Obama twice approved force to rescue hostage

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama twice authorized the military to rescue a U.S. captain who was being held by Somali pirates and whose life appeared to be at risk, administration officials said after Sunday’s rescue.

The Defense Department twice asked Obama for permission to use military force to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast. Obama first gave permission around 8 p.m. Friday, and upgraded it at 9:20 a.m. Saturday. Officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations said the second order was to encompass more military personnel and equipment that arrived in the Indian Ocean to engage the pirates.

Somali pirates last week boarded the Maersk Alabama off the Horn of Africa. The crew fought back, but Phillips surrendered himself to safeguard his men. Navy ships soon were on their way to the area.

White House officials on Sunday said Obama received regular updates by phone and in person at the White House - including 11 memos - and during his daily intelligence briefings with senior officials. The National Security Council last updated the president on a contingency plan for Phillips at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a timeline of events released Sunday afternoon by the White House.

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Obama twice approved force to rescue hostage

OK, if this story is to be believed, and I have no reason to think that even AP would put out a totally false story in favor of Obama, so, if this is true, we have got to give Obama his due and say way to go.

I have always been as fair and balanced as I possibly could since I began blogging. I blasted George W. Bush all to hell and back when I felt he had done the wrong thing and I sang his praises when I felt he was correct in his estimations and actions.

Barack Obama deserves the same level of respect from me that former President Bush got. You see, unlike the loony left and the hard core libberpukes that would never say so much as 1 good word concerning President Bush, I have no problem with sending kudos to President Obama if he does the correct thing, and quite honestly, I was totally surprised to see this story. I didn’t think he had it in him to give the orders. Apparently, I was wrong.

“We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region. To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes,” Obama said.

I am posting that last paragraph for future reference. I hope Obama means every word, I intend to check up on it on a regular basis. I hope you will all do the same.

Don’t go getting ANY ideas that I am becoming an Obama fan, I am not. Barack Obama is still a huge disaster concerning the economy, global alliances, protocol, military leadership abilities, any number of endeavors, but as the old saying goes, on occasion, even a blind hog finds truffle. This was one of those occasions.

Official: US sea captain freed in swift firefight

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

A senior U.S. intelligence official said a pirate who had been involved in negotiations to free Capt. Richard Phillips but who was not on the lifeboat was in custody.

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

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. EDT Sunday that Phillips had been rescued. Reinhart said the company called Phillips’ wife, Andrea, to tell her the news.

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Official: US sea captain freed in swift firefight

I have NO idea yet regarding WHO ordered this, but, if it was Obama, maybe he’s not the wimp we believe him to be. Maybe. All I know is that it took about 3 days too long to come to a conclusion. You can’t negotiate with these people, they do NOT understand reason! Kill them and be done with it!

France frees yacht; hostage killed

PARIS - France’s navy stormed a French sailboat held by pirates off the Somali coast Friday in an assault triggered by threats the passengers would be executed, but one hostage was killed in the operation, French Defense Minister Herve Morin said.

Two pirates also were killed. Four hostages, including a small child, were freed.

In a break with French government policy, authorities proposed a ransom but the pirates rejected the offer, Morin said. Three pirates were taken prisoner.

A grim-faced Morin said that “negotiations were leading nowhere, and the boat was approaching the coast.” He said French President Nicolas Sarkozy gave the order to attack.

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France frees yacht; hostage killed

OK, so I am going to say something I never would have imagined me saying, KUDOS to the French for their courage and tactics, and for their ability to take this pirate crew down and save most of the hostages. For far too long we have criticized the French, called them *surrender monkeys* and so forth. It now appears that the French government may well have more intestinal fortitude than our own government.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - An American captain held hostage by four Somali pirates tried to swim for his freedom but was recaptured Friday, and officials said the high seas hostage drama escalated as both pirate ships and U.S. warcraft sailed to the scene. Pirates recapture US hostage after escape attempt

We’re talking 4 pirates, out of food, out of gas and probably short, or out of water, looking down the guns of a U.S. Navy destroyer. Excuse me, but we have highly trained individuals that are supposed to be the very best in the world at resolving these types of situations. Those individuals are the U.S. Navy SEALs. Why in the hell have they not been given orders to take this 4 man pirate band down? I am fairly certain that 4 SEALs on the railing of a Navy destroyer, after dark, with night vision sight acquisition gear could take out all 4 pirates in less than a second.

For crying out loud, 4 Somali bilge rats are standing off the U.S. Navy. Obama and Company are making us the laughing stock of the world.

President Barack Obama, who is getting regular updates on the standoff, declined to answer questions about it Friday for a second straight day. Pirates recapture US hostage after escape attempt

He can’t respond just yet. He has to decide how many billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars we’re going to send to Somalia, and then there’s that other decision that has to be made. You know the one, right? Do we surrender the Navy Destroyer to these pirates too?

I am not criticizing our Navy personnel, our military can and will DO the job, but they have to have a Commander in Chief that has the balls to lead and allow them to DO the job. We do NOT have that CiC in one Barry Soetoro, aka, Barack Hussein Obama.