From Military.com
WASHINGTON - A U.S. military official says Navy Seals opened fire and killed three pirates when a Navy commander made a split-second decision that an American hostage's life was in danger.
Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said the pirates had made a ransom demand for the release of Capt. Richard Phillips and had threatened throughout the ordeal to kill him.
So when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge believed Phillips was in "imminent danger" he ordered Sailors to fire at the pirates, who were armed with AK-47s and small-caliber pistols.
According to a report in today's Washington Post, the rescue operation involved dozens of Navy SEALs who were airdropped into the sea and set up for their mission aboard the Bainbridge. The SEALs used small boats to bring food and water to the pirates, and when the seas grew rough the Navy offered to tow the lifeboat to calmer waters. The pirates agreed, and soon were linked to the destroyer by some 80 feet of cable, according to the Post.
One pirate "effectively gave himself up," the paper quoted a senior military official as saying, and from aboard the Navy ship tried to convince the others to surrender. Not only did they refuse, however, but they grew increasingly irritated.
"In the last discussion, they said, 'If we don't get what we want, we will kill the captain,' " the Post quoted the official as saying.
Finally, as two pirates neared one of the lifeboat hatches and the third pointed his AK-47 at Phillips, the on-scene commander made his call to take them out.
"As soon as the snipers had a clear shot at the guy who had the rifle, they shot him and the other two in the hatches," the official told the Post.
Another SEAL quickly slid down the tow line, into the water and boarded the lifeboat to help Phillips.
Gortney says the White House had given "very clear guidance and authority" that if any time the commander Capt. Phillips' life was in danger to take action to make sure it was not.
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11 comments:
"Well, that's the end of the first inning with scoring the Seals 3, the Pirates 0. We'll be back right after these messages."
I love this part:
Gortney says the White House had given "very clear guidance and authority" that if any time the commander Capt. Phillips' life was in danger to take action to make sure it was not.
Great job by our President to make that call!
I bet GWBush would still be reading a book to a group of children, instead of thinking about how to handle this pirate situation.
Puhleeese 11:25 you know better than that. Bush is famous for his WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE statement on Bin Laden. Bush would have done the same thing or maybe taken it a bit to far but he would not have backed down. Doncha know, Texans don't back down?
1125:
Bush would have done it on day one, not day four
Amen 1:07. 11:25 what an idiot!
Looks like the NAvy has come along way since the days of cross bones and parrots. does not look like the "Pirates" have grown at the same speed.
Let god sort 'em out.
Sounds to me like the White House is picking their words very carefully. Making sure to be politically correct.
Bet the order was to "Kill the
Bast#@ds" and then say "oops".
Good work men!
Nah, I read that bho was responsible for the hostage rescue...also the sunrise.:)
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