Obama: Captain's release, U.S. resolve

Stay calm, think, and play your cards carefully. How new and refreshing. That's change we can believe in!

Listen to the deranged right-wing attack Obama for talking, not attacking immediately. "Don't think, go in there blasting. Send a message!!"

Republicans: Wrong for defense, wrong for the economy, wrong for America.

Kudos to Obama!

It isn’t often–indeed, I have never done it before–do I toss congratulations, and a deep-felt thanks, to our president-in-training, Barack Obama but when kudos are deserved they should be accorded.

On this Easter Sunday, Obama sent bunny hugs to the family of Captain Courageous Richard Phillips, skipper of the Maersk Alabama, by (apparently) authorizing four of our equally brave Navy Seals to rescue him from captivity by Muslim Somali pirates.

Of course, kudos should be spread around among Captain Phillips, the Seals, U.S. Naval Central Commander Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, the crew of the USS Bainbridge, and everyone else involved in the rescue effort. However, as Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, Obama deserves our plaudits.

Reports indicate that Captain Phillips heroically dove overboard from the small boat on which he was being held captive by the pirates who had tried to seize his ship, which was the second time within 3 days that he tried to escape. This time, Seal rescuers were at the ready and used the opportunity to stage an assault on his four Somali captors, killing three and capturing one in the ensuing firefight.

Vice Admiral Gortney “paid tribute to ‘an incredible team effort’ and said he was ‘extremely proud of the tireless efforts of all the men and women who made this rescue possible.’ ” President Obama chimed in by saying, “He was very pleased that Capt Phillips had been rescued and that his courage was a ‘model for all Americans.’ “

You can say that again, Mr. President! He added that “he was resolved to deal with the threat of piracy in the region:” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7996087.stm.

We will have to see how that resolve plays out but as of now it must be admitted that Obama showed more gumption than anyone could have reasonably expected. Former President Jimmy Carter would probably have dithered, waffled, and negotiated for a year before screwing everything up. Fresh off his “Apology Tour” of Europe, Obama may have learned something, namely that sucking up and kissing ass only leads to loss of face, dignity, and national pride.

All in all, it was a commendable rescue on the part of everyone involved even if the message of dispatching naval warships and demonstrating that America still believes no one should try treading on us in the future may not immediately register with soul-less Islamic terrorists/pirates.

Let’s hope that if their acts of piracy on the high seas don’t cease, our president will summon up the additional gumption and emulate President Thomas Jefferson by sending our navy and marines to the shores of Mogadishu to wipe out piracy as Jefferson did on the shores of Tripoli.

May the good captain’s wife Andrea Phillips and all the rest of his family and friends enjoy a very Happy Easter! They deserve it.
(http://genelalor.com/)

Good job BO and more importantly good job to the Navy.
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A few points:
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So far BO has made mention of all the problems that he has inherited from George Bush. I wonder if he will give kudos to George Bush for the well trained Navy he inherited that he has at his disposal to solve this problem?
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If you want to get an idea of what a country with gun control would look like, this pirate situation was the perfect scenario. Law breaking people with guns, law abiding citizens w/o guns.
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Do we clean-up this mess in Somalia that has been around for 16 years, especially in the port Eyl? Or do we say, our ship is safe, let the Europeans go after their ships and their citizens still being held hostage?

Sweet!
Good outcome, but too bad for the pirates. It's hard to hate them, but they got what they wrought in the end. They must have known it could happen.

In history, aren't the pirates the good guys? Drake for the English? Our privateers against the English?
One man's pirate is another man's hero? I don't know. Just wondering.

But, I wondered WTH happened when the good captain escaped the first time but the snipers weren't ready for it!? You would think they would have been. Even I thought of it in advance. Jeez, be ready. But good job in the end. Thanks Navy/Marines/Seals.

Looks like they learned and were ready for the next escape. Good good news for Cap'n and his lady.

Bravo and thank you, Mr. President.

While all this was going on last week, you couldn't find Obama with a search warrent, but now he's out there acting like he was the one who pulled the trigger and saved the captains life.

Paulo

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Posted by: thebob.bob | April 12, 2009 7:20 PM
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Guess what? They eventually went in there and blasted anyway. And do you know why they went in and blasted? Because talking to the pirates wasn’t going to get them anywhere and then knew it. The pirates demanded safe passage and a ransom, and the Navy had no intention of letting that happen. Even Hillary said the point of the exercise was to capture the pirates. That means those on the scene knew force would likely be the result of the encounter since there would be no negotiating on the pirates’ terms.
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In your rush to disparage right-wingers and Republicans, you erroneously assume that those who advocated the use of force weren’t concerned for timing or opportunity. That is false. There is no difference between what happened and the way a “right-winger” could have hoped for it. The only difference between your view and the “right-wingers” is that the latter viewed the use of force as an eventuality given the nature of our enemy, whereas you might have viewed it solely as a contingency. Guess what? The right-wingers were correct.
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Guess what else happened? The captain is safe, three pirates are dead, one pirate is in custody and the bad guys didn't get their way. Hopefully, somewhere between the U.S. Navy’s excellent work and that of the French, the pirates will learn that they are seriously in need of a change of occupation. This is exactly the kind of deterrent they needed to experience. Kudos to all our service men and women on the job.
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C.Morris: No, the pirates have never been the good guys. They were the original terrorists. The first foreign war waged by the U.S. was against the Barbary Pirates of North Africa (a.k.a. The First Barbary War (1801–1805)), under the orders of Congress and President Thomas Jefferson. Apparently, back then, we didn’t like the seizure of ships, the enslavement of crews, or the paying of tributes or ransoms even less than we do now.

JW,
You missed the point of my statement; OUR pirates were the good guys.

Because talking to the pirates wasn’t going to get them anywhere and then knew it.
Posted by: John W. | April 13, 2009 1:41 AM

John...Seems like a lot of words to support "shoot first sort it out later". When did trying to negotiate become a bad thing? Seems to me the end result was what a "left-winger" wanted.......negotiate first...then solve it. I'm sure comments were made in reply to the lame who in their own rabid way wanted Obama to apologize to the pirates and all those other stupid remarks.

C., the difference is that governments would issue documents called "letters of marque" to people such as Francis Drake and the American privateers during our wars with England. With a letter of marque, you were authorized, sort of like an extension of the country's navy (particularly valuable to the Americans because they didn't have much of a navy) to attack and capture shipping of the hostile power. Without a letter of marque, you were just a pirate, like these Somalis.

It's the ultimate tough love. Of course we love the souls of those unfortunate young men who were taught by their country to be pirates but we had to get tough with them.

Relieved that the captain is safe.

There was no way those pirates were getting to land. Rough seas, lack of sleep, food, water helped the cause.

Obama could have made a statement before all of this rather than ignore the public hunger for information. Just a word or two; pictures of Obama and Hillary on a swing are not enough. Just a few words.

The next step is to see what will happen next in that strip of water. There will be more kidnappings; and fingers are crossed that no americans are caught. The pirates are angry and have threatened death to both, french and american sailors.

This will escalate. America fought wars with countries that had more power. These pirates,no matter how organized and what kind of weapons they have, they are no match for our navy.

Hope that no other ships of any nation are captured. And hope that those that are captured now, are soon released.

This needs to stop. If it doesn't more of this type of behavior will occur not just on the sea, but on the land.

NATO takes too much time to decide to do anything.

And kudos to the commander at sea who made the decision to save the captain. Let's not lose that fact. He was the decision-maker, Obama just gave the commander permission to do so.

Will Jack Murtha, Harry Reid and Dick Durbin now praise the military? What about John Kerry? Will he be upset that our military is attacking people in the middle of the night and shooting them in the head? Guarenteed the remaining thug will now become a liberal celebrity....after all, he was only attacking capitalism!!!

KEEP AMERICA STRONG....NEVER VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT!!!!!

Let's not lose that fact. He was the decision-maker, Obama just gave the commander permission to do so.

Posted by: Olly | April 13, 2009 9:12 AM

Gosh good news really hurts huh? Thank you though for offering to help us with that "public hunger for information" thing. Had it gone well it wasn't Obamas doing, had things gone poorly, it was all his fault. I think you can spare us the "information".

bill r., that goes both way. Had this gone poorly, would you have blamed Obama? I'm glad it was done. But as another post on this blog indicates, Obama deliberately downplayed this matter until now. Would it have still be downplayed had it gone wrong? Of course. The deal is, when something goes right, the President should get credit. And when it goes wrong - are you listening? - the President gets the blame. So, congratulations to President Obama, the navy, and the brave sea captain. Godspeed to all.

bill r., that goes both way. Had this gone poorly, would you have blamed Obama?
Posted by: Bemused | April 13, 2009 10:27 AM

No.....I would have blamed the pirates. In our search to use anything to bash Obama, somehow we forget who the real problem is.

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Posted by: bill r. | April 13, 2009 8:21 AM
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Those advocating the use of force weren’t interested in a “shoot first sort it out later” policy. They simply wanted to make sure that the force option was never off the table. Within reason, negotiation is not a bad thing. Law enforcement personnel do it all the time in domestic hostage situations. However, anyone who saw the mismatch between what was demanded by the pirates and what the Navy was willing to give knew that negotiation would eventually break down and that some form of force, lethal or otherwise, would have to be used to effectuate their capture and save the Captain.
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The comments of “thebob.bob,” to which I replied, were the first in the thread, and not made in response to any other identifiable poster. (And there you go again with your use of the word “rabid.”) No one on the “right” was hoping for Obama to apologize to the pirates, although, honestly, some might have worried about it. There were those on the “left” who believed the use of force would have been wrong in just about any situation, and that the “peaceful” process of ransom and release would be preferable until we can address the domestic problems in Somalia that cause pirates to be pirates. I, too, am glad that didn’t happen. I applaud everyone in the decision making process, from Obama down to the guys and/or gals who executed the plan by the numbers.

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Posted by: C.Morris✈ | April 13, 2009 8:06 AM
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Actually, C., I understood you very well. If we wish to be consistent and intellectually honest, we have to recognize that “our pirates” were terrorists too. That being the case, we then have to re-think our stance as to whether they were good guys or bad guys.

No.....I would have blamed the pirates. In our search to use anything to bash Obama, somehow we forget who the real problem is.

Posted by: bill r. | April 13, 2009 10:42 AM

So - circular thinking and zero accountability for Obama is the new hopey changey mantra...

Interesting how nobody, likely yourself included, remembered how al queda had stoked and incited the sectarian violence in pre surge Iraq- that was all Bush's fault if I remember correctly...

Where was this cool headed pragmatic approach to assigning blame where it was due then?

No one on the “right” was hoping for Obama to apologize to the pirates. There were those on the “left” who believed the use of force would have been wrong in just about any situation.
Posted by: John W. | April 13, 2009 12:15 PM

Maybe we read 2 different posts....here is what I saw:

Not to worry. U.S. President Casper Milquetoast will ask the UN to send a strongly worded message to the pirates.

I bet that Barry will give those darn pirates a very stern look, like he gave N Korea, and they will quake in their shoes!

If BO doesn't want to do that, maybe he can offer the pirates a bailout, or offer to buy into their corporation.

BDD: Barry will also say, these pirates broke the rules
annnnnnd that is totally unacceptable.

These pesky pirates got their own stimuli package goin' on. They don't seem to be lovin' on Obama like all of Europe and America

I wonder if Obama will kiss the Somalis butt's before he asks nicely to have the ship back.

I could go on for ever with the plethera of ankle biting comments...yet I did not see one in favor of no action at all.
Hmmmmmm.

remembered how al queda had stoked and incited the sectarian violence in pre surge Iraq- that was all Bush's fault if I remember correctly...

Where was this cool headed pragmatic approach to assigning blame where it was due then?

Posted by: heartburn | April 13, 2009 12:40 PM

I guess after years of "stay the course" people woke up!

Where was this cool headed pragmatic approach to assigning blame where it was due then?

Posted by: heartburn | April 13, 2009 12:40 PM

May I also remind you that it became clear that the war was ill planned, not enough troops, may have been trumped up on intel, then stayed content to watch it all fall apart with "stay the course". It was an ill concieved war. Period!

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Posted by: bill r. | April 13, 2009 2:02 PM
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Jeepers, bill, the quotes you forked up are cynical and sarcastic; but I think you read too much into those quotes as “hoping” the president would “apologize” to the pirates or otherwise fail. You can’t see that?
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If you didn’t see one that advocated no action at all, you didn’t read the posts of “Chris” in the earlier thread. Chris believed that, instead of using force or dealing decisively with the pirates, we should have addressed the “Poverty, AIDS [and] Famine” that are the root causes of the piracy in Somalia.

DaveB, JW,

Ok, ok,,,
I'm mot being completely serious.
In lore many times the pirates are the good guys. In lore. That's all I'm saying.

But!, many of our fine ladies have certain fantasies regarding being spirited away by said pirates. Am I right ladies? Help me out here.
It starts out with a good ravishing on the poop deck, followed by a real violation in the fo'c's'le, and then perhaps the unmentionable in the 'hold'. All followed in the end with peace, true love and the revelation that the pirate is a real sensitive guy.

Am I right ladies? Now come clean!

And let's not forget Seinfeld in that poofy pirate's shirt.

John W......I guess I have to say somethings are hard to find when you are wallowing in the muck of some of these posts. Maybe you aren't using an objective eye. Just askin!

If you didn’t see one that advocated no action at all, you didn’t read the posts of “Chris” in the earlier thread. Chris believed that, instead of using force or dealing decisively with the pirates, we should have addressed the “Poverty, AIDS [and] Famine” that are the root causes of the piracy in Somalia.

Posted by: John W. | April 13, 2009 3:10 PM

WHAT!? Somone suggested that dealing with poverty, AIDS and famine might help the situation in Somalia? Who could say such an evil thing? It's simply un-american to care about such issues. What has become of our country when people think that help ing the poor and sick is a good thing that might make the world a better place?

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Posted by: Rushpublican | April 13, 2009 4:33 PM
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I knew I could count on someone to read my last post the wrong way. No, I didn’t say we shouldn’t deal with poverty, AIDS or famine. Nor did I say that we should. I offered no opinion on the subject one way or another. I merely pointed out that another poster in another thread felt that we should take no decisive and forceful action against the pirates and, instead, hope the piracy will dissolve of its own accord after we have helped Somalia alleviate its problems with poverty, famine and AIDS. Do you need any more help with this or should I send a coloring book your way?

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Posted by: C.Morris✈ | April 13, 2009 3:33 PM
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Okay. I’ll buy that for a dollar.

C., your account of ravishment brings to mind another story. Aaron Burr had a daughter, Theodosia. After Burr's wife, also named Theodosia, died, daughter Theodosia took her place as the hostess at the events that Burr, as a politician, was required to host. (Some say that Alexander Hamilton, who engaged in an increasingly acerbic war of words with Burr, finally claimed that daughter Theodosia also took wife Theodosia's place in Burr's bed, and that impelled Burr to challenge Hamilton to the duel that killed him.) Theodosia Burr, by that time the wife of the governor of South Carolina, vanished aboard the schooner Patriot off the Carolinas in January 1813. Neither the schooner nor anyone on her was ever seen again, but stories surfaced decades later of her having been taken by pirates, who murdered everyone aboard. Of course, here are also more prosaic explanations; for instance, there was a heavy storm at that time and the Patriot may have simply foundered and sank. But still.

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Posted by: bill r. | April 13, 2009 4:28 PM
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bill,
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I’m trying very hard to look at this stuff objectively. I suppose we all bring our own lenses, presumptions and attitudes to the process; and all of them color the way we see things.
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Many of the quotes you cited came from Django. I didn’t read Django as being in earnest. He’s often cynical or sarcastic. He never comes across as half as serious as I do. I suppose you are going to see a lot more cynicism and sarcasm from the “right” (rabid or not) because control of the federal government is largely out of Republican control.
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I also took care to distinguish cynicism directed at Obama versus statements impacting the success or failure of the hijacking and hostage crisis (isn’t that a horrible phrase from days gone by?). As I see it, and show me where I am wrong - it looks as though the statements were directed at Obama’s handle on things and his “likely” methodology (from a sarcastic/cynical point of view), rather than the outcome itself. I saw no one hoping for a failure on the ground.

I wonder what ACLU lawyer will be defending the 4th pirate? Or are we calling pirates now "water loving inventory shrinkage specialists"?

So far BO has made mention of all the problems that he has inherited from George Bush. I wonder if he will give kudos to George Bush for the well trained Navy he inherited that he has at his disposal to solve this problem?"
No kudos necessary.. being a former military member, i do believe the Navy was well-trained before Bush and will remain so. Don't give a moron credit where credit is not due. Please, lets leave the idiots out of this and thank god and our forces for this rescue..Hail to Cpt Phillips and his awesome crew and stfu the rest of you.