US sea captain freed in swift firefight

US sea captain freed in swift firefight

MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) - An American ship captain was freed unharmed Sunday in a U.S. Navy operation that killed three of the four Somali pirates who had been holding him for days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa, a senior U.S. intelligence official said.

One of the pirates was wounded and in custody after a swift firefight, the official said.

Capt. Richard Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vermont, was safely transported to a Navy warship nearby.

The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A government official and others in Somali with knowledge of the situation had reported hours earlier that negotiations for Phillips' release had broken down.

The district commissioner of the central Mudug region said talks went on all day Saturday, with clan elders from his area talking by satellite telephone and through a translator with Americans, but collapsed late Saturday night.

"The negotiations between the elders and American officials have broken down. The reason is American officials wanted to arrest the pirates in Puntland and elders refused the arrest of the pirates," said the commissioner, Abdi Aziz Aw Yusuf. He said he organized initial contacts between the elders and the Americans.

Two other Somalis, one involved in the negotiations and another in contact with the pirates, also said the talks collapsed because of the U.S. insistence that the pirates be arrested and brought to justice.

Phillips' crew of 19 American sailors reached safe harbor in Kenya's northeast port of Mombasa on Saturday night under guard of U.S. Navy Seals, exhilarated by their freedom but mourning the absence of Phillips.

Crew members said their ordeal had begun with the Somali pirates hauling themselves up from a small boat bobbing on the surface of the Indian Ocean far below.

As the pirates shot in the air, Phillips told his crew to lock themselves in a cabin and surrendered himself to safeguard his men, crew members said.

Phillips was then held hostage in an enclosed lifeboat that was closely watched by U.S. warships and a helicopter in an increasingly tense standoff.

Talks to free him began Thursday with the captain of the USS Bainbridge talking to the pirates under instruction from FBI hostage negotiators on board the U.S. destroyer.

A statement from Maersk Line, owner of Phillips' ship, the Maersk Alabama, said "the U.S. Navy had sight contact" of Phillips earlier Sunday—apparently when the pirates opened the hatches.

Before Phillips was freed, a pirate who said he was associated with the gang that held Phillips, Ahmed Mohamed Nur, told The Associated Press that the pirates had reported that "helicopters continue to fly over their heads in the daylight and in the night they are under the focus of a spotlight from a warship."

He spoke by satellite phone from Harardhere, a port and pirate stronghold where a fisherman said helicopters flew over the town Sunday morning and a warship was looming on the horizon. The fisherman, Abdi Sheikh Muse, said that could be an indication the lifeboat may be near to shore.

The U.S. Navy had assumed the pirates would try to get their hostage to shore, where they can hide him on Somalia's lawless soil and be in a stronger position to negotiate a ransom.

Three U.S. warships were within easy reach of the lifeboat on Saturday. The pirates had threatened to kill Phillips if attacked.

On Friday, the French navy freed a sailboat seized off Somalia last week by other pirates, but one of the five hostages was killed.

Early Saturday, the pirates holding Phillips in the lifeboat fired a few shots at a small U.S. Navy vessel that had approached, a U.S. military official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The official said the U.S. sailors did not return fire, the Navy vessel turned away and no one was hurt. He said the vessel had not been attempting a rescue. The pirates are believed armed with pistols and AK-47 assault rifles.

Phillips jumped out of the lifeboat Friday and tried to swim for his freedom but was recaptured when a pirate fired an automatic weapon at or near him, according to U.S. Defense Department officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk about the unfolding operations.

"When I spoke to the crew, they won't consider it done when they board a plane and come home," Maersk President John Reinhart said from Norfolk, Virginia before news of Phillips' rescue. "They won't consider it done until the captain is back, nor will we."

In Phillips' hometown, the Rev. Charles Danielson of the St. Thomas Church said before the news broke that the congregation would continue to pray for Phillips and his family, who are members, and he would encourage "people to find hope in the triumph of good over evil."

Reinhart said he spoke with Phillips' wife, Andrea, who is surrounded by family and two company employees who were sent to support her.

"She's a brave woman," Reinhart said. "And she has one favor to ask: 'Do what you have to do to bring Richard home safely.' That means don't make a mistake, folks. We have to be perfect in our execution."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97H2KO80&show_article=1

HERE IS ANOTHER ARTICLE WITH ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Ship Captain Rescued From Somali Pirates

American sea Captain Richard Phillips was safely rescued Sunday from four Somali pirates, who had been holding him for days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa, a U.S. intelligence official said.

Three of the pirates were killed and one was in custody after what appeared to be a swift firefight off the Somali coast, the official said.

Initial reports indicate Phillips jumped overboard for a second time and the military was able to take advantage of the situation.

Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vt., was transported to the USS Bainbridge nearby.

The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Maersk Line Limited President and CEO John Reinhart said in a news release that the U.S. government informed the company around 1:30 p.m. Sunday that Phillips had been rescued. He was to hold a media briefing later Sunday.

Reinhart said the company called Phillips' wife, Andrea, to tell her the news. He said the crew of the Maersk Alabama was "jubilant" when they received word that Phillips was safe.

The rest of the crew and the ship had made it safely to a port in Kenya.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514719,00.html

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Congratulations to the US Navy for the rescue.​

The Captain, when the chips were down, acted in a heroic way offering himself for the safety of his crew. Acts of bravery are easy to imagine, but seeing a man act bravely in the face of mortal danger is truly admirable.

I hope he gets some long rest to spend with his wife and kids.

Now, time to bomb the hell out of some of the pirates homes, lairs, bases, ships. The US needs to make one thing perfectly clear, it will not pay to try and take over a US ship or crew.​

 

U.S. Navy Seals FTW

 

big win for the navy. excellent heroic captain. now its time to do a little bombing on some pirate sites, ships, harbors, big mansions, etc etc.

 

Congratulations on killing 3 Somali's. lmao

 

Arlington, Va. -- Captain Richard Phillips is now safe and healthy aboard the USS Boxer after Navy Seals launched a rescue attempt that ended when snipers killed three pirates in three shots, all direct hits to the head.

Vice Admiral William Gortney, Commander of Navy's 5th Fleet, told journalists at the Pentagon Sunday evening a decision was made to take the shots after the pirates were spotted pointing an AK-47 into the back of Captain Phillips.

As soon as the shots were fired, Navy Seals "scurried down" a tow line attached to the lifeboat, and were the first to get to Phillips. They surveyed the scene and found three dead pirates. Phillips was alive, although tied up.

The fourth pirate, who is now in U.S. custody, left the lifeboat hours earlier with the understanding he would negotiate from on board the USS Bainbridge, the massive Navy destroyer that shadowed the lifeboat for several days.

It soon became clear the younger pirate was simply turning himself in and had no intention of going back to lifeboat, according to defense officials.

Shortly after the Seals reached Captain Phillips, a Navy RIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) approached the life boat and safely escorted Phillips back to the Bainbridge. He has since undergone a medical exam and had the chance to take a shower.

According to Admiral Gortney he's healthy and unharmed.

The scene got "tenuous" according to one official, shortly after the three pirates agreed to let the Bainbridge tow their boat. The sea conditions were worsening and the lifeboat was "floundering" before pirates acknowledged that by establishing a tow, it would be a smoother ride.

But sometime soon after the boats were hooked together, shots were fired from the lifeboat and the pirates were seen holding a gun to Captain Phillips back. Acting on a standing order from President Obama to move in when Phillips was in "imminent danger" snipers were ordered to fire.

They established clear head shots on all three pirates. One of the pirates was visible through the front window, and the other two were revealing their heads through the top hatch, presumably to get fresh air. It would be their last breath.

It was an extremely happy ending to a story that doesn't often end well. Just last week the French lost one hostage after their Navy raided a hijacked sailing yacht.

Admiral Gortney left with a warning that today's outcome could lead to more violence in future hijackings, perhaps in the form of retaliation for losing three of their own.

source

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I love a good ending.

 

Good story indeed. Three cheers for the captain & his rescuers.

 

I'm very happy he is safe now, job well done by the Navy Seals. I found this video:
Video: Captain Phillips welcomed aboard USS Bainbridge

 

The Navy had a plan something like this for the pirates.
Catching them alive and risking the captains life was not an option. Either surrender or die.
Learn as much as possible about the habbits of the pirates. Make them relax and comfortable. Drag the negotiations for as long as possible. It took them about 4-5 days to convince them to surrender or release the captain, there is no rush in this stuff. They knew There will be of course time when the snipers will have a clear view of the pirates who won't be focused on the captian with their AK's to be able to kill him in case of an attack by the navy.....and most likely it won't be a one time event when the captain won't be watched closely by the pirates. ... So wait till the opportunity comes..... Then take them out.
Surely they have pointed the AK 47 at the captain erlier as well, but the time was not right to be shot.
The pirates though had a chance - they could have surrendered.

Big praise deserves the captain, who got the pirates off the ship. Had they stayed on the ship things could have ended up by paying the ransom money. The pirates could have brought the ship to the see port where they would have much more negotiation power.


America with all this power won't give in so easy to any pirates. Anybody who hurts America has to know that he's on the most wanted list and won't be forgotten.

 

The pirates made a huge mistake messing with an American crew. This is the beginning of the end for the pirates in the area, hopefully they will quit while they are ahead and use their ill-gotten gains to improve the condition of their people.

 

Finally someone stood up to these guys. Maybe now they will think twice before kidnapping people at sea again.
Great job seals

 

The US is winning the "War on Terror".