Congrats to Navy Seals for the daring pirate rescue of Capt Philips

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   countrywomenposted 15 years ago

   Capt Phillips who voluntarily surrendered(for the sake of his crew) to the pirates was rescued in a courageous rescue attempt by the US Navy Seals. Even in this day and age if pirates have such an open sway in the high seas then it really baffles me. Anyway it was a happy ending to this sordid drama at high seas. Hope all our families wherever they are working remain safe from all dangers.

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      JamaGeneeposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      It baffles me too that pirates can operate so openly, but I'm so glad for Capt. Phillips and his family that he is finally safe. I add my thanks to the Navy Seals - and the expert marksmen - who made it possible!

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         countrywomenposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Even I am happy for him and his family.

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   seemorebangkokposted 15 years ago

   Much respect to Navy Seals. I've been to target ranges many times and I can say striking a target far away on a lifeboat that moves up and down on waves is not an easy feat.
   
   I'm glad it ended with the bad guys dead and the good guys alive.

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      countrywomenposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I wouldn't say "bad" or "good" since even some of those "pirates" may be driven to take to violence due to extreme poverty but at the same time taking hostages and killing isn't justified. I guess more aid and better cooperative engagement can be pursued(by the world body) to get rid of these dangers to those folks who have to work on the ground level(or seas) in such dangerous environments.

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         seemorebangkokposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Sorry, but there are lots and lots of people in desperate poverty all over the world, and not all of them resort to violence. And whatever their ulterior motive is it doesn't warrant kidnap, terror, piracy and bloody murder. And I'm certain those pirates who kidnapped him have done all those previously.
         
         Cpt.Phillips has a wife and son. And if the pirates shot him dead and tossed his body into the cold deep water for the sharks... I don't think they'll feel compassion for the "poor" pirate.
         
         Just my two cents.

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            countrywomenposted 15 years agoin reply to this

            I totally agree with you that no crime can ever be justified. My only concern was that it is easier to spurn away these folks but if we really want to eradicate the root cause then we need to understand them better so that the folks who work in these environments have a safe journey back to their families.

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               countrywomenposted 15 years agoin reply to this

               The reason I earlier said about looking at people not from black and white (good/bad) angle was that it sometimes may rob us of the ability to see a multi dimensional approach to solve the root cause of the problem. Btw I hope you are safe in Thailand as I saw in news about protests there. I pray/wish that you remain safe from all harm my friend.

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                  seemorebangkokposted 15 years agoin reply to this

                  Thanks for the concern countrywomen I appreciate it . My company pulled me back to Singapore. It sure looks bad in Bangkok, but my Thai friends and co-workers tell me it's not as bad as it looks on TV.
                  
                  According to my them the media has sensationalized the situation. My feelings is there is a bit of media over exageration. However, Thai people are remarkably resilient and do not panic so easily. So to them it's nothing. Historically these types of flare ups occur in Thailand ever so often but eventually smooth out.

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                     countrywomenposted 15 years agoin reply to this

                     Thanks for letting us all know that you are safe. Yes I do agree that the media sometimes tends to portray things in a certain way which others may perceive differently when they don't know the situation at the ground level. I am happy to hear that things aren't as bad as it seems in the news. Have a safe wonderful day

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         GeneriqueMediaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Very good way of looking at the big picture. Why do pirates take over throughout history? Because they use the chaos to their ends and working together, often in a democratic fashion, they achieve great means to blood ends.
         
         And I thank the NAVY SEALS too..one of my childhood friends had a brother who was in the SEALS. He was a most excellent person.
         
         Sincerely,
         
         G|M

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   R. Blueposted 15 years ago

   I hope it sends a large signal to pirates everywhere...don't screw with the US or anybody else for that matter.

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   knolyourselfposted 15 years ago

   "Sorry, but there are lots and lots of people in desperate poverty all over the world, and not all of them resort to violence. And whatever their ulterior motive is it doesn't warrant kidnap, terror, piracy and bloody murder."
   How about if people are dumping nuclear waste in their fishing waters, and foreign factory fishing ships are stealing all their fish.

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      seemorebangkokposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Ghandi changed his part of the world peacefully. And he did so without resorting to violence. Plenty of unnamed people throughout the world have done the same without resorting to violence.
      
      I'm talking about real pirates here, not the Johnny Depp version. And there are still hostages held from previous kidnappings. Hostages with family as well.
      
      The pirates who were sniped deserved what they got the day they made the decision to hop on a party boat and point guns at innocent people.
      
      Believe me, if you were kidnapped and they threatened to kill you every minute, you're not going to be thinking, "Damn I deserve to be kidnapped cause their waters are polluted and they're running out of fish. This is all my fault."
      
      And for your information the cargo ship the pirates tried to hijack was carrying food to Rwanda. Another country with millions of hungry people as well. Think how a Rwandan family would feel if the pirates were succesful in hijacking their food.
      
      Yes, its a real shame that bigger countries screw with smaller countries. I don't like it either, it stinks. But let's face it even, countries inside of Africa screw their neighbors and it's a vicious cirlce.

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   Dame Scribeposted 15 years ago

   I agree. Congrats for the wonderful job of the Navy SEALS they are mawvelous

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   GeneriqueMediaposted 15 years ago

   Awesome.
   
   I've not had a chance to check the news lately; thanks for letting me know. Finally the SEALS got it going, as I knew they would
   
   Dang pirates...I wonder why they're back again in history...

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   SoManyPathsposted 15 years ago

   I heard the pirates will be more aggressive now that this happened.

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      primoredobleposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I agree.
      
      Sea piracy is as old a humanity. It's been happening ever since, but it's only now that it got the world's media attention. There's a bigger picture here, it's just beyond our grasps yet. I could sense something bigger than the obvious is behind all these.
      
      
      However, no matter how hard we try to quash them, they will always re-invent themselves. Like drug dealers, they too are very creative--more so now that technology is readily available to the highest bidder. For sure they will morph into something beyond our imagination.

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   gamergirlposted 15 years ago

   As an aside, my father was stationed on the Bainbridge (the one that was decom'd in 1996.)  So, when I heard about the Bainbridge, my ears perked.  Of course, not the same ship, but the same spirit.
   
   I'm glad my shipmate is home safe.  I'm NOT glad that violence bred more violence, but that's the way it always goes.

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   Hope Alexanderposted 15 years ago

   You are being lied to about pirates?
   
   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-ha … 55147.html

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      countrywomenposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Knolyourself had earlier mentioned this angle and now from this article it seems there is more to it than that meets the eye. But I am still happy for Capt Phillips(for his act of bravery) and also for his family. I guess there is going to be more backlash and a multi pronged approach of engagement with Somalia along with policing those waters need to be tried. Just one approach alone with out the other wouldn't prove to be a effective long term strategy.

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    accofrancoposted 15 years ago

    its a very wonderful news. but i think journeying on sea poses some risk especially avoiding pirates (so dangerous).

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    knolyourselfposted 15 years ago

    Somali Piracy and American Foreign Policy
    http://www.counterpunch.org/macaux04142009.html
    And this doesn't even mention the overthrow of the government of the Islamic Courts via a US backed invasion by Ethiopia.
    http://www.progressive.org/media_mpmire010407

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       seemorebangkokposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Anyone can throw as many articles as they want blaming the US for the cause of Piracy in Somalia.
       
       I can pull up a bunch of articles on why kidnapping and hijacking is wrong too. But I don't have to. Because my brain says so. It does not need an article to tell me otherwise.
       
       Sure, a lot of messed up things happened in the past. Millions of Jews were executed in World War 2. Millions of Chinese were turned into drug addicts in the Opium war. Black slaves were forced into labor in America and afterwards native Indians were tossed out of their homes.
       
       And frankly let's not get short sighted. Capt. Philips deserves to be alive and free. I'm not sure what your stand point is. Would you be happy he wasn't because as an American he deserves it?
       
       He stuck his neck out so his crew could escape. Would you do the same? We're in short supply of modern day heroes and his life is worth more than a million pirates.

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    Louidam1posted 15 years ago

    This is such great news but it looks like the pirates are at it again.  I hope the Navy can get a stop to this soon.

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