Captain Richard Phillips rescued
Just got home to find good news,
Captain jumps overboard, SEALs shoot pirates
The American captain of a cargo ship held hostage by pirates jumped overboard from the lifeboat where he was being held, and U.S. Navy SEALs shot and killed three of his four captors, according to a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the situation.Capt. Richard Phillips was helped out of the water off the Somali coast and is uninjured and in good condition, the official said. He was taken aboard the USS Bainbridge, a nearby naval warship.
Princeton neighbor TigerHawk points out that
Captain Phillips is now resting on the U.S.S. Bainbridge, named for Commodore William Bainbridge. Not only was Commodore Bainbridge born right here in Princeton, New Jersey, but he fought the Barbary Pirates and was imprisoned by them for 2 1/2 years until freed after William Eaton’s expedition to “the shores of Tripoli.”
There is, however, a troubling part to the story,
At the time of the shootings, the fourth pirate was aboard the Bainbridge negotiating with officials, the source said. That pirate was taken into custody.
Let’s hope the Obama administration is not planning on issuing full civil rights protections to that guy.
April 12th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Considering that it was the second time Phillips tried to escape I’m surprised that a certain part of his anatomy, made of brass, didn’t cause him to sink!
April 12th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
I’m even more surprised the Navy shooters didn’t pop the pirates the first time he jumped. The second jump was sheer guts and that makes Capt. Phillips one hell of a seaman!
April 12th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Let’s hope the Obama administration is not planning on issuing full civil rights protections to that guy.
You just couldn’t resist, huh wingnuts? Obama personally authorized the kill. Doesn’t that just chap your wingnut asses?!
April 12th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
The problem is the former seems so out of character but then the latter seems perfectly natural. As to Pres Obama being able to “…personally” authorize a kill only indicates how little Magic Dog knows about who makes tactical decisions. To his credit the President gave the USN permission to act according to the situation with the ultimate decision resting with the commander of the USS Bainbridge, who was the senior officer involved. But owing to the muddled thinking of the Obama campaign concerning the legality of seizing and holding unlawful combatants then there is legitimate concern over whether the Administration will have enough confidence in its legal not to mention its moral position in dealing with a negotiator. Which by tradition has always been allowed free passage between enemy forces.
April 12th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
It appears, according to WaPo that there was no second escape attempt but the ROE called for action if Phillips life was in imminent danger and the commander of the USS Bainbridge judged that was the case. Hardly Magic Dog’s claim that Obama personally authorized the shooting especially considering the seven years of tapdancing the Democrats hav done trying to parse imminent vs waiting for another report from El Baradei.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/12/AR2009041200467.html
April 12th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Wingnut Pat, quit telling wingnut lies. They don’t work anymore. Obama personally authorized the kill. He did it once on Friday night, and again on Saturday morning when more assets arrived on the scene and another authorization was needed.
Of course, the American right wing has been rooting for failure from the very start, so your lying is just par for the course. Let’s see how well that works for ya.
April 13th, 2009 at 1:00 am
Hmmm, didn’t read the link which makes it clear that Pres Obama authorized the captain to act in whatever manner he chose if Phillip’s life was in imminent danger. Can’t really refer to someone else as a liar when that person has correctly represented what the President authorized. Jeez, the quality of the Left seems to get lower with each passing moment.
April 13th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Pat, keep digging. You know the time tested wingnut tactic of telling another lie when caught in a lie? That one doesn’t work anymore. Obama personally authorized the kill. Once on Friday night, and again on Saturday morning when more assets had arrived on the scene and required another authorization.
The minute I heard about the operation, I just KNEW that the same American wingnuts who have been rooting for failure ever since President Obama — choke on it, Pat, it’s President Obama — took office would be desperate to come up with some negative spin.
I love it, actually. I hope your boy Rushbo goes on the radio tomorrow and tries to dump on Obama. Please, Rushbo, make our day.
April 13th, 2009 at 1:28 am
An authorization to use force is not the same as personally authorizing the pirates to be killed. I’m surprised you think that Pres Obama would be that specific since that is not is usual way of conducting himself. But the president acted properly, at least it appeared that he deferred to his on site commanders, but the problem was that I really didn’t expect him to act at all. Thank goodness the Obama clock was right that one time every revolution.
April 13th, 2009 at 2:41 am
Or I should have asked much earlier where exactly is the lie you keep mentioning in anything I wrote?
April 13th, 2009 at 3:55 am
I love it when desperate wingnuts used parsed words to dig their own graves. See ya in 2010, Pat. Just remember: It’s President Obama. Doesn’t that just make you crazier, though?!
April 13th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Of course, the American right wing has been rooting for failure from the very start, so your lying is just par for the course. Let’s see how well that works for ya.
April 13th, 2009 at 6:43 am
I expected at least some attempt to back up the original lying charge but not a full scale retreat. As to the Pres Obama you should be more respectful of the president’s office and not begin by referring to him as merely Obama(10:52 and 11:57). I know etiguette is not a strong suit among the left but whoever the is president deserves to be referred to by his title.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:42 am
All this and Kazakhstan, too.
April 13th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Poor, poor Pat. There’s a reason why Republican Party identification is at the lowest point in more than 20 years, and why a thumping majority of the public gives negative ratings to Republicans. I, for one, am eagerly looking forward to the 2010 elections. Three strikes, and your failure-seeking freaks are gonna be out for quite some time.
Bring it on, baby liars. Eventually, you’re going to figure out that the old tactics don’t work. I think that’ll take, oh, I don’t know, 15 years or so. We can get a lot done in 15 years, wouldn’t you say?
April 13th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Responding to Magic Dog is a lot like a Diet Coke. It claims to be the same and looks the same but ultimately it’s ersatz and can’t really remember what it claims to be.
April 13th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Pat, has anyone ever told you how cute you are when you’re being a complete fool?
April 13th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
That must be a trifecta. Being clueless, being evasive and now a homophobe. Do you actually have something to add or simply ran out of crayons?
April 13th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
A homophobe?!