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American captain rescued, pirates killed, U.S. official says

If? Are you seriously saying that US military can do military actions without the approval of the Commander in Chief?
Strange as it may seem to you, that is how the military operates.

The Commander in Chief might have authorized the rescue. Perhaps the rescue effort was included in the orders given the Captain of the USS Bainbridge when she was ordered to the scene...and such a redeployment of Navy assets would have originated with the CinC; if that was the case, kudos to the CinC for issuing such orders.

It is also possible that the Captain of the Bainbridge seized on an opportunity of the moment, and acted on his own authority. The Captain of a Navy ship has considerable latitude in such matters, and authorizing a rescue effort would easily have fallen within his standing authority.

Since 2007, US Navy deployments and operations have been largely guided and informed by the strategy document "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower", which specifically endorses the use of Naval assets to secure and protect the sea lanes. One of the six strategic imperatives articulated by that document is directly relevant to the Somali situation:
Prevent or contain local disruptions before they impact the global system.
Maritime forces will work with others to ensure an adequate level of
security and awareness in the maritime domain. In doing so, transnational
threats—terrorists and extremists; proliferators of weapons of mass
destruction; pirates; traffickers in persons, drugs, and conventional
weapons; and other criminals—will be constrained.

With such standing strategic doctrines and imperatives already in place, I doubt the Captain of the Bainbridge needed much additional authority from the CinC to act in this circumstance.

The Commander-in-Chief could have communicated to the military that he wanted Captain Phillips rescued and the pirates captured or killed; I most certainly hope that the Commander-in-Chief did communicate that, for it is the right communication to make. I also know that he need not have made that communication in order for the crew of the Bainbridge to take appropriate action when presented with an opportunity to rescue Captain Phillips.
 
If? Are you seriously saying that US military can do military actions without the approval of the Commander in Chief?

You never offered praise when Bush ordered successful missions. So you're just two-faced...nothing new there.
 
Great news, but sucks for the anti-Obama crowd ... :)

Why?!? We wanted the pirates to succeed?? I don't think so, Jack. If Obama's team made this happen, Kudos to them!

Back to the joy of the occasion:

This is fabulous news! Happy Easter!!! :bunny:
 
Apparently, the pirates were shot by snipers aboard the USS Bainbridge after negotiations had broken down and the Captain's life was judged to be in jeopardy.
 
CNN reports that Pres. Obama authorized the use of force if Capt. Phillips' life was in danger.
 
CNN reports that Pres. Obama authorized the use of force if Capt. Phillips' life was in danger.

He'd better have.

President Barack Obama said Phillips had courage that was "a model for all Americans."

Sure.

Obama said he was pleased that Phillips was rescued, adding that the United States needs help from other countries to deal with the threat of piracy and to hold pirates accountable.

Actually, the events of this week seem to contradict that. The French took care of their own and we took care of our's. Where was everybody else? Nowhere. **** em.
 
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Good Job Seals/Navy. Commander who ordered the actions.




Obama..whatever.
 
Actually, the events of this week seem to contradict that. The French took care of their own and we took care of our's. Where was everybody else? Nowhere. **** em.

I think Obama was talking about working together with other nations to help try to prevent piracy and how to deal with it if/when further acts occur.
 
I think Obama was talking about working together with other nations to help try to prevent piracy and how to deal with it if/when further acts occur.

This proves that the US does not need their help although they might need our's. Frankly, I'm tired of the US playing the role of World Police. These nations need to get off their butts and get their own damn navies.
 
This proves that the US does not need their help although they might need our's. Frankly, I'm tired of the US playing the role of World Police. These nations need to get off their butts and get their own damn navies.

The waters cruised by pirates is huge. We can't patrol the entire area ourselves. Several other nations already have assets in the hunt.
 
The waters cruised by pirates is huge. We can't patrol the entire area ourselves. Several other nations already have assets in the hunt.

I don't think a naval presence can ever end piracy, however it does give us the ability to respond when our ships are taken. Most nations don't even have a blue water navy and those that do can't contribute equally to the effort. Like I said, they need to build their own navies instead of living off the fat of the lamb. If they want protection from the US Navy, they ought to pay us.
 
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I'd say the president just passed his first military crisis with flying colors, and I expect to see further action to guarantee these pirates are put out of business soon.
 

I am glad that he made the right choice. Negotiating with Iran is at least debatable, but negotiating with Pirates whom have shown themselves through means of violence is insanity. Glad to see Obama knows when to put a few bullets in a few jerk-offs.

That's good enough for me.

Good job, Mr. President. That was the right call.

I'm almost more pleased that Celticlord decided to title Obama as "Mr. President" and not "Dear Leader". Almost an achievement upon itself :)
 
I think Obama was talking about working together with other nations to help try to prevent piracy and how to deal with it if/when further acts occur.

Where do I sign up? I may not have any gun-totting experience, nor do I know how to command or navigate a vessel.

But I logged quite a good deal of hours on Sid Meier's Pirates! Though this conniving water-dragons may not be caliber enough to go motto v. motto with cutlasses and rapiers, I'm sure there will be a great deal of satisfaction in implementing the tools of a navy that made the United Kingdom's look like a water-chestnut floating in the Pacific.
 
I just saw it reported on CNN that the Navy SEAL snipers had performed a high altitude parachute jump into the AO. Then when the time was right they used 3 bullets and fired a single shot into the head of each pirate. The forth pirate was captured, actually I think he surrendered.
 
I just saw it reported on CNN that the Navy SEAL snipers had performed a high altitude parachute jump into the AO. Then when the time was right they used 3 bullets and fired a single shot into the head of each pirate. The forth pirate was captured, actually I think he surrendered.

I thought the lifeboat was fully covered. How did they manage to discriminate and engage the targets?
 
The waters cruised by pirates is huge. We can't patrol the entire area ourselves. Several other nations already have assets in the hunt.

We don't need to patrol. We need to punish, which will deter them from American flags. Of course, when every ship in the area starts rasing American flags over their ships through this region, we will have to get more drastic.
 
Obama gave an order a few days ago that the naval commander was free to act if he felt the hostage life was threatened.
Thats what occured. So the commander acted.

The Commander acted..not Obama.
Obama did not order the action be taken he left it to others. I also highly doubt he had any clue anything like this was going to occur and probably preferred it had not.


Left to Obama the hostage would have joined the others hostages somewhere in Somalia.


Good Job Seals/Navy/Commander on scene.
Obama?...whatever.

(I especially like how the new media push is Obama gave authorization twice!..and he ordered it....

IN the morning it was the Naval Commander had acted at the moment with the Authorization given him by Obama.

Two different things..BUT one of them doesn't make Obama the hero. SO a snip there an addition here and a slight change of wordage over there and the narcissist has his day.)
 
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I thought the lifeboat was fully covered. How did they manage to discriminate and engage the targets?

The military has been medically experimenting with X-Ray Vision for some time now. It was scrapped for a while because troops were caught hanging out by the showers abusing their amplified abilities. But for special missions of this sort, the shelves get emptied.
 
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