Patterico's Pontifications

4/12/2009

U.S. Navy Takes Care of Business

Filed under: Current Events — Jack Dunphy @ 11:30 am



[Guest post by Jack Dunphy]

Last night Mrs. Dunphy and I were discussing the continuing hostage drama off the east coast of Africa. “What do think is going to happen?” asked Mrs. D.

“I think the captain is going to be rescued,” I said, “and the pirates are going to be killed.”

I got it almost right.

–Jack Dunphy

80 Responses to “U.S. Navy Takes Care of Business”

  1. Looks, like Obama took care of business. I frankly thought those Somali’s days were so numbered. And if there’s a lesson here it is two-fold: Don’t fu*k with the USA and the Carter meme the Right working so hard to build around Obama, is going to bite them in the ass again and again as they realize, that this guy has the balls and political will to get things done, even if it means breaking a couple of eggs in the process.

    Breath easy, my Right-wing brethren. The USA ain’t gonna take guff from nobody under Obama.

    Peter (e70d1c)

  2. The introduction of a CBG to initiate a little “coastal clean-up” is now called for.

    AD - RtR/OS (45271e)

  3. Time for some Teddy Roosevelt action.

    Eric Blair (4d78ef)

  4. Mike K. was right to praise Obama. He kept quiet, probably lulling the pirates to think he was just going to hold a community organizer dialogue, all the while authorizing military action.

    The harder part will be cleaning out the pirates’ lair, as Eric Blair alluded to.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  5. Which all makes me wonder when the Duly Elected Wonder Boy will appear, demanding a full apology from the captain and crew, and reparations for the pirates brave maritime redistributionists.

    PCachu (e072b7)

  6. I’m open to being surprised, though. C’mon, Teleprompty. Shock me. Tell the world our approach to open-seas piracy will be “shoot them in the face, then shoot them in the face again”. As noted by Mitt, you’ll hear nothing but praise for this from me.

    Well, praise and a bit of openly wondering when you’ll change your mind on it.

    PCachu (e072b7)

  7. Actions speak louder than words. Or, walk softly, etc. . . .

    If that’s going to be Obama’s style in dealing terrorists, so much the better. Three dead terrorists and one in custody, with the last hostage freed, speak eloquently.

    If Obama does the right thing, he should get the credit — just like he’ll get the blame when he screws up.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  8. I’ve repeatedly heard talking heads over the past several days say the pirates aren’t terrorists. They’re criminals.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  9. Can we just agree that pirates are pirates, and get on with killing them?

    Tregonsee (ebb925)

  10. This is the best of all worlds. We’ve got the Captain back, thanks to his own decisive behavior which enabled the Navy to deliver justice to three of the four pirates. And we’ve got the fourth pirate, to serve as a test case for our dear President. Let him deal with this thug, and we’ll see what sort of President we’ve got.

    Will he be acting in the interest of US citizens and freedom of the seas, or will he entangle us in the suicide pacts of ‘international law’ and faux ‘human rights’ for everyone EXCEPT the law-abiding victims of pirates?

    Insufficiently Sensitive (aa4142)

  11. “If Obama does the right thing, he should get the credit…”

    Hear, hear…and a big thumbs up to the Obama administration and our military.

    That’s the way to handle terrorists.

    Bravo.

    Dave Surls (fad3d4)

  12. Pray tell us what to the moonbats think about all this? Will the pirate families be provided for now? Will the moonbat judges of ninth district get the criminal proceeding appeals for the live pirate?

    And what has happened to the formerly strong measures against Piracy Brits? They used to have a pair. Now the navy is warned pirates can seek refugee status if interfered with and thus eligible for lifetime of welfare payments in UK. How do regular Brits actually feel about that?

    I can’t believe an Eric Holder Justice Dept. would approve of killing those criminals without due process. So many lawyers running so many things for Duh-1. You’ll recall have the fecking lawyers stopped a number of military extreme prejudice acts against terrorists in Iraq caught on camera by drones flying above.

    aoibhneas (0c6cfc)

  13. If they have any good sense left, the moonbats will be very, very quiet. Although I expect Ramsey Clark to offer his services to the captured pirate, er, Somali community organizer.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  14. I give Obama credit for keeping his mouth shut and letting the professionals handle it. Of which, his Secretary of State was NOT one.

    As for the “swift firefight”, I suspect that it was a SEAL team (do we have Marine RECON aboard ships, or even at all these days?), and it resembled more the ending of “Dog Day Afternoon” and less “Gunfight at the OK Corral”.

    nk (d57c0b)

  15. Drudge linked a Al Reuter’s story that humanizes the Somali community organizers:

    “We never kill people. We are Muslims. We are marines, coastguards — not pirates,” one said.

    With Obama’s reputation as a wuss, they never saw it coming.

    Next move, send out a decoy boat filled with Marines.

    Alta Bob (419ad8)

  16. All hail the musings of armchair generals, sipping lager and watching the Masters between news updates.

    A hearty ‘well done’ to the U.S. Navy Seals for being in place this time and following the lead from that ol’ Polaroid commercials: “Aim. Focus. Shoot.”

    Now bill the shipping company for services rendered.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  17. Those first 2 lines were delivered irony-free, which is funny.

    carlitos (d6a124)

  18. I will be the first to praise Pres. Obama for the authorization of force and the Captain of resilence and the bravery/tenacity to jump again.

    That said, another verse should goto the members of the military that were involved in this dispensation of justice.

    Lord Nazh (899dce)

  19. “We never kill people. We are Muslims. We are marines, coastguards — not pirates,” one said.

    Well … actually … do we have a case, documented or undocumented, of the Somali pirates killing anyone on or from the ships they have attacked?

    And we can start a whole new discussion about “We are marines, coastguards — not pirates”. Somalia has no functional government, no one is interested in forming one, so who will fill the power vacuum?

    nk (d57c0b)

  20. “..All hail the musings of armchair generals, sipping lager and watching the Masters between news updates….”

    The self-examined life is a rare commodity, it seems.

    Eric Blair (4d78ef)

  21. Rest easy, conservatives. President Obama personally authorized the use of deadly force by the U.S. Navy Seals. The hard right can now quibble over whether the U.S. president, who is not American citizen in their eyes, can order U.S. miltary forces to act.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  22. Those first 2 lines were delivered irony-free, which is funny.

    Comment by carlitos — 4/12/2009 @ 1:18 pm

    You never know what an early Alzheimer’s brain will produce.

    nk (d57c0b)

  23. Hey, nk….I’m sure the guy’s many CIA contacts know the real scoop. Right?

    Eric Blair (4d78ef)

  24. DCSCA will now name the people here who have claimed that Obama is not an American citizen, and provide easy links for us all to follow. Right?

    carlitos (d6a124)

  25. Add me to the list of people who think Obama is not an Armenian citizen.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  26. “Now bill the shipping company for services rendered.”

    Spoken like a true liberal. Now, we’re going to tax peop[le when they get captured by pirates.

    Dave Surls (fad3d4)

  27. Now bill the shipping company for services rendered.

    No need. He’ll just tax them out the wazoo, which is even better because instead of a one-time charge it will be the “gift” that keeps on giving.

    There is probably no chance of this, but I would love to see the captured pirate put on trial, convicted, and hanged from a yardarm.

    JVW (96de73)

  28. AP, NBC, CBS, BBC and Al-Reuters all do yeomen’s work in getting the real truth out there. Wondering what the spin will be on this story and just what Teh One will do about the ongoing piracy efforts.

    I try to enlighten my euroweenie friends about the truth of Obama. One more reasonable Swedish friend is sure I am right about him, BUT he could NOT be any worse than Bush. How do you counter that? What did Bush actually do that entailed wiping his ass with the constitution? What did clinton, algore, lurch and others say about the threat of Hussein? How many UN resolutions were ignored? Gotta love revisionist history, eh?

    Why not tell the pirates that their boats and loved ones back ashore will be incinerated if they continue with their terrorism. Maybe if it were located in the former Yugoslavia, libtwats would show some desire of US muscle?

    aoibhneas (0c6cfc)

  29. DCRAP and the Leftists will tax anything.

    JD (7558c8)

  30. DCSCA, #21, yet another example of you making up stuff from whole cloth.

    Which is your only trick.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  31. #30 SPQR:

    yet another example of …nameless leftie droid… making up stuff from whole cloth.

    Exactly so.

    I suppose President Obama could have forbidden engagement, but once engaged, there certainly is no need for an explicit authorization to use deadly force in this instance.

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  32. #30- Peddle faster, spork, you’re falling behind the news cycle.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  33. Jeez, SPQR. Do you feel insulted by the CIA spymaster and expert in petroleum geopolitics?

    Eric Blair (4d78ef)

  34. This is one of the most entertaining Masters Sundays I can recall. Tiger and Phil were so entertaining, and the great shots, and bad, have been compelling golf coming in. I like Perry and Campbell, so either winning would be fun. The 1st playoff hole was remarkable.

    JD (7558c8)

  35. I don’t know, JD. Golf was never my thing, other than “Happy Gilmore.” But taking a nice day and looking at green lawns without a lot of asphalt in the way seems pretty great.

    Eric Blair (4d78ef)

  36. #34- Yes, and a great revenue bonus for the coffers of that bastion of liberalism, the Columbia Broadcasting System. CBS welcomes conservative viewers of all ages and is grateful for the boost in ratings and sponsorship checks from everybody’s favorite right wing oil company.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  37. I am a junkie, Eric. I probably hit golf balls 300+ days a year. I have a net in the basement for the winter months and rainy days.

    JD (7558c8)

  38. I was busy watching the Cavs give the Celtics an old-fashioned butt whoopin’. Stretching the lead to 30 mid-way through the 2nd quarter, having a 34-point lead mid-way through the 4th quarter, LeBron sitting out his 13th 4th quarter of the season… That’s entertainment.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  39. Just like that, Perry’s consistent swing vanishes.

    JD (7558c8)

  40. IIRC, and DuckCrap can check this, CBS is paid by Augusta National to carry the telecast, which is solely the property of the Augusta National Gold Club. It was my impression that there are no commercials allowed; or, if there are, the revenues for same go to ANGC, not to CBS.

    AD - RtR/OS (45271e)

  41. CBS pays Augusta, and it is on a year-to-year contract. Ad revenues go to the club.

    JD (7558c8)

  42. Good for the Navy Seals, and for Obama.

    I guess the last pirate is quite young, so I’m sure he will be a leftist hero by Monday, but today is just time to feel good. If Obama goes after their nests Monday, I just might support him as president.

    Or maybe not.

    Patricia (2183bb)

  43. DCSCA, #30, I’m not behind the news cycle. Your comment contains made-up content.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  44. For that matter, typical of DCSCA’s incoherent ramblings is this gem of incoherence: “favorite right wing oil company”.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  45. “I guess the last pirate is quite young, so I’m sure he will be a leftist hero by Monday”

    Patricia – He was prolly wearing a Che T-shirt.

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  46. The media are saying that the surviving pirate would face only a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if returned to the U.S. for trial under our criminal laws in our civilian courts — as opposed, for example, to being subjected to a summary trial on the deck of the Bainbridge and hung from a yard-arm, or being dropped off at Gitmo as another unlawful enemy combatant (or whatever The One is calling those these days).

    I think it’s a sure thing that he’ll be returned to the U.S. for indictment and trial in our civilian courts, with prosecutors seeking a life sentence. In contrast to the typical al Qaeda combatant, the national security/confidentiality problems associated with trying this piece of excrement should be minimal, and even the Obama/Holder DoJ ought to be able to get a conviction given the number of American citizens available to give testimony (and, of course, the complete absence of any doubt as to the guy’s complete guilt, it being pretty much impossible to have been caught any more “red-handed”). If so, then the surviving pirate’s worst-case scenario would be acquittal and the resulting forced repatriation to Somalia.

    But I think the media are wrong, and that the surviving pirate could, and should, in fact be tried under the capital crime provision of the hostage-taking statute. Any bets on whether Obama/Holder will seek capital punishment?

    Beldar (06b365)

  47. Any bets on whether Obama/Holder will seek capital punishment?

    Beldar – That would be too arrogant for Obama/Holder.

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  48. I’m betting that before its over, Obama will be giving the Somali US citizenship.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  49. “I’m betting that before its over, Obama will be giving the Somali US citizenship.”

    SPQR – Don’t forget free housing, public assistance and a college scholarship.

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  50. This man was arrested for a crime that resulted in death. Don’t the Felony Murder provisions rule?

    AD - RtR/OS (45271e)

  51. AD-RtR/OS (#50, 4/12/2009 @ 5:12 pm): I’ve long since learned that Patterico’s spam filter frustrates me when I try to leave long comments here with multiple links.

    Yes, you’re question is the same one I asked myself, and then I set to looking into the matter. There’s no general “felony-murder” statute in federal law since, of course, murder is normally a state-law crime; and there are few federal crimes for which the death penalty is permitted. One such, however, is for hostage-taking when a death results. And the death doesn’t have to be a hostage, or even a good guy; just as in state felony murder prosecutions, anyone’s death is enough, as I read the statute.

    For the links to the relevant statutes and more details, you could follow the single link in my comment above (# 46, 4/12/2009 @ 4:57 pm), back to my blog, that I figured the spam filter would let me get away with.

    Beldar (06b365)

  52. ACK! “You’re question” should have been “Your question” … another reason I prefer to write at my own blog is that I can correct my egregious typos there.

    Beldar (06b365)

  53. “Any bets on whether Obama/Holder will seek capital punishment?”

    Since the pirates didn’t kill anybody (AFAIK), I doubt it.

    According to what I was just reading, the feds have only executed three people since 1963, and all three of them actually killed someone (as opposed to creating a situation that resulted in someone’s death).

    I’m betting they don’t.

    Dave Surls (fad3d4)

  54. There’s U.S. jurisdiction for anything that happened on the Alabama and for anything that happened to Captain Phillips, a U.S. citizen, in the lifeboat. Whether that jurisdiction extends to the dead non-citizen pirates in a non-U.S. flagged boat … hmm … is the lifeboat considered an extension of the Alabama?

    nk (a834f0)

  55. […] that this didn’t end in tragedy, and I’m immensely proud of our brave Navy SEALs for taking care of business and getting the job done. The battle against these acts of piracy will no doubt continue, and it […]

    Captain freed as Navy SEALs take care of pirates « Wellsy’s World (fb05f5)

  56. It would be insane if these ships are forced to be unarmed in the future. It would have been a disaster if Americans paid ransom, good for all involved that that didn’t happen.

    j curtis (19ae48)

  57. The ships are not forced to be unarmed. It is entirely up to the ship’s captain/rules of the shipping company.

    nk (f58916)

  58. It is entirely up to the ship’s captain/rules of the shipping company.

    Nope. It’s company policy, due to liability issues.

    Scott Jacobs (90ff96)

  59. Insurance rates are higher if the crew is armed, for some illogical reason.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  60. nk (#54 4/12/2009 @ 6:09 pm): Have you read 18 U.S.C. § 1203(a) yet? I think it answers your question. The key is that the hostage taken was an American. Jurisdictionally, everything else flows from that.

    Beldar (06b365)

  61. is the lifeboat considered an extension of the Alabama?
    Comment by nk — 4/12/2009 @ 6:09 pm

    Short answer: Yes!

    Beldar: After typing my question, I did follow the link in your comment, and I come to the same conclusion that you do, though it is going to take a good, convincing argument before a sympathetic judge.
    One thing I think would be a negative for our pirate friend would be if this could be tried in Admiralty Court, and not in District Court. I tend to think that an Admiralty Judge would be much less sympathetic to the entreties of any “white-shoe” law firm mouth-piece.

    AD - RtR/OS (45271e)

  62. Fox News legal talking heads say life and not death. Another issue is the surviving pirate is 16.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  63. Well, he was engaged in an adult occupation, he should expect adult rewards.

    AD - RtR/OS (45271e)

  64. If prevailing juvie laws are applied would not the mere cherub be incarcerated only until he reaches twenty one. Lots of punk teen killers in the hood get that kind of deal. Pity a sniper didn’t ice him too. And what were the snipers, was there a racial component involved? The Hollywood crybabies who want Mumia freed could well desire to offer support this victim of the white man.

    aoibhneas (0c6cfc)

  65. Comment by Beldar — 4/12/2009 @ 7:02 pm

    No, I’m sorry, Beldar, I hadn’t. I had only read the general maritime jurisdiction statute. Thank you.

    nk (52e9a9)

  66. Actually, it seems the survivor was on board the Bainbridge negotiating for the others when Capt. Phillips decided to initiate things by jumping once more into the Indian Ocean. Once he was out of the way, the sniper’s obviously had carte blanche to deal with the pirates on the lifeboat – something in the order of: if they have a gun, shoot them.

    AD - RtR/OS (45271e)

  67. And when asked what he felt when he took out the stinking pirate wielding the loaded AK-47 the sniper replied, “Recoil.”

    It doesn’t matter how old the piece of work was. On board that life boat holding a weapon made him a target. Mamma should have taught him better. The same rule should apply to gang bangers.

    PatriotRider (37b91c)

  68. Fox says the pirate actually left to surrender, and the negotiating bit was a pretext.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  69. Hey DCRAP, I saved you some time and wrote your next comment for you:

    This increase in piracy is a direct result of the failed Bush policies of the past eight years.

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  70. CBS welcomes conservative viewers of all ages and is grateful for the boost in ratings and sponsorship checks from everybody’s favorite right wing oil company.

    Comment by DCSCA

    Does that include Democrat governors?

    Mike K (90939b)

  71. In the relative importance of things … have you ever had a nine-month old, with teething pains, pull herself up on your pantleg and bite you on the knee? That’s about all the Somali pirates mean to America. Iran’s and North Korea’s nukes and ICBMs, and Russia’s and China’s ambitions, are the real test for our Juggy-elect.

    nk (52e9a9)

  72. Surviving Somali pirate captured by U.S. Navy should face death sentence under U.S. hostage-taking law…

    God bless the United States Navy! (H/t “Jack Dunphy” @ Patterico’s.) And what a spectacular Easter blessing for the brave Captain Richard Phillips of the MV Maersk Alabama and his gallant crew and grateful family! Three of the four pirates who were …

    BeldarBlog (0436bf)

  73. I want to point out something…

    Three snipers hit moving targets (bobbing up, down, and side-to-side on the waves in a small craft) while ALSO moving (up, down, and side-to-side on the aft-end of a large vessel when motion is it’s greatest) from over what I assume to be at least a couple hundred yards away.

    The three best shots ever taken. Period.

    And I assume there was a fourth sniper, who failed to kill HIS target. If so, I think it’s safe to say he will forever hear the following phrase, or phrases like it: “Nice shot, dumbass…”

    Seriously, if there is a fourth sniper, he’s never living down the fact that #4 lived…

    Scott Jacobs (90ff96)

  74. Scott, #4 had already turned himself in.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  75. I know that…

    But think about it… why would they snipe 3 of 4, and not 4 of 4?

    Someone had to have missed, and that someone will NEVER be allowed to forget it…

    Scott Jacobs (90ff96)

  76. #75- The bucko was aboard ship ‘negotiating’ and ‘surrendered.’

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  77. Luckiest day of his effing life…

    Scott Jacobs (90ff96)

  78. Excuse me? Don’t rescue the hostage until he is almost ashore, a gun held to his head and the pictures of our navy in a standoff with four guys in a dinghy, for days….oh yeah, this is going real well.

    I want a commander in chief that tells the military to do what they do best, go get our guy. God help our troops in the field with this doofus “in charge”.

    Judith (e54586)

  79. And we can start a whole new discussion about “We are marines, coastguards — not pirates”. Somalia has no functional government, no one is interested in forming one, so who will fill the power vacuum?

    The pirates have effectively chased shipping out of Somalia’s territorial waters. The pirates response is to go to operating out of mother ships to extend their range. How far from Somalia was the Alabama when it was boarded? What percentage of of attacks have occurred in Somalia waters and when was the last?

    Their behavior belies their claims.

    LarryD (feb78b)


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