station two US Navy sailors, each with small arms and an M2 .50 cal MG, onboard every US-flagged vessel passing Somalia, than it would be to post the three or four DDG's necesscary to adequately patrol the whole area along the coast of Somalia. Send the bill for the sailors to the shipping companies. It'd be cheaper for them too!

[UCANSEE2]

“As the seas grew rougher, the Bainbridge offered to tow the lifeboat to calmer waters, and the pirates agreed, “

“.the Bainbridge, 18 miles from shore, towed the lifeboat further out to sea.”

---

I noticed that too.

LOL. No one said the pirates were smart, just desperate.

A big salute to our US. NAVY, MARINES, and SEALS!!!

[cyberaxe]

“.the Bainbridge, 18 miles from shore, towed the lifeboat further out to sea.”

.....lol, probably made the "shots" easier that way too!.....

[ozarkgirl]

But the result -- a dramatic and successful rescue operation by U.S. Special Operations forces -- left Obama with an early victory that could help build confidence in his ability to direct military actions abroad.

Oh yeah, like he had anything to do with it. Lots of people here were saying Obama was making the Seals hold back. Bull. He knew he didn't have what it takes and said basically do what you need to do. And rightly so.

[Syncro]

I’m sure that is one too.

Thanks.

[Tallguy]

Still having trouble understanding how they could see Phillips' back etc.

I don't know any more than what I have read, but I have seen lifeboats of this type up close. They do have hatches/portals that can be opened. Guessing that the pirates gambled on keeping them open for some cross-ventilation... and their skulls got ventilated instead.

[UCANSEE2]

Yes, the MSM will try to paint a pretty picture for their latest demi-god.

In this case, I think Obama did some very important things.

1) He didn’t make an issue of it, nor address the public on the topic. Matter of fact, he avoided it.

2) He let the Military know that he wanted a peaceful outcome if possible.

3) If lives were to be taken in a rescue attempt, he wanted to make the call.

4) Mostly, he stayed out of the way, and voiced assurance to the public.

I can not fault him for his ‘known’ actions and words , nor does the outcome make me question his treatment of this situation.

I hate the idea Obama is now our President. BUT.

Voting ‘present’ on this particular piracy may have been the wisest thing to do. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

[Tallguy]

I'll make a wild guess and say it would be cheaper to station two US Navy sailors, each with small arms and an M2 .50 cal MG, onboard every US-flagged vessel passing Somalia, than it would be to post the three or four DDG's necesscary to adequately patrol the whole area along the coast of Somalia.

These are very large vessels with a lot of rail to defend and a 24hour watch to be maintained while transiting the Somali coastline. I was going to suggest posting a Marine Squad on each vessel. Pick the Marines up in say Kenya & fly them back to Bahrain for the next trip. Equip the squad with some M240's and a few LAW's rockets (to keep the RPG's at bay) and a sniper rifle.

As you say, gotta be cheaper than maintaining a picket screen the length of that coastline. And it would probably tie up only a battalion's-worth of Marines, plus some air & boat assets.

[A_Former_Democrat]

So would there be just one sniper aimed per target? Or would more than one from perhaps different angles to make sure the target is hit and destroyed?
]

[libscum]

How came Barry is not taking credit—No face time on Pravda ? Barry deserves all of the credit, not the seals. This was Barry’s brilliant plan per state radio.

[cyberaxe]

.....again, purely speculation, but.....

.....lifeboat being towed by ship @ 75' behind.....

.....doesn't really give too many different angles.....

.....primary probably had spotter.....

.....and probably #2 and #3 had back up shooters if.....

.....there wasn't "adequate" pink mist seen by spotter.....

[RipSawyer]

“short snubbed on the tail of a 1000 foot destroyer,”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Don’t know much about ships eh?

[Delacon]

Mostly we are on the same page however, there is a difference between a tourist hitting the back alleys of Buenos Ares on a friday night and a commercial vessel plying their trade on the open seas. The US has taken the responsibitily to keep the sea lanes open across the world since the end of WW2 and have done admirably. The cost for extending US military power has paid off dividends very well in terms not only of securing the saftey of Americans abroad but also in terms of stable trade routes just to name two. Also it good to remind everyone who is top dog in the world(not China, not Russia, and certainly not the EU). As for arming commercial vessels, well thats easier said than done. I’m all for it but there are all kinds of legal barriers to do it. Every ship has to comply with the laws of the country whose port they are leaving from and going to, not to mention insurance problems. What should be done at the very least is that the US should patrol the waters off Somalia with a very agressive policy towards acts of piracy. Simply, put the pirates out of business. And as I said before, I think we should flat out blockade Somalia and put the whole country out of business until all 240 plus hostages are returned to their countries of origin. Nothing in, nothing out. This would pay dividends in terms of international prestige and reaffirm the US’s military might. Both options would solve the problem very quickly(if not permanently). Both options would have to be on the US’s dime though.

[Syncro]

They are a little busy for that (Olympic team), and have more important things to do.

They sure are good, ain't they?

[cyberaxe]

They are a little busy for that (Olympic team),.....

.....lol, actually, they help the Olympians out!.....

.....squeeze this 3rd, 4th and 5th stories!.....