Three gunshots. All three fatal. Fired in the dark by three specially trained U.S. Navy SEALs as the pirates' boat rocked in the water off Somalia.
"Phenomenal shots -- 75 feet away," said Navy Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, who oversees the region.
A senior defense official said each was a shot to the head.
Gortney, in an interview Monday with CNN's "American Morning," described critical steps that led to the rescue of U.S. Capt. Richard Phillips, who was taken by pirates after they boarded his merchant ship, the Maersk Alabama, east of Somalia on Wednesday.
Four pirates had been holding Phillips in a small lifeboat, which had run out of fuel. "One of their pirates had left the lifeboat, needed medical attention and jumped onto one of our inflatable boats," Gortney said.
The pirate's need for medical help was a credit to the Maersk's crew. When the pirates boarded their vessel, a tussle ensued, during which one of the crewmen stabbed the pirate in the hand. Four days later, the pirate's departure from the lifeboat to accept U.S. medical help -- and try to negotiate the captive's release -- left only three for the U.S. snipers to keep their eyes on.
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1 comment:
The way this played out plainly demonstrates that the only thing these hoodlums understand is greater force. I have read that a major reason most commercial vessels proceed unarmed is because of very restrictive gun policies in most seaports. I believe a simple answer to the piracy issue is for operators of commercial vessels to declare (and follow through) "WE WILL be armed, and if any port denies entry on that basis, or imposes severe delays or restrictions on this account, understand we will no longer call at that port". If those nations wanting the goods really want them, they will immediately change their restrictive policies and allow the ship's company to carry arms to defend against piracy. Had the crew of the Alabama been armed, their Captain never would have been taken. They did well unarmed, but could not do well enough. The pirates were in possession of the greater force. Turn that round, and watch what happens.
If such piracy continues unabated, the costs of shipping will escalate so sharply those nations will no longer be able to afford the goods they desire. Or the goods will be stolen by the pirates. Then what? Simple--- change the "gun control" laws of these ports to allow crews to defend themselves on the high seas. How many $millions have the pirates got so far? How many more, before someone has the guts to stand and say "NO MORE"? I believe it was Thomas Jefferson, during his presidency in the early nineteenth century, sent a flotilla of warships (I believe including the USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides") to the Barbary Coast to clean out the pirates in that region. Took about two weeks, if memory serves. The present piracy is merely a waterborne version of the pillaging and thievery engaged in by Mohammad's early companions as they travelled about. "Work" was beneath them, and so they stole. Mohammad wrote extensively about his deeds, and modern day followers are looking to his writings to determine "what would Mohammad do?" and doing it. Our western leaders have no understanding of the religious zeal of his present followers, and thus no "circuits" to understand how or why today's followers of that misfit do what they do. Nor do they understand the equation of "greater force" by which these people live. Meanwhile, we limp and effeminate westerners "endure", trying to "negotiate" and "appease" with these fanatics. Our leaders just don't "get it". Thankfully, the captain of that naval vessel "gets it", and made his own interpretation of the situation to place it within the narrow guidelings our "brave and decisive" commander in chief laid down. It was, in truth, the decision of that Captain that preserved the life and liberty of our Hero Captain. Thanks for bringing out some of these details, and the links to further reportage.
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