Pirates recapture U.S. hostage after escape bid

[cali]

Source: NBC

Navy officials watch as sailor jumps off drifting lifeboat

Toby Talbot / AP
NBC News and news services
updated 17 minutes ago

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The American sailor being held hostage by Somali pirates managed to jump off the lifeboat overnight but was recaptured, NBC News reported Friday.

Captain Richard Phillips tried to swim away before being taken back into the pirates' custody, NBC's Jim Miklaszewski told the TODAY show.

The escape bid was witnessed by the U.S. Navy but happened too quickly for them to come to his aid.




Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30149443/

[Soylent Brice]

1. at least he tried.

[pitchforksandtorches]

2. Aarrrrgh

You may be interested to know that global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of Pirates since the 1800s. For your interest, I have included a graph of the approximate number of pirates versus the average global temperature over the last 200 years. As you can see, there is a statistically significant inverse relationship between pirates and global temperature.




Flying Spaghetti Monsterism

Arrrrrgh!

May you be touched by His noodly appendage

[cali]

3. yeah, this is just a hoot.

particularly for Capt Phillips and his family. fucking idiots on DU never cease to amaze with their boundless idiocy.

[GliderGuider]

4. While some

never fail to amuse with their boundless humourlessness.

[cali]

5. hey, if you think that was funny, you need a recalibration of your funny bone, dear.

[GliderGuider]

8. Refusing to permit others to respond as they wish leads to constrictions in the soul.

There is no universal law that says we must all react the same way to everything. Gallows humour has a long and honourable history.

If someone else finds humour in something you do not, it doesn't negate the value or appropriateness of your reaction. I find I stay a lot more centered if I remember that it takes all kinds to make a world, and that I'm just one of them. Simply ignore the banter and go on feeling serious if that's how your spirit calls you.

On edit: I didn't find the FSM post that funny, I've seen it before many times. I also find the hostage story more interesting than amusing. What I find amusing is umbrage. I'm not chuckling at Capt. Phillips, I'm chuckling at you. Of course I realize you probably won't find that any more acceptable...

[cboy4]

7. Yea, hostage situations are hilarious, ha GliderGuider.

:puke:

[cosmicone]

15. I thought it was hilarious too and I bet

Capt. Phillips would think so too after he is released.

Our sitting here with long faces doesn't help the situation off the Somali coast -- if it had, I'd be the first to do so!

[shadowknows69]

6. While you and I seem to agree on little these days cali, hear hear

Not a fan of "gallows humor" at all really.

[peace13]

9. This sailor did the right thing and should be applauded!

He knows damn straight that this in an International event and it needs to end now! I am surprise with all of our fancy artillery that we couldn't have blown up the raft after our guy got in the water. I wonder who was supposed to be watching the craft? Are they saying that they are not watching that raft every minute. Before you bash me, I have stood watch at night. It is too sorry if they do not have the crew on the ship to do the job!

[tinrobot]

17. Boats have more than one side.

He could have jumped at a spot where he wasn't immediately seen.

Even after being spotted, it also would have been difficult to determine if the person in the water was indeed the captain and not a pirate. Who knows, one of the pirates may also want to escape.

[ardvark]

10. shiver me timbers

now on top of everything else, we have PIRATES

[hugo_from_TN]

11. This will be a major disaster for Obama if that captain is killed

while the U.S. Navy sits and does nothing.

They need to get this situation under control.

[ohio2007]

13. The captain sent Barack a message

And I'm sure Obama got it 'loud and clear'

[Akoto]

14. What is Obama to do?

The first option, blowing up the lifeboat, will kill the captain. They couldn't have blown it up when he jumped overboard because they didn't know in advance that the escape was happening. It takes at least a little time to aim and fire, especially when you're trying to not hit someone very nearby with your big guns.

The second option, sending in a strike team, doesn't entirely work because of the oceanic setting. The fact that the team has to putter over there on its own boat ruins the element of surprise. They then have to squeeze into the already cramped lifeboat to deal with the situation, and I imagine entry under those circumstances would be a bit hazardous. That's assuming the pirates don't see what's coming and end up killing the captain out of spite.

The third option, in my mind, is negotiation. What they've been doing already. The fact that they didn't kill the captain for trying to escape shows that they recognize the nature of their predicament. No fuel with which to get home, dwindling supplies. The captain is the only thing between them and those warships. Either they come up with a way to trade him for their lives (that means being taken alive or being given fuel), or they face a very bad alternative.

Just my thoughts, anyhow. I can hardly blame Obama for what is no doubt a very difficult situation. Definitely not your typical hostage scenario. :)

[tinrobot]

16. They don't need to "putter" in a boat to get over there.

They can travel underwater. Navy SEALs are really good at doing stuff like that.

We also have people called "snipers" who can shoot very accurately.

We also have really good negotiators. Hopefully that will be the solution.

[donco]

21. Pretty hard to get off

an accurate shot in rocking boat.

[ohio2007]

20. you missed one important option

do nothing and allow nothing near the boat.

Somebody will crack. Its going on four days. They should fire a few shots across their bow to keep em awake at night also ( most likely they are making noise some noise like that and I hope those videos are made available soon )

[tomhayes]

23. It will only be a "disaster" to the people who already hate Obama

I really don't know what anyone expects the U.S. to do in this situation.

If they go in and try a rescue and the captain is killed it'll be Obama's fault.

If they don't go in and they kill he captain it'll be Obama's fault.

Remember it was Clinton's fault when they waited "ONLY" 51 days to go in at Waco. (Christians)

it was also Clinton's fault when they went in and took Elian Gonzalez after only seven days on waiting. (Conservative Cubans)

Now, in 1985 when MOVE had a BOMB dropped on their roof which burnt down an entire block. (Black people)

So which tactics do you want them to use in this case?

And don't say Sully's miracle landing on the Hudson, that's not an option here.

[ohio2007]

12. the captain must have sensed there was an opportunity in the works

in the form of a loitering gunship helo ?

They all should have been blasted into the drink on that captains que imo
but maybe he really didn't get or stay under water long enough.

hope he gets to pull some shit again...seems obvious enough he is willing

[tinrobot]

18. So, how much will the movie rights go for?

If the captain is rescued, you know they'll make a movie about it.

[ohio2007]

19. They have him on surveillance video jumping off.

snip

At one point during the night, Phillips courageously leaped off and began swimming for freedom, officials told ABC News. Almost immediately, a pirate jumped in after Phillips and dragged him back to the boat, officials said.

The entire drama was captured by a drone flying overhead that sent back live color video to the nearby U.S. warship, the Bainbridge, officials said.

Once recaptured, Phillips was back with four pirates in the 28-foot lifeboat. The pirates, out of gas but armed with AK-47 rifles, insisted on taking Phillips back to Somalia to hold him for ransom. They are about 300 miles from shore.

snip
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=7305282&page=1



I'm waiting for it to get leaked on the net. What a missed opportunity

[trudyco]

22. So they didn't have submersibles ready for just such an act? nt

[Gin]

24. what does the inside of that boat look like? I saw the overall view

but it looked pretty hard to get on the outside of the thing to jump off.

[Gin]

25. found info on the lifeboat....looks hard to get out of.

http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/maersk-alabama-lifeboat-faq/

[Abq_Sarah]

26. But not hard to sink

[IndianaGreen]

27. The US Navy should start towing the lifeboat to Guantanamo Bay

and the pirates should be told that unless they release Captain Phillips, they will become our next guests at Guantanamo. Let's exploit the fear of Guantanamo to save our brave compatriot.