04/12/2009 01:19:21 PM EST

Official: American sea captain rescued from pirates

posted by gatekeeper50

A US Navy operation has resulted in three dead pirates, one captured pirate, and one US container ship captain, Richard Phillips, rescued.  While one pirate was on board the USS Bainbridge negotiating the release of the hostage, Capt. Phillips again jumped over the side of the lifeboat.  This time the Navy was ready and shot the three pirates dead and rescued Capt. Phillips unharmed.

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Story Published: Apr 12, 2009 at 10:33 AM PDT
By Associated Press and KOMO News Services


WASHINGTON - A U.S. intelligence official says American ship Capt. Richard Phillips has been freed through an operation by the U.S. Navy.

According to CNN, three pirates who had kidnapped the captain were killed in the operation, and one other is in custody.

Capt. Phillips was not injured in the rescue operation.

He is reportdly being transported to the Navy cruiser USS Bainbridge, on the scene off the coast of Somalia.

More details will beposted as they become available.

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Official: American sea captain rescued from pirates | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)
Its official (none / 0)

This is turning into a movie.  Cenk called this days ago and is 100% right.  A pirate takeover of a ship, the American crew fights back, kicks the pirates off the boat.  They take the captain hostage, float around for days at sea, he tries to escape and is caught again, a few more days floating as the pirates try to send a fleet out to get the lifeboat, the US Navy keeps the pirate fleet away, then a US Navy commando raid frees the captain and kills/captures all the pirates.

 

Thats big-screen movie all over.

by 5kfun on 04/12/2009 02:55:23 PM EST

All with a happy Hollywood ending (none / 0)
Maersk Capt Bruce Willis held hostage

and rescued by Navy Seal Christian Bale while

FBI lead negotiator Matt Damon tries to make a deal

with head pirate Don Cheadle.

 

by gatekeeper50 on 04/12/2009 03:13:36 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Yes and No (none / 0)

Don Cheadle would make the perfect pirate, and Christian Bale has the rugged good looks (and the woman beatings) for the perfect All-American Navy Seal.  Matt Damon has the chops and the everyday genius look to be the FBI lead negotiator.  But we need to make the Captain more believable, he can't be some handsome charmer like Bruce Willis. 

 

We need a Capt who is a little unsightly, whose face shows they have been around the block a few times, someone whose looks tell a story of hardship but perserverance.  Someone who skirts the line between tough and dreadful.  An American with a world story, someone who you could picture throwing back shots in some seedy bar on the Kenyan coast.

 

May I suggest in his breakout roll, Captain Cenk Tiberius Uygur?

 

 

by 5kfun on 04/12/2009 03:52:20 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Polly wanna contract (5.00 / 1)
I'll watch that movie, but only if I can get a guarantee that there aren't any talking parrots in it.

by OneHitKill on 04/12/2009 11:59:51 PM EST

[ Parent ]
I personally dont think Cenk's (none / 0)
face looks like it has been around the block a few times.   Nick Nolte comes to mind. Cenk's face looks like it has been in an office and out of the sun.

I have seen dreadful ( Mickey Rourke down and out)  and Cenk isnt it

Republicans portray the government as the enemy. Then when they take over, they prove it.

by Chinese Democracy on 04/13/2009 02:43:35 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Perfect ending (none / 0)

As it seems, the captain, like a true hero, initiated his own escape by jumping out of the lifeboat and into the water again, which allowed U.S. Navy SEALs to open fire and kill the three pirates remaining in the lifeboat. A fourth was taken prisoner as he was aboard the U.S. warship for negotiations.

CNN

BBC

by OldGerman on 04/12/2009 03:50:29 PM EST

No honor among thieves/pirates? (none / 0)
"The fourth pirate was aboard the Bainbridge most of the day and told military negotiators that he wasn't going back to the other pirates, according to a defense official with knowledge of the situation."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WOR LD/africa/04/12/somalia.pir ates/index.html

I guess negotiating works with pirates!?

"People who boast of ancestry often have little else to sustain them." LL

by Robrob on 04/12/2009 07:45:39 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Not negotiating... (none / 1)

 

"The fourth pirate was aboard the Bainbridge most of the day and told military negotiators that he wasn't going back to the other pirates, according to a defense official with knowledge of the situation."I guess negotiating works with pirates!?

 

Its called...air conditioning.

"Freedom is important to Republicans as long as someone else pays for it on the battlefield and on April 15th."

by MRFred on 04/12/2009 08:34:53 PM EST

[ Parent ]
and 2,000 calorie meals (none / 1)

by gatekeeper50 on 04/12/2009 09:00:13 PM EST

[ Parent ]
sad :( (none / 0)
I miss when pirates were adorable cause they had parrots and wooden limbs and eyepatches, and more importantly they were white.

by nmaks on 04/12/2009 05:54:22 PM EST

The Rabid Right Wing (none / 0)
claimed Obama wouldnt allow the Captain to be rescued.

Now I bet they are going to claim they had some influence in the decision to rescue him.

The 4th pirate was 16 yrs old. Might have had something to do with him not being thrilled to go back to the life boat.

Republicans portray the government as the enemy. Then when they take over, they prove it.

by Chinese Democracy on 04/13/2009 02:39:15 AM EST

jump (none / 0)
Did he jump a 2nd time ,not that it matters but wheres that story that says that, can you help me out

by tuna on 04/13/2009 06:56:31 AM EST

No jump (none / 0)
The news articles (and Wikipedia) first suggested that he jumped a second time, but it turned out he was tied up inside the life boat. He's still a hero though, as he offered himself as a hostage to save his crew - as far as that remains a fact.

by OldGerman on 04/13/2009 07:14:02 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Thanks (none / 0)
Yes he is hero, In the true meanning of the word.
 
If 2% of the people in the world where just a little like him , We whould live in a much better time.

Again thanks for the reply, Tuna

by tuna on 04/15/2009 05:59:43 AM EST

[ Parent ]
The second jump was apocryphal (none / 0)
However he certainly performed heroically. As Captain he gave himself up to save his crew and even tried once to escape on his own.

The actual rescue seems to have been the stuff of legend (or movies). The SEALs free fall parachuted onto the Navy vessel (one assumes landing at night), targeted the pirates for hours until given the "green light" then took three simultaneous head shots at 75' in rolling seas. Icing on the cake was them sliding down the tow rope to clear the life raft.

"People who boast of ancestry often have little else to sustain them." LL

by Robrob on 04/14/2009 10:17:05 PM EST

Official: American sea captain rescued from pirates | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)
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